PowerDVD 10 reports "unsupported format" using VCD with BD ISO

[ViperGeek]

I've been trying to troubleshoot this for days, and would very much appreciate any insight or suggestions you may have.

I recently installed PowerDVD 10 Ultra, patched to the latest version (2429), along with Virtual CloneDrive under Windows 7 and have been happily playing BD ISOs converted from MKV using either tsMuxer or AVS Video Converter and created using ImgBurn. Yay!

This weekend, I performed the same set of installations on my Windows XP SP3 laptop. No joy. Using an unpatched version of PowerDVD 10 (1516), the BD ISO, created with UDF 2.5 and mounted with VCD, is recognized and plays as a Blu-ray Disc. When I load any of the later patches of PowerDVD 10 (2325, 2429), the software then starts complaining that "There is a disc with an unsupported format in drive E:"

This clearly seems to be PowerDVD performing additional checks on my Windows XP system, determining (somehow) that the VCD-mounted BD ISO isn't kosher. I can browse the files on the VCD drive and even double-click the 00000.m2ts file which plays in the patched version of PowerDVD.

As my latest attempt, I loaded AnyDVD HD trial to see if it's UDF 2.5 filters could "rightsize" PowerDVD's opinion of the virtual drive, but still get the same error. If I uninstall PowerDVD 10 and re-install the unpatched version, everything works fine.

My questions to this esteemed and responsive audience are:

* Have you run into this before?
* Do you have any troubleshooting suggestions?
* Can you think of a workaround?

The only "solution" I'm aware of is to run down-rev PowerDVD 10 and hope none of the bug fixes were all that important. I'm hoping you guys can come up with more ideas and suggestions.

Thanks!

- Dave

[Ch3vr0n]

Using windows xp, did you install toshiba's UDF 2.50 driver? Windows XP has no native support for UDF 2.50 wich is used by blu-rays

The problem is on your end cause i just ripped a disc to iso a couple hours ago and updated to 2429 aswell. Iso played without a problem

[James]

Originally Posted by Ch3vr0n

Using windows xp, did you install toshiba's UDF 2.50 driver? Windows XP has no native support for UDF 2.50 wich is used by blu-rays

Not needed for PowerDVD.
It is a bug with the newest PowerDVD build (under XP only). Contact Cyberlink for help, or use a previous build.

[ViperGeek]

Thank you both for the amazingly fast replies!

I will chase this down with Cyberlink. Thanks for the suggestion. In your experience, does their Support team throw their hands up at the mention of a "virtual BD-ROM drive" (eg. Virtual CloneDrive)?

- Dave

[ViperGeek]

Originally Posted by Ch3vr0n

Using windows xp, did you install toshiba's UDF 2.50 driver? Windows XP has no native support for UDF 2.50 wich is used by blu-rays

To be polite and answer your question, yes, I have both IMAPI hotfixes for Windows XP installed and the UDF 2.5 drivers from Toshiba. XP can read the mounted ISO in Explorer (proving native read of UDF 2.5), but the latest PowerDVD 10 patch buggers up access. For the record, Nero ShowTime also plays the mounted ISO perfectly.

The problem is on your end cause i just ripped a disc to iso a couple hours ago and updated to 2429 aswell. Iso played without a problem

Are you using Windows XP SP3? Was it a BD ISO?

- Dave

[Ch3vr0n]

Nupe sry, forgot about that part. Vista 64 here but it was a bd iso. Sry for the confusion

[ViperGeek]

Originally Posted by ViperGeek

I will chase this down with Cyberlink. Thanks for the suggestion. In your experience, does their Support team throw their hands up at the mention of a "virtual BD-ROM drive" (eg. Virtual CloneDrive)?

Here was CyberLink's reply:

"Dear David,

"Thank you for contacting CyberLink Technical Support.

"In regards to your concern, I would like to inform you that this is not a bug in the software.

"Please note that PowerDVD software does not support playback of ripped Blu-Ray discs from the clone drives.

"You may or may not be able to play the ripped Blu-Ray discs from Clone drive but CyberLink does not support this.

"Please feel free to contact us back for any further clarification or for any assistance related to CyberLink Products. Use the below mentioned link to get back to us for your further queries:

http://www.CyberLink.com/english/cs/...form/index.jsp

"Thanks and Regards
Amit
CyberLink Technical Support"

I guess I'm SOL with respect to Virtual CloneDrive, Windows XP, and the latest patch of PowerDVD 10. I'm currently keeping PowerDVD 10 Ultra on my XP machine at Patch 1830 and will avoid any further PowerDVD updates until I find a better DVD/BD player solution.

- Dave

[ViperGeek]

Another reply from CyberLink after I asked them to reconsider support of virtual BD drives:

"Dear David,

"Thank you for writing back.

"The support for virtual drive is not the limitation of the software. This is the limitation of the Blu-Ray discs due to Blu-Ray discs content protection legal issue.

"Due to legal issue CyberLink has to remove this feature from the PowerDVD software."

So this was a FEATURE added to PowerDVD in the later patches to explicitly disable VCD support. Serious bummer!

- Dave

[Ch3vr0n]

Now thats utter bullcrap lol. Whatya think i often use. VCD and PowerDVD 10 with the latest updates. Works like a charm, and in case anydvd would even try to mutter some message like that, anydvd even has a setting for it.

Settings > Video Blu-ray > "PowerDVD "virtual drive detected" workarround". Tick that one and then try again

[James]

Originally Posted by ViperGeek

Another reply from CyberLink after I asked them to reconsider support of virtual BD drives:

"Dear David,

"Thank you for writing back.

"The support for virtual drive is not the limitation of the software. This is the limitation of the Blu-Ray discs due to Blu-Ray discs content protection legal issue.

"Due to legal issue CyberLink has to remove this feature from the PowerDVD software."

So this was a FEATURE added to PowerDVD in the later patches to explicitly disable VCD support. Serious bummer!

I believe this is just support blah. If they really wanted to blacklist VCD (which isn't that hard), why does it still work under Vista & Windows 7?