WinDVD BD ?

[dbiddle]

Hello,

I am looking for some advice on how to get windvd bd for my ar51m vaio.
I have vista on a clean install dual booted with ubuntu.
I have searched everywhere almost for a .exe to get windvd bd.
Any help?

[Thalamus.]

Hi dbiddle,

unfortunately Win DVD BD is not available for download from Sony..

Some forum members have been using PowerDVD ..

Also you may want to look at ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre

I have not used either of these applications though..

[squashme]

WinDVD BD for vaio should already be installed on the laptop as the has a built in Blu-ray drive innit

[carloscerros]

WinDVD BD for vaio should already be installed on the laptop as the has a built in Blu-ray drive innit

Hi,

If unit formatted with 3rd party Windows Vista CD installation (no-OEM OS) => NO more WinDVD available.

WinDVD is only available as OEM on units ... so if you format it's @ your own risks according Sony.

[Irene-plecofan]

so maybe its on your backup disk, if you took one when first got PC, before reinstalling OS?
(not sure why have not got OEM OS?)

[iainlow]

Have you actually tried downloading any of the WinDVD BD "Drivers and Updates"?

http://www.vaio-link.com/downloads/updates/updates.asp?site=voe_en_GB_cons&c=0&s=VGN-AR&m=2418&os=7&...

The above link will take you to the "Drivers and Updates" page for the AR21S (Vista). The AR21S was originally supplied with Windows XP, but was sold as Vista ready. So they provided the facility to do a clean install for those who had a new copy of Vista. In addition, they supplied the "Original" drivers and "Original Utilities" packs, because, at first, there were not Vista drivers for all the inbuilt functions, and you had to use some of the XP Drivers. They have since added more true Vista drivers.

You will see 3 entries for WinDVD. If you click on the first one - 8.0.8.100, the description at the top tells you that "This release targets WinDVD BD users who have upgraded from Windows XP to Vista." (Note the large file size - this give a clue that it is not just an update - it is a release).

This gives you the basic program - follow the instructions to install.

If you then download the version 8.0.8.425_3, it will update the basic version to the latest version.

I'm pretty sure this is what I did. I won a copy of Vista Ultimate from Microsoft, and so reformatted the disk to eliminate XP, then did a clean install. I had to ferret around for drivers and utilities, until I got everything working again.

Let us know how it goes, if you try it.

Iain

[kee-lo_]

PowerDVD is much better, plus it has a booster for the audio, which is handy.

[iainlow]

For BD you need PowerDVD Ultra. It costs money, unlike the supplied WinDVD BD (no free version of PowerDVD Ultra, and no free trial version even, I asked them).

Having finally got BLU-RAY to play through my HDMI cable, on my Samsung TV, with Firmware and Driver Updates to the Nvidia graphics card, the sound is excellent.

MY only problem is that I can only play BLU-Ray movies through HDMI at 720p, and not the full 1080p which the TV and AR21S are capable of. This is because the Nvidia driver only supports the 1080p mode at 25 or 30Hz. To get the required 50 or 60Hz, you need to drop the resolution to 1280 x 720 (non interlaced). If you choose the 1080p mode option, the picture is out of sync with the sound. The sound is no problem, it is the screen refresh rate, which cannot keep up with the sound.

[dbiddle]

Have you actually tried downloading any of the WinDVD BD "Drivers and Updates"?

http://www.vaio-link.com/downloads/updates/updates.asp?site=voe_en_GB_cons&c=0&s=VGN-AR&m=2418&os=7&...

The above link will take you to the "Drivers and Updates" page for the AR21S (Vista). The AR21S was originally supplied with Windows XP, but was sold as Vista ready. So they provided the facility to do a clean install for those who had a new copy of Vista. In addition, they supplied the "Original" drivers and "Original Utilities" packs, because, at first, there were not Vista drivers for all the inbuilt functions, and you had to use some of the XP Drivers. They have since added more true Vista drivers. 

You will see 3 entries for WinDVD. If you click on the first one - 8.0.8.100, the description at the top tells you that "This release targets WinDVD BD users who have upgraded from Windows XP to Vista." (Note the large file size - this give a clue that it is not just an update - it is a release).

This gives you the basic program - follow the instructions to install.

If you then download the version 8.0.8.425_3, it will update the basic version to the latest version.

I'm pretty sure this is what I did. I won a copy of Vista Ultimate from Microsoft, and so reformatted the disk to eliminate XP, then did a clean install. I had to ferret around for drivers and utilities, until I got everything working again.

Let us know how it goes, if you try it.

Iain

I am starting to download the files and give it a go. My machine is the AR51M so i didnt think of searching another laptop's support files. I have also filed a case with sony. Further to confusions earlier i have managed to OEM reinstall without all the sony stuff i didnt need, ie a clean install.

[kee-lo_]

Yes, it costs money, but money well spent when you can watch movies at 1080p with better performance.