Blu-ray or HD-DVD
Monday, July 17, 2006 at 10:46AM The competition between the competing next-generation optical disk technologies of Blu-ray and HD DVD has entered a new phase, as optical drive makers start rolling out the first products based on the rival technologies. As products based on these formats begin to arrive in stores, one major question for Mac users is: When will Apple integrate this new technology into its computers?The question is more than just idle speculation. Apple enjoys a long track record of embracing emerging technologies—think FireWire, Bluetooth, and wireless networking, among others—and incorporating them into its offerings. Also consider that Apple is on the board of directors for the Blu-ray Disc Association, and it’s not hard to envision a future where Macs are sporting Blu-ray-based drives.As with any future product, Apple is keeping its plans for Blu-ray under wraps. But industry analysts don’t think we'll have long to wait before Apple puts a Blu-ray drive in an Intel-based Mac.The most likely candidate? The as-yet unreleased machine that will replace the Power Mac as Apple’s professional desktop offering.
Macworld: News: Analysts: Blu-ray looms in Apple's future
So if the speculation is right and Steve announces a new Mac Pro range of desktops at the WWDC in August (3 weeks to go!), will the new machines sport a new Blu-Ray or HD-DVD drive?
Do we need either?
I would say yes and the driver will be consumer produced HD movies. Apple have included HD support in all their video products from high end in Final Cut Pro to consumer versions in iMovieHD and the missing piece is what to do with the final product.
iDVD does a fine job of compressing your HD movies into Standard Definition automatically (even supporting dual layer DVDs) but if you've gone to the trouble of creating a HD movie, you want to see it in HD. The only option at the minute is to link your mac up to the TV and play via FrontRow directly from the hard drive - which works remarkably well by the way!
But I want to archive my video to optical disk. Even just the data. My last HD project was a 2.5 hour movie at 1080i which came in at 25GB in Quicktime format.
So I think the answer will be yes but perhaps only as a build to order and not as a standard component purely on the cost issue. But which one?
Surely Blu-Ray must be the favourite with Apple being on the board of directors for the Blue-ray Disc Association or will Steve's new role at Disney have any bearings on future Apple strategy ... ooh hang on....
Disney's home video operation, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, said it will ship "popular new releases and classic pictures" on BD when suitable "hardware launches in the North America and Japan". This is expected to take place in a year or so.
Disney backs Blu-ray | The Register
Ah well, any bets on Blu-ray then!
Reader Comments (1)
Seeing as how Disney and Apple (among others) back the Blu-Ray format... I'd say you're looking at a BR play from Cupertino. Probably not by WWDC tho. Anticipate 3rd party HD plays on this one until Apple's political positioning (and marketing) gets the final say on how/when they roll out the Blu-Ray goodies.
But, wouldn't THAT be awesome if it was at WWDC. That'd be huge!