BLUE RAY OR HD DVD & when

[bazzasday]

Hi All, new to site & my first posting. At the moment have powerbook & wanting to upgrade, would like to wait until Apple add new DVD tech, anybody have an idea when they are likely to add new DVD tech & which format they will adopt.
Thanks All,
Barrie

 

[wakerider017]

Hi All, new to site & my first posting. At the moment have powerbook & wanting to upgrade, would like to wait until Apple add new DVD tech, anybody have an idea when they are likely to add new DVD tech & which format they will adopt.
Thanks All,
Barrie

No one can answer this question for you...


You will have to wait it out and see what happens.

 

[jnc]

Apple backs Blu-Ray but that doesn't mean we can expect drives as standard in any models. The tech is too new, once the format war settles down and there's an accepted "winner", expect Apple to include the drives as standard from then...

 

[diamond.g]

Apple will most likely choose the winner.... So show your supports and buy what ever format you think is gonna win!!!

 

[bluesjam]

You want it for movies right.
If you are a videophile then you will disappointed as will take another couple of years for the price to reduce as it is too costly right now.
I think a year later from now they might start offering a customer install option.
Since Apple is in the blu-ray board it might go for that.

 

[bazzasday]

Sony have introduced Blue Ray drive to their new laptop, Toshiba have added HD DVD to their new Laptop. Would think that Apple would have to decide soon or be left behind. To think you can dump 45 Gig on a Blue ray disk awesome

I would only ever purchase apple, just wondered if anybody had any news on this topic. My situation is I live part time Australia/London/NYC
in music & film, so have to carry large hard drives around. i was thinking if new i macs had the new drives i would have one in each location & carry a few disks between locations.

 

[Techguy172]

I would not want either drive in my Mac What if it loses then I'm screwed. I say wait it out and then buy one of the formats , Personally I want HD-DVD to win it has the movies i like and I don't want a sony format.

 

[Towhead]

I would not want either drive in my Mac What if it loses then I'm screwed. I say wait it out and then buy one of the formats , Personally I want HD-DVD to win it has the movies i like and I don't want a sony format.

Well, considering the current rate of sales of PS3 systems (selling out all over) it's easy to see how Blu-Ray will at least be maintained. XBOX 360's, for instance, have replaceable drives whereas PS3's are built-in and required (game disks are Blu-Ray). Also, Blu-Ray production is ramping up with new fabs in the US, one in Spokane Washington (name:Blue-Ray, look it up).

Personally, I think the end will see Blu-Ray victorious.

 

[kamiboy]

a Blu-ray drive would not make much sense unless the mac it was built into can play back Blu-ray movies. That requires a software player and not least of all a secure digital output on the Mac (unless you wanna use downsampled low res analogue). So I am thinking it will not happen until Macs sport HDMI outputs.

I am not a 100% on the playback requirements but I think that HDMI is pretty much required because of copy protection.

 

[pilotError]

Dell is offering Blu-Ray drives, but I think they are read only. When a Major Vendor steps out and starts offering, it will drive the prices down. I think Blu-Ray adoption has been really slow because Sony couldn't ramp up the laser diode manufacturing. I think they've gotten over that issue now.

I would have thought the combo drives would have made some inroads by now, but they are just way too expensive.

Does Leopard have the DRM requirements to even run a Blu-Ray disk? I know that Vista has entangled the DRM pretty heavily throughout the OS.

You probably won't see any drive until it's cheap enough to install without killing their pricing model. Maybe as a BTO option on a Mac Pro and then later on the iMac's. I don't see the general consumer really knowing what it is let alone needing it.

Time will tell...

 

[diamond.g]

a Blu-ray drive would not make much sense unless the mac it was built into can play back Blu-ray movies. That requires a software player and not least of all a secure digital output on the Mac (unless you wanna use downsampled low res analogue). So I am thinking it will not happen until Macs sport HDMI outputs.

I am not a 100% on the playback requirements but I think that HDMI is pretty much required because of copy protection.

DVI supports HDCP. The only advantage HDMI has over DVI (besides deep color and the like) is uncompressed sound carrying.

Dell is offering Blu-Ray drives, but I think they are read only. When a Major Vendor steps out and starts offering, it will drive the prices down. I think Blu-Ray adoption has been really slow because Sony couldn't ramp up the laser diode manufacturing. I think they've gotten over that issue now.

I would have thought the combo drives would have made some inroads by now, but they are just way too expensive.

Does Leopard have the DRM requirements to even run a Blu-Ray disk? I know that Vista has entangled the DRM pretty heavily throughout the OS.

You probably won't see any drive until it's cheap enough to install without killing their pricing model. Maybe as a BTO option on a Mac Pro and then later on the iMac's. I don't see the general consumer really knowing what it is let alone needing it.

