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Thread: Cyberlink PowerDVD 9

  1. #1
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    Apr 2008
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    Cyberlink PowerDVD 9

    Summary:
    Essential for those who want to watch a DVD or Blu-ray on his Windows PC, even though many other video players can play other video formats for free (and Windows includes the DVD from Vista), PowerDVD continues to evolve as its competitor WinDVD with the release of version 9. On the agenda: the upscaling of DVDs for optimized playback on HD screen, a new full screen interface to control the software with a remote control, a navigation style "CoverFlow" for the chapters, or integration with Windows Media Center ...


    DVD playback on a PC is sometimes relegated to the radius "outdated" by some users. Just as we would do more for the idea to insert an audio CD into a computer other than to encode it to MP3, it is clear that the explosion of the capacity of external hard drives has limited interest for some to carry a stack of DVDs with her laptop. However, the reasons to prefer the physical media are still numerous: encode a movie in DiVX can be lengthy, the transaction needs to circumvent protection measures (both places his personal ethic where they wish, but you must know) and offers definitive and legal downloading of films are still poor. Moreover, more portable medium or high-end is equipped with a Blu-ray format now supported by software players like PowerDVD or WinDVD.

    Reading in the lounge is also a problem to mention: besides the fact that a PC in the living room is not very elegant (even if there are boitiers Media Center for this purpose), there is often a gap between Software designed primarily for use in part to the mouse, nose on menus and configuration to use "fair." We will see that PowerDVD 9 offers several solutions for this ...


    DVD read: improvements for HD
    The main new feature in PowerDVD 9 on playing DVD's "classic" that has now upscaling technology, like the latest version of WinDVD. Democratization screen diagonal leads naturally a big problem: DVDs are increasingly blurred, as proposed in a resolution much lower resolutions to HD Ready or Full HD (720x576 PAL) to view a DVD on a screen 1080p, and we must "enlarge" the image around 5 times. To overcome this problem, we can apply treatments that accentuate the details of the image. It is this which is offered by the Playstation 3, Blu-ray plates, some TVs or DVD some decks that support upscaling. There are also upscaling technology in some video players like Media Player Classic.

    PowerDVD 9 proposes three options for improving the image of the DVD to HD screens, meeting under the name TrueTheater. The first TrueTheater HD improves image sharpness in a very sensitive issue. Since the original material, it will obviously not possible to convert a DVD movie in high definition, "native". However, the image produced by the effect is rather satisfactory, and corrects the image significantly. However, if the effect is convincing for viewing at a reasonable distance from the screen, its use in the context of a reading on a laptop can have an effect against productive, then the image appears to be too noisy and aggressive. Two other settings are offered: TrueTheater Motion improves the fluidity of the DVD by passing the flow to 48 or 60 frames per second, and TrueTheater Lighting which enhances contrast. If TrueTheater Lighting also provides a real benefit, we had a little more difficult to determine the contribution of TrueTheater Motion, even if the effect is still significant.



    The software can automatically adjust the settings, but the level of adjustment applied we felt a little timid in our tests. We prefer to fix it manually, especially as PowerDVD offers two modes for this display screen split in two. The first displays the left part of the scene without the effects TrueTheater and with the right effects. The second shows the same part of the image, with and without the effects. In both cases, the display is very useful to fine-tune the effects according to their preferences.

    Playing Blu-ray: little improvement
    If playback of DVD boasts significant improvements on the new Blu-ray are more rare. However, PowerDVD 9 now supports the HDMI 1.3 standard. The functionality of course require compatible equipment. Cyberlink announces improved performance in the reading of Blu-ray configurations on "average", a point that it is difficult to verify as the term "average configuration" is blurred. Our test configuration is equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz, 2 GB of RAM and a graphics card ATI Radeon HD 2600 and the reading is carried out smoothly. We note however that playing a Blu-ray disables the Aero interface. More annoying: on the final version that was provided for the test (9.1510), we found many instabilities when playing Blu-ray, the software will often block the loading of a disc. As regards the compatibility of Blu-ray, no novelty is noted but the management is complete, including the reading of BD-R and BD-RE as well as standard bonus Bonus View and BD Live.

