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A few weeks ago I built a HTPC. It currently has no built-in optical drive, but I do have an external DVD drive. I have been considering a Blu-Ray unit, but I don't know whether to buy an internal drive, an external drive or a stand alone player. My HTPC will only has room for a slim drive and I'm concerned that an external USB drive will not handle the data. If it would, it would be more versatile. There are units available at about the same price. A stand alone player may be a little less expensive.
Here are links to a couple units that I am considering.
Get a stand-alone player. You can get the Panasonic BD60 for around $130 from Amazon, and it is a great player.
If you try to do it with your computer, you will still need a software player, and remote controls can be iffy. HTPC can work very well for BD play, but I have both, and much prefer to the use the Panasonic for average viewing.
When I use my HTPC, I don't use a remote after I switch the HDTV to the HTPC input. I have a wireless mouse/keyboard on the table next to my chair. I would probably use Windows Media Center. I have Windows 7 - 64 bit installed. I stream from Netflix, Hulu, etc., but they don't deliver HD content. Blu-Ray disks are available on my Netflix account.
If I go stand alone player or external drive, I'll have to make room for another box near the HDTV.
John C - Thanks for the tip. I haven't used Media Center a lot. I tried the Netflix plugin, but thought it was more difficult to navigate than in a browser.
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