Blu-Ray playback under Parallels 5?

Discussion in 'Windows Virtual Machine' started by RainerB, Nov 4, 2009.

  1. RainerB

    RainerB Member

    Messages:
    22
    Hello,

    Is it possible to watch Blu-Rays under Windows 7
    (e.g. using Corel WinDVD 2010 Pro) under Parallels 5?

    Thanks!
     
  2. RainerB

    RainerB Member

    Messages:
    22
    Has really nobody tried this...?
     
  3. ShesLikeHrn

    ShesLikeHrn Bit poster

    Messages:
    1
    Sorry mate. Blu-ray playback is not supported on Parallels--even version 5--since the virtual graphics card is incompatible with Blu-ray standards etc. Only other way to play it using Boot Camp with PowerDVD 9.
     
  4. RainerB

    RainerB Member

    Messages:
    22
    > Only other way to play it using Boot Camp with PowerDVD 9.

    (... or any other Windows compatible Blu-Ray playing software I guess.) Thanks!
     
  5. redscullr

    redscullr Bit poster

    Messages:
    1
    What about the new Parallels 6 coming out tomorrow? The press announcement boasts 80 new features (no actual details) and talks a lot about performance improvements. It also mentions support for 5.1 audio. Could one of those new features be the ability to play Blu-Ray movies within Parallels? Wouldn't that go hand-in-hand with adding support for surround sound?
     
  6. bullock

    bullock Bit poster

    Messages:
    3
    I just bought ver. 6. Power DVD and Total Media Player are not working.

    Why is Parallels not supporting this feature?
     
  7. RobertWoodcock

    RobertWoodcock Bit poster

    Messages:
    5
    No Blu-Ray on 6

    The graphic driver doesn't support Blu-Ray on 6.0 either. You would think this would be a key feature since it isn't supported on the Mac OS. Isn't this what we bought Parallels for in the first place. Filling the gaps in the Mac OS!!

    Bob
     
  8. EllwoodN

    EllwoodN Hunter

    Messages:
    104
    Both Parallels and VMware Fusion use "virtual" graphics cards and
    as such do not have the "protected" video path that is required
    for Blu-Ray playback. For the most part, only HDMI interfaces
    support this requirement. So, even if some how Parallels had
    a video "feedthrough" feature, it would still only work if your
    graphics card had the "protected" video path. This would also
    apply using Bootcamp and running Windows natively.

    So, if your computers video card does not have the protected
    video path, there is no way you can playback Blu-Rays directly.

    However, there are workarounds which I will not discuss because of
    legality issues. Google it.
     
  9. JeffTome

    JeffTome Bit poster

    Messages:
    3
    still no Bly-ray movie playback in version 7

    Parallels Desktop should make a Blu-ray playback feature. If they keep marketing themselves as powerful and being able to give you the same features you get as a regular PC. If they do not, they can not market themselves as such as this is false advertising. I have the latest version 7 of Parallels which was marketed as being 80% faster yet it still can not playback Blu-ray movies.
     
  10. EllwoodN

    EllwoodN Hunter

    Messages:
    104
    Not all "regular PC" can playback Blurays for the reason
    I previously stated, i.e. do not have the proper video
    card with protected video path.

    If you want to play Blurays on your Mac,
    get a Bluray drive and get Macgo Bluray player software.
    It provides native Bluray playback. Or, use Bootcamp and
    get Power DVD 11.
     
  11. JeffTome

    JeffTome Bit poster

    Messages:
    3
    EllwoodN,
    Could I buy both a MCE blu-ray drive and Power DVD 11 software and run Power DVD 11 in Windows 7 running in Parallels Desktop or will this not work?

    According to Macworld Macgo Bluray player software is full of bugs, has to be connected to the internet to work and menu features do not work. If using Bootcamp I would have 2 copies of Windows installed on the same mac. One on bootcamp and one on parallels. The serial # prob wouldn't work.

    Thanks,
    Jeff
     
  12. hiapkkm

    hiapkkm Bit poster

    Messages:
    1
    Blu Ray on a MAC

    Well, I tried to get Blu Ray to play on the Mac and Windows via Parallels and was unsuccessful. But I am able to convert a blu ray disk to MP4/H264 (using Windows XP on Parallels 7 via MAC Book Pro) and import it into iTunes where I can play it on my Mac at a higher resolution than DVD and upload it to my IPAD/IPAD2. You could say I'm playing a blu ray disk but it's not in real time.

    It would be nice if Parallels can figure how to play blu ray on the fly. I'm not familiar with the techy stuff behind protected path, is that video protection? There's utility programs that can aid in the blu ray protection, can they be used in addition to a modified display driver so that programs like Cyberlink will work?
     

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