Blu-Ray on a Linux HTPC

[taesen00]

I'm getting ready to build a Linux HTPC, and I'm thinking of using an Ubuntu distro. In the past I've run into a lack of drivers for various hardware. I would like to add a Blu-Ray drive to the HTPC. Are there any suggestions as to one I should get?

I was looking at the LG GGW-H20L, but the spec sheet only recommends Windows. Has anyone used this or can recommend on that works in a Linux system?

 

[linux_0]

Blu-ray is evil as is HD-DVD.

http://bluraysucks.com/

You may be able to follow these instructions to do it

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RestrictedFormats/BluRayAndHDDVD

GL

 

[linux_0]

Blu-ray and HD-DVD suck on windoze too not just Linux.

GL

 

[Zorak]

Wow! That website was a big eye-opener for me. I knew that there were some DRM concerns with the new HD optical disks but I had no idea just how far it went. I suppose that such filth is to be expected from a company like sony. I was excited for a bit to see the storage/backup possibilities for bluray/hddvd but now I think I will just look for a better storage medium in the future. I admit that I was really disappointed by the outcome of the current format war as I was hoping sony would wind up in a position where it would lose billions. Normally I am all in favor of the superior technology (and clearly bluray stores much more) but seeing as how it was created by a company that would willfully install stealth spyware/drm on its own customers' computers I could not in good conscience back bluray. Maybe one day I'll get my wish and see sony and apple go down in flames, but with my luck, someone just as bad will step in to replace them. Like a hydra, if you cut off one head, there are still all the others to take its place 🙁

-Zorak

P.S. sorry for the rant but I really needed to vent there.

 

[MU_Engineer]

And yet the studios wonder why so few people buy Blu-Ray movies or gear and why much of the non-spam, non-botnet/worm Internet traffic is cracks, warez, and other proprietary products with the DRM circumvented.

Perhaps one day I'll get a Blu-Ray drive, but only when they're as cheap as DVD drives and it'll be for data. Heh, I'll bet SUSE and Fedora get big enough in a couple of years to outgrow double-layer DVDs and then we'll *need* to get the higher-capacity optical drives just to boot them 😀

 

[audiovoodoo]

I hope not. If anything the distros should get smaller as more and more code is pulled directly from the servers over the wire.

 

[Zorak]

I think eventually these distros are going to have to slim down their installation media rather than force their users to purchase new burning equipment. At the same time, I hope they continue to offer a bunch of choices for programs at install time because it is important to be able to have that level of control. Also, it is very nice to have the ability to get most of the programs you want installed off the bat in those rare instances where you don't have an internet connection yet and you can't download the other programs you want/need.

-Zorak

 

[audiovoodoo]

I have issue with it at the moment. I'm on a capped connection (not my choice!!) so pulling lots of SW over the wire ends up costing me more money. Now I can borrow bandwidth from friends or work but I can't really carry my desktop with me so updates are a pain.

I love the fact that I always get the latest version, I love the fact that almost all my software comes from one place, but it's a pain when you have to count the bytes 🙁