New iMac with Blu-Ray?

[ZanucK]

Any possibilities that the refresh has a blu-ray player/burner?

How about the refresh of the MacPros?

What are the rumors.

I currently have a new MacBookPro i7, but I am looking to buy an iMac 27' as a desktop. The MacBookPro is exceptional, but I need a desktop.

Cheers

[Vylen]

Well, it's been just under two years since Steve Jobs said Blu-ray was "a bag of hurt" and he hasn't said anything else in regards to Blu-ray, so I don't see any Mac coming with Blu-ray standard any time soon.

You'll have to wait till Steve Jobs says Blu-ray is "a bag of puppies" or something.

[Blu-Ray]

I lost all optimism after :apple: just released their refreshed HTPC version Mac without blu-ray (or at least with a BTO option). :confused:

[Icaras]

Considering how Apple didn't update the new Mac Mini without a blu-ray drive, I would say we won't see it in the iMac.

With the Mac Pro being a professional workstation computer, I would love to be optimistic about the possibility, but even that I highly doubt it.

That said, I still think the Mac Pro has the best chance of adopting the technology first.

[rgarjr]

well the rumors are, apple doesn't want to put a BD because they want to sell you movies from iTunes.

[Komiksulo]

Anyone know whether there's a third-party Blu-ray drive that can be installed in the iMac in place of the existing optical drive?

I've connected a standard half-height PC BD drive to the iMac via USB. Under OS X, the Mac recognized the drive and could read and write data BD discs, but of course there is no BD movie playback support in OS X. Under Windows, the Mac also recognized the drive and could read and write data BD discs, but the Windows BD playback software did not work with an external drive connected by USB.

[mac.fly]

Anyone know whether there's a third-party Blu-ray drive that can be installed in the iMac in place of the existing optical drive?

I've connected a standard half-height PC BD drive to the iMac via USB. Under OS X, the Mac recognized the drive and could read and write data BD discs, but of course there is no BD movie playback support in OS X. Under Windows, the Mac also recognized the drive and could read and write data BD discs, but the Windows BD playback software did not work with an external drive connected by USB.

I've bought a cheap USB Blu-Ray player on eBay for about £60 and a CyberLink PowerDVD 10 license for about £20 and now I can play BDs perfectly on my new iMac 21.5" under Win7.

[Komiksulo]

I've bought a cheap USB Blu-Ray player on eBay for about £60 and a CyberLink PowerDVD 10 license for about £20 and now I can play BDs perfectly on my new iMac 21.5" under Win7.Interesting. I'll have to try it under Win7... I think it was XP that it didn't work on.

I'll also have to see whether it makes a difference running Windows in a VM or from Boot Camp.

[brendu]

you are going to see macs without optical drives long before you see macs with blu ray drives

[mac.fly]

Interesting. I'll have to try it under Win7... I think it was XP that it didn't work on.


XP was not prepared for BD playback - Vista and 7 are.

I'll also have to see whether it makes a difference running Windows in a VM or from Boot Camp.

It never works via VM - only via Boot Camp.

[tuna]

I believe that there is third party software for Mac that supports blu-ray playback. Plex maybe?

[mac.fly]

I believe that there is third party software for Mac that supports blu-ray playback. Plex maybe?

OS X does not support Blu-Ray, hence no third party software can help.
Plex is just for ripping BDs I guess.

[mmomega]

Ihave a samsung bluray external on my 27 iMac and you can watch ten movie ....in OSX, with MakeMKV. (stream)

[mac.fly]

Ihave a samsung bluray external on my 27 iMac and you can watch ten movie ....in OSX, with MakeMKV. (stream)

> ... ten movie...

What does this mean...?

In the MakeMKV forum a question was asked:
http://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1527
... but got no answers.

[Rob360]

What is the best external BD burner to use with an iMac?

[i7QuadCoreMania]

I replaced the superdrive on my iMac with a panasonic BluRay, and I'll telling you its good for nothing.

