Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Bluray on 30" ACD

ildondeigiocchi

ildondeigiocchi

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 30, 2007
695
0
Montreal
I am thinking of getting a bluray drive for my 2008 Mac Pro with the 8800GT which has great power to playback bluray videos easily in windows. Thing is, I want to know if the Bluray movies will playback under Windows Xp since they are bluray and the 30" ACD isnt real HD. Need help badly.
 
What're you smokin'? The 23" ACD is a little more than HD standard. HD output is 1920x1080 res while 23" and my 24" Samsung is 1920x1200 res. 30" res is much bigger than that. Blu-Ray should play back on Windows XP if you have a Blu-Ray player that supports XP.
 
No, it will not work. Apple, in their infinite wisdom, have chosen to continue to neglect the ACD line and not add HDCP.
 
ACD, HD and HDCP

not HDCP ≠ HD
HD need not be HDCP
but as grue pointed out, ACD will not be able to display protected HD media (e.g. commercial bluray movies for starters).
 
iamcheerful said:
not HDCP ≠ HD
HD need not be HDCP
but as grue pointed out, ACD will not be able to display protected HD media (e.g. commercial bluray movies for starters).
Click to expand...

That's my point. Even though Apple says the 30" ACd is HD its not HDMI. So what are my options if I want to watch bluray movies.
 
Cave Man said:
I'd bet money that the new 24" LED LCD is HDCP-compliant through its displayport.

I can play Blu-Ray discs by windows on a MBP through its display and to my Samsung LCD TV.
Click to expand...

What external drive do u have? Ya but you see the problem is your viewing it on a HDTV (I suppose) which enables bluray playback but the 30" ACD is still questionable.
 
Just get the Dell monitors. They're the only thing I really recommend from Dell, as they're:

- Cheaper.
- Come with a huge range of digital/analog inputs, especially when compared to Apple's monitors.
- Have great dead-pixel return policy.
- Have the same or better panels that the ACD line have depending on your model choice, and are matte, and are the same resolution and colour performance.
- ARE hdcp compatible over DVI/HDMI.
- Even include display-port. Obviously not the frankenstien mini-display port, but I digress...
- A wide range of configurations from within the OSD that is really a given for monitors, that Apple does not implement.


Infact, the ONLY thing that differs is that you get the Apple 'design' which let's be honest, does not make up for lack of features at all.

Just don't use a Dell computer to power the monitor :p
 
Crazy world of HD (HDMI, HDCP, BluRay..)

As I understand it, if you want to watch a commercial BluRay movie on a Mac Pro, you need the drive, an HDMI "compatible" grfx card (IIRC that will be all PCI-e cards..?), an HDCP supported display, and Windows.

Right.

I understand why Apple just wants Display Port, and HD iTunes movie downloads (Surround Sound support probably in next QuickTime), and forget the ridiculous hassle of trying to watch a BluRay movie on your computer :rolleyes:

But... won't an app like AnyDVD HD remove the HDCP urgency, thus playable on an ACD 30"?
 
MagicWok said:
Just get the Dell monitors. They're the only thing I really recommend from Dell, as they're:


- Have the same or better panels that the ACD line have depending on your model choice, and are matte, and are the same resolution and colour performance.

Infact, the ONLY thing that differs is that you get the Apple 'design' which let's be honest, does not make up for lack of features at all.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but you're incorrect here. The Apple Cinema Displays use an IPS panel, and the only current Dell models that use IPS are the 2007FP and 3008WFP.
 
You could strip the HDCP and play it but other than that I do not believe it would be possible. By all means you can play HD content on your mac and through that monitor but HDCP stands in the way of playing protected content (original Blu-Ray discs). DVI supports HDCP too, so when you have a monitor that supports it, you will not have to worry about HDMI inputs/outputs/cables. It will be great if/when OS X supports Blu-ray too, and you won't need to boot in to windows!

Please let us know if you have any success!
 
