LG Blu-Ray/HD DVD Rom for $120 today only

[thrustbucket]

Not sure how this compares, but Stootsi (http://www.stootsi.com/)has a PC Drive that reads HD DVD and Blu Ray for $119. If you have a computer powerful enough to play the movies for an HTPC, that's not bad at all.

[Sporadic]

fuck I just bought this a few weeks ago from NewEgg for $165

[thrustbucket]

How is it?

[luvmysegadc]

How is it?


I have this model (paid $159 shpd 2+ months ago, so I don't feel too bad), but there are a few things that you should be aware when it comes to required specs:

It requires a minimum 3.2 Ghz processor and a HD-compatible 256 MB video card (on-board or installed) that can at least output to 1080P, otherwise the best you can get is 720P.

Here's a link to the PDF: http://us.lge.com/download/product/file/1000003670/GGC-H20L_spec_sheet22108.pdf

Also when playing a Blu-Ray disc, it suddenly becomes a resource hog, usually using 87% + of your CPU (about 45 - 60% on HD DVD).


Even with HD DVD being no more, I like have the option of using both (plus all the deals on HD DVD movies)

[psunami]

Boy, this is tempting. I've been thinking of putting together a new PC and I would sure love a drive like this in it.

[cagfansub]

Say.. when you build a HTPC.. if you have a good enough CPU and video card with the HDMI output to your TV.

How do you control the player (eg. CyberLink PowerDVD)? Is there a remote control that one can buy so that it controls the playback using this drive?

[guyver2077]

o well.. after cash back my drive should come out to about the same price

[Justin42]

I bit on this... I really didn't want to spend the money but it seemed like an awesome price and I'm concerned "dual format" drives (HD-DVD and BluRay) are probably going to disappear sooner than later. (i.e., by the time the drives really become cheap, HD-DVD support will be gone to help make them cheaper)

That said, I've read all sorts of conflicting reviews about what software to use this with. It sounds like the version of PowerDVD it comes with is crap, PowerDVD 8's latest patch no longer will play HD-DVD (even WITH the hacks that were floating around), etc... what software have people used with it?

[turls]

I'm probably going to pair this with Arcsoft software. I tried the demo with a HDDVD 360 drive hooked up to a PC and was impressed.

[Sporadic]

How is it?

I love it.

You really need a copy of AnyDVD and WinDVD9 to get the most out of it (stupid region coding/BD+ and PowerDVD dropping HD-DVD support) but besides that, it works great.

Plays everything I throw at it and is much quieter than my 360 attachment was. Even cooler is that with AnyDVD, it can skip over all of the annoying crap some Blu-Ray studios decide to add at the beginning and go straight to the menu.

Only issue I've had with it is that I wasn't able to access the BD Live stuff on Men In Black.

Say.. when you build a HTPC.. if you have a good enough CPU and video card with the HDMI output to your TV.

How do you control the player (eg. CyberLink PowerDVD)? Is there a remote control that one can buy so that it controls the playback using this drive?

My HP computer came with a built in remote control system and it works with PowerDVD/WinDVD/Vista Media Center.

I imagine that there is a remote control you can buy for your PC.

[ashram]

i just bit... already have 3 360 hd-dvd drives (but 1 360!) and a slim hd dvd drive in my laptop, which cost more than this combo drive last october! now to use the xbox drives as external optical drives at work since they were cheap!