 The HD (high-definition) format war is well and truly over, and Blu-ray has been declared the unanimous victor. Among mainstream media formats, Blu-ray is unmatched in video and audio quality and delivers massive 25GB (single-layer) and 50GB (dual-layer) storage for data discs. But now that it’s nearly two years hence, Blu-ray still isn’t showing up in many PCs. Even with prices falling to new lows this season, the market research firm iSuppli recently reported that just 3.6% of all PCs shipped this year feature BD (Blu-ray Disc) optical drives and even by 2013, only 16.3% of PCs shipped will support the format out of the box. Although you can find retail PCs with Blu-ray playback and recording capabilities, you can likely do it yourself with your current PC, with just a few hardware and software upgrades. Read on to see if now is the right time to add the high-definition format to your PC’s stable of supported acronyms and abbreviations.
 The Easy Way
Blu-ray technology hasn’t quite caught on with most consumers yet, but at least one of Blu-ray’s proponents, CyberLink, is betting that part of the problem is consumers’ confusion about what is necessary to add Blu-ray to your PC. One of the easiest ways to clear the air is to download and run CyberLink’s Blu-ray Disc Advisor (Beta), which scans your PC and checks its hardware against a list of BD-compatible components to see what aspects of your system need an upgrade to enable Blu-ray playback. | 
The CyberLink BD Advisor is an easy way to see if your system is ready for Blu-ray playback. |
To get started, visit tinyurl.com/ 7kxnfv, click the Download BD Advisor button, input your contact info and preferences, and then click the Submit & Download Now button. Choose a location for the download and then double-click the EXE file to initiate the install.
Once installed, double-click the CyberLink BD Advisor shortcut on your Desktop to run the utility and then click the Scan For Blu-ray Disc Support button. After a brief system scan, the CyberLink Blu-ray Disc Advisor reports the BD capabilities of your processor, graphics card, optical drive, and other components. Any item with a green icon is fully compliant, while a red icon indicates that the particular part does not meet the minimum system requirements for playback of Blu-ray content. A yellow icon indicates that the minimum requirement has been met, but you may notice video- or audio-quality degradation with some content unless you upgrade.
The Basic Playback tab will tell you if you’re able to watch Blu-ray movies on your PC. Click the Advanced Playback tab to see if your PC is capable of supporting all of Blu-ray’s advanced playback features, such as picture-in-picture and Web-based content.
The Hard Part
Depending on the age of your PC and its internal components, your system may need multiple significant (or just a few minor) tweaks to meet Blu-ray’s demands. Read on for all the specifics regarding Blu-ray-capable hardware.
Optical drive. One of the most obvious upgrades you’ll need is a Blu-ray-capable optical drive, which uses a narrower blue laser to read and write data, compared to the red laser found in DVD-based optical drives. Keep in mind, Blu-ray Disc ROM drives can only read Blu-ray Discs, so you’ll need a Blu-ray Disc burner that is capable of using BD-R (Blu-ray Disc Recordable) or BD-RE (Blu-ray Disc Rewriteable) media to take advantage of the format’s massive storage and archiving potential. | 
Monitors with this logo are HDCP-compliant. |
Processor. Blu-ray Disc playback is very CPU-intensive, meaning that you’ll need a fairly powerful processor to manage the task. Generally, a very fast single-core processor from Intel or AMD is powerful enough to meet Blu-ray’s minimum requirements, but a dual-core processor is recommended, with quad-core processors being more than capable. Here, a newer graphics card can pick up some of the slack if your CPU only meets the minimum requirement.
Graphics card. Graphics cards aren’t just for games, they also handle 2D video decoding for DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats. For optimal performance, an integrated or discrete graphics processor should feature at least 256MB of video memory. Graphics chips that meet Blu-ray’s minimum specifications generally don’t support HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection), which is Blu-ray’s integrated copy protection technology. To support digital video output during Blu-ray Disc playback (using a DVI or HDMI [High-Definition Multimedia Interface] cable), the graphics card needs to be HDCP-compliant. Analog video playback is possible on older graphics cards that aren’t HDCP-compliant, but you may need a DVI (Digital Visual Interface)-to-VGA (Video Graphics Array) adapter to view content.
