Phil Schiller Claims Customers Aren't Asking for Built-In Blu-Ray Anymore

[Davy.Shalom]

Image

I can still see the iMac's bulging back, Phil .. It's not really THAT thin. Stop trying too hard

If someone could point out to me why Apple went even thinner that would be nice. I don't plan on carrying around my all-in-one anytime soon. I also use my desktop on a desktop..with ample space. The older generation iMac wasn't bulky at all. It would have been nice if Apple had kept the optical drive for back-up purposes, and utilized real desktop parts instead of thinning it down excessively.

 

[Yr Blues]

If someone could point out to me why Apple went even thinner that would be nice. I don't plan on carrying around my all-in-one anytime soon. I also use my desktop on a desktop..with ample space. The older generation iMac wasn't bulky at all. It would have been nice if Apple had kept the optical drive for back-up purposes, and utilized real desktop parts instead of thinning it down excessively.

I think that bulge looks butt ugly, to be honest

apple needs a complete redesign of the imac

 

[69650]

Simply look at the rise of Netflix. They transition from DVD rentals to streaming in a blink of an eye.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/tech...umes-third-americas-internet-bandwidth/44264/

This is HUGE

Netflix only provides streaming not download to purchase. You can get by with a much slower internet connection for that. That doesn't replace BluRay because they are purchase to own in the same way that you download an iTunes HD movie to own it.

I have a reasonable internet connection and it takes on average about 2 hours to download an iTunes HD movie to buy. And you need an unlimited internet service as the files can be anything up to 5GB.

Netflix might be doing ok in the same way that cable companies are doing ok. But that model doesn't suit everyone. Many people will continue to prefer to buy disks, some people don't want to pay for the required internet connection, many people is developing countries have no reliable fixed line internet connections or quite simply there are still a significant proportion of the planet who either don't have or don't want a computer.

IMHO downloadable content will never replace disks as the dominate medium.

 

[brdeveloper]

"Blu-Rays are too expensive"

I just did some comparisons between iTunes and Walmart.com


The Cabin in the Woods

iTunes - $14.99 SD / $19.99 720p HD
Walmart - $14.99 DVD + Digital / $19.96 Blu-Ray + Digital

(Digital is choice between iTunes and Ultraviolet)


Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

iTunes - 9.99 SD / $17.99 720p HD
Walmart - $16.98 Blu-Ray + DVD + Ultraviolet Digital


The Dark Knight Returns Part 1

iTunes - $14.99 SD / $19.99 720p HD
Walmart - $19.96 Blu-Ray + DVD + Ultraviolet Digital



Paranormal Activity 3

iTunes - $9.99 SD / $74.99 720p HD
Walmart - $10.00 Blu-Ray (Rated and Unrated) + DVD (unrated) + iTunes Download + Ultraviolet

The last time I searched music in iTunes I found it too expensive. I pay $25 for legal downloading up to 250 mp3 files encoded at 256kbps at Sonora (a Terra.com Brasil site). iTunes charges around $1 for each file.

 

[AidenShaw]

I think that bulge looks butt ugly, to be honest

apple needs a complete redesign of the imac

Phil's bulge or the Imac's bulge?

And for the love of Gord why don't they get rid of the chin?

 

[adeedew]

People aren't asking for Blu-Ray anymore because they gave up, not because people don't want it.

Totally agree. I think if Apple announced a machine with the built-in Blu-ray people would be going nuts and beyond stoked. I have to admit and I own just about every one of their products I think that's total BS Statement From Phil, he obviously drinks Kool-Aid. Yes life goes on but I think a powerhouse machine should have everything. Who can honestly say an iMac lighter in weight is a difference in their lives when it sits on desk and it's meant to be a desktop machine?! A couple inches by adding Blu-ray Would make absolutely zero difference
to anyone. This whole 'everything has to be lighter and thinner" is going to bite them in the ass in a few years I'm afraid.

 

[Pakaku]

I can sort of see getting rid of optical drives in notebooks, but for desktop machines it just seems silly. Users lose a great backup option, and they can't simply pop in a DVD or CD anymore, when the part probably only costs Apple less than $5.

Honestly, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that optical drives are one of the parts most likely to fail, and they are trying to reduce warranty repairs, but it's still annoying.

Lmao, don't kid yourself. This is all because of the Mac App Store. Apple wants all Mac users to download their software, and they want users to download everything through the App Store, thus generating a ton of revenue.

