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New Mac Mini to have Blu-ray?

M

msgx

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 11, 2009
2
0
My bet is that Apple is holding off on the new Mac Mini until they can launch it with Blu-ray, to be Apple's first Blu-ray device.

I think this because:
- Mm has more physical/mechanical space to fit in a Blu-ray drive, no laptop specific support issues (plus they've just refreshed laptops)
- Mm is a kind of HTPC, so Blu-ray on it can help boost its profile this way
- generally, it will bring additional PR to the Mm launch, and the Mm itself and may provide an initial sales boost

What do you think? I know Steve called Blu-ray "a bag of hurt", but they really have no option but to support it at _some stage_, and I reckon that the Mm is a good starting platform.

I'm in the market for a HTPC/combo-PC for our family, but it's not critical, and rather than buying a Tvix or something else, I'm ready to go for a Mac Mini, but I've been holding off my purchase because a hardware refresh is imminent and was predicted for the conference, but I was saddened to see that it didn't come through. I'm still waiting ...

I wonder if they have the new hardware design ready, they are working on the OS, but they are having issues supporting Blu-ray, and this has basically punched out the schedule. Is there an event in the next 6 months where they might launch the next Mm?
 
Mac Mini is the low priced switcher Mac, doubt they want to raise the price even more to include blu ray, not to mention while it is used by many as a HTPC, it is not marketed as one by Apple. If any Mac is going to get Blu Ray it will more than likely be the Mac Pro before all else.

And as far as an event goes, we won't know till about a week before when they send out invites, but they could always do a silent update. This is why (supposedly) Apple is pulling out of MacWorld, so their updates aren't as predictable and they aren't held to a release schedule set by anyone but themselves.
 
msgx said:
My bet is that Apple is holding off on the new Mac Mini until they can launch it with Blu-ray, to be Apple's first Blu-ray device.

I think this because:
- Mm has more physical/mechanical space to fit in a Blu-ray drive, no laptop specific support issues (plus they've just refreshed laptops)
- Mm is a kind of HTPC, so Blu-ray on it can help boost its profile this way
- generally, it will bring additional PR to the Mm launch, and the Mm itself and may provide an initial sales boost

What do you think? I know Steve called Blu-ray "a bag of hurt", but they really have no option but to support it at _some stage_, and I reckon that the Mm is a good starting platform.

I'm in the market for a HTPC/combo-PC for our family, but it's not critical, and rather than buying a Tvix or something else, I'm ready to go for a Mac Mini, but I've been holding off my purchase because a hardware refresh is imminent and was predicted for the conference, but I was saddened to see that it didn't come through. I'm still waiting ...

I wonder if they have the new hardware design ready, they are working on the OS, but they are having issues supporting Blu-ray, and this has basically punched out the schedule. Is there an event in the next 6 months where they might launch the next Mm?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't expect blu-ray for a while. Think of how many people still have CRT TVs. 1080p is completely useless for the few of us who still have 480i sets. Think of how long it took DVD to really get a stranglehold on the market. Until you see a larger section of blu-ray movies at the store, I'd just file it with SACDs. Viable format, not very useful... yet.
 
Okay, sounds good, but I guess the new Mm with SATA removable optical drive is in a better position to upgrade to a Blu-ray drive say when OSX eventually supports it, say 12 months out?
 
No blu-ray yet. Blu-ray drives costs like 400$, if you want good one and Apple always do.

Maybe in new Mac Pros but not in cheapest model from Apple (Mac Mini)
 
Hellhammer said:
No blu-ray yet. Blu-ray drives costs like 400$, if you want good one and Apple always do.

Maybe in new Mac Pros but not in cheapest model from Apple (Mac Mini)
Click to expand...

yeah, the mac pros could use it for sure, but that's because of the production aspect generally associated with mac pros. everything under is generally for the consumer level, and, like i mentioned, until you see blu-ray as mainstream as dvds were when apple adopted the dvd drive (g4 era i believe), then apple will most likely not put dvd drives in the consumer line.
 
