Rumor: AppleTV with optical drive - Blu-ray Forum

Section Urbaine · 10-06-2007, 06:03 AM

Rumor: AppleTV with optcal drive

An updated AppleTV with a Blu-ray drive would be a killer product for me personally. It's about time Apple commits to Blu-ray.

radagast · 10-06-2007, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Section Urbaine

Rumor: AppleTV with optcal drive

An updated AppleTV with a Blu-ray drive would be a killer product for me personally. It's about time Apple commits to Blu-ray.

I thought Apple was already in the Blu camp.

Frode · 10-06-2007, 12:37 PM

Problem is that even if they included a BD drive it wouldn't have the processing power to actually decode the video. Unless Apple cuts a deal with say sigma or broadcom I don't think we'll ever see an AppleTV with BD capability.

Galley · 10-07-2007, 02:59 AM

I'd gladly pay $499 for a 160GB Apple TV with a BD drive that supports SACD via HDMI 1.3.

ESUNintel · 10-07-2007, 04:13 AM

Apple really needs to start doing stuff to show they really support Blu. They're on the board, yet have released nothing with Blu for some reason.

MouseRider · 10-07-2007, 08:39 AM

Apple is on the BD board.

Why no BD support and when might it come?

Well, if we speculate based on Steve Jobs' patterns in recent history...

1) He doesn't like putting first generation technology into the products for various reasons, i.e. no 3G on the iPhone.

2) All Pixar products will play on a Mac, so I guess when the Pixar titles come out for HD on BD, there'll be a drive in a Mac.

Just speculations of course

Frode · 10-07-2007, 11:41 AM

Not really. Apple was among the first to add DVD writers to their top of the line computers. They've just been slow this time.

MouseRider · 10-08-2007, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frode

Not really. Apple was among the first to add DVD writers to their top of the line computers. They've just been slow this time.

#1 was actually paraphrased from Jobs' own comments.

They were the first to add DVD writers but it wasn't the first generation of DVD writers available in the market, namely the SuperDrives, there were already many writers in the market and the technology was stable, they were just the first to put them into their higher-end machines.

Also DVD was already well entrenched into the market to a degree, it wasn't exactly trailblazing like the old Jobs and 3.5" drives, NeXT, etc.

But I agree, they are slow.

6ryph3n · 10-08-2007, 05:26 PM

I think the reason Apple hasn't started including BD drives is because Tiger doesn't have the software support built in. It's a confirmed fact that when Leopard is released later this month it will include BD support, so I'm betting we'll see BD drives as an upgrade option for new systems after Leopard's release.

aygie · 10-08-2007, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6ryph3n

I think the reason Apple hasn't started including BD drives is because Tiger doesn't have the software support built in. It's a confirmed fact that when Leopard is released later this month it will include BD support, so I'm betting we'll see BD drives as an upgrade option for new systems after Leopard's release.

Not confirmed but highly likely.

Galley · 10-09-2007, 03:23 AM

HD content , and better support for that content is coming soon from Apple.

Brandon B · 10-09-2007, 05:41 AM

They may also be waiting until they have released HDCP compliant monitors.

BB

ESUNintel · 10-09-2007, 06:05 AM

I know many are willing to spend extra for a computer that supports Blu; however, Apple may also be waiting for Blu to become more affordable. They'll have to get HD compliant monitors, Tiger (or some third party software) to support BD's, the right video card (which the new MacBook Pro's already have the 8-series nvidia ones), plus the drive. Considering how Apple designs their PC's, or at least their top selling one, they need to find a way of putting everything together in one machine at an appealing price.

That's as far as their desktops go, but I really don't see why the Macbook Pro hasn't gotten a Blu-drive, if Sony was able to do it on the FZ using a crappy nvidia 8400 (which actually works well, but an 8600 would have been nicer).

As far as the mini, they're going to have to add an nvidia or ATI graphics card that supports Blu. The monitor part isn't a problem, as the consumer can find the right one.

Section Urbaine · 10-09-2007, 10:14 AM

@MouseRider:

3G is beyond first gen technology at this stage. It is widely in use throughout the EU. Apple's issue with 3G was a significant reduction in battery life. Which makes sense - as it is, my iPhone's battery doesn't last long between charges.

Regarding laptop and desktop Macs:

Currently, only one laptop would support 1080p to begin with, i.e. the most recent version of the 17" MacBook Pro. This is hardly a big foundation for a BD movie player on their laptops (a BD recorder, however, would always be welcomed for data backup*).

Interestingly, the recent revision of the iMac actually have graphics cards that support HDCP. But this can always be attributed to ATI rather than Apple.

Apple's DVD Player in the up'n'coming Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) doesn't have any support on the software playback side for Blu-ray. Heck, it never even supported surround.

The one product that could spearhead Blu-ray for Macs, is the long anticipated revision of the Mac Pro and the Cinema Displays. I know that a lot of content authors would like Blu-ray on their Mac Pros. Sadly, there is no support for Blu-ray in DVD Studio Pro 4**.
Adobe, however, supports Blu-ray in Encore which is part of the CS3 family of apps. All this being said, the Mac Pro is hardly the choice for most comsumers which in turn brings us back to the original discussion of the AppleTV.

AppleTV

A revised AppleTV is the perfect solution to bring Blu-ray to the average consumer. It's sole purpose is to display content on a HDTV through HDMI. Currently, it is rather limited as there isn't actually any HD content available for purchase on the iTunes Store - only the odd free HD podcast. And regardless of that, the max it supports is 720p at a max rate of 5Mbit/s.
The current AppleTV doesn't have an optical drive which makes a revised AppleTV with Blu-ray seem a bit unlikely. I also fear that Apple is pushing more for online HD content, much like MS, because they don't see a future for optical media.