Getting rid of optical drives is a logical step in their books; none of the updated desktops or laptops have it anymore. I will not be surprised if the Mac Pro loses the drives, too.

 

[435713]

If someone could point out to me why Apple went even thinner that would be nice. I don't plan on carrying around my all-in-one anytime soon. I also use my desktop on a desktop..with ample space. The older generation iMac wasn't bulky at all. It would have been nice if Apple had kept the optical drive for back-up purposes, and utilized real desktop parts instead of thinning it down excessively.

Easy answer is marketing gimmick. There is no valid reason a desktop like the iMac needs to be trimmed down. People check it out in the stores and for some it is a selling point. They are naive in tech, smarter in other areas obviously. Image sells as well. I think the thin sides and bulged back looks like crap personally.

Mac Pro redesign will lack an optical drive as well, book it. Speaking of thinner shouldn't Phil maybe lose some pounds instead of the Macs??? Just saying.

 

[69650]

If someone could point out to me why Apple went even thinner that would be nice. I don't plan on carrying around my all-in-one anytime soon. I also use my desktop on a desktop..with ample space. The older generation iMac wasn't bulky at all. It would have been nice if Apple had kept the optical drive for back-up purposes, and utilized real desktop parts instead of thinning it down excessively.

Totally agree. I would prefer if they kept the same thickness and reduced the size of the overall machine by eliminating the chin and making the border around the screen considerably thinner so that all you see in front of you is the glorious screen. Then add desktop grade components so we can use it for serious gaming or whatever. It's a desktop machine, who cares how thin it is, you're not going to cart it around everywhere.

 

[nuladog]

Agreed 100%. Is it too much to ask for an external Blu-Ray drive from Apple?

I have an Apple TV for to rent movies, but anything purchased is in BluRay. BluRay image quality is vastly superior to Apple TV streaming.

Why do you need Apple to provide it there are plenty of third party solutions

 

[tbrinkma]

Yes, because they want to push their damn DRM'ed to hell and back iTunes content with ****** bitrates and poor quality compared to Blu-ray.

No, though the fact that the fastest growing computer company is doing just fine *without* Blu-Ray movie support is an indicator that the lack of Blu-Ray movie support isn't such a show-stopper.

Look at it this way. If you want to drive a car, is there anything that requires *me* to have a license? If you want to write and sell a text editor, is there anything that requires you to take out a license to do Blu-Ray playback?

Why then is it that Apple would have to take out a license to do Blu-Ray playback in order for an *independent* 3rd party to crate a Blu-Ray player application?

As we've seen (from the unlicensed player software available), there's no *technical* reason why Apple would have to have a license themselves. It's perfectly possible to write software which will read, decrypt, decode, and play Blu-Ray movies.

The Blu-Ray *license* requires changes at the Operating System level in order to enforce the DRM at a hardware level. There's no *technical* reason for those changes, and those changes are deep, invasive, and complex. By comparison, the DRM required *by the movie industry* for the iTunes movies resides solely within the movie files and the movie player.

Read up on the subject, and you'll be amazed at some of the nonsense that license would require Apple to do in their OS. You'll also understand why even Windows doesn't support Blu-Ray movie playback out of the box.

The additional license fees that would be tacked onto OS X as a result of just the OS-level license would literally force a price increase on the OS (because the current price wouldn't cover the license fees required for a single copy, much less the multi-system license you get when you buy it).

 

[applebook]

Have had several BR burners and have never used them to burn and to watch only a few times.

 

[blackpond]

Ya, I guess nobody creates their own video content anymore... I like the cloud as much as anyone but I still like to be able to burn a DVD or BlueRay HD disc to share as well.

External drives will do and at least can't be killed off by one company's world view.

How's the "Youtube Collection" working out for you?

http://youtu.be/Y_UmWdcTrrc

 

[Lancer]

IMO if you want to watch a BD movie then most people are better off getting one for their TV. If you really need one for your iMac then get an external one. I do wonder how long BD will last outside of movie rentals as it's cheaper and easier to just get an external HDD to transfer or archive large files.

BluRay came along at the wrong time, just as online options were starting to take hold.

 

[macfacts]

I have a Blu Ray player. I've only used it once. I have two DVD+RW drives in my Mac Pro. I've only used them once.