    It points out that since version 8, PowerDVD will not play HD-DVD. It is obvious that Cyberlink has no interest in continuing support for a format dead and buried, but you may think that compatibility remains: after all, it is still possible to play Video CD on n ' what is platinum, while this format has been a monumental flop. Even if he has ever drilled, the HD-DVD has still lasted long enough for a large number of titles are published. Unless you have a platinum lounge, they will be doomed to dust. Moreover, the incompatibility of the latter is not very clear: the inclusion of a HD-DVD, PowerDVD 9 seems to recognize at first, although he refuses to read ... We'll see if the next version of WinDVD also abandons the format. In terms of file formats supported, because Power DVD can also play formats dematerialized, the software always reads files H264, WMV-HD, MPEG2-HD, and VC1. DVDs in the AVCHD format is also compatible.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    315

    Re: PowerDVD 9

    Interface: the focus on the full screen
    If there is nothing to distinguish at first glance, the interface of PowerDVD 9 from that of his predecessor, the new features are quite numerous, including oriented software in a salon. Thus, PowerDVD 9 obtains a full-screen mode. When this is activated, the software features are accessible from a remote (Media Center for example, but other models are supported, even an Apple Remote when installing the software on a MacBook Pro). Obviously, it was already possible to use a remote control with PowerDVD, but the software interface retains the disadvantages of the desktop and needed to go through the menu, and therefore stand to perform certain operations. Full-screen mode PowerDVD 9 solves these problems and offers menus in large fonts to change the audio language, subtitles, or enable / disable settings TrueTheater mentioned.




    When inserting a disc, when the software is in full screen mode, the host also provides access to different features from the four colored buttons (red, green, yellow and blue) found on most remote controls. It can resume the movie where you left off, restart or access the list of chapters. It offers a display mode that is not unlike the Apple CoverFlow, but the touch interface of the PC Touchsmart HP. There is nothing surprising since it is that Cyberlink has developed the software part of the Touchsmart. Until this navigation in the chapters has been designed for future use touch, there is only one step. In all cases, this view is very pleasant and has the advantage of not requiring a return to the DVD menus, publishers have generally not such to make their browsing chapters twisted to meet their visual delusions . Here, it was immediately a clear and elegant chapter. To make it perfect, it would surely more than the opportunity to see a preview video in motion, but do not dream too. The order of chapters is available in both modes (full screen and desktop). Who knows why, scrolling the mouse wheel is available in full screen mode! Another problem with this view: it does not seem to work with Blu-ray, at least with those we've tested.




    The full-screen interface of PowerDVD to use the software in a salon, but users of Windows Media Center will then pretend that this interface overlaps with that of Microsoft. Not exactly, since the novelty of PowerDVD 9 in the "salon experience" is the addition of a plug-in to use PowerDVD within Windows Media Center. The multimedia interface of Windows then gets to play Blu-ray technology and benefits of upscaling PowerDVD, replace the DVD player with Windows. Integration is exactly similar to the full screen of the software, except it follows the blue tones of Windows Media Center. You can benefit from the activation on the fly TrueTheater effects, management may be more practical language audio and subtitles, and navigation in the chapters. However, this integration has seemed to suffer a few display bugs, and a complete crash of Windows Media Center even happened when playing a movie.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    315

    Re: PowerDVD 9

    The community features: a gadget?
    Since version 8, Cyberlink will develop the community aspect of PowerDVD with Moovie Live feature that allows to record the movies you watch and share this information with other users of the software, and Moovie Remix which can offer its own mounting films. Regarding MoovieLive, PowerDVD proposes the creation of an account that allows complete information on the film during playback, but also from the site MoovieLive, for any film of the base. In itself, the community aspect of it can be easy: when we will see a movie, you like to comment once he leaves the room. One can imagine that a sufficiently well-designed system can encourage users to leave PowerDVD opinions on the films they watch just to share with other users.


