So two price increases (from $11.99 to $13.99/month) and one feature removal (no online steaming.) Is this enough to get me to leave Netflix? No. I’ve been a customer for almost 10 years. But it did get me to switch to a cheaper plan ($11.99 for 1-disc-at-a-time, unlimited discs, and unlimited online steaming.) It has also made me more likely to cancel in the future, when other, more convenient options emerge.

Automatic online delivery of true HD movies for a flat monthly fee is my ultimate goal. Netflix and Vudu are converging on this target from two different directions but neither is there yet, and probably won’t be for quite some time. So I’ll continue to wait and be ready to switch to who ever offers the best viewing experience for the lowest cost.

The problem for users of Home Theater Personal Computers (HTPCs) is that there are very few hardware combinations that will properly pass the original 24 frame/second signal digitally to the receiver/display; the video drivers don’t support 24 Hz output properly.  One obvious example of this is the latest motherboards with the Intel G45 chipset. There is a setting in the HDMI video drivers for 24p, but the resulting video has noticeable jerks/pauses a couple of times a minute, apparently due to the driver improperly matching the output frame rate with the input frame rate.

Nvidia 9300 and 9400 chipsets – the first solution for HTPC 24p

The only exception of which I’m currently aware is motherboards based on the new nVidia 9300 and 9400 chipset. Multiple sources have confirmed that 24p playback is flawless over HDMI. Several vendors, including Asus (P5N7A-VM) and Gigabyte (GA-E7AUM-DS2H), have just released motherboards based on these chipsets.

(I plan on upgrading both of my HTPCs to the Gigabyte motherboard. Since Protected Audio Path is no where on the horizon, I see no need to wait.  Surprisingly, this is the cheapest upgrade I’ve done, because the motherboard contains everything I need for video, audio, and Blu-ray video decoding and I can use my existing CPUs, RAM, hard drives, cases, and power supplies.)

The downsides of 24p on a HTPC

The downside of setting the output of the HTPC to 24 Hz is that not everything is recorded at 24 Hz. Television shows are at 60 Hz. So if you’re watching a movie, you select 24 Hz and if you’re watchined recorded TV or TV on DVD, you select 60 Hz.  This is not automatic; you manually have to make these changes youself. So while a bottom-of-the-line Blu-ray player can automatically switch to the correct frame rate, an expensive and highly flexible HTPC cannot.

The simplest way to change the frame rate is to go to the video driver control panel and make the appropriate setting. But this is not very elegant for a HTPC. Instead, it possible to assign shortcut keystrokes to each resolution and map those to your remote control. This is a pain to setup, but it means that a press of the button switches between the two.

Theoretically, it’s possible for a program such as My Movies to store the appropriate framerate for each movie / show in its internal database and issue the appropriate “change video refreash rate” command when each is played, but I don’t think this is a supported feature yet.

What about 120 Hz?

A lot of flat panels advertise their 120 Hz refresh rate. This is the output video refresh rate of the panel itself, not the input refresh rate. The highest-possible refresh rate that is supported by HDMI is 1080p/60 Hz. No source component (HTPC or stand-alone DVD or Blu-ray player) can output 120 Hz over HDMI.

Conclusion

If you want a perfect video frame rate with no jerkiness or stutters over HDMI, it is possible on a HTPC using the latest Nvidia chipset. However, you manually have to change the output refresh rate of the video card, and knowing the correct framerate of the source materail is not intuitive. This is the price you pay for having a beautiful browesable for instant movie playback.

If you’re a home theater enthusiast, you want the highest-quality audio and video possible, and that means Blu-ray with lossless audio (Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio) and the best video compression codec (VC-1 or MPEG-4 H.264 AVC HP.)

Most people would choose a Sony PlayStation 3 or stand-alone Blu-ray player to deliver this content to their receiver / display, but some people like me prefer to use a PC because it is extremely flexible and allows browsing and playing of movies backed-up on your hard drive. Although it is relatively easy to get full-resolution Blu-ray video from a Home Theater Personal Computer (see this AVSforum thread for hardware details), it is extremely difficult to get full-resolution audio. Here is a run-down on the current state of HD Audio on the HTPC.