Apple didn't pay the licensing fees for "Bag ol hurt" meaning, you can't play the movies natively, only ripped bluray movies work.

Otherwise all you will see is the files and are unplayable.:mad:

[DesmoPilot]

I replaced the superdrive on my iMac with a panasonic BluRay, and I'll telling you its good for nothing.

Apple didn't pay the licensing fees for "Bag ol hurt" meaning, you can't play the movies natively, only ripped bluray movies work.

Otherwise all you will see is the files and are unplayable.:mad:

So you actually spent the money on a BR drive without doing the research? Serves you right.

[Rob360]

So you actually spent the money on a BR drive without doing the research? Serves you right.

I was thinking the same thing...

[i7QuadCoreMania]

So you actually spent the money on a BR drive without doing the research? Serves you right.

Excuse you! I was doing a SSD install and figured I'd do the bluray drive while I was in there, knowing what a b!tch it is to get to the internals and ensure the glass and screen is dust free afterwards.

I knew OSX didn't support, but was hoping for some 3rd party software that would support it, worst come to worst, I could boot my Win 7 Virtual Machine and play it on there.:rolleyes:

So I retract my statement, It's only useless if you try to use it in OSX;)

[i7QuadCoreMania]

I was thinking the same thing...

Thanks for the support? wtf is with people?:confused: like I mentioned I already knew it would work under a VM or bootcamp, and soon when the day Apple decides to support it.lol:rolleyes:

[Rob360]

Thanks for the support? wtf is with people?:confused: like I mentioned I already knew it would work under a VM or bootcamp, and soon when the day Apple decides to support it.lol:rolleyes:

You didn't say any of that in your original post. You just said you couldn't play the BD movies. :rolleyes:

[Piggie]

Dare I please ask one simple question and hope for a genuine honest answer?

As BluRay is now WELL established (after the format wars a few years ago)

BluRay drives for a PC's are now just under £50.

BluRay players for the home (under the TV) are under £100

(now comes the simple question) :)

Why does OSX not (by now) support BluRay and Apple (who normally like to be at the forefront of new things) not fit BluRay drives as standard now in all the latest Mac's

If this question was asked a couple of years ago, when the HD/BluRay battle was being waged, then I don't think anyone would have questioned, it's better to wait before committing yourself to one of the formats.

But Now?

Is it another Steve Jobs "Personal issue" aka Adobe?

Or what's the real reason?

[Rob360]

....

....

Or what's the real reason?

Money.

[Piggie]

Money.

I had a bit of a Google around, and the best (most acceptable sounding reason) I could find was:

Apple want to sell HD Movies via iTunes and (at the time the article was written) iTunes only supported 720p

Apple did not want to fit BluRay as that would offer customers a better quality image than they could obtain by downloading the same movie from iTunes.

So until iTunes could support 1080p downloads, BluRay would not even be considered to be fitted.

This was the gist of the article.
And if true, makes me sad that this is the way Apple now work :(

Myself, I would always buy the physical disk rather than buy the same thing via iTunes. regardless of iTunes quality.

Perhaps the above article I Googled is incorrect and that's not the real reason for the deliberate delay.

[zaffle]

Money.
could be. it's likely that apple can't be bothered with paying the hefty licensing fee to use blu-ray in their machines.

also the fact that blu-ray playback on macs would directly conflict with their recently developed ethos of digital distribution of hd content via itunes.

[Rob360]

could be. it's likely that apple can't be bothered with paying the hefty licensing fee to use blu-ray in their machines.

That doesn't make any sense at all. PC manufacturers don't have a problem paying this alleged "hefty licensing fee".

also the fact that blu-ray playback on macs would directly conflict with their recently developed ethos of digital distribution of hd content via itunes.

Exactly.

[i7QuadCoreMania]

You didn't say any of that in your original post. You just said you couldn't play the BD movies. :rolleyes:

I was trying to give an answer that was straight to the point. besides, you never know, they might add BD support in 10.6.5:p