BluPath issues

[MacEachaidh]

I'd be grateful for any advice on speeding BluPath up, if at all possible.

I'm running Windows 7, and Bitdefender Internet Security 2014 as an anti-virus/firewall. Passkey has full access through the firewall, but I'm finding its speed varies considerably from BD to BD — sometimes it can take a very long time to process a disc.

For instance, I tried to play a new Blu-ray, the recent US release of "The Slipper and the Rose" from Inception Media, and BluPath took more than seven minutes to resolve the disc. I tried cold-booting my PC, and making sure I had no other apps running before inserting the disc, but it still took as long the second time.

Is it part of the teething process of a new technology? Or are there things I can do to make the process quicker?

If not, is there any way to bypass the BluPath process and still have the benefits of Passkey doing everything else it does?

[signals]

Mac

In a way, it is teething, but not the way you think. When BluPath encounters a disc that is not in the database, it does a much deeper scan, which can take some time (usually more like 3-4 minutes). The results of the scan are stored (anonymously) on a server and the next time someone opens the disc it takes only seconds. The 'teething' is for that particular title only.

[MacEachaidh]

Hi Signals,
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I thought that might be what is going on, but the problem continues for me, and not only with new discs. Over the last couple of days, I've watched all four Alien movies (from the US-released Anthology Blu-ray set), and each of the four movies took more than ten minutes apiece for BluPath to decrypt them. I deliberately left it to see how long it would take to resolve, but between the four that was 50 minutes just waiting for the disc to be recognised.

I find it hard to believe these discs haven't been registered by BluPath by this time, so I have to think it's something else that makes BluPath so slow. I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

Also: I know BluPath is reliant on people letting it complete to build its reference database, but in situations where it's taking this long (Aliens, a popular movie, took over 13 minutes!), it would be helpful to give the user the chance to opt out of BluPath and input the region manually, as Passkey used to work before BluPath. That way, we'd still have the benefit of Passkey, without having to simply cancel it for a disc it was taking too long over.

(Oh, and I should add that I'm using the latest update of Passkey, v. 8.2.1.0)

[signals]

Good points well stated, thanks for the followup. BluPath can be disabled in Settings, but if everyone does it the database will suffer. There is a timer built in now that dumps out of Blupath after 3 minutes per pass, so the maximum you should see with v8210 is 6 minutes for 2 passes at it. The longest time I have had one run was about 7 minutes, most are 2 or 3. The development staff is working on some improvements to the BluPath functionality, so stay tuned.

[MacEachaidh]

I'm using Passkey 8.2.1.6 now, and am happy to report it seems to be snappier on processing many discs than the previous version was.

However, there are still significant exceptions. For instance, I'm trying to launch the Australian Bli-ray release of Body Double (http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Body-D...Blu-ray/94952/) -- it's the same disc Twilight Time used for the Region A release, except for region coding. Passkey is having no success with it, and as I type this is about to hit 600 seconds of the BluPath process without resolving the disc.

So:

1) Clearly the 3 minute Fail-Safe isn't kicking in; and

2) It's having no success resolving the disc and adding it to the database.

How do unknown discs get added to the database, if PassKey either does this (get caught in an infinite loop) or bails out after three minutes? Does this mean PassKey is really only good for the mass-market Region A releases that sell in large numbers?

What should I do? I don't want to just turn PassKey's features off, because if I do that, what's the point of having bought it?

I've tried shutting my PC down and cold booting it -- something I tend to try from habit if something doesn't seem to be behaving correctly -- but it didn't help. Any idea what i should do?

(PassKey has just hit 1000 seconds trying to resolve this disc.)

[signals]

Mac
There are several staff members that analyze and add to the database manually. The problem in some cases is obtaining the disc. Please add a link to a location where it can be purchased online if available. The timer should still trip AFAIK, I will check on that. That disc is hellish expensive, certainly one you would want to back up.

[signals]

Mac
I have ordered the Reg A version of the disc, Amazon had an "import" version but did not say where it was from, the import was US$90.

[glenns]

Amazon has it for $32.98 it is a import.The regular Criterion blu ray is limited to 3,000 copy's by Criterion and their all sold out so only the import is left so that's why they likely made more overseas.http://www.amazon.com/Body-Double-Bl...ds=body+double Release date is July 15th for the Amazon import.
Both disks can have different copy protections so I would make sure your both getting the same disk.The op's link info says that version is locked to region B.The amazon import also region B.