Apocrathia said:
yeah, the mac pros could use it for sure, but that's because of the production aspect generally associated with mac pros. everything under is generally for the consumer level, and, like i mentioned, until you see blu-ray as mainstream as dvds were when apple adopted the dvd drive (g4 era i believe), then apple will most likely not put dvd drives in the consumer line.
Click to expand...

what about BTO blu ray drives?
 
exactly. we all saw how long dvd drives were out and how long it took apple to deem the technology worthy of their hardware. this is the reason i don't see i7 happening until next year. apple just doesn't like to use immature technology, and tbh, i like that. i know i'm getting a computer that doesn't have shoddy technology.
 
Apocrathia said:
exactly. we all saw how long dvd drives were out and how long it took apple to deem the technology worthy of their hardware. this is the reason i don't see i7 happening until next year. apple just doesn't like to use immature technology, and tbh, i like that. i know i'm getting a computer that doesn't have shoddy technology.
Click to expand...

hmm...well that's debatable, the FW chipset the use on the MBP 15", the GPU they were using on the old MBPs, the panels they use on some of their screens, the casing they used on the old MBs, the list goes on and on.
 
MasterNile said:
Does anything happen in 2015 or just picking random years?

...oh I mean, yeah what he said.
Click to expand...

I'm basing it on a few sources. I'll quote you an older post with my rationale.

Tallest Skil said:
Of all the things to ask... I really don't know. Apple doesn't like the licensing and HDCP. While I haven't read too much into it, I don't see a change in the Blu-ray DRM policy any time soon. Perhaps it won't even happen until the 400GB Blu-ray disks are mainstream and we're watching Super Hi-Vision movies with them. Little segue here: Super Hi-Vision compressed to MPEG-2 is 600Mb/s. I don't want to get into all the conversions and size changes here, but this will be available as a release on Blu-ray disks FAR before the U.S. broadband network can manage something of this nature for downloads (much less STORAGE on a computer as Apple wishes!); heck, FIOS maxes out at only 50Mb/s right now! Now, when our televisions are 7680x4320 (Super Hi-Vision resolution), 1080p video downloads in iTunes will have just become available to everyone (available in terms of the affordability of broadband speeds fast enough to handle such a download in a reasonable amount of time, in addition to having computers with the storage to hold said videos in iTunes... We'll have seen the demise of the 20" iMac by then, because it would be bad marketing in Apple's eyes to make a screen below 1920x1200 resolution). But, as I said, the availability of 1080p for download on the fly (hard to imagine now) will be made somewhat insignificant by the onset of 7680x4320 movies on disks and such a download would take over 10x the time needed to go to Wal-Mart and buy a 400GB Blu-ray disk with said resolution movie on it.

So, in a roundabout way of saying it, when Super Hi-Vision is the new standard for video resolution, that is when we will see Blu-ray in Macs, because nationwide broadband will NOT be able to catch up in time barring the discovery of a true room temperature superconductor. And not the one they have right now. That thing just barely hits what scientists call "room temperature" (room temperature to them is "above the liquefaction point of nitrogen" so that the material–a ceramic, in this case–can be cooled to the point of superconductivity very cheaply).

Wait... where was I going? Okay, Super Hi-Vision... 400GB Blu-ray disks... a room-temperature superconductor for nationwide broadband infrastructure... oh, yeah.

We'll see Blu-ray in Macs around 2015. :D This date is based on the first adoption of Super Hi-Vision as a broadcast format (Japan in 2012 for TV), a cheapening of those 400GB Blu-ray disks (because of mass production), and TV manufacturers' greed toward the American people, because once we ALL have HDTVs, they'll break out the "Oh, 1080p sucks! Here! Look at 4320p!" argument and we'll start to see that resolution of TV come out. Of course, the first 7680x4320 Blu-ray movies will have to have 1920x1080 copies on the disk as well, for backwards compatibility for people without Super Hi-Vision TVs yet.

But... we MIGHT see it earlier. I just think my argument has a decent level of merit. I hope it wasn't too confusing! :eek:



Whoo! More typing! Okay, Blu-ray isn't the "little guy". Blu-ray is the next majority. Blu-ray is the next tyrant. Blu-ray is the next DVD. Blu-ray will be the format for disks for YEARS to come, thanks to its continued expandability. Sure, we have 25 and 50GB disks now, but there are 400GB disks (read the above for more) in the works, as well as a 1TB version later on (for those longer Super Hi-Vision movies :D).
Click to expand...
 
