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Question about Blu-ray

R

Ricko101

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 5, 2009
74
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This may be a stupid question, but if Apple decides to adopt Blu-ray, would this be a software update, as in the OS, or would it involve hardware as well (besides the obvious addition of a Blu-ray drive)?

In other words, I'm trying to find out this: if I get an older Mac Pro (2009-2008), is there a chance I wouldn't be able to take advantage of BD in the future?

Just want to make sure... Thanks!
 
Full blu ray support would probably come in the next OS release* (10.7) this summer, but yeah, you would need to get a blu-ray drive to read the media obviously.

*When I say release, I mean WWDC demo. 10.7 will not be released this year.
 
Schtumple said:
Thinking about it, that's probably true, iPhone OS is probably taking most of their resources now.
Click to expand...

.. and the fact they're usually a little farther then .2, before they jump to a new OS version. Tiger was at .11, and Leopard was at .8. Although, they may announce it this summer.

No idea about Blu-ray coming any time soon, but doesn't it need an encrypted/protected signal or something, HDCP? Is that hardware, or a simple software update to DVI/ DP?
 
I'm speculating here, but if you look at the current hardware, most of it is in need of an update (except iMac: maybe a refresh).
Final Cut Studio 3 is getting a bit old as well...
I wouldn't be surprised if they would announce new hardware and software with BD, unless it would be difficult to implement on the OS and require enormous resources.
 
rickvanr said:
.. and the fact they're usually a little farther then .2, before they jump to a new OS version. Tiger was at .11, and Leopard was at .8. Although, they may announce it this summer.

No idea about Blu-ray coming any time soon, but doesn't it need an encrypted/protected signal or something, HDCP? Is that hardware, or a simple software update to DVI/ DP?
Click to expand...

It's software based. Which is why you can boot into windows and watch Blu-Ray movies and not OS-X. You will need an HDCP capable monitor though to pass the signal to.


I doubt that we will ever see full Blu-Ray support on OS-X. Didn't Mr. Jobs mention that optical media is dead a few years ago? Everything is going to be solid-state based or downloadable.
 
It also needs apple to finally pull their finger out and put H.264 decoding onto the graphics processors (as in windows). Its the only sensible way to offer blu-ray playback on laptops (much as they (half) offered this in the DVD days with MPEG-2 decoding). Windows has been doing this for ages, I don't know why Apple is so backwards??!
 
OrangeSVTguy said:
I doubt that we will ever see full Blu-Ray support on OS-X. Didn't Mr. Jobs mention that optical media is dead a few years ago? Everything is going to be solid-state based or downloadable.
Click to expand...

A lot of people make the "downloads are the future" argument. How about we get Blu-ray support in the interim, until Apple actually offers an HD download service outside the US.
 
OrangeSVTguy said:
I doubt that we will ever see full Blu-Ray support on OS-X. Didn't Mr. Jobs mention that optical media is dead a few years ago? Everything is going to be solid-state based or downloadable.
Click to expand...
What Jobs says is relative to the direction he wants to steer Apple's customers at that specific moment in time. It has little to do w/the actual state of things outside the realm of Apple nor does it necessarily represent the direction Apple will take in the future.


Lethal
 
I've been a bit confused about Macs and Blu-Ray. Is it true that I can install a Blu-Ray burner into my Mac Pro, burn a BD-R with Adobe Encore on said Mac, but then not watch it on the same said Mac, but I COULD watch it on a Blu-Ray device hooked to my TV?

Have I got that right?
 
Ricko101 said:
This may be a stupid question, but if Apple decides to adopt Blu-ray, would this be a software update, as in the OS, or would it involve hardware as well (besides the obvious addition of a Blu-ray drive)?

In other words, I'm trying to find out this: if I get an older Mac Pro (2009-2008), is there a chance I wouldn't be able to take advantage of BD in the future?

Just want to make sure... Thanks!
Click to expand...


Well....it *should* only be a software update, but Apple could artificially limit it to whatever they choose. They limit 64bit bootcamp to certain models even though the hardware can run it.

Of course bluray works fine under windows on the same Mac hardware, so that should tell you how hard it would be for Apple to provide it now. They just don't want to.
 
OrangeSVTguy said:
It's software based. Which is why you can boot into windows and watch Blu-Ray movies and not OS-X. You will need an HDCP capable monitor though to pass the signal to.
Click to expand...
There's hardware components involved as well (HDCP functionality added to new/existing components that have to be used for both monitors and graphics cards), which have silently introduced HDCP compliance in newer Mac hardware.

Because it's already there, you can boot into Windows, and have an HDCP protected content play. There's also HDCP strippers that can be used, and using analog signals is another way around it.
 
I hadn't thought about the Windows factor. Can I use Parallel or does it have to be done via Boot Camp?
 
wonderspark said:
I've been a bit confused about Macs and Blu-Ray. Is it true that I can install a Blu-Ray burner into my Mac Pro, burn a BD-R with Adobe Encore on said Mac, but then not watch it on the same said Mac, but I COULD watch it on a Blu-Ray device hooked to my TV?

Have I got that right?
Click to expand...

You would probably be able to watch a Blu Ray you burn through VLC. It's not the file format itself that OSX can't play. It's copy protection/encryption that OSX doesn't have support for, so you can't play commercial Blu Rays. But Blu Rays you burn yourself won't have copy protection and thus, can be played back.
 
dazey said:
It also needs apple to finally pull their finger out and put H.264 decoding onto the graphics processors (as in windows).
Click to expand...

It's sort of already there, but only for certain containers (.m4v) and specific encoding schemes, and only in Quicktime playback. But you're right, it is woefully inadequate.

wonderspark said:
I've been a bit confused about Macs and Blu-Ray. Is it true that I can install a Blu-Ray burner into my Mac Pro, burn a BD-R with Adobe Encore on said Mac, but then not watch it on the same said Mac, but I COULD watch it on a Blu-Ray device hooked to my TV? Have I got that right?
Click to expand...

You can already watch Blu-ray Disc movies under OS X, but you have to install MakeMKV and launch its streaming server. After that, you can use VLC to play the stream. It's kind of a pain because it takes 3 or 4 clicks and a minute or two to start the movie, but I suppose it's a lot faster than rebooting into Windows (and then OS X when you're done).
 
The newest versions of Toast and Compressor will also allow you to burn Blu-rays, and the non-copy protected Blu-rays can be watched through Plex as well.

Same answer, different software. It's still a bit of a pain.
 
300D said:
No it won't.
Click to expand...

See below

SilentPanda said:
I seriously doubt you'll see OS X 10.7 this summer or even this year.
Click to expand...

Schtumple said:
Thinking about it, that's probably true, iPhone OS is probably taking most of their resources now.
Click to expand...

rickvanr said:
.. and the fact they're usually a little farther then .2, before they jump to a new OS version. Tiger was at .11, and Leopard was at .8. Although, they may announce it this summer.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input though.
 
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