*Toast 8 already supports BD recorders
**No support for HD DVD in DSP 4 either, only HD DVD on DVD-R media

10-09-2007, 06:05 AM	#13
ESUNintel Senior Member Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Colorado	Maybe it's price and design complications I know many are willing to spend extra for a computer that supports Blu; however, Apple may also be waiting for Blu to become more affordable. They'll have to get HD compliant monitors, Tiger (or some third party software) to support BD's, the right video card (which the new MacBook Pro's already have the 8-series nvidia ones), plus the drive. Considering how Apple designs their PC's, or at least their top selling one, they need to find a way of putting everything together in one machine at an appealing price. That's as far as their desktops go, but I really don't see why the Macbook Pro hasn't gotten a Blu-drive, if Sony was able to do it on the FZ using a crappy nvidia 8400 (which actually works well, but an 8600 would have been nicer). As far as the mini, they're going to have to add an nvidia or ATI graphics card that supports Blu. The monitor part isn't a problem, as the consumer can find the right one.

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10-06-2007, 06:03 AM	#1
Section Urbaine Member Member since:Aug 2007 Location:San Francisco	Rumor: AppleTV with optical drive Rumor: AppleTV with optcal drive An updated AppleTV with a Blu-ray drive would be a killer product for me personally. It's about time Apple commits to Blu-ray.

10-06-2007, 12:37 PM	#3
Frode Special Member Member since:Feb 2007	Problem is that even if they included a BD drive it wouldn't have the processing power to actually decode the video. Unless Apple cuts a deal with say sigma or broadcom I don't think we'll ever see an AppleTV with BD capability.

10-07-2007, 02:59 AM	#4
Galley Power Member Member since:Apr 2007 Location:Greenville, SC 4K collection:117 Blu-ray collection:634 DVD collection:41 Digital collection:1 Blu-ray reviews:4 Trading Score:7	I'd gladly pay $499 for a 160GB Apple TV with a BD drive that supports SACD via HDMI 1.3.

10-07-2007, 04:13 AM	#5
ESUNintel Senior Member Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Colorado	Apple really needs to start doing stuff to show they really support Blu. They're on the board, yet have released nothing with Blu for some reason.

10-07-2007, 08:39 AM	#6
MouseRider Active Member Member since:Aug 2007	Apple is on the BD board. Why no BD support and when might it come? Well, if we speculate based on Steve Jobs' patterns in recent history... 1) He doesn't like putting first generation technology into the products for various reasons, i.e. no 3G on the iPhone. 2) All Pixar products will play on a Mac, so I guess when the Pixar titles come out for HD on BD, there'll be a drive in a Mac. Just speculations of course

10-07-2007, 11:41 AM	#7
Frode Special Member Member since:Feb 2007	Not really. Apple was among the first to add DVD writers to their top of the line computers. They've just been slow this time.

10-08-2007, 05:26 PM	#9
6ryph3n Junior Member Member since:Sep 2007 Blu-ray reviews:1	I think the reason Apple hasn't started including BD drives is because Tiger doesn't have the software support built in. It's a confirmed fact that when Leopard is released later this month it will include BD support, so I'm betting we'll see BD drives as an upgrade option for new systems after Leopard's release.

10-09-2007, 03:23 AM	#11
Galley Power Member Member since:Apr 2007 Location:Greenville, SC 4K collection:117 Blu-ray collection:634 DVD collection:41 Digital collection:1 Blu-ray reviews:4 Trading Score:7	HD content , and better support for that content is coming soon from Apple.

10-09-2007, 05:41 AM	#12
Brandon B Active Member Member since:Aug 2007 4K collection:593 Blu-ray collection:2914 DVD collection:298 Prime collection:1 Trading Score:1	They may also be waiting until they have released HDCP compliant monitors. BB

10-09-2007, 10:14 AM	#14
Section Urbaine Member Member since:Aug 2007 Location:San Francisco	@MouseRider: 3G is beyond first gen technology at this stage. It is widely in use throughout the EU. Apple's issue with 3G was a significant reduction in battery life. Which makes sense - as it is, my iPhone's battery doesn't last long between charges. Regarding laptop and desktop Macs: Currently, only one laptop would support 1080p to begin with, i.e. the most recent version of the 17" MacBook Pro. This is hardly a big foundation for a BD movie player on their laptops (a BD recorder, however, would always be welcomed for data backup). Interestingly, the recent revision of the iMac actually have graphics cards that support HDCP. But this can always be attributed to ATI rather than Apple. Apple's DVD Player in the up'n'coming Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) doesn't have any support on the software playback side for Blu-ray. Heck, it never even supported surround. The one product that could spearhead Blu-ray for Macs, is the long anticipated revision of the Mac Pro and the Cinema Displays. I know that a lot of content authors would like Blu-ray on their Mac Pros. Sadly, there is no support for Blu-ray in DVD Studio Pro 4. Adobe, however, supports Blu-ray in Encore which is part of the CS3 family of apps. All this being said, the Mac Pro is hardly the choice for most comsumers which in turn brings us back to the original discussion of the AppleTV. AppleTV* A revised AppleTV is the perfect solution to bring Blu-ray to the average consumer. It's sole purpose is to display content on a HDTV through HDMI. Currently, it is rather limited as there isn't actually any HD content available for purchase on the iTunes Store - only the odd free HD podcast. And regardless of that, the max it supports is 720p at a max rate of 5Mbit/s. The current AppleTV doesn't have an optical drive which makes a revised AppleTV with Blu-ray seem a bit unlikely. I also fear that Apple is pushing more for online HD content, much like MS, because they don't see a future for optical media. Toast 8 already supports BD recorders *No support for HD DVD in DSP 4 either, only HD DVD on DVD-R media

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