Tallest_Skil you're right, no blu-ray for years. And what you do with that? Nothing. Single blu-ray disk costs like 10$ no body can afford those. And for that over 4000p thing, I don't notice difference between 720p and 1080p, so over 4000p is far in future, 'cause "not so good times" are behind corner so companys will have to keep prices low and stay in mass product.

Btw Pioneer will start producing 400GB blu-ray in this month
 
Hellhammer said:
Tallest_Skil you're right, no blu-ray for years. And what you do with that? Nothing. Single blu-ray disk costs like 10$ no body can afford those. And for that over 4000p thing, I don't notice difference between 720p and 1080p, so over 4000p is far in future, 'cause "not so good times" are behind corner so companys will have to keep prices low and stay in mass product.

Btw Pioneer will start producing 400GB blu-ray in this month
Click to expand...

Also with 400GB blu ray disks right around the corner and being a good media for pro storage and back up would you expect the Mac Pro to get BTO blu ray burners any earlier than 2015?
 
MasterNile said:
Also with 400GB blu ray disks right around the corner and being a good media for pro storage and back up would you expect the Mac Pro to get BTO blu ray burners any earlier than 2015?
Click to expand...

It can be argued that the current set of Blu-ray disks are a good media for pro storage and backup, too, though. Sort of.

For the really high-end stuff, we still have tape cartridge backups, you know. I've seen ones that are 800GB uncompressed/1.6TB compressed, and they're not expensive at all.

Seeing them shocked me, actually, because you see terabyte HDDs that are just now hitting $100 and then you see these magnetic tape cartridges that are 1.6TB costing $40.

I'm sure the reader/writer runs in the thousands of dollars, though, so that's where they get the revenue from the media, but it will be a while before Blu-ray can compete with these cartridges in the world of backups in both storage capacity and price per disk.

Anyone doing insanely important backups will have tape cartridges, but for less important ones, I can see external Blu-ray drives burning those 400GB and 500GB disks (I think... I'm not sure... that the 400/500 disks are compatible with existing Blu-ray players... anyone know?) in smaller professional venues, though.

But that's the thing. Other companies will be making these external Blu-ray drives. Other companies will be making internal Blu-ray drives. These drives will probably not be connected to each individual computer in a setting that uses them for backup, but rather, they'll be connected to the backup server itself and the data to be backed up will be transferred from the end-user computers (a Mac Pro or whatever) to the server, which writes the data to the Blu-ray disk.

Also, in case you hadn't noticed, Apple doesn't really care about the professional crowd these days. It sucks, but it's true. I say 2015 and use a video media based argument because that's what applies to Apple: the consumer.
 
nick9191 said:
I'd love to see you try and explain that one.

There is no bigger hardware Nazi on earth than Sony, the people who developed the optical disk that you want in your system.
Click to expand...

Just getting off work so don't have much time to explain so I'll quote another of my posts, and I never said Sony wasn't a bigger hardware nazi, nor did I ever say I wanted blu ray, just getting some information on it, hell I don't even own a flat panel TV, let alone a HD TV, it would be useless to me.

MasterNile said:
It seems like Apple recently has been removing/crippling as much as they are adding/upgrading
such as "here's a nifty new Nvidia chipset in your shiny new unibody MB, but we're taking FW out," or "here you can switch your HDD easily on your new MBP, but it has no matte option and only has 1 FW800 port", and now "here's the new 17" MBP, matte option, extra long battery life, but the battery is non-removable" WTF? This makes me really fear for the next case redesign in the iMac and Mac Mini.
Click to expand...
 
MasterNile said:
Just getting off work so don't have much time to explain so I'll quote another of my posts, and I never said Sony wasn't a bigger hardware nazi, nor did I ever say I wanted blu ray, just getting some information on it, hell I don't even own a flat panel TV, let alone a HD TV, it would be useless to me.
Click to expand...

+1 for those of us who still have crts!
 
So I suppose the important question to ask now is when will Mac OS X support external Blu Ray drives, perhaps snow leopard? I know there was talk about 10.5.6 having Blu Ray support, but apparently that didn't come to fruition.
 
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