Theirs a region free disk from Amazon for $64.99 http://www.amazon.com/Body-Double-Cr.../dp/B00E5BQ9SW
This must be a import also as the Criterion disks are sold out.

The region free disk says twilight time on the box same as the op's link doesn't say this on the cheaper region b Amazon disk.

[signals]

The disc I got says "Twilight Time" on the box and also "Limited edition of 3000 units" but is not a Criterion release, so it looks like there are many versions of this. The one I got was not in the database, but BluPath ran correctly in about 3.5 minutes, so it is included now.

[MacEachaidh]

Hi signals,
Thanks for all the trouble you're going to. I'm sorry - it's not what I mean to be doing to you. And I apologise I haven't come back and replied - I was waiting for notification that there'd been a psot to this thread, but it doesn't come for some reason. Shouldn;t I be getting an e.mail when someone posts here?

Anyway. As for the Body Double disk, as per the bluray.com link my copy is the Australian release from Umbrella, so B;uPath isn't seeing it as the same disc as the Twilight Time release.

There appears to be an issue with non-US discs, then, if discs have to be added to the BluPath database manually. Is it possible people in other countries can be deputised to add to the database? Because I have so many discs that just churn and churn and never resolve the BluPath region, and it would *really* help to have all that sorted out. Particularly as the fail option (to ask me to specify the region manually) isn't working. It doesn't kick in. (I'm just trying to load up another of the Vincent Price discs, this time the "Abominable Dr Phibes" discv from the US set), and I'm up to 1000 seconds and counting. Signals, what's going on here? I need help with this, please.

So, my questions:

1) Why is the manual input fail-safe not kicking in when this goes so long without resolving?

2) Is there any way the BluPath database can be updated with non-US releases?

(I'm happy to do it for all my OZ and UK discs, if that helps.)

3) Why am I not getting notified of updates in watched threads?

[signals]

Hi Mac
Lots of questions, I will try to find some answers for you. I thought maybe yours was solved since there had been no new posts.

[signals]

As to 1) I have reported the problem to the developers, it may be related to unsupported protection on some discs, but I do not believe it is a strictly region coding problem unless you have a Matshita drive.

For 2) it can be updated when someone successfully scans the disc, which is the fastest way (unless a new protection prevents opening and scanning). They can be added manually but it takes time.

For 3) I have subscribed to this thread to test it. Check your spam folder, see if the notifications are going there.

Do the discs that will not open with BluPath in Passkey open for you in DVDFab Blu-ray Copy?

[MacEachaidh]

Hi Signals,
Apologise that I haven't been back to reply. Guess what? I've received no notification that you'd updated the thread.

For 1)
Since we last spoke, I've completely reformatted my hard drive and re-installed both Windows 7 and DVDFab Passkey. I did this in case the installation of either was somehow corrupt, but the problem continues. My BD drive is an LG BH10LS30 Blu-ray writer. Has anything come back from the developers?

For 2)
In my experience, that's not happening. Passkey defaults to a Region A listing, if it's able to find one. If the disc is locked to Region B. and there is no current BluPath record, then the BluPath routine just spins endlessly until I stop it manually. On my system, anyway, it doesn't seem to ever write a new record for anything outside Region A, which is why I asked.

For 3)
No, not a spam folder issue. Trust me, I thought of that before raising the issue here. I have that facility disabled on both my local mail client and my account on my ISP's mail server; I don't particularly trust the AI in such features, and would rather see all the mail I receive and winnow out unwanted messages than to be constantly having to search through the spam folder anyway.

[signals]

Hi Mac

No, I have not heard anything, but they may have assumed the problem was corrected. As you can see from the capture, notification is working for me. I have changed your profile settings so that they now match mine, try manually subscribing to the thread (under Thread Tools in the page border) and see if you get the email.

[MacEachaidh]

Thanks, but it shows me as already subscribed.

To be honest, I'd rather see issues with the software fixed -- I'm more concerned about that than the forum. It's massively frustrating that, whether you relay problems to them or I open direct tickets with the helpdesk, there are no constructive replies forthcoming.