PowerDVD 10 Ultra 3D. Why I cannot use some menu functions on movies? (1 Viewer)

[Panayotis Melas]

Good day to all,


I have recently purchased on line the Cyberlink PowerDVD 10 Ultra 3D (a back up disc was also ordered and received). The program was installed in my new HTPC and worked fine with all kinds of discs (BD, DVD, CD).

A few days ago, I ripped and stored in one of the PC hard drives a BD movie (Quantum of Solace), complete with its menus, languages and subtitles, using the AnyDVD HD software. Later, I did the same with a DVD movie (Fantastic Four), again complete, with all its contents, this time using the good old DVD Decrypter.

Before storing these two movies, I checked to see if PowerDVD plays them correctly and I was quite amazed how well this was done. Then I tried to play the ripped movies, but neither on the first nor on the second I can activate certain functions that were available when playing the actual discs, like selection of audio languages, subtitles, scene selection etc.

A right click on the screen pops up a small dialog window, but these functions are totally disabled/deactivated, while fully functioning on the actual discs. There is no doupt that the ripping process was complete, because I can play these movies with other players, like e.g. the Media Player Classic.

Following is a very brief configuration of my HTPC:
- Gigabyte motherboard GA-EP35C-DS3R rev. 2.1
- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 "Kentsfield", 2.66GHz CPU
- Kingston SSD Now V Series 64GB system disc
- 3 x WD10EADS storage HDDs of 1TB capacity each
- 4 Dimms x 1GB each DDR2 Kingston RAM
- LG Super MultiBlue CH-10 BD/DVD-R/RW optical drive
- Sapphire ATI HD5770, 1GB DDR5 Graphics Card
- Windows 7 Pro 64-bit O.S.
The PowerDVD Ultra 10 has recently been updated to version 10.0.2429.51, which is the latest I believe.

I have asked Cyberlink about this problem, but I have no answer yet (it's too early, actually).

Can anyone help me on this issue?
Thanks in advance.



P.S.:

I am attaching a "printscreen" picture of my PC, where someone can see the pop up window and the disabled functions. The picture may seem a little blurry, but someone can see that some functions appear in bright white, while others in grey (disabled).

 

[Panayotis Melas]

Has anybody seen it?

 

[Panayotis Melas]

Problem Solved, at last!


Good afternoon (or evening) to all again

With the assistance of some guys from another local forum, I found the causes of the problem and the solutions for them. I am posting them for your guidance. Here we go:

A. For a ripped Blu-Ray, it is necessary this to be done in ISO files. This can be selected when using AnyDVD HD. Thenafter, and when the movie has been stored in a hard drive, a virtual drive is necessary to be used, since PowerDVD DOES NOT reproduce ISO files, if these are not played by a driver. In other words, the ripped movie will be "seen" as a physical disc in a physical drive, if the files in it are ISO and there is a drive, no matter if this is physical or virtual. The best virtual drive is the Elaborate Bytes Virtual CloneDrive, which is free and can be downloaded from http://www.slysoft.com (the site for AnyDVD).

B. For the ripped DVD I was making the mistake to open the .VOB files. Instead, I went up one level and found the VIDEO_TS folder (which contained all .VOB files). When I hit PLAY on it, the movie came to my screen with all its menus, bells and whistles and I could manage to see and select subtitles, select audio languages and format, etc.

Have a good afternoon.
-

 

[Sam Posten]

Glad you got your problem fixed! Does sound like a weird one. Probably won't get many replies to threads like this tho, as HTF is very much supported by the studios themselves it's not really a good idea for us to discuss ripping technologies, tho I'd suspect quite a few of us have dabbled around with it at one time or another. Your Q is very specific tho, so not surprised it didn't get a response here!


Sam

 

[Panayotis Melas]

Originally Posted by Sam Posten

Glad you got your problem fixed! Does sound like a weird one. Probably won't get many replies to threads like this tho, as HTF is very much supported by the studios themselves it's not really a good idea for us to discuss ripping technologies, tho I'd suspect quite a few of us have dabbled around with it at one time or another. Your Q is very specific tho, so not surprised it didn't get a response here!


Sam

Dood day, Sam and thank you.


Ripping discs of your own into your own HTPC is not at all illegal and I would consider it a "must" for a Home Theater PC. After all, what is the use of an HTPC, if it does not store your movies an music? Just playing discs today on a computer seems to me like having a Mercedes SLK moving on bicycle wheels. There are other much more dedicated and cheaper devices to do it.


Supporting of HTF by studios is a good thing, but this does not mean that the members of the forum, owners of HTPCs, are thieves and illegal downloaders. At least, I am not.


Thanks again for your reply.

-

 

[mattCR]

Originally Posted by Panayotis Melas






Dood day, Sam and thank you.


Ripping discs of your own into your own HTPC is not at all illegal and I would consider it a "must" for a Home Theater PC. After all, what is the use of an HTPC, if it does not store your movies an music? Just playing discs today on a computer seems to me like having a Mercedes SLK moving on bicycle wheels. There are other much more dedicated and cheaper devices to do it.


Supporting of HTF by studios is a good thing, but this does not mean that the members of the forum, owners of HTPCs, are thieves and illegal downloaders. At least, I am not.


Thanks again for your reply.

-

This is the tricky ground. Yes, according to the law, you have every right to archive your own materials, as long as you have a physical copy somewhere.

However, the process of breaking the encryption routine through reverse engineering is unfortunately still illegal.


As a result, the position of the HTF is that discussing the tools that allow for it violate the rules of the forum.

It's a tricky wicket for the home user, I agree.. but per our past rules, we don't get into it here. There are numerous other places that will discuss those issues online.

 

[Marko Berg]

Originally Posted by mattCR
As a result, the position of the HTF is that discussing the tools that allow for it violate the rules of the forum.

The above should be noted and observed when posting here, Panayotis.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Originally Posted by Panayotis Melas . Rule 5 provides as follows:

5. Respect for copyrights. Home Theater Forum has a strict policy of respecting the rights of copyright holders. . . . We also do not allow discussion of (a) how to make unauthorized copies of video or audio materials, (b) how to defeat any form of copy protection (including, for example, how to make "personal" copies of commercially produced DVDs), and/or (c) how to obtain equipment that can only be used for such purposes. In one form or another, this rule goes back to the very origins of HTF. We are serious about it, and it is not going to change. Please do not try to debate copyright law with us. We're not interested in discussing what the law should be. We believe it is in the best interest of HTF to enforce this policy strictly, and members test it at their peril.

 

[Panayotis Melas]

Thank you, all, for pointing out the details of HTF rules. I would not break them under any circumstances, if I was aware of the details.


Mea Culpa!


It will not happen again.


As far as the law itself, as Marko noted, I am not in the US and, although we also have some law restrictions in our country, copying of your own discs is not illegal. However, and in order to return to the very basics, as I stated above, I am not going to discuss again anything similar in here, as a respect to the forum rules.