A special disc that requires a special player to play digital content is moving backwards not forwards.
I have a Blu-ray player but my ability to record Blu-ray discs don't pay off until almost every household has a player.
I really like solutions like Western Digital's TV Live
I feel these type of devices that are storage device agnostic are better overall solutions. Store your video on a USB Flash drive, HDD disk or whatever and it'll play.
This. I've been burning Blu-rays on my Mac Pro for a year and a half now using a 3rd party drive and Windows.... WINDOWS!!
I'm looking forward to upgrading to FCS3 and losing the Windows, but this whole Blu-ray ≠ Apple thing has been ridiculous.
Before '05, I used to do all my video work on a Windows machine using Adobe Premiere Pro. As I started to get more serious with my editing, the logical thing (for me) to do was to switch to a Mac and Final Cut. Needless to say, after making the switch and investing the $$$, it is very frustrating for me to know that after all these years, Apple still doesn't have a BR option. I realize I could have done what you did, but I kept waiting for Apple to add the option and it still hasn't materialized. So here we are, a few years have gone by and I'm still waiting.
Keynote of Steve jobs next week by october 22, the same day Win7 will be launch
I had originally thought that Apple would have a Mac special event on Tuesday, October 13th, same as last year. But I forgot about the Win7 launch. I wonder if Apple will invite the media on the 22nd and have there event on Tuesday, October 27th. The Mac Pro and Mac Mini have waited longer than this for an update and the MBPs have been updated fairly recently in Apple terms, but the MacBooks and IMacs for the holidays need a refresh. Plus, they?ve had a Mac special event for years now. They can?t wait too much longer than that. The week before Thanksgiving is the cutoff.
A special disc that requires a special player to play digital content is moving backwards not forwards.
I have a Blu-ray player but my ability to record Blu-ray discs don't pay off until almost every household has a player.
I really like solutions like Western Digital's TV Live
I feel these type of devices that are storage device agnostic are better overall solutions. Store your video on a USB Flash drive, HDD disk or whatever and it'll play.
I tried one of these but at this point, I'm more likely to find a Blu-ray player in a household than one of these WD devices. At $200 for a good Blu-ray player (and many for even less), I don't see why anyone in the market for a new DVD player in this price range doesn't just automatically buy a Blu-ray player.
Not every Blu-Ray mechanism will be as thin as the thinnest DVD mechanisms--the ones likely to be needed for the ever-thinner new iMac line.
So I wouldn't be surprised if the Mac Pro gets Blu-Ray first, while the iMacs wait until a mechanism is good enough AND thin enough, at a price Apple thinks makes sense.
Meanwhile, it's still external-only I guess. I do hope my next Mac (probably a Pro?) has Blu-Ray just because I plan on keeping it a while! I don't really feel the need for Blu-Ray, but I want to have it when/if that changes!
Either way, it's believed that the technology would have found its way into the new models largely in the form of build-to-order options, given steep pricing still associated with Blu-ray drives.
.
Steep pricing? You are kidding right? Dell charges about $120 to upgrade a DVDR/CDR drive that reads BD discs and about $200 if you want to write to the format as well. That certainly doesn't seem steep to me.
Opps I forgot, Apple pricing. Based on those Dell numbers I am guessing Apple would charge about $300/$500 respectively. OK, I guess that would be a bit pricey.
What exactly is so innovative about adding a Blu-ray drive? In the end I welcome a move towards Quad Core processing for the iMac lineup over Blu-ray which is a nice to have but not a must.
The Mac Pro should be the first Mac with Blu-ray IMO and it should be a recorder.
Nothing now, if they would have done a couple years back, it would have been innovating. Now its just catching up and hopefully keeping the pro users on the Mac.
Steep pricing? You are kidding right? Dell charges about $120 to upgrade a DVDR/CDR drive that reads BD discs and about $200 if you want to write to the format as well. That certainly doesn't seem steep to me.
Opps I forgot, Apple pricing. Based on those Dell numbers I am guessing Apple would charge about $300/$500 respectively. OK, I guess that would be a bit pricey.
-kpluck
Apple?s notebooks use 9.5mm slot-loading drives. Find the Blu-ray drive option for Dell?s machines using those size drives. Also notice the drive speeds for that price. Apple?s iMacs using a 11.7,, slot-loading drives. These are the 20mm tray-loading drives you find in 2? notebooks or the 3? drives you find in desktop towers.
