HI all

[Theo Simon]

Can the B2 be made to play DVDs and Blurays through the HDMI output? What needs to be done to make this possible?

Thanks all

[JFBUK]

Hi,

straight answer is no.

The optical drive is CD only and the B2 as a device it is aimed at the audio market.

John

[Daniel Taylor]

For the vast majority of users that's not an option.  If you're an engineer, you'll need an external Blu-ray/DVD player, and you'll have to write software to read it, and more software to send the data out the HDMI port with the proper HDCP hand-shaking, etc.  So the answer to the absolute question of "Can the B2 be made" to do it, is yes, but only if you have the necessary knowledge.  I suspect that if you had the ability to do it, you wouldn't be asking the question, you'd just do it. 

So I guess the next question is will Brennan do it, and I highly doubt that they would. That would be a whole different product.

[Theo Simon]

@Daniel Taylor thanks for your help, indeed I am not sure how to do this and hoping someone else has already done it..

From what I see here https://www.brennan.co.uk/itemcontent.php/content/b2future. It looks like the drive is a CD/DVD combo

• DVD - the B2 CD mechanism is actually a DVD/CD combo drive and I have played DVDs on my B2 - using a Raspbmc SD card. B2 clearly has the makings of a DVD or video jukebox but I have my hands full with audio so I am not planning any video software. I’ll be happy to assist any hobbyist / entrepreneur with details of the B2 hardware.

So I wonder if anyone out there has the software to do this? And what to Bluray?

I saw this on the forum, Matsushita Panasonic CD/DVD UJ8A7 and UJ8A8. Can anyone confirm what is the spec of the optical drive?

[Daniel Taylor]

Hi theosi... (that's all I can see of your name)

I fear that I have mislead you, which was not my intention.  You asked the question in such a way that I feel the absolute correct answer is Yes, it can be done.  But the level of expertise required would rule out the vast majority of us.  The Brennan company has chosen not to do it.  I suspect it would take an engineering team with the proper know-how no less than two months to get it done.  Just because it could be done doesn't at all mean that it will be done.  To be honest with you, if that's the kind of functionality you're looking for, you should look elsewhere.  I'm sorry if I implied that this functionality would be coming - I don't expect it.

[JFBUK]

Hi,

attached is a partial output of the dmsg command on my B2 which shows details of the drive installed on my B2.

Note that the drive may well vary dependent on the time of build. Brennan will buy drives in large quantities and no particular make and model is guaranteed.

To repeat what Daniel has said  and I said in my original post the current B2 is an audio device and does not playback video.

If you want to create a video "jukebox" then there are various ways to do it but I would not start with a B2.

John

[PMB]

Hi All,

There are no plans to add video or DVD functionality to the B2.

Paul

Brennan Support.

[Theo Simon]

Ok understood thank you all,  appreciate it's an audio device and will remain so.