High Definition disk drive (BlueRay, HDDVD)

[MaTiCeK]

So what do you think, when will Apple start building High Definiton Media Disk drives into iMacs and Minis?

I would certainly be interested in buying a mini with a HD DVD drive. It would be just perfect add on to a HDTV.

Sadly I think that such a mini would draw customers away from the iTV.

So what's your opinion?

 

[72930]

So what do you think, when will Apple start building High Definiton Media Disk drives into iMacs and Minis?

I would certainly be interested in buying a mini with a HD DVD drive. It would be just perfect add on to a HDTV.

Sadly I think that such a mini would draw customers away from the iTV.

So what's your opinion?

I think that Blu Ray will be a Mac Pro option first...

 

[adamyoshida]

So what do you think, when will Apple start building High Definiton Media Disk drives into iMacs and Minis?

I would certainly be interested in buying a mini with a HD DVD drive. It would be just perfect add on to a HDTV.

Sadly I think that such a mini would draw customers away from the iTV.

So what's your opinion?

At least a year, probably two.

A plain HD DVD drive costs a hundred and something wholesale at the moment (I'm basing that on the $170 X-BOX HD DVD drive), versus probably $20 for a Superdrive. So, it'd add substantially to the cost of the unit.

Of course, a $999 Mac Mini with an HD DVD drive, an HDMI output, and so forth would fly off the shelves. I know that I'd be in line to get one.

 

[clayj]

I wouldn't hold my breath. I think Apple are seeing what the rest of us are seeing: Blu-ray is not stomping HD-DVD like everyone thought it would. In fact, the opposite is true... HD-DVD is winning the Format War, at least as far as movie playback goes.

So if the purpose of the drive is for movie playback, then HD-DVD might be the better choice. If the purpose of the drive is for data backups, then Blu-ray, with its higher theoretical maximum capacity, might be better. The problem is that you don't want to commit to one or the other until you know for sure.

So I think Blu-ray and HD-DVD will remain OPTIONS for Macs that can take them as options... to whit, the Mac Pro. Everything else is going to stick with plain ol' DVD until there's a more clear picture of which format will prevail.

 

[adamyoshida]

I wouldn't hold my breath. I think Apple are seeing what the rest of us are seeing: Blu-ray is not stomping HD-DVD like everyone thought it would. In fact, the opposite is true... HD-DVD is winning the Format War, at least as far as movie playback goes.

So if the purpose of the drive is for movie playback, then HD-DVD might be the better choice. If the purpose of the drive is for data backups, then Blu-ray, with its higher theoretical maximum capacity, might be better. The problem is that you don't want to commit to one or the other until you know for sure.

So I think Blu-ray and HD-DVD will remain OPTIONS for Macs that can take them as options... to whit, the Mac Pro. Everything else is going to stick with plain ol' DVD until there's a more clear picture of which format will prevail.

I think that it's pretty clear to everyone that HD-DVD is winning and going to win at this point. The only - literally the only - thing that Blu-Ray had going for it was the PS3 and now, having basically blown that launch, it's going to be HD-DVD.

I suspect that it'll be HD-DVD for computer storage, even though it's of lower capacity, simply in the name of commonality and cost.

 

[MisterMe]

I think that it's pretty clear to everyone that HD-DVD is winning and going to win at this point. ...

On which planet? In the consumer electronics stores I visit including Circuit City and Best Buy, Blu-ray decks and prerecorded discs are available and heavily promoted. In the case of HD-DVD, neither the decks nor prerecorded discs are anywhere in evidence. Of course, it is much to early to be talking about winners are losers. Even so, how can you win if you don't have product for your customers?

 

[clayj]

On which planet? In the consumer electronics stores I visit including Circuit City and Best Buy, Blu-ray decks and prerecorded discs are available and heavily promoted. In the case of HD-DVD, neither the decks nor prerecorded discs are anywhere in evidence. Of course, it is much to early to be talking about winners are losers. Even so, how can you win if you don't have product for your customers?

All the Best Buys around here have the HD-DVD discs right next to the Blu-ray discs, under the category "Next Generation Movies" or something like that. I've never seen anyone buying a Blu-ray disc, but I constantly have to navigate around the HD-DVD browsers (of which I am one) to pick up a movie.

FWIW, the Best Buys here also have a sign on the Sony Blu-ray player (not the PS3, the $1000 standalone player) that says "Coming soon".

 

[RichP]

I do have to agree with some posters on here, throw some sort of next-generation DVD playback in a mini, and I am ready-to-buy, even if it brings the price up a bit. The mini is dying to be a media center, and with blueray or HD-DVD playback in it, its a no brainer to get it over a standalone.

 

[jaw04005]

In the end, it will all come down to who supports what. As of now, the Blu-ray camp has exclusively Fox, Disney and Sony with non-exclusive support from Warner Bros and Paramount. However, HD-DVD has Universal with non-exclusive support from Warner Bros and Paramount.

I think which technology company supports what is somewhat trivial, although again Apple, HP and Dell all support Blu-ray.

The format war is bad for consumers. I for one hope that one dies by the end of 2007. Until then, I'm sticking with HD-DVD simply because it's a $200 add-on to my Xbox 360 and less of an investment on my part.

 

[adamyoshida]

On which planet? In the consumer electronics stores I visit including Circuit City and Best Buy, Blu-ray decks and prerecorded discs are available and heavily promoted. In the case of HD-DVD, neither the decks nor prerecorded discs are anywhere in evidence. Of course, it is much to early to be talking about winners are losers. Even so, how can you win if you don't have product for your customers?

"Promoted" vs. "selling" are very different concepts.

Blu-Ray is significantly more expensive than HD-DVD. A look at the sales figures shows that HD-DVD's are outselling Blu-Ray disks by a fair margin.