Integrated graphics processors from Intel, such as the 965G, G33, G35, and G45, meet the minimum requirements for displaying Blu-ray, but there have been some reports that certain Blu-ray playback software utilities don’t recognize the chips’ latest drivers. Nvidia’s 7 Series graphics cards, such as the GeForce 7600 GT, 7800 GTX, 7900 GX2, 7900 GTX, and 7950 GX2, fulfill Blu-ray’s minimum specifications, but the GeForce 8, 9, and GT200 Series graphics cards are recommended. Regarding ATI’s graphics chips, the ATI Radeon X1600, X1800, and X1900 meet the minimum requirements, but you’ll get better performance from the ATI Radeon HD 2000, 3000, and 4000 Series graphics chips. Compatible graphics processors from S3 include the 530GT and 440GTX. | 
A Blu-ray optical drive is a vital prerequisite. |
Monitor. Although it is possible to view most Blu-ray movies and content on an analog monitor, you’ll only experience the best video quality when watching on an HDCP-compliant monitor over a digital (either DVI or HDMI) connection. Screen resolution is another factor you’ll need to consider. Most 22-inch monitors support 1,920 x 1,080 native resolutions (Blu-ray’s full resolution). In very rare instances, some Blu-ray media may fail to play or only play at a downscaled resolution if the monitor, connection, graphics card, or graphics card driver isn’t fully HDCP-compliant. When shopping for a monitor, Windows Vista-ready or Vista-compliant monitors should support HDCP.
Cables. As stated earlier, you can view Blu-ray content on a display using VGA (analog), DVI (digital), and HDMI (digital plus HDCP) cables, but only HDMI cables afford the peak resolutions and also carry the best audio formats found on BD media.
Hard drive. Your PC’s storage really only comes into play if you plan to rip Blu-ray movies to your computer (via a Blu-ray-approved copying method known as MMC [Mandatory Managed Copy]) for streaming over your home network. If this is something you’re considering, then you’ll want to invest in lots of hard drive space. A single HD movie can consume 20GB of space or more, so a 500GB or 1TB (terabyte) drive is a reasonable investment for a moderately sized HD video library. | 
This graphics card has a native HDMI output, meaning it likely supports Blu-ray playback. |
Speakers. Almost all Blu-ray content will play on even the most basic stereo speakers, but you’ll probably want a 5.1-channel or better sound system to get the most immersive experience. Remember, HDMI cables carry audio, as well, and other cable formats, such as optical audio, may not be able to transmit the best sound formats available on the Blu-ray media.
The Soft Part
Adding Blu-ray recording and playback capabilities to your computer is significantly more involved than simply downloading the latest drivers or installing a patch, though that is important. Read on for all the software you’re going to need to add Blu-ray’s advanced capabilities to your PC.
Operating system. Generally speaking, fully updated versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista will be capable of playing BD content and burning data and videos to BD-Rs (BD writeable discs) and BD-REs (BD rewriteable discs). Microsoft’s Windows 7 will also support Blu-ray when it comes out in October. If you’re having trouble getting your OS to cooperate, make sure you’re up-to-date with your Service Packs, patches, fixes, and updates.
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Roxio Creator 2010 Pro lets you burn Blu-ray Discs to your heart’s content (with the right hardware). |
Playback, burning, and editing software. Blu-ray playback on PCs, as with DVD playback in its heyday, requires a specialized software decoder to be installed on your system in order to work. If you purchase a retail version of a Blu-ray optical drive, you’ll more than likely get software that is capable of playing Blu-ray movies on your PC, typically CyberLink’s PowerDVD or Corel’s WinDVD. These bundled versions (sometimes called OEM, or Original Equipment Manufacturer, versions) generally support full resolution Blu-ray playback on your PC but offer reduced audio performance, such as simple 2-channel stereo. To experience Blu-ray’s audio performance, such as Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby TrueHD, you’ll likely have to upgrade your bundled software to or purchase the retail versions of CyberLink PowerDVD Ultra or Corel WinDVD 9 Plus Blu-ray.
If you want to get the full Blu-ray experience and start creating your own HD movies and content, then you’ll need a Blu-ray-capable editing and burning suite, such as Roxio Creator 2010 Pro ($129.99; www.roxio.com) or Nero 9 (you might need to purchase additional plug-ins to add Blu-ray playback).
Internet connection. You may have encountered some software that requires an active Internet connection to install or run on your PC, but basic Blu-ray movie playback will not require an Internet connection. Some discs that support Blu-ray’s Bonus View and BD-Live functionality will require a Web connection to download or stream additional content, such as film shorts, movie-based games, interactive content, and new movie trailers. A Web connection may also be required to view managed copies of Blu-ray movies that you’re streaming over a home network connection. Blu-ray playback software also typically requires an Internet connection to download updates that enable the software to handle the latest Blu-ray movies as they become available.
Go Blu For You
Only you know the perfect time to move to Blu-ray on your PC. Making the leap will likely depend on a variety of factors, such as when your favorite movies and media become available on BD, when you can justify the cost of the requisite hardware and software upgrades, and when DVDs begin to lose their practicality for your needs. But one thing's for sure: You can't say that not knowing how to do it is holding you back anymore. 
by Andrew Leibman
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