Protected Audio Path Required

All Blu-ray movies with AACS protection, which is pretty much all of them, require a Protected Audio Path (PAP) to transmit the original HD audio if the bit depth and sample rate exceeds 16-bit, 48 kHz. Without PAP, all audio must be downsampled (a.k.a. “bit crippled”) to 16-bit, 48kHz per the AACS specification. Unfortunately, there is no Protected Audio Path (PAP) on any computer right now, so all HD Audio is currently downsampled on a PC.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, most Blu-Ray HD Audio soundtracks are 16-bit, 48 kHz anyway, so you are getting the soundtrack in full fidelity. However, there are quite a few Dolby TrueHD / DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks that are 24-bit, 48kHz, so these are downsampled down to 16-bit, 48kHz. The same is true for the very few 24-bit, 96 kHz soundtracks (the maximum possible resolution of 8 channels.)

As far as when PAP will be available for PCs, no one knows. It is not a hardware standard that can be used across devices, it is not a universal Windows Vista standard (rather it is specific to each driver/hardware config), and there is no industry group working on a standard. The only possible way to have PAP is a proprietary solution specific to each piece of hardware.  Pluse, this hardwarw would have to be supported by uniquely by software players. Hardware and software companies working together — not a good thing! This could take forever.

Does downsampling make an audible difference in Sound Quality?

Every home theater enthusiast wants the best sound quality possible, even if the advantage is only theoretical. Having said this, even at the lower 16-bit / 48 kHz, the sound tracks sound amazing. If you can hear the difference between 8 channels of 16-bit / 48 kHz and 24-bit / 96 kHz, you have a truly golden ear.  I’m won’t go into detail as one could nit-pick this to death, but you won’t get any audible improvement even if there is no downsampling.

Even with the down-sampling, HD Audio is a significant step up in quality from compressed Dolby Digital 5.1/DTS 5.1 on DVDs. This a difference you can hear. Down sampling from 24 to 16 bits is not.

But what if AACS protection is removed?

If the down-sampling restriction applies only to AACS-protected Blu-ray movies, then you should be able to run AnyDVD HD and remove AACS from Blu-Ray. If this occurred, the software player should not downsample/bitcripple the output and existing motherboards with HDMI could play the full resolution signal. Unfortunately, all of the software players currently downsample regardless of whether the media is AACS protected or not due to stipulations within the Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio codecs. Hopefully this limitation will be removed in the future and currently-available motherboards, even without PAP, will be able to pass full-resolution audio.

Is it possible to rework the movie and get HD Audio using a different player?

Yes, it is, but isn’t easy. Basically you decrypt the Blu-ray disc using AnyDVD HD, split the audio and video into different files, convert the lossless HD audio track into a lossless 8-channel FLAC file (containing identical audio), and the recombine the video and FLAC audio in a MKV container and play it back using your favorite video player.  Unfortunately, you lose all the extras on the disc. See this AVSforum thead for details.

If the open source community develops an audio codec that can decompress these lossless formats, it will be possible to get software such as Media Player Classic to play the unencrypted disc. But once again, this means no menues or other content in the forseeable future.

What about bit-streaming?

The restrictions on bit-streaming are the same as on full-resolution HD audio: not allowed by AACS.

As an aside, there is no benefit to bit-streaming, as the end result is bit-for-bit identical sound. It’s only a difference of the player or the receiver doing the decompression (assuming the player doesn’t mess-up the decompression.)

What are the differences in all of the sound formats?

Good question; MissingRemote has an excellent overview that details which codecs can be sent over the older optical (toslink) connectors and which require HDMI.

Why is the HD Audio Steam so protected anyway?

