Vista HD Playback - 64-bit only

[Cova]

http://www.apcstart.com/site/dwarne/2006/08/1139/microsoft-cuts-another-feature-full-hd-playback-in-32bit-vista

Looks like MS is dropping HD support from 32-bit Vista, as its too easy to write kernel-mode drivers that can bypass any copy protection.

On the bright side - this should ensure that 64-bit gets very good support, unlike the current XP64 which is still hard to get drivers for and has problems with many pieces of software (especially games that use kernel-mode drivers for their copy-protection eg. Starforce).

[Darren Dirt]

YARTLISTMOL! (yet another reason to look into switching to Mac or Linux)

[Lazybones]

YARTLISTMOL! (yet another reason to look into switching to Mac or Linux)

If you switch to Linux then you for sure will not have support. Mac is really the only true desktop alternative for the average user.. Linux is still a geeks club unless you have a VERY narrow set of needs on the desktop.

[Darren Dirt]

Really? Cuz I thought another thread this week included TWO Linux offerings that are  "for the rest of us" i.e. human-friendly :-\

[Lazybones]

Really? Cuz I thought another thread this week included TWO Linux offerings that are  "for the rest of us" i.e. human-friendly :-\

And Microsoft asks "Where do you want to go today"

I would rate current Linux as usable for a desktop, however way behind the usability and features of current Windows or Mac OS. Linux is however FREE, and mostly secure by default.

[Shayne]

I wonder if their is an actual technical reason for this?  I recall seeing an exposed Toshiba HDDVD player and it simply had a P4 in it.  Regardless i see this as a negative for the next gen dvd formats as opposed to Vista.  One of those will sell regardless, and im betting on the one with an already established 90% market share.

[Shayne]

A rarity, a slashdot user made an interesting point.  basically all new computers shipping right now are 64bit.  The second question is will these new 64bit machines come preinstalled with vista64?

[Lazybones]

A rarity, a slashdot user made an interesting point.  basically all new computers shipping right now are 64bit.  The second question is will these new 64bit machines come preinstalled with vista64?

It would be great if they did, because it would force support based on install base. However I suspect that home systems will still ship with the 32bit version as the benefits of 64bit are still fairly limited to the average user.

[Shayne]

From Microsoft's standpoint it doesn't cost anymore to ship 64bit versions.  Though from my experiences testing vista the 64bit is slower, bigger, and has no driver support in comparison to the 32bit version.  So perhaps thats the standpoint they would take on the matter.  I'm still up in the air.  I have a 64bit CPU but if the state of things doesn't change its gonna be hard to decide in Q1 2007.

[Cova]

Microsoft only differentiates between 32-bit and 64-bit for XP right now for licensing anyways - I'm hoping Vista will work the way MS's other products do in terms of 32/64-bit.  For Server 2003, you just buy a server license and you can run x32 or x64.  Same thing for SQL 2005 - a server license can be for either x32 or x64.  So hopefully, users can just buy a Vista Home license, and run as many bits as their hardware supports (and upgrade for free if they upgrade their hardware to more bits).

There's no technical reason for it - 32-bit CPU's are capable of decoding 1080p resolution video, and still will be able to under Vista.  However studio content on Blue-Ray or HD-DVD (the stuff that requries HDCP and all that) will also require 64-bit as a security measure - apparently the 64-bit OS is easier to make secure.

And as for desktop linux - it's nowhere near ready for 80% of home users.  And just because someone made a distribution and labeled it "for home use", doesn't mean they've got the features that home users actually need/want.

[Ustauk]

If Vista ships on a DVD or multiple CDs, is there any reason they can't put both versions of the OS on the disc(s)?  If the license works per system, like Cova says, I don't see why they couldn't.  They may try and get more money from the consumer by getting someone to upgrade to a 64 bit OS later, but I think they have enough product differentation as it is with the various consumer, pro and corporate versions they're going to release.

[Cova]

Actually - based on the way they are doing the Vista Beta DVDs, 32-bit and 64-bit will be separate.  Currently MS makes 4 DVDs of the Vista betas available - 32-bit and 64-bit, and for each of those a regular and a checked/debug build.  On any specific DVD it contains all of the binaries for everything from Home Basic up through Ultimate edition, and installs the components you are entitled to depending on the CD key you enter during install.

Then again, for release they might change over to different DVD's for Home, Pro, Ultimate, etc.  This would both improve the security of advanced features (if they didn't buy them, then they don't have a DVD containing those files just waiting for hackers to enable the other features) and would allow them to have a single media for 32 and 64 bit.

[Shayne]

The all versions on one DVD is suppose to be the way it works as people might want to upgrade 6 months later so they put the disc back in the drive, pay the difference, get a new key and are upgraded in a few minutes.  Nifty idea and I hope it works.

[Lazybones]

The interesting part is that the install system is now image based, so I wonder how they will do it.. Does the initial insteal put everything on your HD? If so you know people are going to try an hack the higher version features.

[Lazybones]

Apparently they are taking that back now
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/software/windows-vista-32bit-can-play-hd-dvd-bluray-movies-196535.php

VISTA 32bit CAN play HD