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Thunderbolt Blu-Ray expected?

S

StrudelTurnover

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 25, 2008
125
1
Hi, surprised a search didn't turn up a thread like this already, but maybe I missed it.

Are any manufacturers announcing Thunderbolt external Blu-Ray Writable drives? I know Plextor is still out in front with USB 3.0 and SATA connectors for their BD-R drives. Trying to decide exactly what I'll be using my Thunderbolt ports for, and BR seems the logical next step for my peripheral needs.
 
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USB 2.0 can more than handle a Blu-ray drive. It's OS X that is lacking Blu-ray playback support.

I'm sure there will be Thunderbolt Blu-ray drives, but I wouldn't wait around for them or pay a premium for them.
 
Since 12x Blu-Ray (432 Mbps) exceeds USB 2.0 (480 Mbps, with real world throughput often half as much), you will need FW800. I think Thunderbolt is a bit overkill, however, especially given how the cable alone costs $50.
 
DarwinOSX said:
Meanwhile, in the real world, Blu-Ray is fine on USB 2 drives.
Click to expand...
Good to know, but are we allowed to discuss the real world in an Apple forum? :rolleyes::apple:

And I totally agree there may be better things to use a Thunderbolt port on in the future, it's simply that I already have 15 things to use USB ports on now. :D
 
DarwinOSX said:
Meanwhile, in the real world, Blu-Ray is fine on USB 2 drives.
Click to expand...

No. Not really. :mad:

In the real world one might like to use an external blu-ray drive with a device such as a macbook air. A single USB 2.0 Port cannot provide enough power to run the blu-ray driver properly, so most devices come with a USB Y-cable. However, if you know the layout of a Macbook Air, you would know that such a cable wont work on an Air, since there is only 1 usb port per side.

Having to lug around a separate power cable for the drive would defeat the purpose of using the drive with an Air on the go.

So yes, there is a potential need for a Thunderbolt Blu-ray drive.
 
LordMelkor said:
In the real world one might like to use an external blu-ray drive with a device such as a macbook air. A single USB 2.0 Port cannot provide enough power to run the blu-ray driver properly
Click to expand...

I would LOVE for there to be a a Thunderbolt powered Blu-ray burner, but wiht Blu-ray still being a more expensive and niche tech and Thunderbolt being a ridiculously expensive tech (and still quite niche), I'm not gunna hold my breath, and I suggest you don't either on a manufacturer willing to put aside these obvious barriers to a mass-marketable product.
 
Lahmy88 said:
I would LOVE for there to be a a Thunderbolt powered Blu-ray burner, but wiht Blu-ray still being a more expensive and niche tech and Thunderbolt being a ridiculously expensive tech (and still quite niche), I'm not gunna hold my breath, and I suggest you don't either on a manufacturer willing to put aside these obvious barriers to a mass-marketable product.
Click to expand...

Blu-ray drives aren't really expensive anymore. Less than $100.00 bucks from what I've seen. Thunderbolt on the other hand yes is still expensive. A thunderbolt dock with USB 3 or esata would work.
 
LordMelkor said:
No. Not really. :mad:

In the real world one might like to use an external blu-ray drive with a device such as a macbook air. A single USB 2.0 Port cannot provide enough power to run the blu-ray driver properly, so most devices come with a USB Y-cable. However, if you know the layout of a Macbook Air, you would know that such a cable wont work on an Air, since there is only 1 usb port per side.
Click to expand...

But it does work on the Air because the ports have enough power. I just bought a Samsung external blu-ray for $99 and it works fine, and I played a blu-ray on it with dvdfab. It came with the Y-cable but doesn't need to for the Air.
 
I read somewhere that a reviewer connected a bare BD drive to the seagate GoFlex Desk Thunderbolt adapter and it worked fine.
 
What you need is the swag ate go-flex thunderbolt adapter and an internal slim Blu-ray drive and a SATA/slim SATA adapter. I did an experiment to see if it works and it worked flawlessly with my 2011 11" MacBook Air. the TB cable puts out enough power to provide power to the slim SATA drive. I have not tried this with a full sized optical drive.
 
westfos said:
that's why so far we barely see a burner with USB3.0, i guess. :mad:
Click to expand...

Indeed. There is just no point to it. It's like sticking a car with a top speed of 40 MPH on a 5 lane freeway, and then expecting it to be able to travel at 150 MPH.
 
theSeb said:
It's like sticking a car with a top speed of 40 MPH on a 5 lane freeway, and then expecting it to be able to travel at 150 MPH.
Click to expand...