Opps I forgot, Apple pricing. Based on those Dell numbers I am guessing Apple would charge about $300/$500 respectively. OK, I guess that would be a bit pricey.
-kpluck
You may have a point there. If an off-the-shelf Blu-ray burner runs $200, than the Apple equivalent would probably be $300-$400. Even still, as much as I think that is steep, I'd still get one.
Apple’s notebooks use 9.5mm slot-loading drives. Find the Blu-ray drive option for Dell’s machines using those size drives. Also notice the drive speeds for that price. Apple’s iMacs using a 11.7,, slot-loading drives. These are the 20mm tray-loading drives you find in 2” notebooks or the 3” drives you find in desktop towers.
Actually it is a slot loading drive (just looked it up), although it probably isn't of the 9.5mm variety.
Edit: Build to order doesn't mean that it has to be outrageously overpriced. It just means that it isn't included in the standard configuration. It could be a $200 option for example. Apple just wouldn't want to include it in the standard configuration because that would require them to raise the base price by $200 to keep their margins intact.
Not every Blu-Ray mechanism will be as thin as the thinnest DVD mechanisms--the ones likely to be needed for the ever-thinner new iMac line.
So I wouldn't be surprised if the Mac Pro gets Blu-Ray first, while the iMacs wait until a mechanism is good enough AND thin enough, at a price Apple thinks makes sense.
Meanwhile, it's still external-only I guess. I do hope my next Mac (probably a Pro?) has Blu-Ray just because I plan on keeping it a while! I don't really feel the need for Blu-Ray, but I want to have it when/if that changes!
If it were going to be a part of Apple?s plan then why not add the OS support, offer Blu-ray a an option in the Mac Pro and let this small group buy 3rd-party external drives to play their movies on their Macs? It if for this reason I think Apple?s strategy is really to hold off until they can start removing the large, slow, power-hungry optical drive from their systems completely, starting with their notebooks. Still sell the thin slot-loading USB SuperDrive as an accessory, but have the SD card slot as the way to install OS X. If the rest of the Macs get an SD card slot then I think that will be proof of the direction Apple is heading.
Apple is dragging its feet in adopting Blu-ray technology and at this point is far from being innovative. This rumour is truly annoying. Is it that difflicult to provide this as an option?
The innovation is in pushing for and adopting a non-physical digital format. The fact of the matter is Blu-Ray is not selling as well as the industry was hoping for. It is painfully obvious that the industry is trying to push consumers towards the new format when you look at the prices of DVD's... they've gone way up and are approaching the price range of Blu-Ray movies. Sure you can still buy DVD at $9.99 and even older cheap ones at $5.99 in some places, but I've seen DVDs priced from $20 to $25!
And there is nothing innovative about adopting standard, common technology. Innovation comes from pioneering the use of new technology that people actually want and creating a need for it. There is nothing about Blu-Ray that people need or desire when DVDs are good enough for the majority of people.
And I don't believe "Apple is dragging its feet" in adopting Blu-Ray. In fact, Steve Jobs made a firm stance against it last summer/fall (whenever). Apple can look at the effect iTunes has had on physical CD sales and project that to the inevitable outcome of physical movie sales as well. Macintosh users drive innovation in the rest of the industry by adapting to and adopting technologies quicker than other users (consumers). Apple knows this and by excluding the "next greatest physical format" they offer an alternative. The advent of iTunes LP and iTunes Extras is proof that Apple is betting and competing against physical media. I also predict the next version of the AppleTV will not include a physical media drive, but will have an AppStore and allow for third party developers to develop applications for streaming content from other services, NetFlix, Hulu, etc. Furthering Apple's position against both cable operators and physical media.
If it were going to be a part of Apple?s plan then why not add the OS support, offer Blu-ray a an option in the Mac Pro and let this small group buy 3rd-party external drives to play their movies on their Macs? It if for this reason I think Apple?s strategy is really to hold off until they can start removing the large, slow, power-hungry optical drive from their systems completely, starting with their notebooks. Still sell the thin slot-loading USB SuperDrive as an accessory, but have the SD card slot as the way to install OS X. If the rest of the Macs get an SD card slot then I think that will be proof of the direction Apple is heading.
