SAMSUNG BD-P 1500 and Video Studio AVCHD Disks

[kempfpe]

Hello,

does anyone know if the SAMSUNG BD-P 1500 is compatible to AVCHD Discs (DVD) generated by Corel Video Studio 12 ?

Thanks in advance

Peter

[2Dogs]

The Samsung site shows that it will not play HD-DVD discs.

http://ars.samsung.com/customer/usa/jsp ... ROD_ID=839

[kempfpe]

Tanks a lot !

[Ken Berry]

2Dogs -- I am not quite sure what your post was meant to say. HD-DVD of course has nothing to do with AVCHD 'hybrid' discs. It was the competing format to Blu-Ray and, of course, has now been discontinued. A hybrid disc is AVCHD burned in that format and using a Blu-Ray BDMV folder structure (instead of the standard definition Video_TS structure). That being said, neither that link you provided, nor my separate search of the Samsung site, gives any indication of that player's ability to play a hybrid disc or even, for that matter, the BDMV structure. However, doing a quick google search revealed several sites that claim the player can indeed playback AVCHD, though it is not clear on those sites whether they mean they can play hybrid discs or just the AVCHD format...

[kempfpe]

Hello Ken,

after an intensive research in serveral forums I do assume that BD P1500 can play AVCHD on DVD-R. Nevertheless, the exact layout of the AVCHD file- and directory- structure is unclear to me and seems not even to be standardized, which causes a lot of trouble:

VS 12 generates the following AVCHD-structure.
Filesystem: UDF
1 Level Directory: BDMV
2 Level Directory: AUXDATA BDJO JAR PLAYLIST BACKUP CLIPINF
META STREAM MovieObject.bdmv index.bdmv
File extensions in STREAM: .m2ts
File extensions in CLIPINF: .clpi
File extensions PLAYLIST: .mpls

Do you know if the SAMSUNG BD P1500 is compliant to this AVCHD structure ?

Interessingly, the CANON HF100 AVCHD-Format differs from the above structure:

1 Level Directory: BDMV AVCHDTN
2 Level Directory: PLAYLIST BACKUP CLIPINF STREAM MovieObject.bdm index.bdm
File extensions in STREAM: .mts
File extensions in CLIPINF: .cpi
File extensions PLAYLIST: .mpl

maybe it is the same with the BDP1500.

Greetings

Peter

[Ken Berry]

I'm sorry but I know nothing more about the Samsung than what is available on the internet... As for the differences in the structures, all I can say is that I have made a number of AVCHD hybrid discs using VS12, and my Sony PlayStation 3, which is rated to play hybrid discs, has no difficulty with the m2ts files in the STREAM sub-folder of the disc.

As far as I am aware, while your camera films natively in .mts format, other NLE programs like VS also convert it to .m2ts when captured. In fact, I am pretty sure that the program which comes on the Canon CD with your camera does that conversion too so that NLEs can read it.

[2Dogs]

HD-DVD of course has nothing to do with AVCHD 'hybrid' discs.

The HD-DVD standard allowed video encoded in VC-1, AVC (H264) or MPEG-2. The great majority of commercial titles released to HD-DVD used VC-1. It may therefore be logical to assume that an HD-DVD using AVC will have the same file structure as an AVCHD "hybrid" disc. (though we know what assume does!)

If the OP is using AVCHD hybrid disc playback capability as a factor in the potential purchase of a 1500, it might be safest to assume that it could not play such a disc unless another owner was able to demonstrate otherwise.

If on the other hand the OP already has a BD P1500, it should be straightforward enough to verify one way or another. It's frustrating that not all players can handle AVCHD hybrid discs, since it can only be a firmware issue.

[alpine]

It may therefore be logical to assume that an HD-DVD using AVC will have the same file structure as an AVCHD "hybrid" disc. (though we know what assume does!)

The HDDVD structure is not the same as the Bluray structure, which is used by AVCHD disks. HD DVD, being the superior format, stuck pretty well to the standard DVD structure and didn't engage in Sony's fripperies. Which of course include the use of four letter file extensions. Which Canon haven't followed. What a mess...

[kempfpe]

Hello,

maybe this link helps in clarifying the situation with the BD-P1500.

http://bd.splra.org

It seems that SAMSUNG has broken with the AVCHD-Standard in the latest firmware of the BD-P1500 which is in contrast to the declaration of AVCHD-compatibility in the product specification !!

Nevertheless, the link above should help. I update you about my progress.

Greetings

Peter

[2Dogs]

The HDDVD structure is not the same as the Bluray structure, which is used by AVCHD disks. HD DVD, being the superior format, stuck pretty well to the standard DVD structure and didn't engage in Sony's fripperies. Which of course include the use of four letter file extensions. Which Canon haven't followed. What a mess...

Well, it seems I was wrong on many counts in my posts on this thread so far! Although I don't have a Blu-Ray player, I was able to deduce from the temporary folders created by VS that the AVCHD disc does indeed have a Blu-Ray structure. (the discs are invisible to my DVD drives!)

To my mind, that makes it even more unforgivable that ALL Blu-Ray players don't support AVCHD hybrid discs. Since ALL Blu-Ray players support regular DVD discs, you have to infer that it is a deliberate lack of support in the firmware, with the Blu-Ray association wanting to herd consumers into buying Blu-Ray burners and blank media.

It certainly is a mess! You can well imagine the look of puzzlement on the face of the salesperson in a big box electronics store if a potential customer asks if hybrid AVCHD discs are supported! Add to that the moving target that is the Blu-Ray standard and you have a perfect recipe for very slow uptake of Blu-Ray hardware.

Although as Ken pointed out HD-DVD discs are nothing to do with hybrid AVCHD discs, I believe that there may be a reasonable correlation between Blu-Ray players that support HD-DVD discs also supporting hybrid AVCHD discs. Not for any technical reason, such as the discs sharing a common format, which this thread has obviously disproved - merely that the kind of manufacturers who make players that support HD-DVD are also likely to make them support hybrd AVCHD. So that is my theory, which is my own, and I wait for the evidence to come in to disprove it!

[kempfpe]

Hello,
some good news for all BD P1500 Owners. AVCHD on DVD generated by Corel VS 12 works on the SAMSUNG-player !!

I just used the firmware downgrade I mentioned in my last post and the BD-P1500 plays my AVCHD-DVD perfectly. This indicates that SAMSUNG has indeed dropped the AVCHD-format in the newest firmware - although they are specifiying it as playable in advertisements and the user manual !!! Maybe this has something to to with their brandnew player BD UP5000 (Blu-Ray+ HD DVD).


Greetings
Peter