Time will tell...

AFAIK practically all the BD drives are burners as well. That is why they are so expensive.

 

[Particular]

You won't see Blue Ray or HD-DVD at least for another 12 - 18 months.

It is not ready for mainstream from either a technological perspective or from a cost perspective, not to mention practicality issues of squeezing a BR/HDVD drive into a MBP/iMac Chasis.

 

[monkeytap]

Sony have introduced Blue Ray drive to their new laptop, Toshiba have added HD DVD to their new Laptop. Would think that Apple would have to decide soon or be left behind. To think you can dump 45 Gig on a Blue ray disk awesome

I would only ever purchase apple, just wondered if anybody had any news on this topic. My situation is I live part time Australia/London/NYC
in music & film, so have to carry large hard drives around. i was thinking if new i macs had the new drives i would have one in each location & carry a few disks between locations.

btw, its blu-ray. fyi.

i wish we had an answer for you, as im waiting for apple to make this leap as well.


my bet is on blu-ray, mainly bc I think thats how apple will swing

 

[diamond.g]

You won't see Blue Ray or HD-DVD at least for another 12 - 18 months.

It is not ready for mainstream from either a technological perspective or from a cost perspective, not to mention practicality issues of squeezing a BR/HDVD drive into a MBP/iMac Chasis.

Fastmac already makes a BD drive for the 17" MBP. With the PS3 as cheap as it is for all it does I don't quite believe your mainstream argument. Besides Apple wouldn't give the drive for free anyways.

 

[monkeytap]

Fastmac already makes a BD drive for the 17" MBP. With the PS3 as cheap as it is for all it does I don't quite believe your mainstream argument. Besides Apple wouldn't give the drive for free anyways.

I agree...sony and dell both have some killer machines with blu-ray burners equipped with DVR/cable card tuner and all that. too bad they are running vista

and lets face it, when apple includes blu ray it will become mainstream

 

[kamiboy]

DVI supports HDCP. The only advantage HDMI has over DVI (besides deep color and the like) is uncompressed sound carrying.

How sure are you of this, because I am pretty certain that only HDMI supports HDCP.

 

[zioxide]

Apple supports BOTH Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Therefore, you're not going to see it (especially in laptops) until there is a fairly affordable Blu-Ray/HD-DVD/DVD±R/CD-RW combo drive.

LG has some combo drives IIRC, but they're only desktop so far. So you might see it in the Mac Pro sometime soon.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Has anyone noticed that BluRay stuff is being advertised as Blu-Ray HiDef? (in the UK at least).

I think they are trying to get the message across that BluRay is infact a HD format to the unknowing masses. This is where HDDVD has the edge I feel. It does exactly what it says on the tin! BluRay is ambiguous to any no tech person. People might think a BluRay drive is a parking space for Dasyatis chrysonota.

 

[monkeytap]

How sure are you of this, because I am pretty certain that only HDMI supports HDCP.

dvi is HDCP as well. i know this because my monitor has no HDMI (the picture showed one) but it is still HDCP.

Apple supports BOTH Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Therefore, you're not going to see it (especially in laptops) until there is a fairly affordable Blu-Ray/HD-DVD/DVD±R/CD-RW combo drive.

LG has some combo drives IIRC, but they're only desktop so far. So you might see it in the Mac Pro sometime soon.

they "support" hd-dvd because they are and have always been a part of the DVD consortium. it is not a stretch to say they reached out a hand to blu ray by joining the BDA (blu ray disc association) personally, I hope they just choose one, combo drives and burners that support both would be ridiculusly expensive and blu-ray holds the only significant increase in data storage size.

Has anyone noticed that BluRay stuff is being advertised as Blu-Ray HiDef? (in the UK at least).

I think they are trying to get the message across that BluRay is infact a HD format to the unknowing masses. This is where HDDVD has the edge I feel. It does exactly what it says on the tin! BluRay is ambiguous to any no tech person. People might think a BluRay drive is a parking space for Dasyatis chrysonota.

its a double edged sword, isnt it?

hd-dvd has the advantage of selling many titles to consumers who are ignorant and see 'DVD' and think it will work on their current player. planet earth on amazon is a perfect example of this, look at the reviews, so many stupids saying "i bought this cause it would look great in HD, but my upconverting DVD player didnt recognize it!?!"

blu-ray on the other hand is a completely different, and I personally think in the end it will help blu-ray distinguish itself with the consumer. thats just my opinion though.

its got advantages and disadvantages

 

[zioxide]

they "support" hd-dvd because they are and have always been a part of the DVD consortium. it is not a stretch to say they reached out a hand to blu ray by joining the BDA (blu ray disc association) personally, I hope they just choose one, combo drives and burners that support both would be ridiculusly expensive and blu-ray holds the only significant increase in data storage size.