I think I have a better shot at finding a household with a Blu-ray player than one with a device either in or connected to their TV that'll play back HD movies/files. Only thing I have that will do that (beside my computers) is a PS3.
The same thing as when the iMac added the DVD drive in 1999- current technology and the ability to watch a Blu-ray on your Mac and directly access its special features via the internet. Even if its just a player- add it already. Apple used to call it the "cool factor" in the iMac line. Remember the "Rebirth of Cool" campaign? That was the addition of DVD.
The idea of Apple including a read-only Blu-ray drive is preposterous.
I'd love to see a Blu-ray drive, but ONLY one that can burn Blu-ray disks.
Contrary to some people's fantasies, one still needs the ability to burn CDs and DVDs.
If it were going to be a part of Apple’s plan then why not add the OS support, offer Blu-ray a an option in the Mac Pro and let this small group buy 3rd-party external drives to play their movies on their Macs? It if for this reason I think Apple’s strategy is really to hold off until they can start removing the large, slow, power-hungry optical drive from their systems completely, starting with their notebooks. Still sell the thin slot-loading USB SuperDrive as an accessory, but have the SD card slot as the way to install OS X. If the rest of the Macs get an SD card slot then I think that will be proof of the direction Apple is heading.
In a manner of speaking, the OS does support it, just not for viewing Blu-ray movies. Final Cut 7, Compressor 3.5 and Toast 10 all support Blu-ray burning. And it's really not about watching Blu-ray movies on my Mac. I can do that on my flat panel in my living room. It's about burning BR discs either for content delivery or backup/archival purposes. I can get a 15-pack of 25GB blanks from Amazon and back up 100GB of data for $10 that won't be subject to drive failure.
Comments
I have a Blu-ray player but my ability to record Blu-ray discs don't pay off until almost every household has a player.
I really like solutions like Western Digital's TV Live
I feel these type of devices that are storage device agnostic are better overall solutions. Store your video on a USB Flash drive, HDD disk or whatever and it'll play.
This. I've been burning Blu-rays on my Mac Pro for a year and a half now using a 3rd party drive and Windows.... WINDOWS!!
I'm looking forward to upgrading to FCS3 and losing the Windows, but this whole Blu-ray ≠ Apple thing has been ridiculous.
Before '05, I used to do all my video work on a Windows machine using Adobe Premiere Pro. As I started to get more serious with my editing, the logical thing (for me) to do was to switch to a Mac and Final Cut. Needless to say, after making the switch and investing the $$$, it is very frustrating for me to know that after all these years, Apple still doesn't have a BR option. I realize I could have done what you did, but I kept waiting for Apple to add the option and it still hasn't materialized. So here we are, a few years have gone by and I'm still waiting.
As if Apple cares about the USED market???
Well, it's to their advantage to undermine it, since it takes revenue away from them -- i.e., undermining it is a good thing from Apple's perspective.
And, I don't really care if BR remains a BoH, but I'd sure like to see the i7s and an iMac that matches the cinema display, from the front at least.
Keynote of Steve jobs next week by october 22, the same day Win7 will be launch
I had originally thought that Apple would have a Mac special event on Tuesday, October 13th, same as last year. But I forgot about the Win7 launch. I wonder if Apple will invite the media on the 22nd and have there event on Tuesday, October 27th. The Mac Pro and Mac Mini have waited longer than this for an update and the MBPs have been updated fairly recently in Apple terms, but the MacBooks and IMacs for the holidays need a refresh. Plus, they?ve had a Mac special event for years now. They can?t wait too much longer than that. The week before Thanksgiving is the cutoff.
I hope we get a new AppleTV this time around.
A special disc that requires a special player to play digital content is moving backwards not forwards.
I have a Blu-ray player but my ability to record Blu-ray discs don't pay off until almost every household has a player.
I really like solutions like Western Digital's TV Live
I feel these type of devices that are storage device agnostic are better overall solutions. Store your video on a USB Flash drive, HDD disk or whatever and it'll play.
I tried one of these but at this point, I'm more likely to find a Blu-ray player in a household than one of these WD devices. At $200 for a good Blu-ray player (and many for even less), I don't see why anyone in the market for a new DVD player in this price range doesn't just automatically buy a Blu-ray player.