This is a valid question. Since all the encryption schemes on Blu-ray have been cracked by both Slysoft and also independent developers on the Doom9 forums, there is full access to the unencrypted steams for pirates to copy. There isn’t likely any way to introduce a new form of encryption without breaking all existing Blu-ray players. So the only result from all this protection is that owners of legitimate Blu-ray movies can’t play the full resolution HD Audio soundtrack, but pirates can copy it without any issue. The media companies are ignoring the needs of their legitimate customers, which is disappointing to say the least.

Refrences: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=15006998#post15006998

• MPEG-2 was created in 1993 and gave great improvements of JPEG.
• Real Video and Windows WMV-9 were alternative compression codecs created for internet video streaming and are about 200% to 300% more efficient than MPEG-2.
• The MPEG association wanted to get into this segment and created MPEG-4 (later known as MPEG-4 ASP.) It was terrible, only 30% more efficient than MPEG-2.
• The European Standards body ITU created H.264 and it was much better than MPEG-4 for internet steaming video.  MPEG approached the ITU and they joined forces, creating the new MPEG-4 AVC, a.k.a. H.264 JVT, and it is completely different from and incompatible with the origianal MPEG-4 ASP.
• When HD-DVD was developed, MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC, and Microsoft WMV-9 (VC-1) were compared. For HD video VC-1 was the clear winner, MPEG-2 was second, and MPEG-4 AVC gave the lowest quality/compression.
• MPEG-4 AVC HP (High Profile) was created to overcome the problems with the original MPEG-4 AVC, which focused only on low bitrate steaming video. MPEG-4 AVC HP is what is in every Blu-Ray (and HD-DVD) player and it completely incompatible with MPEG-4 AVC.
• Every Blu-Ray player supports VC-1, MPEG-4 AVC HP, and MPEG-2.
• Microsoft seemed to have their act together throughout this process and developed the right codec for multiple situations from the beginning.  It’s roughly equivalent to MPEG-4 AVC HP in quality but requires less processing power to decompress.

AnyDVD is a program that runs in the background on your Windows computer. When a DVD or Blu-ray disc is inserted, it dynamically re-authors the content of the disk so that when you use your favorite DVD or Blu-Ray software player, all of the annoying “features” are automatically missing — you jump straight to the Main Menu or directly to the start of the movie (you decide.)

Unfortunately, this on one of the few reasons to use a Windows computer as a Blu-ray player. I’m still waiting for a solution to output full-quality HD Audio over an HDMI cable (currently only DVD-quality PCM sound is possible.) I’d also love to see Blu-ray integration into Windows Media Center — you shouldn’t have to launch an external program to play a Blu-ray movie. So unless automatically removing annoying advertisements is your #1 priority, a Sony PS3 is still probably the best current choice for a Blu-ray player.

Here is the update notification:

6.4.0.0 2008-03-19

• New (Blu-ray): Removes the BD+ protection from Blu-ray discs! (for increased compatibility with titles released by Twentieth Century Fox )
• New (Blu-ray): Added option to enable / disable BD+ removal
• New (DVD): AnyDVD ripper no longer uses the Windows filesystem, it has now its own UDF parser / reader. Discs which cannot be read by Windows can now be copied with the AnyDVD ripper.
• Fix (Blu-ray): Black display with some BD discs, e.g., “Layer Cake”, second release, “The Fugitive”, “Wild Things” (all Region B)
• Fix (DVD): Small bugfix in “repairing defective disc structure” function of AnyDVD ripper
• Fix (DVD): Problems with some Arccos protected titles, e.g. “The Grudge”, R1, US
• Some minor fixes and improvements
• Updated languages

The update is free for all registered customers, of course. Just install the new version on top of your current version, regardless which version you have installed: http://www.slysoft.com/download.html

There are a few obvious factors to being able to detect resolution differences: the resolution of the screen, the size of the screen, and the viewing distance. To be able to detect differences between resolutions, the screen must be large enough and you must sit close enough. So the question becomes “How do I know if need a higher resolution or not?”. Here is your answer.

