DVD Drive vs. DVD Player, differences?

I want to setup a home entertainment system using a computer as the source. The computer would be used to play MP3s, CDs and DVDs.
I'm already happy with the CD and MP3 quality but, since I don't have a DVD player, I don't know how well it will work.
Can I run output from my DVD drive to a receiver and still get THX and Dolby sound (for example)? Is it dependant on the sound card or DVD decoder?
Any thoughts appreciated.

1. RE: DVD Drive vs. DVD Player, differences?
lbyard Oct-23-01 08:20 PM
In response to message 0

Some thoughts are here: http://duxcw.com/dcforum/DCForumID6/148.html. Others can be found by entering DVD in the search site to the left. Other readers who have done this recently may have more comments to get us all back-up-to-speed. Larry

2. RE: DVD Drive vs. DVD Player, differences?
Accessdabbler Oct-23-01 08:44 PM
In response to message 1

You are an interesting individual Larry! I like your thinking style.
I read your post about how tinkering with computers to try to watch a movie "sounds like work". I agree! After years of running my small business and administrating the computers, I am generally getting tired of "tinkering", I just want the ##### thing to work....!
Want I really want to see on the market is a DVD/MP3 player with a hard drive and ethernet connection. Now that's bliss!
Imagine, one box to play ALL your entertainment files. Sweet.
Hard drive to store all your digital music, DVD to play movies and an on-screen guide that appears on your TV that allows you to use your remote to control the player and select songs.
Compaq and HP (now one company I believe) have a device that is close. Compaq's iPAQ is sooo close I can taste it, but the boneheads put a CD drive in the device instead of a DVD drive. Check it out at http://athome.compaq.com/showroom/static/ipaq/music_center.asp

4. RE: DVD Drive vs. DVD Player, differences?
lbyard Oct-23-01 09:11 PM
In response to message 2

http://microsoft.com/xbox/ ?

5. RE: DVD Drive vs. DVD Player, differences?
Accessdabbler Oct-23-01 09:17 PM
In response to message 4

But will it MP3? So close, so very close....

6. RE: DVD Drive vs. DVD Player, differences?
lbyard Oct-23-01 10:21 PM
In response to message 5

Maybe. I would think someone could make a pile of money if they implemented it. Larry
http://sourceforge.net/projects/xboxmp3
http://xbox.ign.com/news/18801.html#mp3

7. HP Digital Entertainment Center
lbyard Nov-01-01 10:25 PM
In response to message 6

Hewlett Launches $1,000 Home Digital Music Player (http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=technologynews&StoryID=336566). "Through a built-in display or a menu on the television, the center can be programmed to rerecord music from CDs onto the hard drive, converted into the popular MP3 music file format. The machine also will write CDs, but it lacks a DVD player."

Specs, etc. at http://dec.hp-at-home.com/de100c.html. No DVD, but I'll bet it's in the wings as HP is getting out of the CD-RW business in favor of DVD-RW. Larry

8. RE: HP Digital Entertainment Center
Accessdabbler Nov-01-01 10:32 PM
In response to message 7

Compaq also has a similar device (iPAQ something or other). However since they are the same company (sort of), I'm sure the two units will merge.
No DVD. Stupid, if you ask me. Why do I want to pay $1000 (US) when I could buy an Archos portable hard drive/MP3 player for less than half that? Who needs CD-R or CDRW in their stereo cabinet anyway?