So if the below are true...

Car = Bluray Drive
5 lane freeway = USB3
USB3 top speed = speed limit
Speed limit = 75-80MPH

Why would one expect a car to go 150MPH if the top speed of the freeway is 75-80MPH?

Isn't it logical for their expectation to be for the car to go the speed limit?

Why would one expect a USB3 Bluray drive to perform faster than USB3 is capable of performing?
 
LordMelkor said:
In the real world one might like to use an external blu-ray drive with a device such as a macbook air. A single USB 2.0 Port cannot provide enough power to run the blu-ray driver properly, so most devices come with a USB Y-cable. However, if you know the layout of a Macbook Air, you would know that such a cable wont work on an Air, since there is only 1 usb port per side.

Having to lug around a separate power cable for the drive would defeat the purpose of using the drive with an Air on the go.

So yes, there is a potential need for a Thunderbolt Blu-ray drive.
Click to expand...

You want to use super expensive Thunderbolt to replace USB 3.0, because there are a bunch of people who choose the lightest possible notebook, because they don't want to lug around a notebook with more USB ports, but they don't might lugging around a separate Blu-Ray player?

However those same people do mind lugging around a separate power cable....

Better solution, someone could make a USB Y-cable where the Y section is long enough to reach both USB ports on the MBA. In the meanwhile, get a USB B extension cable to use with the standard Y-cable.

By the way, Sony have a 4k media player now (requires AC power). Interfaces are 1Gb Ethernet, HDMI, SD card and USB.
http://store.sony.com/p/4K-Media-Server/en/p/FMPX1

Even 4k media players don't need Thunderbolt.
 
opinio said:
Sonnet has a T-Bolt dock that has a bluray in it.

http://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo15thunderboltdock.html
Click to expand...
That is read only for BluRay discs, which for most people is fine. However, the OP asked about writers.

StrudelTurnover said:
Are any manufacturers announcing Thunderbolt external Blu-Ray Writable drives? I know Plextor is still out in front with USB 3.0 and SATA connectors for their BD-R drives. Trying to decide exactly what I'll be using my Thunderbolt ports for, and BR seems the logical next step for my peripheral needs.
Click to expand...
My suggestion is get one of the available or upcoming Thunderbolt docks and use the ports on there to attach a BR writer and other peripherals.
 
brand said:
So if the below are true...

Car = Bluray Drive
5 lane freeway = USB3
USB3 top speed = speed limit
Speed limit = 75-80MPH

Why would one expect a car to go 150MPH if the top speed of the freeway is 75-80MPH?

Isn't it logical for their expectation to be for the car to go the speed limit?

Why would one expect a USB3 Bluray drive to perform faster than USB3 is capable of performing?
Click to expand...

What you're missing is that the "Car" (Blu-Ray drive) is actually a moped with a top speed of 40MPH, no matter what road it's on.
 
FreakinEurekan said:
What you're missing is that the "Car" (Blu-Ray drive) is actually a moped with a top speed of 40MPH, no matter what road it's on.
Click to expand...

I am aware of that. My point was why someone would expect it to go faster than the speed limit or speed of USB would allow.

I guess that wasn't clear.
 
yg17 said:
USB 2.0 can more than handle a Blu-ray drive. It's OS X that is lacking Blu-ray playback support.
Click to expand...

No. USB2 or FW400 are not enough for the multipliers of Blu Ray drives, that's why I assembled a FW800 BD burner many years ago.
 
brand said:
I am aware of that. My point was why someone would expect it to go faster than the speed limit or speed of USB would allow.

I guess that wasn't clear.
Click to expand...

The point that you're missing in my analogy is that people do expect a BR drive to be faster, if it's connected by USB 3. Not sure what you're confused about.
 
pbmagnet4 said:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/thunderbolt-hdd-blu-ray-dock,news-38812.html
Click to expand...

Have you found any indication whether that product is more than vapourware? The interwebs have lots of references to the Jun 2012 press release, but nothing since.
 
theSeb said:
The point that you're missing in my analogy is that people do expect a BR drive to be faster, if it's connected by USB 3. Not sure what you're confused about.
Click to expand...

I'm not confused. Your analogy basically said that people expect a USB3 Bluray to operate faster than USB3 is capable of operating. They may expect the drive to operate faster but definitely not faster that what USB3 is capable of handling.
 
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