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The Great Blu ray 17" Macbook Pro experiment.

waywardsage said:
So, i've been obsessed. And I've found this bad boy:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Panasonic-slot-...UCC%2BUCI%2BUS-BWR&otn=8&ps=33#ht_3652wt_1041

Yes, thats a slot loading Blu ray player. A 12.7mm slot loading blu ray player in fact. It's interface is IDE/ATAPI.

Question is: Should I take the chance?

$179+Bootcamp+windows XP+PowerDVD=Blu ray goodness!
Click to expand...

If you've got an old generation 17" that takes IDE still, then I expect it would work, not so much for new generation ones, not sure if the switch occurred before the current one though.
 
My system profiler says the following:

MATSHITA DVD-R UJ-875:

Firmware Revision: DA09
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 2048 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, DVD-DAO
Media: Insert media and refresh to show available burn speeds

Seems like its ATAPI (IDE) Could it be reading it wrong?
 
I know we were talking about this in another thread, but don't forget that you can also purchase external Blu-ray drives if you are hesitant on buying that slot loading drive. Might not be an option for you, but I thought I might as well put it up here for those who are wondering about BR drives.
 
Sorry, i was about to reply to your post but got sucked into the Apple design debate.

Everything points to that drive working. I had called Fastmac about their insanely priced drive. They acted like they could care less if I bought it, despite my saying in no uncertain terms: i will buy this if you lower it to a reasonable price. They rep. just blew me off.

That being said. This is the SAME drive. Just sold via China. It looks like the same connector as my current internal DVD drive.

They seem to have a no returns unless its broken on delivery policy. I guess it's because a ton of idiots keep buying incompatible drives without asking first.
 
What weirds me out is I can't believe..that in the vast internet with all its amazing mods and do it yourselfers..nobody had tried this.

Am i the only person interested in Blu ray on my macbook pro?
 
I really want Blu-ray especially since I've been buying a lot of them for my PS3. The only thing I want to know is if it matters if I install this on a 15" or 17" MBP. I know the 17" model has the slot on the top portion of the MBP lower casing and the 15" has the slot in the middle of the lower casing. Reason I ask is because the picture in the auction shows the slot on the top part of the drive.

http://s416.photobucket.com/albums/pp250/kevindan99/?action=view&current=UJ-225-3.jpg

If WWDC turns out to be just iPhones and Snow Leopard, I might try this out and see if it works.
 

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If you check Fastmac, the 17" Macbook Pro (Penryn i think) is the only one that can accept the drive.

Uh oh..looks like its a dead end:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/f142/firmware-update-panasonic-uj-225-a-255993/

This guy has the drive and says it won't play never Blu rays. Looks like we might be hosed. Remember how we have to constantly download firmware updates for our PS3's? It'd be pointless to buy a ultra rare drive that Panasonic will probably never update the firmware for.

Sigh...
 
Haha, I completely missed that part about 17" MBPs only. So close, yet so far! And what's with the firmware updates? Do they like to make drives and just not update them? I wonder if we'll have the same firmware problems if we purchase an external Blu-ray drive.

I guess this is the "bag of hurt" Steve Jobs was talking about.
 
yeah, I guess so. But i mean, we could download updates that made our PS3's 2.0 BD Java compatible. Why couldn't we do this with these drives?

I guess i'll go onto the official blu-ray.com forum and see if anyone can help me.
 
They sell a SATA Blu-ray drive that fits in the Mac mini and it plays Bluray disks if you use Windows.
 
waywardsage said:
If you check Fastmac, the 17" Macbook Pro (Penryn i think) is the only one that can accept the drive.

Uh oh..looks like its a dead end:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/f142/firmware-update-panasonic-uj-225-a-255993/

This guy has the drive and says it won't play never Blu rays. Looks like we might be hosed. Remember how we have to constantly download firmware updates for our PS3's? It'd be pointless to buy a ultra rare drive that Panasonic will probably never update the firmware for.

Sigh...
Click to expand...
That thread is from August 2008. How do you know that the drive won't come with newer firmware? Also, check rpc1.org for all firmware-related inquiries.
 
Well, i've made the plung and ordered the Panasonic UJ-225 Blu ray from Ebay!

I'll be sure to leave updates on the performance of this in my 17" macbook Pro!
 
waywardsage said:
Well, i've made the plung and ordered the Panasonic UJ-225 Blu ray from Ebay!

I'll be sure to leave updates on the performance of this in my 17" macbook Pro!
Click to expand...

You do understand that PATA != ATAPI or IDE != ATA

IDE has nothing to do with the interconnect, ALL drives are IDE. I think you're confusing (P)ATA with IDE and ATAPI. Your DVD drive is SATA, and it uses the ATA/ATAPI standard for data transmission, like all drives. SATA overtook PATA is 2003; no new computer will have a PATA drive.
 
I can confirm that Blu-Ray playback does work with the OP's posted drive. Used it in a previous gen 17" Macbook Pro. On Vista, it plays back Blu-ray DVDs on Power DVD.
 
Wow, I stand corrected.

Why is apple so half-assed when it comes to "leading technology". Just switched to SATA DVD drives with the Unibody, but is one of the only in the industry to use DDR3 RAM. Doesn't have Blu-ray or an esata port, but is one of the only (if not only) aluminum computer with a backlit keyboard.
 
kryptonianjorel said:
Wow, I stand corrected.

Why is apple so half-assed when it comes to "leading technology". Just switched to SATA DVD drives with the Unibody, but is one of the only in the industry to use DDR3 RAM. Doesn't have Blu-ray or an esata port, but is one of the only (if not only) aluminum computer with a backlit keyboard.
Click to expand...

Thats Apple for you. I've been ranting about the exclusion of Blu ray, HDMI, and Esata for a LONG time.

For some reason, Apple thinks all of these useful options are "not appropriate" for their $2K plus laptops.

Sigh...at least I'LL HAVE Blu ray!
 
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