Apple blu-ray drive for new mini.

Compman55

Golden Member
Feb 14, 2010
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Either I am just blind or apple does not make an external blu-ray drive.

Anyways, my friend just bought a new mini and wants to watch these legally. He has an entire shelf full. He does not want an aftermarket drive, but rather a genuine apple one. I am not finding it on their website.
 

TheStu

Moderator<br>Mobile Devices & Gadgets
Moderator
Sep 15, 2004
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They don't make one. Your friend will have to get an aftermarket one, and the software to play back the movies. Apple is moving away from optical drives in general.
 

Compman55

Golden Member
Feb 14, 2010
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As for now, netflix and other streaming sites do not have all dvd's loaded due to copyrights and crap like that. How will apple be able to do away with opticals in this case?
 

JAG87

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
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As for now, netflix and other streaming sites do not have all dvd's loaded due to copyrights and crap like that. How will apple be able to do away with opticals in this case?

Apple's goal is for everyone to use iTunes, and they do not intend to pay Sony for licensing fees. So the smart solution from a revenue point of view is to get rid of the optical drive all together, since it's not necessary for anything else anyways now that their OS can be re-installed with an internet connection.

Sorry, but your friend kind of should have known about this before buying the new mini.
 

TheStu

Moderator<br>Mobile Devices & Gadgets
Moderator
Sep 15, 2004
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As for now, netflix and other streaming sites do not have all dvd's loaded due to copyrights and crap like that. How will apple be able to do away with opticals in this case?

Like that's stopping them. And they don't particularly care about Netflix either as JAG points out, they sell and rent movies themselves. The Mini, iMac, rMBP and MBA all have excluded optical drives, only the traditional MBPs and the 3 year old Mac Pro still have them at all, and I don't know how much longer that will last.

Besides, if DVDs are all you care about, then you can get an Apple made external.

Apple's goal is for everyone to use iTunes, and they do not intend to pay Sony for licensing fees. So the smart solution from a revenue point of view is to get rid of the optical drive all together, since it's not necessary for anything else anyways now that their OS can be re-installed with an internet connection.

Sorry, but your friend kind of should have known about this before buying the new mini.

For serious, caveat emptor.
 

KeithP

Diamond Member
Jun 15, 2000
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Apple's goal is for everyone to use iTunes, and they do not intend to pay Sony for licensing fees.

I doubt it has anything to do with license fees. Apple simply isn't going to commit the resources to creating the "protected path" in the OS for the DRM required. Percentage wise, few people actually use their machines for movie playback (DVD or BD). Adding this capability will not make them more money, and that is all they care about.

Apple wants people to buy into iTunes because it helps lock their customers into the Apple hardware and software ecosystem. The more locked in people are, the less Apple has to actually deliver as far value goes and this makes Apple lots of money.

-KeithP
 

Rakehellion

Lifer
Jan 15, 2013
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You can buy any slot-loading laptop blu-ray drive and install it in there.

But yeah, I'd recommend just ripping the movies and storing them on the hard drive. Blu-ray was outdated before it came out.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
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I've found it curious that Apple never added official Blu-ray support given how many editors use Macs. Not sure if non-encrypted BD works (burning, etc). I would assume it does. You could always use Windows in Bootcamp if you need full support.
 

Zaap

Diamond Member
Jun 12, 2008
7,162
424
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You can buy any slot-loading laptop blu-ray drive and install it in there.
This. Just buy a laptop blu-ray drive and install it, or use it in an external USB case. For playback, use MacGo Blu-ray software.

Apple doesn't make internal drives of any kind anyway. If they sold a blu-ray drive, it'd just be an internal drive someone else made in an overpriced external enclosure.
 

Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
23,825
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I've found it curious that Apple never added official Blu-ray support given how many editors use Macs. Not sure if non-encrypted BD works (burning, etc).
Works fine. I've done a few data backups to Blu-ray on my Mac.

Ironically, I burned a couple of HD DVDs (on DVD media) on my Macs and they worked fine on my HD DVD player. Apple had official HD DVD support built right into some of their software.
 
