Steve Jobs Suggests Blu-ray Not Coming to Mac Anytime Soon

[cube]

ahh i am with you i thought you meant you could only play certain scenes or something! had me confused there. it is a much faster alternative then ripping, is it not? i generally prefer ripping but its quick for on the fly stuff

It's not about the speed, but about being able to completely experience the content.

There's no HD audio on the Mac, either.

 

[Crunch]

It's not about the speed, but about being able to completely experience the content.

There's no HD audio on the Mac, either.

Yes, exactly. I think we can agree on the fact that the iMac 27" WQXGA 375nit IPS panel, along with pretty high-end ATI cards, are giving us a great visual experience. Do you think?

I hear you on the audio, At least I *think* it could sound better. I bought a somewhat high-end pair of headphones, and I wonder if I'm getting my money's worth plugging it into the standard audio out port???

 

[DoFoT9]

Yes, exactly. I think we can agree on the fact that the iMac 27" WQXGA 375nit IPS panel, along with pretty high-end ATI cards, are giving us a great visual experience. Do you think?

im 100% happy with mine! it is amazing

I hear you on the audio, At least I *think* it could sound better. I bought a somewhat high-end pair of headphones, and I wonder if I'm getting my money's worth plugging it into the standard audio out port???

get a DAC

 

[Cinemagic]

This is ridiciculous. Some people have no idea about the future of Blu-ray.

Blu-ray isn't going anywhwere for a long time because the content providers will not distribute 1080p content on anything else. Especially now that it looks like 3D will be the next big thing, movies are only going to get bigger. hence the reason for 100 GB BDXL specification.

Apple can't do anything about it because apple doesn't own a movie studio, simple as that.

If apple wants to compete in the living room, Jobs needs to adopt blu-ray because google TV is going to be on everything - TVs, set top boxes, and blu-ray disc players.

But Steve Jobs is the single largest shareholder of Disney and on their board of directors. Disney puts out a ton of 3-D movies and BluRay movies. Why he won't support the format, I still don't understand. I know he's trying to push the industry into streaming everything (like his upcoming iTV). It is easier for Apple to make more money that way. But the country's Internet infrastructure can't handle everyone dropping cable, satellite and DVD's and then getting all their multimedia content from the Internet. There's a lot of fiber that will need to be laid and it's going to take some time. Jobs is an outstanding visionary, but sometimes his vision is a little too far in the future (example: Newton. A flop 20 years ago, but today the iPod Touch and iPad are going strong). I love Apple products, but my Windows 7 Media Center PC plays BluRays, gets cable TV and streams internet content just fine. Apple doesn't have a comparable product - only because it doesn't fit Steve Jobs' vision of where the industry should be.

 

[Crunch]

im 100% happy with mine! it is amazing


get a DAC

Any recommendations?

 

[thebez]

Who buys physical media nowadays?

Myself, my wife, my daughter, my parents, all of my extended family (including the in-laws!), all of my friends, the vast majority of their friends, and most of everybody that group knows, etc., etc.

 

[thebez]

But Steve Jobs is the single largest shareholder of Disney and on their board of directors. Disney puts out a ton of 3-D movies and BluRay movies. Why he won't support the format, I still don't understand. I know he's trying to push the industry into streaming everything (like his upcoming iTV). It is easier for Apple to make more money that way. But the country's Internet infrastructure can't handle everyone dropping cable, satellite and DVD's and then getting all their multimedia content from the Internet. There's a lot of fiber that will need to be laid and it's going to take some time. Jobs is an outstanding visionary, but sometimes his vision is a little too far in the future (example: Newton. A flop 20 years ago, but today the iPod Touch and iPad are going strong). I love Apple products, but my Windows 7 Media Center PC plays BluRays, gets cable TV and streams internet content just fine. Apple doesn't have a comparable product - only because it doesn't fit Steve Jobs' vision of where the industry should be.

I agree with everything you wrote, except that the Newton wasn't created during Steve Jobs tenure.

 

[janstett]

Agreed. I'd start paying for my movies (rentals) if my MBP 15" had a BR drive I could watch movies on.

But can't we just open the thing up and put one in? Doesn't anyone make BR drives with drivers for the Mac? I was kind of hoping it just meant they wouldn't include a BR drive any time soon... Please tell me I'm right and that you CAN put one in, yourself.

I don't think anybody is making BD-ROM drives slim enough. Although I came across this picture in a press release for a slot-loading slim drive and it does look slim enough for Apple:

But even then the big problem is Apple doesn't support movie playback in OSX. You've been able to buy relatively slim external USB BD-R super drives for years (FastMac, AmexDigital, etc.)

For those saying watching movies on a 13" or 15" screen is silly so Blu-Ray is irrelevant, let me remind you of the following:

(1) any computer can (or should be able to) be hooked up to a flat screen and receiver to become a HTPC.
(2) iMacs range from 21.5" - 27" and the minimum screen resolution is 1080p.
(3) Apple sells Cinema Displays (ironically named since the best "cinema" one can enjoy on them is 720x480 DVD) up to 30" and 2560x1620 resolution.

