WWDC 2008:Why is Apple waiting on Blu-Ray?

[NT1440]

im gonna have to go and say that there really isnt enough of an interest or want for HD yet from the MASSES (read: not us tech geeks). Right now the majority of people love and are completely satisified with SD. When owning HD devices is the norm, it will be implemented into everything.

 

[Mad Mac]

im gonna have to go and say that there really isnt enough of an interest or want for HD yet from the MASSES (read: not us tech geeks). Right now the majority of people love and are completely satisified with SD. When owning HD devices is the norm, it will be implemented into everything.

Where are you getting these statistics?

Fact is, Dell and a host of other manufacturers are putting BD drives in their computers. Blockbuster/Netflix/etc. are renting BD discs. PS3, in which sales are starting to really pick up, comes with a BD player. Walmart (which caters to the MASSES) sells BD and is backing BD. Every major network broadcasts in HD. Cable channels such as Golf, Food Network, MTV, etc. all have HD broadcasts. I would hardly call HD a fringe product.

So why is a supposed cutting edge company like Apple not implementing BD, at the very least, as a BTO option? Is it because they want you to believe that BD is not taking off or is it that they are cutting edge only when it's self serving?

 

[SDAVE]

I think Apple just wants BD to be 100% set before putting it in their products...they're probably working on DVD Studio Pro supporting BD.

That being said, BD is getting big. People also want to backup 25GB/50GB per disc.

 

[Lord Zedd]

I think Apple just wants BD to be 100% set before putting it in their products

Its been 100% set since Feb 17, 2008.

 

[nick9191]

no crap hd dvd and bluray are different things they dont even make hd dvd anymore

Here comes the clue train, last stop is you...

Anyway if we do see Blu Ray, I think it will be with 10.6, other than that probably not. Online downloads is the way forward, Blu Ray is just a stop-gap until the ISP's pull their thumbs out their asses and start improving their infrastructure, which will have to happen eventually however much they try and avoid it.

 

[SDAVE]

Its been 100% set since Feb 17, 2008.

That's not what I meant...I meant "more affordable" media etc. Right now the cheapest BD is 2x at $15 a pop. Not affordable.

I give it 6 months before Apple announces any products with BD. They want to put in BD burners I am guessing, not just readers. The cheapest BD burner/reader is $300 right now.

 

[SDAVE]

Online downloads is the way forward, Blu Ray is just a stop-gap until the ISP's pull their thumbs out their asses and start improving their infrastructure, which will have to happen eventually however much they try and avoid it.

You are incorrect. BD has 1080p high bitrate video + audio (PCM anyone?)....Also has extras, etc which are big sellers. There is no way iTunes movies can compete with BD. Not possible. All iTunes has is 720p Dolby Digital movies.

There is no way that Apple could cater end users to download 50GB worth of stuff and stream that.

 

[slughead]

Steve believes optical media to be dead. Thus, Apple will not invest in a dying technology.

That's retarded. Apple's BEST download quality is half that of a DVD movie, let alone an HD movie.

Not to mention languages, features, portability.

Blu Ray is so advanced, it makes apple's download service look like 'standard' youtube.

The reason Apple's not moving on blu ray is because the drives are too expensive and people aren't willing to pay extra for them... yet

Remember how long it took them to adopt DVD tech back in the days of the G3?? Lord, it cost $500 more to get a DVD player (and a video card that supported it) in a standard G3 POWERMAC. The first iMacs didn't even have DVD players, back in 1998: when DVDs first outsold VHS's!

Abandoning the Optical format? I call BS. It's just Apple not wanting to put things into their computers they can't sell. One day, everybody else will have BluRay, then Apple will follow.

Edit: I'd like to also echo SDAVE:

Apple can't afford to serve even FOUR gigabyte movie, let alone anything near a 50GB bluRay. Even if ISPs "pull their thumbs out of their asses", nothing near that kind of BW will exist for home users until 2011/12. The problem is the last mile--from the ISPs to your home. That's the biggest expense.

 

[Tallest Skil]

That's retarded. Apple's BEST download quality is half that of a DVD movie, let alone an HD movie.

Funny, then, the HD rentals on iTunes.

 

[kabunaru]

Im at a point where more drives is not the answer.5+TB is plenty (i need disk archives)
I quietly waited for WWDC 2008 Thinking Blu-Ray BANG NOT A WORD

Has ppl had any luck with aftermarket blue ray burnz if so which?

This issue has been bought up b4 but i hoped "WWDC 2008" (wrong)
would have changed that so back to the same BS of buying drives

Maybe, just maybe Nehalem Mac Pros will have Blu-ray drives but I wouldn't hold my breath on it.

 

[NT1440]

Where are you getting these statistics?