So I wouldn't be surprised if the Mac Pro gets Blu-Ray first, while the iMacs wait until a mechanism is good enough AND thin enough, at a price Apple thinks makes sense.
Meanwhile, it's still external-only I guess. I do hope my next Mac (probably a Pro?) has Blu-Ray just because I plan on keeping it a while! I don't really feel the need for Blu-Ray, but I want to have it when/if that changes!
Either way, it's believed that the technology would have found its way into the new models largely in the form of build-to-order options, given steep pricing still associated with Blu-ray drives.
.
Steep pricing? You are kidding right? Dell charges about $120 to upgrade a DVDR/CDR drive that reads BD discs and about $200 if you want to write to the format as well. That certainly doesn't seem steep to me.
Opps I forgot, Apple pricing. Based on those Dell numbers I am guessing Apple would charge about $300/$500 respectively. OK, I guess that would be a bit pricey.
-kpluck
It's difficult to imagine Apple putting a $500 CPU into an iMac, let alone a $1000 CPU. There are powerful enough CPUs in the $300 to $400 range.
those are retail prices
apple gets nice volume and wholesale discounts
- Apple miniTOWER. Quad core. Quiet.
- Matte displays.
- 500 g MacBook mini with video-out and USB2 ports. The MacBook Air is too heavy, too large and has only a USB2 port.
What exactly is so innovative about adding a Blu-ray drive? In the end I welcome a move towards Quad Core processing for the iMac lineup over Blu-ray which is a nice to have but not a must.
The Mac Pro should be the first Mac with Blu-ray IMO and it should be a recorder.
Nothing now, if they would have done a couple years back, it would have been innovating. Now its just catching up and hopefully keeping the pro users on the Mac.
Steep pricing? You are kidding right? Dell charges about $120 to upgrade a DVDR/CDR drive that reads BD discs and about $200 if you want to write to the format as well. That certainly doesn't seem steep to me.
Opps I forgot, Apple pricing. Based on those Dell numbers I am guessing Apple would charge about $300/$500 respectively. OK, I guess that would be a bit pricey.
-kpluck
Apple?s notebooks use 9.5mm slot-loading drives. Find the Blu-ray drive option for Dell?s machines using those size drives. Also notice the drive speeds for that price. Apple?s iMacs using a 11.7,, slot-loading drives. These are the 20mm tray-loading drives you find in 2? notebooks or the 3? drives you find in desktop towers.
Opps I forgot, Apple pricing. Based on those Dell numbers I am guessing Apple would charge about $300/$500 respectively. OK, I guess that would be a bit pricey.
-kpluck
You may have a point there. If an off-the-shelf Blu-ray burner runs $200, than the Apple equivalent would probably be $300-$400. Even still, as much as I think that is steep, I'd still get one.
Apple’s notebooks use 9.5mm slot-loading drives. Find the Blu-ray drive option for Dell’s machines using those size drives. Also notice the drive speeds for that price. Apple’s iMacs using a 11.7,, slot-loading drives. These are the 20mm tray-loading drives you find in 2” notebooks or the 3” drives you find in desktop towers.
Actually it is a slot loading drive (just looked it up), although it probably isn't of the 9.5mm variety.
Edit: Build to order doesn't mean that it has to be outrageously overpriced. It just means that it isn't included in the standard configuration. It could be a $200 option for example. Apple just wouldn't want to include it in the standard configuration because that would require them to raise the base price by $200 to keep their margins intact.
Not every Blu-Ray mechanism will be as thin as the thinnest DVD mechanisms--the ones likely to be needed for the ever-thinner new iMac line.
So I wouldn't be surprised if the Mac Pro gets Blu-Ray first, while the iMacs wait until a mechanism is good enough AND thin enough, at a price Apple thinks makes sense.
Meanwhile, it's still external-only I guess. I do hope my next Mac (probably a Pro?) has Blu-Ray just because I plan on keeping it a while! I don't really feel the need for Blu-Ray, but I want to have it when/if that changes!
