[Skybird]

I recently stumbled over a few Blu Rays that caused trouble to be played when mirroring the desktop into the VR mask. Maybe its worth to describe the ways to go precisely for those who may be interested.

In the following I always mean that I have the Virtual Desktop software runnign that mirrors the desktop and the video window into the VR headset and onto the voirtual movie screen.

I used the Leawo Player to plays video discs on PC. Its basic version can be had for free. It has played all DVDs, but sent the sound always not to the mask, but to the normal sound output channel that I use when beign in 2D, not VR. It has played the few Blu Rays I tried, the sound again was not in the mask, but the nornmal in ear plugs that I use. To switch on or off subtitles or chose language, in-game submenues are available, took me some time at times to set it right, but so far I always got things solved. But recently I had a few Blu Rays that had a copy protection the software could not unlock (both in VR and 2D). End of game.

So I tried Power DVD 22. A test version is available for free for 30 days.
It plays DVDs always corretcly, and it also sends the sound intpo the headset, nbot to the other in ear speaker I use in 2D. But BluRay is a complete dud: none of the Blu Rays I tried resulted in anythign else than a blakc screen in VR. The sound again is in the headset, correctly. Blurays get played on the monitor in 2D. - The onboard VR solution of the software did not work at all for me, its nonsense.

This means that in the way I set things up to have a perfect cinema experience, I can play 100% of DVDs with sound in the headset, and most Blu Rays with external headphone sound, only a few Blu Rays do not get recognised.

As I described, Virtual Desktop allows oyu to use severla different conemas halls form the workshop at Steam. Some have small screens, some have medium screens, some have giant screens. The by far biggest screen is the Highmaxx Cinema at Sidney (dark theme I use), and really, that thign is huge! The point is even in the VR headset with its m ini-monitors inbside you see the diufference in resolution between a DVD and a Blu Ray, inf act you see the difference much more clearly than on your PC monitor. So, woith a Bku Ray you get a totally clear and razoirsharp image qulaity in all movie halls and on all screen sizes incöluding ther Highmaxx, but if you play a DVD, then the bigger the screen in the movie hall of your choice the more the image quality shows the diferrenbce to a Blu Ray. That is not to say it is bad or unsuable, hell, far form it. Ypou could compare it to polder films form the 60s or 50s, that were not as crispy as films shot in modern times. In VR, in fact DVD looks, regarding resolutoon and pixelation, like some not-so-brandnew movie on a real moviescreen - these were also not lasersharp.

If I start a movie evbening with a desire dmovie of my choice, I do not watch such films differently than in this virtual cinema setup anymore, it is superior to any solution you could set up with a real world big screen TV. But i live along, do nto weatch movies with fmaily, wife and kids. I understand that in that social context the setup is unpractical (already 3D movies with much smaller shutter glasses to be worn from some years ago failed and have dissaperd form the market). But if you watch alone, then this is the way to go. A Blu Ray in VR and set up like I described gives you a sharper image and better resolution than a big screen 4K TV like my neighbour has. A DVD also beats big format high res TV any time.

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1 Launch headset and have it running.
2 Launch Virtual Desktop
3 Set Virtual Desktop to a moviehall theme you downloaded from Steam Workshop, Highmaxx Dark Theme for example.
4 Put the disk in the drive and launch your disc playing software.
5 Put on your headset and enjoy! Its all much less complicated than it maybe sounds.