CYBERLINK IS UNDISPUTABLY the leader in software DVD and Blu-ray playback software for Windows and the company has announced a new version of PowerDVD called PowerDVD 10 Mark II which if you have the Ultra 3D version of it, allows you to watch your movies in 3D. Well, that is if you have the required equipment to do so.
CyberLink is mightily proud that PowerDVD is the first software player to receive Blu-ray 3D certification from the Blu-ray Disc Association, but forgets to mention in the press release that you actually need a 3D enabled display and those ghastly goggles to watch moves in 3D. The Mark II version of PowerDVD 10 has had the TrueTheater 3D part enhanced which is meant to convert 2D movies into 3D on the fly.
To be able to take advantage of CyberLink’s TruTheater 3D you need either an Nvidia graphics card with a 3D Vision kit and a 3D Vision display, or a display that comes with 3D Polarizer glasses such as the ones from Zalman or the Acer 5738DG notebook. Alternatively you can connect your notebook to either a Mitsubishi or a Samsung 3D ready TV, although for whatever reason it seems like CyberLink is only supporting DLP rear projection models.
Talk about limited support for a technology that most people aren’t interested in in the first place. For those of you that want to check if your system is Blu-ray 3D and TrueTheater 3D ready, CyberLink provides a downloadable utility that will check your system for you. Hell, you can even download a 3D Video and Blu-ray 3D whitepaper for free from CyberLink if that’s the kind of thing that rocks your boat.
To get Blu-ray 3D support you need to be prepared to shell out $99.95 for the Ultra version of PowerDVD 10, while if you’re happy to rely on CyberLink’s own TrueTheater 3D technology and don’t own a Blu-ray drive, then you can go with the Deluxe version that’s “only” $69.95 while the standard version at $49.95 doesn’t give you any kind of 3D at all. At nearly $100 it feels like video playback software just isn’t the way to go, especially as you need a Blu-ray drive on top of this which will set you back at least another $60 and there are plenty Blu-ray players that can be had for less than $160, although they do not, of course, support Blu-ray 3D, but then again, neither does the average PC.S|A
Lars-Göran Nilsson
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