With a DVD, the resolution of a scene normally stands at 720 columns by 576 rows of points or just over 400 000 pixels per image. For high definition, things are a bit more complicated since there are not one but two different levels of resolution. There are firstly the high definition that we describe as standard, it is the 720p, and secondly the so-called Full HD or HD 1080. In 720p, each image has already more than twice the pixels a DVD image with a resolution of 1280 columns by 720 rows. But it was in 1080 that HD makes sense since here the resolution amounts to 1920 columns by 1080 lines is a definition of around 2 megapixels for each image per second. You do the comparison yourself in 1080p HD, the detail of each image is nearly 5 times that of a DVD image. If this does not always speak a single press of the pause button on your keyboard should convince you, the same scene is much more detailed resolution than HD DVD, once the fixed image.

Our problem is focused on playing HD streams on a PC, we shall not repeat here the standards that distinguish the flat-screen TVs trade with one hand, the HD Ready screens, limited to 720p, on the other screens Full HD supporting 1080p

We'll have to get a screen capable of displaying HD resolution physically. Typically a 19 inch screen resolution of 1280x1024 pixels will benefit flows HD 720p then it will choose a larger screen and thus more expensive for flows in 1080. In practice, it will opt for a flat screen with a diagonal of 23 inches minimum display resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, resolution corresponding to an HD stream in 1080.

Another detail not to lose sight, and it's a detail that makes all the difference: the HDCP compatibility. The technology protects the AACS HD DVD and Blu-ray in effect requires the use of a new security measure to ensure the protection of high definition content on digital outputs: HDCP or High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection. This security now widely active, is particularly demanding since it requires the presence on each component channel (graphics card / display), a chip containing the encryption keys used by the protocol. It is therefore necessary that your graphics card has a chip HDCP, like your screen and your player. Otherwise, the disc playback high definition on the screen of your PC connected to DVI or HDMI is simply impossible.

if you do not immediately change the graphics card or monitor not HDCP compatible, the only solution is to revert to an analog connection by connecting the screen to display adapter with a DB15 standard VGA connection. But attention, protection AACS HD DVD or Blu-ray discs can activate certain ICT or Image Constraint Token, which will then reduce the resolution on the analog outputs at a resolution of 960x540 ... To ensure compliance HDCP elements of your PC, be aware that there is a free software developed by Cyberlink. Dubbed BD / HD Advisor and you can download it, Here, this tool checks for an HD DVD, that of a Blu-Ray and queries the graphics driver and the screen to see if the HDCP is or is not Support.

Take the opportunity to point out that a computer screen with HDCP, whose native resolution is over 1920x1200, can not view your movie even if the graphics card is HDCP system. Indeed, only the latest GeForce 8600, Radeon HD 2400, Radeon HD 2600 and Radeon HD 2900 and can transmit its video outputs HDCP on dual-link DVI. Clearly, a GeForce 8800 Ultra will not display a 1080p HD streams on a screen 30 inches, the transmitter dual-link DVI does not support the HDCP signal

a dual-core with an operating frequency which is around 2 GHz. Why such a need for power? The answer lies in the speed of the video stream. While most DVDs have a maximum throughput of 12 Mbps (average of 8 Mbps real in most cases), high definition media have a much higher throughput with an average of 20 Mbps peaks of 40 Mbps.

Moreover, the encoding format is much more demanding than the usual MPEG2 DVD. Indeed, the HD DVD use in most cases formatted VC-1 codec based on Windows Media Video 9 while the Blu-ray use H.264 format, an encoding format deemed most greedy. Consequently, if the machine is not powerful enough, the processor occupancy reached 100% which may cause loss of images to see a totally jerky playback when the CPU is really too low.

engines are old videos incorporated into graphics chips like GeForce 6, GeForce 7 or Radeon X1000 do not expect miracles and if you're equipped, we should not count on it for effective relief of the processor. However the latest generation of DirectX 10 graphics chips provide a level of acceleration much more convincing that may be of great help on machines whose CPU is out of breath.

AMD also offers with its Radeon HD 2400 and HD 2600 UVD engine not only effective on flows in encoded VC-1 but also on the flow encoded in H.264. Opposite the second generation PureVideo HD NVIDIA present on the GeForce 8600, GeForce 8500 and GeForce 8400, will only work with H.264 streams. Specifically, the engines UVD and PureVideo two tenors 3D aims to relieve the CPU of the PC in treating some parties may be considered very intensive compression algorithms. Problem: a review of the other driver and a software version to another, the video acceleration works or does not work ... finally aware that the second generation PureVideo NVIDIA, long reserved for Windows Vista , has recently been working on Windows XP

For computer I just found one internal blu-ray player

PowerDVD is able to play Blu-ray and HD DVD. Note, only the Ultra edition of PowerDVD offer is compatibility