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lokiju

Lifer
May 29, 2003
18,526
5
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As others have said, he needs an aftermarket player with non-Apple software to enable it to function. It's really not a big deal though. I spend under $50 for a slim USB powered white bluray drive and the software is brainless to get installed. Works just the same as playing a DVD.
 

lopri

Elite Member
Jul 27, 2002
13,233
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I've found it curious that Apple never added official Blu-ray support given how many editors use Macs.

Yah. Considering how much it devoted itself to H.264 and how many people involved in that field use macs. Well, things have changed today but I thought it was strange that Apple didn't offer Blu-Ray on even on Mac Pros back in the days.
 

Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
23,825
1,396
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Yeah, they're stubborn like that. No eSATA support on the Mac Pro either.

However, since it's a Mac Pro, it's easy to add after market BD drives and eSATA controllers.
 

bearxor

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2001
6,605
3
81
I've found it curious that Apple never added official Blu-ray support given how many editors use Macs. Not sure if non-encrypted BD works (burning, etc). I would assume it does. You could always use Windows in Bootcamp if you need full support.

Editors are leaving Macs. As Apple focuses on consumer hardware it leaves pretty big holes for a professional machine that companies like Avid and Grass Valley are happy to fill. There's quite a few FCP shops I know that are already planning their moves to Premiere or Media Composer.

Even the FCP Users Group here in Charlotte had completely changed their name to 'Charlotte Cutters' to reflect editing and its ideas/methods in general as opposed to focusing on FCP and its plugins.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
12
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Yah. Considering how much it devoted itself to H.264 and how many people involved in that field use macs. Well, things have changed today but I thought it was strange that Apple didn't offer Blu-Ray on even on Mac Pros back in the days.

When I was in j-school, we used to use ProDisc for recording, which is fundamentally similar to Blu-ray. That was back when XDCAM was still state of the art. That's before they all switched to P2 cards, which are faster, more compact, durable, and doesn't require specialized for ingestion. Anyway, Mac was the dominant platform. That was circa 2009/2010.

Editors are leaving Macs. As Apple focuses on consumer hardware it leaves pretty big holes for a professional machine that companies like Avid and Grass Valley are happy to fill. There's quite a few FCP shops I know that are already planning their moves to Premiere or Media Composer.

Even the FCP Users Group here in Charlotte had completely changed their name to 'Charlotte Cutters' to reflect editing and its ideas/methods in general as opposed to focusing on FCP and its plugins.

Final Cut X is what did it. Apple basically tried to turn it into an advanced iMovie, removing a lot of the professional tools in the process. It was a colossally stupid idea. Though whether FCP is dying is a matter of opinion. Most television networks here still use it. We do, so does CBC. Avid is probably the second most common NLE platform. I don't know anyone who uses Grass Valley's products.
 

bearxor

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2001
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Grass Valley's getting popular around here with newsrooms because of its easier to use interface for simple news cutting.

A mass exodus from FCP hasn't happened yet, it's just that everywhere I look the foundations are being laid for it to happen. People that have been long time proponents of FCP are starting to look not only at FCPX but the entire Apple ecosystem. Yes, FCPX was a pretty big nail in the coffin but Apple seems to be completely ignoring its pro and enterprise hardware lines.

I kind of like FCPX. I can see where it is more flexible in some areas but more limited in others. The bottom line, I think, is that the entire software suite needed a rewrite and they just got a little over zealous.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
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Wasn't too long ago when Grass Valley was considered a dinosaur. Most NLE software is six and half a dozen of each other though. Lightworks being the only exception I've encountered.

From what I've heard, FCP X has fixed all the problems that really bothered professional users. Though for the most part they seem to be still be shying away from it. We still use FCP 7. It's also the one I personally use, though I have Premier Pro CS4 and Lightworks as well. Any sort of creative work is still done on Mac. Our studio has two MacPros for ingestion and encoding web video. I think Apple has forgotten how popular their platform is with creative professionals.