How many times have you looked at the side of your current monitor? How many times did you wish it was thinner?

 

[B2k1977]

Can't burn CD's for the car, either.

Also can't hook your new iPhone 5 or latest iPod touch up in the car either because apple won't release the damn lightning connector technology to accessory makers!

 

[mtsmike]

So Apple decides to remove the optical drive from an already thin iMac to make a new thinner and lighter iMac. By doing this Apple has sacrificed functionality for product appearance, in my opinion. As far as I'm aware the iMac is considered a desktop computer, not a portable device so what sense does it make to delete the optical drive at this time. I've never had an optical drive fail, the added weight to a desktop computer is minimal, and the optical drive is still in its life cycle. So when I want to back up data to a DVD, or burn a music CD or watch one of my movie DVD's, I will be required to have an external drive plugged in, which ironically takes up more desk space than an iMac that has a built in optical drive. It's too soon to remove optical drives from desktop computers.

 

[Fastestflash]

Lmfao at Phil. Of course people aren't asking for it anymore they know it's not going to happen with you. Beating a dead horse with a stick kinda situation. I'm going to list some of the most common arguments in favor of removing optical drives:
1. Streaming and downloadable content is the future.
-100% correct it is the future, but it's not the present! People still use DVDs! The average person in this country does NOT have apple tv they have dvd/bluray palyers. Right or wrong? Apple up until recently or maybe even now still considers apple tv a "hobby". The biggest issue with streaming is that it's not available everywhere and who wants to mess with file transfers to their devices just before leaving on a trip. But grabbing a cd/DVD/bluray player is soo easy.
2. I have a DVD player on my w/e, but I've only used it once or (this one is even better) I bought an external DVD player but I've only use it once.
- Does that make any sense to anyone!? If you've had to use the damn thing even ONCE you've benefited from having it. I cant say for sure, but I doubt this technology cost apple much. Yet to all of those 1 time users guess what you've spent or saved(depending on whether your Mac came with an optical drive or not) $80!
3. You can always get an external.
- No *****! Again you're now paying an additionlal $80 or so for that functionality.
4. The macs will be cheaper without it.
- This one was a legitimate argument, but guess what its not anymore! The iMacs are more expensive then previous years. Where did that magical saving go? Not in your pocket thats for damn sure.
5. It makes the macs lighter and thinner.
- I could see this argument working for laptops(i.e the beautiful air) but who the hell cares about that in a desktop! Even the mini which I would have loved to buy last yeasr were it not for the omission of the DVD drive. I mean if there was ever a product meant for your living room that WAS it. Blue ray and my mini would have been my love. All in one iMac? Please. Thin iMac, Hardly. They move the bulge to the back and call it thin? I learned to do that with Play-doh when i was 3.
This post is ridiculously long, but for the sake of my thumbs(iPhone in use ) and not for lack of argument in support of optical drives I will end it with the following:
I just sold my mid 2008 black MacBook(my first Mac!) I've been using my ipad2 for a lot of consuming, but I really need an actual computer. My hope was iMac/ iPad combo. Im not a rich guy, but I did have 2k saved for this purchase, but beleive it or not the ommision of the drive killed it for me. I really want an all-in-one but the iMac does not fit that description for me any longer. I want a sleek all in one that doesn't compromise on functionality for a thinner (edge) emphasis on EDGE.

 

[d0nK]

No, though the fact that the fastest growing computer company is doing just fine *without* Blu-Ray movie support is an indicator that the lack of Blu-Ray movie support isn't such a show-stopper.

Apple don't listen to what their customers want; they tell them what they want. In Blu-Ray's case they tell customers that they do not want quality video and should prefer their iTunes service instead.
Company profit margins do not indicate quality, they indicate good tactics.

 

[vwnut13]

How many times have you looked at the side of your current monitor? How many times did you wish it was thinner?

Apple expects users to use them as a centerpiece in the middle of your living room.

 

[adeedew]

So Apple decides to remove the optical drive from an already thin iMac to make a new thinner and lighter iMac. By doing this Apple has sacrificed functionality for product appearance, in my opinion.

Correct! It does nothing to BENEFIT the user just takes away IMO

 

[Sitti]

I do use Blu-Ray burner but I sort of agree that average Mac/PC don't really need to have Blu-Ray drive in their computer. For backups, instead of using optical disks, you are better off using external hard drives since the prices of large hard drives have gotten so low.