Fact is, Dell and a host of other manufacturers are putting BD drives in their computers. Blockbuster/Netflix/etc. are renting BD discs. PS3, in which sales are starting to really pick up, comes with a BD player. Walmart (which caters to the MASSES) sells BD and is backing BD. Every major network broadcasts in HD. Cable channels such as Golf, Food Network, MTV, etc. all have HD broadcasts. I would hardly call HD a fringe product.

So why is a supposed cutting edge company like Apple not implementing BD, at the very least, as a BTO option? Is it because they want you to believe that BD is not taking off or is it that they are cutting edge only when it's self serving?

and thats why flocks and flocks of people have gone out and switched to HDTV's.....

as it stands HDTV owners are the clear minority

 

[MacHappytjg]

Apple's solution is the iTunes Movie Store with HD downloads. Thus, no need for optical media.

what if i bought blurays for my bluray player (ps3) and would like to watch them on my computer

 

[Tallest Skil]

what if i bought blurays for my bluray player (ps3) and would like to watch them on my computer

Well, sure... but why did you buy the standalone Blu-ray player, then?

 

[Martin C]

Well, sure... but why did you buy the standalone Blu-ray player, then?

For times that he is at home?

 

[Mad Mac]

and thats why flocks and flocks of people have gone out and switched to HDTV's.....

as it stands HDTV owners are the clear minority

Again, where are your stats to support your opinion?

Maybe you should go tell Best Buy, Circuit City, Costco, etc. that they are all morons for stocking HD peripheral because nobody is going to buy them.

BTW, here's a recent article that says 25% of US households have at least one HDTV and that the trend is moving upwards: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4PRN/is_2008_April_24/ai_n25356289

Hardly what I would call a clear minority. Hell, those are higher numbers than people who use Macs. You want to know what's a fringe product? Try Apple TV for starters.

 

[NT1440]

Again, where are your stats to support your opinion?

Maybe you should go tell Best Buy, Circuit City, Costco, etc. that they are all morons for stocking HD peripheral because nobody is going to buy them.

BTW, here's a recent article that says 25% of US households have at least one HDTV and that the trend is moving upwards: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4PRN/is_2008_April_24/ai_n25356289

Hardly what I would call a clear minority. Hell, those are higher numbers than people who use Macs. You want to know what's a fringe product? Try Apple TV for starters.

i said the majority of people havnt adopted yet. Not that HD isnt going to ever take off or anything like that.

and 25%........how is that not a minority? I never called HD a fringe product, its merely not the big dog right now. Apple will wait until there is a much bigger demand to do anything with it.

 

[slughead]

Funny, then, the HD rentals on iTunes.

Oh, you're right. Apple's up to 5mbps. 720p, good picture, but apparently sacrifices surround sound and bitrate on most flicks.

Still though, 5mbit/s. Now it's almost DVD quality bitrate! Congrats, welcome to a 1998 video store.

here, read this: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=511
here's another: http://www.parislemon.com/2008/01/faux-hd-its-about-bit-rate-too-stupid.html

I'll stick to DVD rentals. I love my sound system, it's was upper mid-range 10 years ago and I can still hear how crappy itunes downloads are compared to optical media!

 

[slughead]

-

 

[cherry su]

Apple thinks optical media should die

hence the movie rentals, time machine backups, music purchases, dvd-driveless macbook air, …

 

[slughead]

Apple thinks optical media should die

They can think all they want. Optical is going to be around for a long, long time. Except, maybe, among the rich who can afford Apple's digital lifestyle, with all the little charges nipping at your credit card. Oh, and only 2/3 of Americans have any high speed internet access, let alone the kind necessary to download Apple's HD vids.

 

[m1stake]

Apple thinks optical media should die

hence the movie rentals

iTunes is there to sell iPods, not "kill" optical media.

time machine backups

500GB and 1TB optical disks don't exist, so they don't really have a choice.

music purchases

Again, iTunes is meant to sell iPods.

dvd-driveless macbook air

The external drive is meant to slim it down. You don't need the drive that much.

At least you were close.

 

[NT1440]

They can think all they want. Optical is going to be around for a long, long time. Except, maybe, among the rich who can afford Apple's digital lifestyle, with all the little charges nipping at your credit card. Oh, and only 2/3 of Americans have any high speed internet access, let alone the kind necessary to download Apple's HD vids.

and how many americans have ANY HD systems? (apparantly 25%)

the market is going to be HUGE, but only after it actually takes off, right now its not that great

 

[OzExige]

No way man, DVD's are history, EVERYONE will use downloads by the end of the year.

 

[Tallest Skil]

500GB and 1TB optical disks don't exist, so they don't really have a choice.

If you can wait a year or two, however, you will. These guys look promising. Unless, of course, Apple's come up with a better alternative.

 

[NT1440]

If you can wait a year or two, however, you will. These guys look promising. Unless, of course, Apple's come up with a better alternative.

the problem with optical media is that it has to hit a wall at some point. (all media forms do)