Based on the resolving ability of the human eye (with 20/20 vision it is possible to resolve 1/60th of a degree of an arc), it is possible to estimate when the differences between resolutions will become apparent. Using the Home Theater Calculator spreadsheet as a base, I created a chart showing, for any given screen size, how close you need to sit to be able to detect some or all of the benefits of a higher resolution screen. (Click the picture below for a larger version.)

What the chart shows is that, for a 50-inch screen, the benefits of 720p vs. 480p start to become apparent at viewing distances closer than 14.6 feet and become fully apparent at 9.8 feet. For the same screen size, the benefits of 1080p vs. 720p start to become apparent when closer than 9.8 feet and become full apparent at 6.5 feet. In my opinion, 6.5 feet is closer than most people will sit to their 50″ plasma TV (even through the THX recommended viewing distance for a 50″ screen is 5.6 ft). So, most consumers will not be able to see the full benefit of their 1080p TV.

However, front projectors and rear projection displays are a different story. They make it very easy to obtain large screen sizes. Plus, LCD and Plasma displays are constantly getting larger and less expensive. In my home, for example, I have a 123-inch screen and a projector with a 1280×720 resolution. For a 123-inch screen, the benefits of 720p vs. 480p starts to become apparent at viewing distances closer than 36 feet (14 feet behind my back wall) and become fully apparent at 24 feet (2 feet behind my back wall). For the same screen size, the benefits of 1080p vs. 720p start to become apparent when closer than 24 feet and become full apparent at 16 feet (just between the first and second row of seating in my theater). This means that people in the back row of my home theater would see some improvement if I purchased a 1080p projector and that people in the front row would notice a drastic improvement. (Note: the THX recommended max viewing distance for a 123″ screen is 13.7 feet).

So, how close should you be sitting to your TV? Obviously, you need to look at your room and see what makes sense for how you will be using it. If you have a dedicated viewing room and can place seating anywhere you want, you can use this chart as a guideline. It’s based on THX and SMPTE specifications for movie theaters; the details are available in the Home Theater Calculator spreadsheet.

Looking at this chart, it is apparent that 1080p is the lowest resolution to fall within the recommended seating distance range. Any resolution less than 1080p is not detailed enough if you are sitting the proper distance from the screen. For me and many people with large projection screens, 1080p is the minimum resolution you’d want.

In fact, you could probably even benefit from 1440p. If you haven’t heard of 1440p, you will. Here’s a link to some info on Audioholics.com. It is part of the HDMI 1.3 spec, along with 48-bit color depth, and will probably surface for the public in 2009 or so. You’ll partially be able to see the benefits of 1440p at the THX Max Recommended viewing distance and the resolution benefits will be fully apparent if you are just a little closer. I’ve read of plans for resolutions reaching 2160p but I don’t see any benefit; you’d have to sit too darn close to the screen to notice any improvement. If you sit too close, you can’t see the far edges of the screen.

In conclusion

If you are a videophile with a properly setup viewing room, you should definitely be able to notice the resolution enhancement that 1080p brings. However, if you are an average consumer with a flat panel on the far wall of your family room, you are not likely to be close enough to notice any advantage. Check the chart above and use that to make your decision.

ISF states the the most important aspects of picture quality are (in order): 1) contrast ratio, 2) color saturation, 3) color accuracy, 4) resolution. Resolution is 4th on the list and plasma is generally superior to LCD in all of the other areas (but much more prone to reflections/glare.) So pick your display size, then measure your seating distance, and then use the charts above to figure out if you would benefit from the larger screen size. So be sure to calibrate your screen! I recommend the following for calibration.

Recommended Calibration Tools

• DVD: Digital Video Essentials
• Blu-ray: Spears & Munsil High-Def Benchmark Disc (my favorite)
• Blu-ray: Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics (most popular)
• Automatic Calibrator: Datacolor Spyder 3

“I don’t like reading charts – just tell me what resolution I need”

If you don’t like reading charts and are looking for a quick answer, enter you screen size below to see how close you’ll need to sit to fully appreciate various screen resolutions.