However, I don't understand why many people here are saying optical media is dying or useless. Apple isn't saying blu-ray is dead, they just don't need it in their Mac. In fact, market share of Blu-Ray is steadily growing every year. It is about to surpass DVD. Market share of Blu-Ray/DVD is still much larger than Streaming.

For data on home PC/Mac, optical media has became less important. For movie, optical media will become much more important because there is no way internet bandwidth/speed and compression for streaming can keep up with the advancement of picture quality. For those who doesn't know, 50GB is not the max capacity of Blu-Ray. Max capacity of Blu-Ray has already exceed over 500GB with over 8-layer disk. This will be used with upcoming 4k Blu-Ray. Sony released first 4K TV but too expensive at this point. In a few years, 4K will be available at relatively affordable price. My point is optical media is not going away, it is here to stay especially for movie. Sony stated PS4 is going to support 4K, so I assume it is going to be using over 500GB Blu-Ray drive.

 

[bflowers]

You did the right thing. If you later get a Retina MBP or Mac Mini or MacBook Air, or even another iMac, you won't need to acquire another SuperDrive, because you will already have one.


But your post made me smile. "I can't believe you charge $3 for a small popcorn! That's what a large used to cost. If you charged $3 for a large I'd have bought a large, but at these prices I will only be getting a small. Let that be a lesson to you."

The powers that be at apple will be happier with your purchase of an iMac than thy will be unhappy at your buying a used SuperDrive.

I was always buying the iMac, as I've been waiting since February for them to update it. It's the principle of the thing I'm thinking of Duct Taping the superdrive to the side, taking a picture, then sending it to Tim Cook and saying how great the new design is!

Apple expects users to use them as a centerpiece in the middle of your living room.

That's right, I should put mine on the coffee table so everyone can admire it. Right up until the 18m old either knocks it to the floor or hits it with her Leap-top. Then I'd be forced to buy another one. Wait, maybe Cook does know what he's doing!

 

[Millionaire2K]

Yep. Proof positive. After all, of those Top 10 Blu-Ray titles:
Prometheus - Blu-Ray outselling DVD by roughly 6.5:1
Cinderella - Didn't make the DVD charts, but it's an old title which has been available on DVD before, and this is the first Blu-Ray release
The Avengers - DVD currently outselling Blu-Ray, but behind overall
ET - Blu-Ray outselling DVD by 4:1, but it's an old title which has been available on DVD before, but this is its first Blu-Ray release.
Rock of Ages - DVD outselling Blu-Ray by about 3:2
Dark Shadows - DVD outselling Blu-Ray by about 3:2
The Raven - DVD outselling Blu-Ray by about 9K (75K vs. 66K)
Snow White - DVD outselling Blu-Ray by roughly 200K
WWE - DVD has outsold Blu-Ray by about 5K units (28K to 23K)
Hunger Games - DVD has outsold Blu-Ray about 2:1

So, of all the examples pulled from your link, there are three instances of Blu-Ray currently outselling the DVD of the same title. Two of those are older movies which have been available on DVD for years, but are only just now being released on Blu-Ray. Only one is a new title. If you add the overall numbers it's slightly better due to The Avengers, but DVD seems to be catching up.

Based on your own source, Blu-Ray sales still haven't caught up with DVD sales. Note: Some of the Top-10 Blu-Ray titles don't fall within the Top 10 DVD titles, but are *still* outsold by their DVD counterparts, but this is probably related more to the fact that there still aren't quite Blu-Ray releases for every new title yet. (It's getting close, though.)

Sorry for the confusion. I was not trying to point out that BR is better than DVD. I was just showing that optical media as a medium is still going strong.

Apple likes telling people what they want. Taking away ALL optical drives (something i'm sure we would all agree Apple would like to do) is saying DVD and BR is crap and iTunes is better.

PEOPLE STILL LIKE/BUY OPTICAL DISCS.

Also BR has the hurdle of convinceing granny "why is BR needed", "DVD looks ok", "Will BR blind me", "Do I need special glasses to watch BR"

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Why do you need Apple to provide it there are plenty of third party solutions

There are plenty of third party solutions for ALL of the components of an iMac except OS X. Will you sing the same song when they leave out- say- the screen? Graphics Card? CPU? Memory? Etc.