In the case of (2) and (3), users DO have displays good enough to take advantage of Blu-Ray's 1080p video, and they are close enough to notice BD's quality over DVD/iTUNES beyond any shadow of doubt.

 

[wreckshop]

But Steve Jobs is the single largest shareholder of Disney and on their board of directors. Disney puts out a ton of 3-D movies and BluRay movies. Why he won't support the format, I still don't understand.

Jobs being the single largest shareholder makes no difference. Disney wants to keep physical media around as long as possible because of the Vault.

 

[Reddkryten]

The vault?

 

[wreckshop]

The Vault is Disney's strategy of re-releasing their animated classic films (with new extras) to be sold for a little while then putting them away for a bunch of years. Because these films are on media, they're almost like collectors items since they have a limited run.

 

[MorphingDragon]

The Vault is Disney's strategy of re-releasing their animated classic films (with new extras) to be sold for a little while then putting them away for a bunch of years. Because these films are on media, they're almost like collectors items since they have a limited run.

Still waiting for the Original Lion King to be re released.

 

[georgee2face]

As an avid movie guy, I wonder why anyone would want to watch a 1080p BD on a 13-17 inch screen. That's just me. I luv my mac and my ipad and I watch movies on both. I have a 65" pioneer plasma and a BD player and I buy BD disks or rent them to use. If Ireally like the ones i buy, I rip a version and convert to watch it on the mac or ipad.

I do stream some video. it's all DVD quality, and not so bad.

I own an xbox and I paly games and stream some Netflix

When I read this whole thread at the airport this weekend, I was wondering what the point was. I think it was just to bitch, and I think everyone has done a great Job(s) of that.

 

[AidenShaw]

As an avid movie guy, I wonder why anyone would want to watch a 1080p BD on a 13-17 inch screen.

Does your plasma fit on the airplane tray table?

 

[MorphingDragon]

Does your plasma fit on the airplane table?

Depends if you're flying first class.

 

[KnightWRX]

Still waiting for the Original Lion King to be re released.

Uh ? It has been been released :

http://www.amazon.com/Kimba-White-Lion-Ultra-Limited/dp/B000BBOF90

As an avid movie guy, I wonder why anyone would want to watch a 1080p BD on a 13-17 inch screen. That's just me.

Because the 13-17 inch LCD in front of me has a 1920x1080 resolution and sits about 18 inches away. BD looks great while everything else looks stretched. And like Aiden says, the tray at the airport or coffee shop or plane and anywhere during travelling doesn't accept my plasma with PS3 and home theater set up.

 

[Tazmaniac]

My reason for wanting BD on a MacBook is so I can play the BD disks that I use on my BD player and Pioneer plasma when I go away, rather than having to rip, or buy another copy in a different format!

Would be nice for those who produce HD content to be able to produce BD disks on Apple hardware too...

 

[MorphingDragon]

Uh ? It has been been released :

http://www.amazon.com/Kimba-White-Lion-Ultra-Limited/dp/B000BBOF90

Close but no biscuits.

 

[georgee2face]

Does your plasma fit on the airplane tray table?

No, but if it were real important I could lug that fat a** Dell XPS studio with the blu ray player and the Power DVD that works only occasionally. Instead I read off the ipad or watch a regular movie.

And it took me over an hour to read this thread! LOL..and it wasn't even in 720P!

 

[miniConvert]

I don't agree with Steve on this. It could be years before 'the rest of us' have fast, ubiquitous Internet access so support download/streaming services. Blu-ray has already been around for ages, it's not like it's some fringe format that it'd have been a waste of time for Apple to implement.

Surely this has more to do with licensing and royalties, or some other spat.

 

[KnightWRX]

Close but no biscuits.

Well you said you wanted the Original Lion King.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Well you said you wanted the Original Lion King.

I remember Kimba being extremely horrifying as a kid. Mainly the character designs.

Looking at the box set reminded me why.

 

[wreckshop]

Still waiting for the Original Lion King to be re released.

Patiently waiting for LK and finding Nemo!!

 

[toke lahti]

As an avid movie guy, I wonder why anyone would want to watch a 1080p BD on a 13-17 inch screen.

You could just think what resolution really means when it is watched.
It's not about physical size of a pixel, but merely how you perceive the pixel.
It's about the arc degree of your field of vision.
Then it's the same if you watch 17" fullHD from 2' than if you watch 51" fullHD from 6'.

 

[leroypants]

Best post here, but most of people are too blind to understand this. Much more easy is insulting Jobs. This is the proof people don't know what they want/need.

Keep drinking the kool-aid. Honestly you can't get any more fanboyish than this. I know what I want and I know what I need. I want a 1080p hi-def version of a film, not a crappy inferior 720p or 480p encode, for virtually the same price, or in some cases more. It is far easier to blindly Follow Jobs than dare question him.

A crappy, proprietary, slow, mechanical, easy to broke, incredible space consuming in our computers, bluray? No thanks.

So you don't have an optical drive in your computer right now i assume.