HDMI is only a connector format, on top of that HDMI is simple DVI with a few extra pins and a different shape. Having HDMI or not has nothing to do with blu-ray compatibility.

The 30" ACD is well above HD.
 
IroquoisPliskin said:
HDMI is only a connector format, on top of that is simple DVI with a few extra pins and a different shape. Having HDMI or not has nothing to do with blu-ray compatibility.

The 30" ACD is well above HD.
Click to expand...

So basically it is compatible. But i've saved up and and am thinking to buy Apples new displays when they release them which will hopefully have HDMI so I can have a second monitor which I will mount on my wall to act as a 30" TV to playback Bluray video and watch TV with EyeTV hybrid. Guess I'll be waiting for Apple's updates... Do you guys think this is a better idea ?
 
ildondeigiocchi said:
So basically it is compatible. But i've saved up and and am thinking to buy Apples new displays when they release them which will hopefully have HDMI so I can have a second monitor which I will mount on my wall to act as a 30" TV to playback Bluray video and watch TV with EyeTV hybrid. Guess I'll be waiting for Apple's updates... Do you guys think this is a better idea ?
Click to expand...

Uh... Apple's new Cinema Displays use DisplayPort... Mini DisplayPort... and there's no word on whether or not they bothered to make them HDCP compliant, anyway.
 
HDCP restrictions haven't been enabled in Blu-ray movies yet... the ACD will show Blu-rays fine once DVD Player is updated to support the discs.

Anyone stating otherwise is mis-informed and spreading FUD.
 
bigbossbmb said:
HDCP restrictions haven't been enabled in Blu-ray movies yet... the ACD will show Blu-rays fine once DVD Player is updated to support the discs.

Anyone stating otherwise is mis-informed and spreading FUD.
Click to expand...

Link to proof? I think you may in fact be the misinformed one.
 
Ok, I mis-spoke... but not totally wrong. this Anti-Blu-Ray site that admits the ICT hasn't been implemented (last line of the first paragraph of "reasons to be outraged"). The image constraint token is what limits HD display to only digital sources with HDCP. No studios have used it yet.

...and this person that watched the Batman Begins Blu-ray on his ACD under Windows.

So some software (using windows/bootcamp) makes the ACD a non-issue with Blu-Ray playback. It's not the yell at apple/the sky is falling situation a lot of people make it out to be.
 
bigbossbmb said:
Ok, I mis-spoke... but not totally wrong. this Anti-Blu-Ray site that admits the ICT hasn't been implemented (last line of the first paragraph of "reasons to be outraged"). The image constraint token is what limits HD display to only digital sources with HDCP. No studios have used it yet.

...and this person that watched the Batman Begins Blu-ray on his ACD under Windows.

So some software (using windows/bootcamp) makes the ACD a non-issue with Blu-Ray playback. It's not the yell at apple/the sky is falling situation a lot of people make it out to be.
Click to expand...

If you use AnyDVD, it ignores HDCP so you can use any display.
 
grue said:
If you use AnyDVD, it ignores HDCP so you can use any display.
Click to expand...

I just downloaded the Bluray disc advisor of Cyberlink and heres what it tells me:

Basic Playback:

CPU: Green Light
Graphics: Green Light (8800GT)
OS: Green Light
Bluray Disc Drive: Not Found (Red Light)
Software Player: Not Found (Red Light)
Video Connection Type: Digital (without HDCP) Red Light

These results seem somewhat mixed. Looks like the system could run it. But maybe not with the ACD so I really dont know how that other guy got a green light on this test? What should I do?
 
Cave Man said:
If you're in the US, just go to any Circuit City and buy the Sony Blu-ray ROM drive (presumably, it will work on a Mac Pro's SATA bus) and give it a try. If it works, keep it. If not, return it.
Click to expand...

I live in Canada so I don't know if the same rules apply here though I think theyre pretty much the same.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back