Actually, they support both HD-DVD and Blu-ray because that's what they said in a press release two years ago.

Apple is committed to both emerging high definition DVD standards—Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD. Apple is an active member of the DVD Forum which developed the HD DVD standard, and last month joined the Board of Directors of the Blu-ray Disc Association.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/apr/17hd.html

Also, let's not forget this key point:

Final Cut Studio, Apple’s ultimate HD video production suite...and DVD Studio Pro 4, the first commercially available DVD authoring software that burns high definition DVDs to the latest HD DVD specification.

So here's the bottom line. Apple's pro customers want to be able to choose which formats they want to deliver their content in. Therefore, Apple is going to offer both options.

 

[kaiwai]

Apple backs Blu-Ray but that doesn't mean we can expect drives as standard in any models. The tech is too new, once the format war settles down and there's an accepted "winner", expect Apple to include the drives as standard from then...

Although they back BluRay, that won't stop them from looking at another technology if it offers them a better deal - by way of a 'cash investment'

 

[monkeytap]

Actually, they support both HD-DVD and Blu-ray because that's what they said in a press release two years ago.

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/apr/17hd.html

Also, let's not forget this key point:

So here's the bottom line. Apple's pro customers want to be able to choose which formats they want to deliver their content in. Therefore, Apple is going to offer both options.

yes, I know that. I didnt say they dont support HD-DVD.
there are a bunch of blu ray only companies in the DVD forum. yet, no hd-dvd companies in the BDA.

final cut pro can burn HD media to DVDs that can be played on an hd-dvd player, but you will be able to fit, what like, 15 minutes of video on it? there are no hd-dvd burners available for any mac, or pc (to my knowledge).

i agree that they will most likely offer both, but if they were gonna pick one side it probably be blu ray.

 

[zioxide]

i agree that they will most likely offer both, but if they were gonna pick one side it probably be blu ray.

you have no basis as to why Apple would pick Blu-Ray.

If they were going to pick one, it would be HD-DVD because of the following reasons:

- FCS2/DVDSP4 already support creating HD-DVDs
- HD-DVD is cheaper. The discs as well as the hardware.
- More studios are supporting HD-DVD now because it is cheaper
- HD-DVD is a better name for the consumer (they get that it's a HD DVD. what the **** is blu-ray? They don't know is because it uses a blue laser to read the disk)

But like I said, they're going to support both once affordable combo options are available. Otherwise, we would already have one of them available.

 

[monkeytap]

you have no basis as to why Apple would pick Blu-Ray.
If they were going to pick one, it would be HD-DVD because of the following reasons:
- FCS2/DVDSP4 already support creating HD-DVDs
- HD-DVD is cheaper. The discs as well as the hardware.
- More studios are supporting HD-DVD now because it is cheaper
- HD-DVD is a better name for the consumer (they get that it's a HD DVD. what the **** is blu-ray? They don't know is because it uses a blue laser to read the disk)

But like I said, they're going to support both once affordable combo options are available. Otherwise, we would already have one of them available.

yes, my basis is much more founded than your "reasons" which really provide no reason or indication that apple would choose hd-dvd.

-like previously stated, FCS2/DVDSP4 already support hd-dvd burning because hd-dvd is really just a souped up version of dvd (without getting technical). as previously stated, there are NO hd-dvd burners for any PCs on the market.

-no hardware for pcs, price is irrelevant when it does not exist. besides, do the math: blu-ray media is cheaper per GB. and since when does apple choose the cheaper of two options?

-im not sure what you mean by 'more studios are supporting hd-dvd because its cheaper.' are you refering to paramount switching? but if you were saying hd-dvd has more studio support, your wrong. pixar, for example, is blu ray exclusive. and that is a reason for them to go blu.

-thats your opinion. the name hd-dvd is confusing to the consumer and thousands and thousands of hd-dvd disc sales are due to stupid consumers blindly assuming hd-dvd will play on their dvd. IMO, blu-ray is a better name because it is distinguishing itself from previous media formats, but an opinion on which name is better has NOTHING TO DO WITH WHY APPLE WOULD CHOOSE ONE OR THE OTHER.

although you had some interesting "reasons" why they would go hd-dvd exclusive, i still believe they will support both or only blu. if its anytime in the near future it will just be blu.

 

[diamond.g]

How sure are you of this, because I am pretty certain that only HDMI supports HDCP.

I am sure that DVI is able to support HDCP. It isn't mandatory (on either DVI or HDMI) so it isn't garunteed to work on every DVI equipped item.

I would also like to take the time to make sure everyone realizes BDand or HD DVD support will cause Apple to have to go down the same route Vista went down with the PVP. AFAIK those will be needed to not have to have reduced resolution due to the ICT flag.