LG GGW-H10N Bluray/HD DVD Drive

[wbassett]

I haven't seen anyone do a writeup on this little gem so I thought everyone not aware of this slick drive would be very interested. This is a multi-function drive that is a Bluray Dual Layer burner not just the 25GB single layer discs, a standard DVD burner, CD burner, and an HD DVD ROM (player). The model number of the BD burner and HD DVD Rom drive is the GGW-H10N.
This is pretty big, an all in one solution for those building an HTPC. The price, well it's all over the map depending on where you look. The street price looks to be typically priced around $850. For those that don't require a BD burner, but want a dual format drive that also burns DVDs, there is a the GGW-H20LI which will carries appealing price tag of $500, and a lower actual street price.
NCIXUS has the GGC-H20L for $274. Keep in mind, this is not a high definition BD burner like the GGW-H10N. It does burn regular DVDs though and plays both Bluray and HD DVD formats, a perfect addition to any HTPC that won't rob the bank.





The recommended requirements of digital output for Blu ray Disc Movie:

• CPU : Intel PentiumD 3.2GHz or higher
• RAM : 1GB or higher
• Graphic card : HDCP Compliant Graphic card with following GPUs and with the video driver for High Definition movie playback support * nVIDIA : GeForce 7600 GT / GTX 512 / 7900 GX2 / 7900 GTX / 7950 GX2 or higher with 256MB min memory(Please download PureVideo™ HD driver on “http://www.nVIDIA.com”) * ATI : X1600 series / X1800 series / X1900 series or higher with 256MB min memory(Please download ATI catalyst 6.6 driver or above)
• HDCP compliant Monitor/TV
• Windows XP SP2
• Advanced Access Content System : copyright protection for BD content
• Certified Output Protection Protocol : copyright protection method by MS protect when application program sends decoding image to graphic card
• HDCP(High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection system) : copyright protection for HDMI/DVI by Intel

Keep in mind you will need the specs listed above as well as a software player that supports High Definition play back in both formats. Someone that is comfortable building a PC can put together a system that will rival Sony's HES-V1000, just add on a couple SONY VAIO VGP-XL1B 200 Disc DVD changers (typical eBay price is around $100) and a killer system could be built.

Speaking of the HES-V1000, here it is...

HES-V1000 home entertainment server, a system featuring a 200 Blu-ray disc/DVD/CD changer, 500GB hard drive, full 1080p high definition video output, and the ability to burn Blu-ray as well as standard DVDs.

It also features x-Pict Story HD and x-ScrapBook features to allow users to create customised photo presentations. x-Pict Story HD features face-recognition technology to synchronise photo transitions and music. These presentations can be burnt onto disc.

The hard drive can store up to 137 hours of video, 40,000 songs, or 20,000 photos. The system can also act as a network media server for other devices, streaming music to other devices wirelessly or over Ethernet.

The price for the coolness factor of one of these babies is a mere $3,500. Yes there was sarcasm in that last sentence! According to the initial reviews though they worked out most of the bugs the 200 disc VGP-XL1B's had and it incorporates a dual layer Bluray burner. It also sports the XMB (XrossMediaBar) navigation system, which any PS3 owner will recognize immediately. This is not a computer though, at least not to my knowledge, just a huge BD disc changer with a built in burner. I suspect at it's core may even be some of the same cell processor technology that is in the PS3, but don't quote me on that.

Another coolness feature is to avoid the agony of individually programming in titles for 200 movies, it can also hook up to the Internet via an included LAN port and pull movie metadata from the Web. Still, at $3,500 and a street price between $2,500 and $3,000 it's a bit pricy in my opinion for a single format player. Yes it will store and play standard definition DVDs as well as Bluray, but it like Sony is a single minded creature.


Back to the GGW-H10N and GGC-H20L drives... If you use the play only H20L, you can realistically setup a dual format HTPC for around a cool grand, but I think a practical system will probably end up running around $1500. One great thing about an HTPC is you can upgrade it very easily. Once you have your base system: Mother board, CPU, HDCP compliant HDMI video card, and sound card, the rest is icing and add at your leasure- Things like an onboard tuner and software like SnapStream for DVR, more ram, bigger hard drives, or even a 200 disc DVD changer as mentioned. The system can grow with you (or as you get the money) and still come in a lot cheaper than the HES-V1000, as well as do a lot more than the V1000, mainly play both formats and then some.

This looks like an HTS project I may do after the holidays and document every step along the way... an HTS HTPC from ground up!