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Resolved Quad Core G5 as a Blu-ray solution?

phoenixsan

phoenixsan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 19, 2012
1,342
2
Hello there!

Having received useful input in the forums, comes here again for advice. So, the current issue is as follows:

Friend have available a Quad Core 2.5 G5. 16 GB RAM and 250 GB HDD. Potential client of my friend needs to master and burn a Blu-ray disc once in a week, for the next 6 months. But my friend dont have another computer to tackle the work. So comes to me in search of answers/solutions. Can get $1000 in advance payment from the gig. So, options what come to me:

1-See if the current computer can work. It is obvious that needs Blu-ray burner and software for mastering and burning the discs.

2-Buy an used Mac.

In option 1: It is possible? What burner, software to master and burn the discs?
In option 2: What solution given the budget constraint?

Thanks in advance for the help/pointers/suggestions!

:):apple:
 
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I got a better Idea champ, macs in general haven't taken up the whole "blu-ray" thing


Which according to Apple is a dieing media
-Daniel Tosh


So why not take the $1000 and spend $250 on a used xp machine to put a blu-ray disk burner in. And whamo you are set
 
Well.....!

Thanks for the input and showing how shortsighted I was.....:D But then, what Windoze box, what software, what burner....:eek:

Sorry if too many questions.

:):apple:
 
Go on your local craigslist and buy a core 2 duo running either vista or 7 for round $120 and then you go down to frys (at least thats what we have in cali for our electronics) and purchase a blu-ray burner for about $80-150 install the drivers and there you go
 
Ok, so settling up.....

a Windoze box with W7 : $150
Blu-ray burner: $200
Adobe Premiere: $600 or so (suggestion picked up reading in the Internet for Blu-ray mastering)

So, grand total $950. Sounds good...:D....Maybe we can get 3 very stuffed pizzas too....;):D

But I am open to another options. And thanks Lil Chillbil

:):apple:
 
One possibility where blu-ray would work

I'd like to ad.. Dragon Burn and also Toast 10 provide support for using a blu-ray burner as a storage device only.

Now, from what I read VLC Player does allow play back of blu-ray.. but at this moment I am unaware of any blu-ray players supporting PowerPC to allow play back of blu-ray movies.

The G5 Quad which I have certainly can handle such a task given its beast of 2 x 4 PowerPC G5s and nice 7800GTX 512MB Video.

I might get a blu-ray player and try it out on my G5 and will report back if its a waste or not.
 
PowerPCMacMan said:
I'd like to ad.. Dragon Burn and also Toast 10 provide support for using a blu-ray burner as a storage device only.

Now, from what I read VLC Player does allow play back of blu-ray.. but at this moment I am unaware of any blu-ray players supporting PowerPC to allow play back of blu-ray movies.

The G5 Quad which I have certainly can handle such a task given its beast of 2 x 4 PowerPC G5s and nice 7800GTX 512MB Video.

I might get a blu-ray player and try it out on my G5 and will report back if its a waste or not.
Click to expand...

Likes your suggestion. And that was one that came to my mind. Any advice or pointers to best software/hardware combo to tackle this work?

And thanks PowerPCMacMan....!

:):apple:
 
phoenixsan said:
a Windoze box with W7 : $150
Blu-ray burner: $200
Adobe Premiere: $600 or so (suggestion picked up reading in the Internet for Blu-ray mastering)

So, grand total $950. Sounds good...:D....Maybe we can get 3 very stuffed pizzas too....;):D

But I am open to another options. And thanks Lil Chillbil

:):apple:
Click to expand...

So why are you blowing $600 on a heavy piece of software to use on an old Core 2 box? :confused:
 
phoenixsan said:
Thanks Zotaccian for the link/help....!

But fiddling around the site, seems to me the Blu-ray drive is suited for Mac Pros. And I dont have the minimun intention to lend mine....:eek:
Click to expand...

MCE claims that it can be installed on PowerMac G5 and apparently there is/was converter board included for IDE-connector.... but based on this:

http://arcadia.brunchboy.com/2008/08/mce-blu-ray-so-far/

Having Blu-Ray on G5 is not problem free. Google result also brought up a case where someone installd Blu-Ray straight to the SATA-connector, you just need a long cable and an adapter which converts Molex to whatever it is called what SATA -drives use to get power.

But still, I dunno about the whole HDCP thing, as far as I know you need to have compatible hardware/software including the player, the graphics card and the display. I dunno bout the graphics, is there any HDCP compliant for G5. I have never owned Blu-Ray devices but I know someone here can give answer to this.

EDIT: Seems like there is PATA drive (I didn't check what connector the MCE has but apparently SATA according to that thread):

http://store.fastmac.com/product_info.php?cPath=10_2_52&products_id=201

But the price....
And hooking that thing to a PowerMac G3 would be very smart :D
 
Because.....

alphaod said:
So why are you blowing $600 on a heavy piece of software to use on an old Core 2 box? :confused:
Click to expand...