    In practice, the feature is annoying nonetheless. The constant recommendations for launching a drive to do more thinking of advertising intrusive than a really nice feature. More generally, it is recognized that PowerDVD is used mainly for watching movies on DVD and Blu-ray, and not to connect to a community of moviegoers. It very well imagine a context in which this type of community service might work: a VOD service that would allow for viewing the films rated by users. Here, in the context of physical media, it was somewhat difficult to capture the interest of the real thing, especially since the posting of such information tend to increase the interface.


    Indexing DVD and Blu-ray
    PowerDVD 9 also includes a feature indexing rather well designed it can add each DVD read his collection of films, and receive overviews of the chapters, in order to type "CoverFlow" mentioned above. This feature may be of interest to movie fans compulsive: browsing in this way in his library, you can quickly browse through the chapters of a film indexed and may have to rediscover the idea of the movies that we have not seen for a long time. But again, this type of indexing would obviously be more relevant with a media center and films physically present on the hard disk. It should be noted however, at this level that version 9.0 is used to index its Blu-ray DVDs and more.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    315

    Re: PowerDVD 9



    Final Words For PowerDVD?
    Power DVD software is a rather paradoxical. Historically, it enjoyed great popularity at the beginning of the DVD, when internal DVD ROM for PC (sometimes assisted by a map of MPEG2 decompression) was a cheap alternative to salon plates. Since then, they have seen their prices melt and the interest to watch a DVD on his PC was significantly reduced. It is not completely absent: reading on a laptop is obviously very useful, and some populations such as students may not have room for a TV, DVD player and a computer in their room or apartment. One might also think that the Blu-ray revive the interest of a software player, but for now the format hard to break. Use a recorder / reader internal Blu-ray may be an alternative, and many laptops are now equipped with a reader. Hence the paradox: while most users watching DVDs on a computer do on a laptop, the technology introduced by upscaling PowerDVD 9 have a real interest? It is tempting to answer yes, from a diagonal.

    However, it is obviously on a HD screen that will feature its full meaning, which implies more of a viewing on a PC desktop. At this level, we can say that Cyberlink has worked pretty well thought the new version because the full screen is very successful and Windows users will appreciate the Media Center plug-in to use PowerDVD from their preferred interface, and watch Since Blu-ray Media Center, which is impossible by default. It also will appreciate the navigation within the chapters of a hard way CoverFlow. It is certainly not very original, but the effect is successful and we can say that Cyberlink has cleverly stolen the idea that Apple has thought of CoverFlow for use as strange that the files in the Finder or bookmarks in the next Safari 4, but strangely not in chapters in a DVD or video!

    Ultimately, Power DVD 9 is an update of strong DVD / Blu-ray Cyberlink. However, several black spots litter the table. The community features, even if they do not leave a bad idea at the base, are clearly more annoying than really useful, and most users of the software probably will look to get rid of them to focus solely on the functionality that interested in watching movies! It also regrets the abandonment, already effective since version 8, the reading of HD-DVD. We imagine that the license issues lie behind this decision, but it is unfortunate that this format has become, in addition to being abandoned completely obsolete before the summary execution of support, many titles were still out collectors and movie fans are probably one or two shelves filled with these discs, especially since you can still find occasion, perhaps to rates. Last reproach to send the software: the price! Even if there are two restricted versions marketed at prices lower, the "true" Power DVD 9, ie the Ultra version will be marketed as its predecessor at a price of 89 euros. Without questioning the quality of software, the bill is a bit salty, more importantly to enjoy reading a format whose future is still not completely assured ... The question of the usefulness of a reader of physical marketed more generally arises: bet on the death of physical formats is a big step that we do not swim here, but we can not deny the importance of other formats, including distributed through illegal channels and to which no player fee is required: there are obviously many readers free video of SMPlayer to VLC through GOM Player. We therefore conclude our test: if you are a big consumer of DVD and / or Blu-ray and if your computer is your main support screening, PowerDVD seems we always have an interest. Otherwise, there are lighter, cheaper and less intrusive.




    Cyberlink PowerDVD 9

    Good
    • Upscaling for DVD
    • Full screen managed mode
    • Pleasant Navigation
    • Integrating Windows Media Center


    Bad
    • HD DVD finally buried
    • A little expensive Ultra version
    • Some instabilities

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