Best External BlueRay player for MBP

[nateo200]

Best External BlueRay player for MBP? I'm looking for Firewire 800 support for maximum speed...USB 2.0 sorta blows...I've taken a look at a few but honestly really don't know where to start. In addition to Firewire 800, I'm really looking for read and write but read only would be good...I would like to keep the price under $130-120~ however. Thanks in advance...

 

[getz76]

I would like to keep the price under $130-120~ however.

You had a chance up until that point.

The only FireWire one I know of off the top of my head is the LaCie drive and that is north of $300.

Just FYI, blu-ray movies will not play directly on Mac OS X.

 

[getz76]

Then again, a bit of a search turned up this one.

 

[Synergie]

Just FYI, blu-ray movies will not play directly on Mac OS X.

Is there third party software that will play them?

 

[nateo200]

Then again, a bit of a search turned up this one.

Thanks Ill take a look into that...I'll be heading into BestBuy and the Apple store today as well for other things so I might question a few guys that might know a bit about this.

Is there third party software that will play them?

I read something about that but the threads were all 08, 09 and I honestly don't trust something even more than 2 years old when it comes to BlueRay and just tech in general. I think VLC could handle anything you throw at it though...

 

[awer25]

Do you need any sort of portability? I have this one, and it burns just fine at 6x and is also super portable. There are also cheaper ones that are similar. If you're looking for pure speed, you'd have to go with the 12x LaCie one for almost $400.

Edit: You could also buy this enclosure and this drive, making it only $150 for a similar 12x external Firewire 800 setup.

 

[getz76]

Is there third party software that will play them?

No.

None.

Nothing.

There is currently no way to play blu-ray movies natively within OS X.

Buy Windows 7 and ArcSoft TotalMedia if you need this capability.

 

[nateo200]

No.

None.

Nothing.

There is currently no way to play blu-ray movies natively within OS X.

Buy Windows 7 and ArcSoft TotalMedia if you need this capability.

I'm confused...3rd party is native capability...?..Is it a hardware support issue or a software issue?!

 

[getz76]

I'm confused...3rd party is native capability...?..Is it a hardware support issue or a software issue?!

"Natively" meaning you cannot play a moving from a blu-ray disc. There is no third-party software available to do it (if I remember correctly, it is because OS X will now allow installation of the low-level drivers needed for blu-ray DRM).

Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player is a disaster and apparently tries to transcode on-the-go, which results in degraded image quality and buffering issues.

You can rip a blu-ray video content using MakeMKV and then play the content.

I have a blu-ray drive in my Mac Pro. It can read any disc you put in. The hardware is not the issue.

 

[nateo200]

"Natively" meaning you cannot play a moving from a blu-ray disc. There is no third-party software available to do it (if I remember correctly, it is because OS X will now allow installation of the low-level drivers needed for blu-ray DRM).

Macgo Mac Blu-ray Player is a disaster and apparently tries to transcode on-the-go, which results in degraded image quality and buffering issues.

You can rip a blu-ray video content using MakeMKV and then play the content.

I have a blu-ray drive in my Mac Pro. It can read any disc you put in. The hardware is not the issue.

Could you convert directly from the BlueRay disc drive using handbrake to MKV format?

 

[awer25]

Could you convert directly from the BlueRay disc drive using handbrake to MKV format?

Do you use Bootcamp? It's usually ideal to just play BR movies in Windows.

 

[jlc1978]

I have a blu-ray drive in my Mac Pro. It can read any disc you put in. The hardware is not the issue.

What model blu ray and what MBP? I'm curious to see if it would fit in my 2010 MBP without mods to the MBP or drive.

 

[BiggAW]

Apparently you didn't get the memo. Optical drives in computers are dead. Seriously though, one for a TV is a lot cheaper and easier than trying to play back on a computer. I don't think Mac OSX is compatible with Blu-ray either, I think you have to have Windows to decode the encryption and whatnot on them.

 

[VeganHipster]

Apparently you didn't get the memo. Optical drives in computers are dead. Seriously though, one for a TV is a lot cheaper and easier than trying to play back on a computer. I don't think Mac OSX is compatible with Blu-ray either, I think you have to have Windows to decode the encryption and whatnot on them.

Optical drives are dead once every software manufacturer allows you to buy online and when DVDs are not sold anymore. Is it dead because Steve Jobs told you?

 

[getz76]

I have a blu-ray drive in my Mac Pro. It can read any disc you put in. The hardware is not the issue.

What model blu ray and what MBP? I'm curious to see if it would fit in my 2010 MBP without mods to the MBP or drive.

Mac Pro. Not MacBook Pro.

Could you convert directly from the BlueRay disc drive using handbrake to MKV format?

Only if the disc does not have DRM.

 

[BiggAW]

Optical drives are dead once every software manufacturer allows you to buy online and when DVDs are not sold anymore. Is it dead because Steve Jobs told you?

Actually, he just followed me. I got a 15" MBP like two months ago, and I took out the ODD for an SSD. I still do have it as an external though, so I can pull it out of the drawer for a rare software install. Used it once so far for a Windows XP program. Everything else is a download, and mostly not through the App Store, i.e. OOo, Firefox, VLC. I should probably re-phrase, and say the internal ODD is totally dead. I could easily see a household only having one USB ODD, however, and just grabbing it when needed.

 

[VeganHipster]

Actually, he just followed me. I got a 15" MBP like two months ago, and I took out the ODD for an SSD. I still do have it as an external though, so I can pull it out of the drawer for a rare software install. Used it once so far for a Windows XP program. Everything else is a download, and mostly not through the App Store, i.e. OOo, Firefox, VLC. I should probably re-phrase, and say the internal ODD is totally dead. I could easily see a household only having one USB ODD, however, and just grabbing it when needed.

Yeah, I agree with the internal ODD. But ODD won't be dead for a while. It would be nice if Apple just included the Superdrive with each product without a ODD.

 

[satchow]

Yes, I've been using this software to play my blu-ray discs off of my usb blu-ray drives.

http://www.macblurayplayer.com/

No.

None.

Nothing.

There is currently no way to play blu-ray movies natively within OS X.

Buy Windows 7 and ArcSoft TotalMedia if you need this capability.

 

[RWil85]

Yes, I've been using this software to play my blu-ray discs off of my usb blu-ray drives.

http://www.macblurayplayer.com/

interesting stuff - might have to check it out..

 

[getz76]

Yes, I've been using this software to play my blu-ray discs off of my usb blu-ray drives.

http://www.macblurayplayer.com/

As stated above, this is not native. This transcodes on the fly with less than optimal results.

 

[rikscha]

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Even after all these years people still call it blueray. It's Blu-ray.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-5500s-External-Blu-ray-Drive/dp/B00365GQMC/ref=sr_1_3?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1312445192&sr=1-3

 

[BiggAW]

Yeah, I agree with the internal ODD. But ODD won't be dead for a while. It would be nice if Apple just included the Superdrive with each product without a ODD.

But how many zillion external drives does one user or household need? Considering an external burner is $35, I don't think it's really that much of an issue.