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HD DVD Drive Issues in Windows Vista

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» Requirements for playing HD DVDs on external monitors

» Ensure quality playback of HD DVDs

This document pertains to HP Notebook PCs with Windows Vista.

Understanding HD DVD technology

HD DVD stands for High Definition Digital Versatile Disc, and represents a step forward in information-storing technology. HD DVDs can store about three times as much information as the original DVDs that they are designed to replace. The HD DVD drive in your notebook cannot play Blu-ray movies; however, it can play both standard DVD movies and HD DVD movies.

HD DVD and Blu-ray are different technologies and they are not compatible. Blu-ray is the dominant format for rental movies. Also, since HD DVD is a new technology, certain disc, digital connection, compatibility and/or performance issues may arise, and do not constitute defects in the product. Flawless playback on all systems is not guaranteed.

A standard CD/DVD-ROM drive cannot read an HD DVD. Just as you would need to upgrade your home theater equipment to a DVD-player that is capable of reading an HD DVD, you should make sure that your notebook has an HD compatible CD/DVD-ROM drive before attempting to play an HD DVD on your computer.

Be sure to read the Read Me First card packaged with your notebook before playing any DVDs.

Requirements for playing HD DVDs on external monitors

In order for some HD DVD titles to play on external monitors, they may require a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) digital connection. An HDMI connection is a high-end digital cable that can connect your notebook to a monitor other than the attached display. An HDMI connection is not necessary to play DVDs on the built-in notebook display.

Your notebook may also require high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) support as well. HDCP is a type of encryption that is designed to protect copyrights by preventing the transmission of non-encrypted high definition content. Since HD DVD technology uses this protocol to establish an encrypted digital connection, if your display, video card, or video drivers do not support HDCP, the display will not be able to interpret the information on the disc, and the result will be a blank screen or an error message.

To play an HD DVD movie, use the QuickPlay / DVD Play or MediaSmart application that came with your computer. Because of incompatibilities in the codex drivers, HD DVD movies will not play in Windows Media Center or in Windows Media Player 11 or earlier.

Ensure quality playback of HD DVDs

Once you are certain that your notebook came equipped with an optical disc drive that is capable of reading HD DVDs, follow these guidelines to ensure that your playback is of the highest quality:

Plug the AC adapter into an external power source while viewing HD DVD content. CPU power is dedicated to supporting the HD DVD playback functions; all other applications must be closed before launching HD DVD playback.
Use QuickPlay to view your HD DVD content. HD DVD movies will only play through HP QuickPlay / DVD Play or MediaSmart software.
Free up space on the hard drive. Lack of hard drive space can cause performance problems with most applications. You can free up space by deleting the temporary web browser files. Approximately 2,048 MB of the hard drive is dedicated to HP QuickPlay and is not accessible to you.
Install the latest optical drive drivers. If there are any problems playing the HD DVD movies, you should look on the hp.com web site for your computer model and download any updated drivers for the optical disc drive.