I am not getting too much info/advice in the Mastering software side of the equation.....:(


:):apple:

----------
Zotaccian said:
MCE claims that it can be installed on PowerMac G5 and apparently there is/was converter board included for IDE-connector.... but based on this:

http://arcadia.brunchboy.com/2008/08/mce-blu-ray-so-far/

Having Blu-Ray on G5 is not problem free. Google result also brought up a case where someone installd Blu-Ray straight to the SATA-connector, you just need a long cable and an adapter which converts Molex to whatever it is called what SATA -drives use to get power.

But still, I dunno about the whole HDCP thing, as far as I know you need to have compatible hardware/software including the player, the graphics card and the display. I dunno bout the graphics, is there any HDCP compliant for G5. I have never owned Blu-Ray devices but I know someone here can give answer to this.
Click to expand...

Appreciate the help. But no big fan of tinkering hardware to see if "maybe" can work. But still, if have to do, we will do it.

:):apple:
 
phoenixsan said:
I am not getting too much info/advice in the Mastering software side of the equation.....:(


:):apple:

----------



Appreciate the help. But no big fan of tinkering hardware to see if "maybe" can work. But still, if have to do, we will do it.

:):apple:
Click to expand...


pm me and I can get you the software you need :cool:
 
So.....

we are in hold mode right now. Will meet with my friend later in the day with all the valuable input you gave me and decide about what route to take. And I will report back.

Thanks all for the advice and pointers...!

:):apple:
 
phoenixsan said:
we are in hold mode right now. Will meet with my friend later in the day with all the valuable input you gave me and decide about what route to take. And I will report back.

Thanks all for the advice and pointers...!

:):apple:
Click to expand...

Your welcome man, and if your ever in the area of Folsom State prison, I can give you a good deal on a decent burner
 
Thanks again guys.....!

Dont worry for the confusion. Had a lenghly talk with my friend and seems we have found a solution, mostly based in the input received here, but still are working out the details. So I will post with the news....:D


:):apple:
 
phoenixsan said:
Hello there!

Having received useful input in the forums, comes here again for advice. So, the current issue is as follows:

Friend have available a Quad Core 2.5 G5. 16 GB RAM and 250 GB HDD. Potential client of my friend needs to master and burn a Blu-ray disc once in a week, for the next 6 months. But my friend dont have another computer to tackle the work. So comes to me in search of answers/solutions. Can get $1000 in advance payment from the gig. So, options what come to me:

1-See if the current computer can work. It is obvious that needs Blu-ray burner and software for mastering and burning the discs.

2-Buy an used Mac.

In option 1: It is possible? What burner, software to master and burn the discs?
In option 2: What solution given the budget constraint?

Thanks in advance for the help/pointers/suggestions!

:):apple:
Click to expand...

You can as well get a 1st. gen Mac Pro off eBay for approx. 650$ and then equip it with a Blu-Ray burner for additional $120 from MCE. Their drives reportedly work in G5's too...
 
Stage: Settled in onto a solution....

So, after a long talk and pondering the advice received here, doing a search for deals in Windoze boxes, Apple used and taking in account my friend experience and budget, we settle in on a solution, as follows:

1- Windoze box with W7, 16 GB of RAM, i3 2.4 GHZ, 250 GB HDD. Got in a deal for $ 450.00

2-Pioneer BR Burner. Got from Newegg for $85 or something (tax and shipping included). Will post later the especific model we got, if requested.

3-Adobe Premiere CS6 1-year subscription: $250 or so.

Also we bougth a spindle of BR discs to make tests.

So we invested $820 or so in our solution. Was a pity not to be able to figured out a solution with the Mac we have. But still, we saved a bit of money. Will report back telling how good or bad we fared. And thanks again for the help...!

:D:apple:
 
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That's a lot of work for a $180 profit margin.

Are you burning Blu-ray movies, or just data? IIRC MCE makes a Blu-ray drive compatible with G5s running Leopard, and Toast 10 Titanium can be had cheaply off eBay, can burn BDs, and runs on PowerPC. That'd increase your profit margin by a hell of a lot over buying a Wintel box, software, etc.

I don't know if Toast 10 can do movies, though.
 
Ok, clarifying things.....

Frost7 said:
That's a lot of work for a $180 profit margin.

Are you burning Blu-ray movies, or just data? IIRC MCE makes a Blu-ray drive compatible with G5s running Leopard, and Toast 10 Titanium can be had cheaply off eBay, can burn BDs, and runs on PowerPC. That'd increase your profit margin by a hell of a lot over buying a Wintel box, software, etc.

I don't know if Toast 10 can do movies, though.
Click to expand...

The $1000 was a payment advance for the total cost of the gig. Part of the material to be burnt is data and part movies. Just updating, we had burnt a BR data and a BR movie without problem...


:):apple:
 
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