HP Pavilion Entertainment PC parts - Common Issues With Blu-Ray Movies

Common Blu-Ray problems

Because Blu-Ray discs and readers are a fairly new technology, there may some compatibility issues as the hardware and software are enhanced. For instance, new movies may include features that are not recognized by the original software programs and drivers. In most cases, problems can be resolved by installing updated optical disc drivers and updating the software with which you view DVD materials.

There are several different type of optical discs used on computers, and a movie in the Blu-Ray format will not play in an optical disc drive (DVD) that doesn't have Blu-Ray technology. This document will show you how to identify a Blu-Ray compatible disc drive.

Some Blu-Ray DVD movies recently released feature enhancements to the Blu-Ray specifications called BD Profile 1.1. This feature may prevent the movie from being played and/or access to the movie menus when playing the movies using QuickPlay or MediaSmart programs.

Identify a Blu-Ray compatible optical disc drive

If you place a Blu-Ray disc in the drive and the drive does not spin or play, it's possible that your disc drive is not compatible with Blu-Ray technology. Examine your optical disc drive to determine the following:

• Is there a Blu-Ray sticker on the outside of the drive?
• When you open the disc drive, and remove the disc, does the drive itself have two separate laser lenses?

Image of interior of Blu-Ray optical disc drive, showing two laser lenses.

If your drive isn't compatible with Blu-Ray technology, it cannot play Blu-Ray discs. If your disc drive is capable of playing Blu-Ray discs, but nothing appears on your screen, or only parts of the disc will play, please continue to the sections below.

Update QuickPlay

To resolve problems with a Blu-Ray optical disc drive, you should use the update feature within the software program to update QuickPlay to version 3.7 or later by following the steps below.

1. Click Start , type quickplay in the search field, and then select QuickPlay from the list.
2. In QuickPlay, double-click the Update icon. The Updates and Enhancements window opens.
3. Double-click Get the latest QuickPlay updates .
4. Select Download now! and follow the on-screen instructions.

Update MediaSmart

MediaSmart alerts you when there is an update available by displaying a prompt. If there is no update available, you will not see the alert.

To resolve problems with a Blu-Ray optical disc drive, you should use the update feature within the software program to update MediaSmart by following the steps below.

1. When you see the update prompt, click Update your MediaSmart .
   
2. You will be prompted to stop DVD play before updating. Stop and remove the DVD, then click Retry .
   
3. Click Yes to uninstall the existing version of MediaSmart.
   
4. Once the new version is installed, restart MediaSmart and play the Blu-Ray disc. The update notification is no longer active. You can now insert a Blu-Ray disc.
   

Other issues with Blu-Ray

Why do some Blu-Ray discs not play on my Blu-Ray drive?

The movie industry updates Blu-Ray content protection which requires new codes before you can view the movie. Some Blu-Ray discs, like Spiderman 3, 3:10 to Yuma, Jumper, Dark Knight , will not play at all on a Blu-Ray drive, or will play the previews and the title menu, but pressing the play button will not play the movie. Updating to the latest version of the movie player will correct these issues.

Some Blu-Ray discs will prompt you for an update when they are inserted. You may see an alert prompting you to download a free update similar to this one. Follow the instructions to install an updated version of the DVD player.

QuickPlay or MediaSmart may display the following error message when playing certain Blu-Ray DVD movies:

This player is not equipped with the latest firmware and is unable to play this disc.

If you see this error message, please use the following methods to fix the problem.

• Install an updated firmware driver for the optical disc drive.
  To resolve this problem, go to the Software & Driver downloads web page for your model, and download the latest firmware update for the Blu-Ray optical drive.
• Update to the latest version of QuickPlay software.
  Open QuickPlay and select Updates and enhancements , then download the latest QuickPlay updates.
• Update to the latest version of MediaSmart software

Blu-Ray movie does not play on notebook display and an external display at the same time?

This is the intended behavior. Viewing a Blu-Ray movie is limited to only one display at a time. Therefore, you must choose either the notebook display or an external display device to view the output from the Blu-Ray video.

Blu-Ray movie play menu can not be controlled from either the touchpad or an attached mouse?

This behavior is intentional. The Blu-Ray movie assumes that you are using either the keyboard, or PC remote (if included with the system) to select play.

Why do I see sporadic horizontal lines when playing a Blu-Ray DVD movie if the notebook PC wireless is turned on?

The lines on the display are caused by interference from the wireless network. To resolve the issue, you should close any open applications and turn off wireless by pressing the notebook PC wireless button. This should prevent any further wireless network interference. See HP Notebook PCs - Video Wobble May Occur When Playing Blu-Ray Disk at High Resolution While Connected to HDTV Using HDMI on Extended Mode .

Why can I not hear any audio when the notebook PC is connected to a High-Definition TV (HDTV) using an High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable?

The audio drivers must be configured properly as follows:

1. Click Start > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound .
2. Select Sound from the list supplied.
3. Select Digital Output Device (SPDIF) and then click Set default
4. Select Playback tab, then select Digital Output as the default setting.
5. Click on SPDIF (Digital Output via HP Doc) and then click Properties button.
6. Select the Supported formats tab and uncheck all boxes in the Encoded formats and click Apply > OK to accept the changes and return to Playback tab.
7. On the Playback tab again ensure that Digital Output Device (SPDIF) is selected and then click Set default button.
8. Press Fn + F4 to toggle to HDMI only. This action refreshes the screen, transfers the display from the notebook to the external display, and the audio should now come from the HDTV sound system .

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