No BD on iMac... yet

[CptGreedle]

http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html

Looks like the specs for the new iMac do not include a blu-ray disc player. I suspect that it is too small/thin for this pricey player and they are trying to appeal more toward the pc crowd which, as most people know, are used to computers that cost less than the average Macintosh.
I do think that the next towers that come out will be likely to have Blu-ray disc burners, but until then, I guess we'll have to buy that third party drive.

[jorg]

http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/04/...lu.ray.burner/

Fastmac today(April 27th) began shipping its new Blu-Ray burner drive for Mac Pro and Power Mac G5 systems for under $500 (slim model shown at right), adding the drive is the first as well as the only device of its kind designed for pro Mac desktops in its price range. The new 5.25-inch tray-loading drive is tested and certified compatible with Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 video production software, and enables users to store up to 50GB of data on a single disc. The drive also supports burning CD and DVD media for backward compatibility with older technology. Fastmac's new Blu-Ray drive is available for $500 for a limited time, and carries a 1-year warrant alongside a 30-day guarantee.

i mac is always mid range product so why put a 300$ burnner in a mid or even low end machine>

[Deciazulado]

someone said in the other iMac thread that the videocards are HDCP ready, so the important question is, if adding an external BD drive and proper software (Leopard/BootcampW) would let you watch BDs there (the 24" even has a 1200 x 1920 display)

[lostboy85]

-sigh- i guess ill wait another 6-9 months for the next product refresh.

[GasCat]

Originally Posted by jorg

http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/04/...lu.ray.burner/
i mac is always mid range product so why put a 300$ burnner in a mid or even low end machine>

I like! Pretty expensive and slow though.

Works with:
iBook G4
iMac G5
iMac Intel
MacBook Pro 17-inch <-----Hmmmm.... 899. Dell's is 700.
Mac mini
PowerBook G3 Pismo
PowerBook G4 Titanium (667 Mhz or higher)
PowerBook G4 Aluminum

http://store.fastmac.com/product_inf...roducts_id=195

[statikcat]

Are their not ext ones yet? You really expected IMac to get Bluray before the Mac Pro?

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by statikcat

Are their not ext ones yet? You really expected IMac to get Bluray before the Mac Pro?

There's already a 3rd party BD burner for Mac Pro.

But now that iMac has Firewire 800, I'd be OK with an external Blu drive for the iMac.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by ikcizokm

There's already a 3rd party BD burner for Mac Pro.

But now that iMac has Firewire 800, I'd be OK with an external Blu drive for the iMac.

Especially since the one for Mac Pro seems to be an internal drive, for which modifications iMacs aren't designed.

[X-Ninja]

Im planning on buying a macbook pro soon. I hate my PC. I hate microsoft + Eventually we will all need to switch to vista...

-i HATE Vista.



Question is- If i buy a macbook pro NOW, later on, when the blu-ray drive gets released... Would it be possible to replace the DVD drive in the Macbook Pro with the- Way better- Blu-ray drive?


Thanks!

[Galley]

Originally Posted by X-Ninja

Question is- If i buy a macbook pro NOW, later on, when the blu-ray drive gets released... Would it be possible to replace the DVD drive in the Macbook Pro with the- Way better- Blu-ray drive?

Thanks!

Probably not; you'd have to get an external model.

[Need0fMany]

Originally Posted by X-Ninja

Im planning on buying a macbook pro soon. I hate my PC. I hate microsoft + Eventually we will all need to switch to vista...

-i HATE Vista.



Question is- If i buy a macbook pro NOW, later on, when the blu-ray drive gets released... Would it be possible to replace the DVD drive in the Macbook Pro with the- Way better- Blu-ray drive?


Thanks!

I looked into that recently because I wanted to upgrade my computer (and avoid Vista if possible) and get a fully functional Blu-ray drive. You can get a Mac Pro and buy either the internal or external Blu-ray drive today. However, for now you can only use it for data and home movies. You can't play commercial Blu-ray movies. It's not clear you'll be able to watch those movies later with just an OS upgrade either since AACS\HDCP have strict encrypted paths requirements which requires the proper hardware to be in place.

In the end for me, it was cheaper to just get an iMac (use the HDD and DVD for data) and buy another standalone Blu-ray player for that room just for movies.

[CptGreedle]

I think I am going to wait on getting a new laptop and either get an iMac for now, or splurge and get the Tower (but only if it has Blu-ray built in by the end of the year).
Can the new iMac support an external BD player/burner? Are the graphics up-to-par?

[RAMPCHECK]

It will be a special order option before it becomes standard. I don't look for it anytime soon.


PSN: RAMPCHECK

[Galley]

If a BD-burner was a $250 option on the 24" iMac I would be all over it.

[aygie]

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

I think I am going to wait on getting a new laptop and either get an iMac for now, or splurge and get the Tower (but only if it has Blu-ray built in by the end of the year).
Can the new iMac support an external BD player/burner? Are the graphics up-to-par?

If your gonna get a mac i recomend the Mac Pro, i love mine more than i love my family, (well almost ). My ps3 and my mac are the best things i've bought in the past 10 years hands down. I will never, never go back to windows. (no offense windows guys, just cannot stand it after using osx.)

[Need0fMany]

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html

Looks like the specs for the new iMac do not include a blu-ray disc player. I suspect that it is too small/thin for this pricey player and they are trying to appeal more toward the pc crowd which, as most people know, are used to computers that cost less than the average Macintosh.
I do think that the next towers that come out will be likely to have Blu-ray disc burners, but until then, I guess we'll have to buy that third party drive.

I have been looking into Macs lately because after 8 generations of working with Microsoft's OS based computers, I cannot bring myself to move to Vista. I had waited for the last Apple news event hoping that Blu-ray drives would be added at least as an option. They were not unfortunately. The option of buying a Mac Pro and adding an OEM Blu-ray drive is viable if you only care about using Blu-ray for data and home movies but not if you also want to play commercial Blu-ray movies, plus the Mac Pro once you add the display is almost double the cost of the iMac.

So, what was the conclusion of my personal exploration of the Mac option? I currently have 2 MS Windows PC and 1 MS Windows laptop, I was planning on replacing 1 PC with an iMac for now and with the money saved from not getting a Mac Pro, get an additional Blu-ray player for that room.

Then, came the Microsoft payola to Paramount and Dreamworks. I am so disgusted with them, that I will move up my time table and I will replace both PCs with iMacs and get another Blu-ray player (probably another PS3). I'll wait on the laptop a little longer to give Apple another upgrade cycle and see if they can add Blu-ray as an option since being able to play Blu-ray movies while traveling would be nice.

[videonut]

I will just wait for them to start releasing them in the there computers before trying to add one in myself.

[highdefw]

it will be a while before BD r in macs. Until burners hit a least $150 or lower, dont expect it in any other mac besides the towers or the 24 inch iMacs.

[RAMPCHECK]

right now the OS does not support BD. 10.4 is past its development life.
wait till 10.5 then see what happends.

[Robmx]

From what Im reading expect Blu-ray to be in macs Feb 2008. OS X 10.5 leopard will have support for it....... They are going to offer it to the Pro series of products first.

eg: Mac Pro
Macbook Pro

Im excited for add-on drive to go in my Macbook Pro..... Whooooooo !