If it were going to be a part of Apple?s plan then why not add the OS support, offer Blu-ray a an option in the Mac Pro and let this small group buy 3rd-party external drives to play their movies on their Macs? It if for this reason I think Apple?s strategy is really to hold off until they can start removing the large, slow, power-hungry optical drive from their systems completely, starting with their notebooks. Still sell the thin slot-loading USB SuperDrive as an accessory, but have the SD card slot as the way to install OS X. If the rest of the Macs get an SD card slot then I think that will be proof of the direction Apple is heading.
Apple is dragging its feet in adopting Blu-ray technology and at this point is far from being innovative. This rumour is truly annoying. Is it that difflicult to provide this as an option?
The innovation is in pushing for and adopting a non-physical digital format. The fact of the matter is Blu-Ray is not selling as well as the industry was hoping for. It is painfully obvious that the industry is trying to push consumers towards the new format when you look at the prices of DVD's... they've gone way up and are approaching the price range of Blu-Ray movies. Sure you can still buy DVD at $9.99 and even older cheap ones at $5.99 in some places, but I've seen DVDs priced from $20 to $25!
And there is nothing innovative about adopting standard, common technology. Innovation comes from pioneering the use of new technology that people actually want and creating a need for it. There is nothing about Blu-Ray that people need or desire when DVDs are good enough for the majority of people.
And I don't believe "Apple is dragging its feet" in adopting Blu-Ray. In fact, Steve Jobs made a firm stance against it last summer/fall (whenever). Apple can look at the effect iTunes has had on physical CD sales and project that to the inevitable outcome of physical movie sales as well. Macintosh users drive innovation in the rest of the industry by adapting to and adopting technologies quicker than other users (consumers). Apple knows this and by excluding the "next greatest physical format" they offer an alternative. The advent of iTunes LP and iTunes Extras is proof that Apple is betting and competing against physical media. I also predict the next version of the AppleTV will not include a physical media drive, but will have an AppStore and allow for third party developers to develop applications for streaming content from other services, NetFlix, Hulu, etc. Furthering Apple's position against both cable operators and physical media.
Why the mobile version of the i7? Why not the desktop version? It's probably much more powerful. Heat?
Yes heat (and power consumption). The iMacs have been using mobile processors ever since they went to this form factor.
If it were going to be a part of Apple?s plan then why not add the OS support, offer Blu-ray a an option in the Mac Pro and let this small group buy 3rd-party external drives to play their movies on their Macs? It if for this reason I think Apple?s strategy is really to hold off until they can start removing the large, slow, power-hungry optical drive from their systems completely, starting with their notebooks. Still sell the thin slot-loading USB SuperDrive as an accessory, but have the SD card slot as the way to install OS X. If the rest of the Macs get an SD card slot then I think that will be proof of the direction Apple is heading.
I think I have a better shot at finding a household with a Blu-ray player than one with a device either in or connected to their TV that'll play back HD movies/files. Only thing I have that will do that (beside my computers) is a PS3.
The same thing as when the iMac added the DVD drive in 1999- current technology and the ability to watch a Blu-ray on your Mac and directly access its special features via the internet. Even if its just a player- add it already. Apple used to call it the "cool factor" in the iMac line. Remember the "Rebirth of Cool" campaign? That was the addition of DVD.
The idea of Apple including a read-only Blu-ray drive is preposterous.
I'd love to see a Blu-ray drive, but ONLY one that can burn Blu-ray disks.
Contrary to some people's fantasies, one still needs the ability to burn CDs and DVDs.
If it were going to be a part of Apple’s plan then why not add the OS support, offer Blu-ray a an option in the Mac Pro and let this small group buy 3rd-party external drives to play their movies on their Macs? It if for this reason I think Apple’s strategy is really to hold off until they can start removing the large, slow, power-hungry optical drive from their systems completely, starting with their notebooks. Still sell the thin slot-loading USB SuperDrive as an accessory, but have the SD card slot as the way to install OS X. If the rest of the Macs get an SD card slot then I think that will be proof of the direction Apple is heading.
In a manner of speaking, the OS does support it, just not for viewing Blu-ray movies. Final Cut 7, Compressor 3.5 and Toast 10 all support Blu-ray burning. And it's really not about watching Blu-ray movies on my Mac. I can do that on my flat panel in my living room. It's about burning BR discs either for content delivery or backup/archival purposes. I can get a 15-pack of 25GB blanks from Amazon and back up 100GB of data for $10 that won't be subject to drive failure.