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Open-Source Blu-Ray Library Now Supports BD-J Java

An anonymous reader writes: Updates to the open-source libbluray, libaacs, and libbdplus libraries have improved the open-source Blu-ray disc support to now enable the Blu-ray Java interactivity layer (BD-J). The Blu-ray Java code is in turn executed by OpenJDK or the Oracle JDK and is working well enough to play a Blu-ray disc on the Raspberry Pi when paired with the VLC media player."

6 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Re:this is great news! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I can't find the slot to insert the Blu-Ray disc into my Raspberry Pi.

  2. Re:this is great news! by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 3, Insightful

    why use a regular player? it runs unknown code, can blacklist your devices, forces menus and ads on you and takes too long to startup.

    ripped files play right away and on any vlc or video software player.

    the days of NEEDING a standalone video player are long gone.

    --

    --
    "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  3. Re:this is great news! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Its simple I like the menus. This library is the first to let you do menus. You can play rips with menus with only 2 non 'authorized' players out there.the neo 550 and the DUNE. Most of the others stink badly.

    Many of the extras are there but scattered thru 40-50 different chunks of small video usually. Some discs 'hide' the real content in 300 other 'videos'. So you are not even sure which one to rip. Menus will take care of that.

    So for when I just bought a movie and want to watch it *NOW* instead of waiting 2 hours while it rips. I pop it in the player.

    ripped files play right away and on any vlc or video software
    Its better now. But 2-3 years ago blu ray vlc was not so hot. Its better now. But even then I have 2-3 discs that do not play. Even ripped.

    the days of NEEDING a standalone video player are long gone.
    Hardly. Parents just brought over a video. "hold on for 20-30 mins while I rip it" and copy it over to the NAS (oh another 10-15 mins) oh just another 5 mins while I get it into the menu system. Yeah that would go over like a lead balloon. Or hey I want to pop over to a friends house and they want me to bring a movie. Yeah I will lug about 20 pounds of junk over and spend 5-10 mins of hookup (hope I remembered the power strip this time) OR a dvd.

    They have their place. I use it maybe every couple of months. It was 60 bucks with about 5 mins of setup. Cable power hdmi back of tv done.

    Setting up your media tank is fairly straight forward. But do not confuse it with what most people are willing to put up with. I am willing to put up with it because I can roll with the tech glitches. But say my parents? They would probably set it in the corner and make me 'fix it again' when I visit next time.

    Streaming from somewhere like say netflix or amazon is fairly straightforward as well. But it costs money. My parents are on a very lean budget. 10-20 bucks a month is 120-240 a year. That is a heating bill.

  4. And BD-Java is good how exactly? by slincolne · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Does anyone have any scenarios where BD-Java enables a useful feature?

    I have to admit for all the blue ray disks I have, the included menus and bumf just makes it a less pleasant experience.

    I don't know who builds in the code for these 'features' - but it makes it very difficult to justify buying legitimate media when the studios seem to put all their crapware in the way.

  5. Re:this is great news! by SeaFox · · Score: 3, Interesting

    why use a regular player? it runs unknown code, can blacklist your devices, forces menus and ads on you and takes too long to startup.

    ripped files play right away and on any vlc or video software player.

    the days of NEEDING a standalone video player are long gone.

    I suppose you never owned a DVD player for your TV because it forced you to sit through ads at times?

    How many devices have been blacklisted in the last 10 years. And I mean blacklisted as in "too bad, you can't update the firmware on your source or display device to fix this, you have to buy new hardware, and you have no legal recourse". How many times?

    Tell me about the audit you did of the code that ran the recording abilities on your last VCR.
    [crickets]

    Why use a regular player? Because it "just works". Blu-ray players need to have their firmware updated [i]occasionally[/i], but they don't require anywhere close to the constant stream of little patches blu-ray playback software for PCs does (or blu-ray ripping software). Sometimes it's just to get a single disc to play back properly. Keep in mind that patch had to be written by the developers. What if the disc that doesn't work isn't a popular movie? Well, they may not bother fixing the issue. Or maybe they'll only make the patches available for the latest version of their software, forcing you to upgrade. You can argue that the same thing could happen on stand-alone player -- but it doesn't. I still get a firmware update every once in awhile and my player is over three years old.

    The experience is overall smoother. I don't have software incompatibilities or system resource issues effecting my playback like can happen on a PC, plus a stand-alone player is quieter than a computer. It's really the same arguments as to the ways game consoles can be better than PC gaming -- dedicated hardware and software for a consistent, assured compatibility experience.

  6. Re:this is great news! by serviscope_minor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I suppose you never owned a DVD player for your TV because it forced you to sit through ads at times?

    Indeed I never have. I play all my DVDs on MPlayer.

    Once in a while I end up watching a DVD on a more normal player, usually as the result of watching something at someone else's house. I am astounded at how poor the experience is. One has to wade through irritating, poorly thoughtout and slow menues, and spend ages skipping (if you're allowed) a bunch of crap before starting to watch what you want.

    I've used MPlayer since about 2003. I'm utterly spoiled. There's no way I would return to the user-hostile crap masquerading as normal DVD players.

    And one of my favourite features is the reverse 10 seconds button. Great after unpausing or if you failed to catch an important line of dialog. I've never seen a standalone player with such a feature.

    In fact some DVDs are so slathered in copy protection that even skipping around at all doesnt work.

    Why use a regular player? Because it "just works".

    Not only does MPlayer "just work", it "just works" a damn sight beter than "proper" DVD players.

    So why would you pick the one that works worse? I can only assume you have some sort of Stockholm syndrome.

    The experience is overall smoother.

    Not for DVDs it isn't. I don't own a blu-ray player, but I have a hard job imagining anything doing a smoother, simplyer, more user friendly job than MPlayer, given that MPlayer (a) just works and (b) never stops me doing anything I want to do.

    I don't have software incompatibilities or system resource issues effecting my playback like can happen on a PC

    Get a better OS. I use Linux. It's marvellous, you should try it.

    plus a stand-alone player is quieter than a computer.

    Get a better computer then. Seriously, an RPi can play HD video and is silent. If you're buying a media PC in this day and age which is louder than an optical drive, then you're buying bad stuff.

    dedicated hardware and software for a consistent, assured compatibility experience.

    Consistent compatibility with all the latest "rights management" stuff? No thanks!

    I'd rather have Linux and MPlayer which are actually compatible with my rights, thankyou very much.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.