There is some cool new stuff coming out for editing and that. I really want to go to NAB next year. Just got to find out how I can get the company to pay for it. ;)
 

Zaap

Diamond Member
Jun 12, 2008
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We're definitely on the lookout for what will replace FCP.

X wasn't even about a preference of using it in a professional workflow- at first it absolutely COULDN'T be used in a professional setting. Things like OMF/EDL/XML import/export, sharing projects, no limitations on file/scratch/network locations, professional external monitoring support (no, not just another computer monitor, but actual video out to broadcast monitors) individual track export, full support for third party plug-ins/hardware like Blackmagic, etc. etc. etc....


These are all things that can't just be "Aw shucks, I'll just wing it without that." It simply meant the application was unusable in a studio setting. People aren't just editing in a vacuum, everything is part of a workflow that involves integration with steps before and after the edit phase. When X first came out, it was like it was designed by kids who'd never set foot in an actual edit bay; it was a bad joke to even call it Final Cut Pro at first. The iMoviePro label it got slapped with by frustrated pros that just witnessed Apple puke all over their careers and tool of choice was well-deserved.

Yes, I understand they've come along way since to bring in a lot of the professional features back, but I hear it's still not on up to snuff for many pro settings. Apple blundered just enough by sending a message that "We don't care about you" to professional editors, that they'd rather make apps for people to do standalone YouTube videos with. The ball had to start rolling early for people to plot a replacement strategy- a production can't wait around for Apple or anyone else to get its crap together. So many studios have already looked into or are now implementing a switch to Avid, or Premiere (CS6 was actually far better than I thought it would be, including complete import ability of even the most complex FCP7 files) or whatever else.
 

bearxor

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2001
6,605
3
81
There is some cool new stuff coming out for editing and that. I really want to go to NAB next year. Just got to find out how I can get the company to pay for it. ;)

Ahhh, the true dream of every video professional. Working for yourself or a company that will pay you to take a week off and wander through NAB.

We're definitely on the lookout for what will replace FCP.

X wasn't even about a preference of using it in a professional workflow- at first it absolutely COULDN'T be used in a professional setting. Things like OMF/EDL/XML import/export, sharing projects, no limitations on file/scratch/network locations, professional external monitoring support (no, not just another computer monitor, but actual video out to broadcast monitors) individual track export, full support for third party plug-ins/hardware like Blackmagic, etc. etc. etc....

These are all things that can't just be "Aw shucks, I'll just wing it without that." It simply meant the application was unusable in a studio setting. People aren't just editing in a vacuum, everything is part of a workflow that involves integration with steps before and after the edit phase. When X first came out, it was like it was designed by kids who'd never set foot in an actual edit bay; it was a bad joke to even call it Final Cut Pro at first. The iMoviePro label it got slapped with by frustrated pros that just witnessed Apple puke all over their careers and tool of choice was well-deserved.

Yes, I understand they've come along way since to bring in a lot of the professional features back, but I hear it's still not on up to snuff for many pro settings. Apple blundered just enough by sending a message that "We don't care about you" to professional editors, that they'd rather make apps for people to do standalone YouTube videos with. The ball had to start rolling early for people to plot a replacement strategy- a production can't wait around for Apple or anyone else to get its crap together. So many studios have already looked into or are now implementing a switch to Avid, or Premiere (CS6 was actually far better than I thought it would be, including complete import ability of even the most complex FCP7 files) or whatever else.

You're exactly what I'm seeing. It's not that a lot of people have already switched off FCP, it's that Apple's already lost their business for their upgrade path, but Apple either doesn't know or hasn't realized it yet.
 

bearxor

Diamond Member
Jul 8, 2001
6,605
3
81
That is so much more expensive than OP needs. It's almost the price of the MacMini itself.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
12
0
Ahhh, the true dream of every video professional. Working for yourself or a company that will pay you to take a week off and wander through NAB.

We actually had a booth there. The company I work for owns Beat The Traffic so they were out demoing the new version of the software. Be cool if we could demo live reports next year, which means they'll need a director/traffic briefer for that. At least that's what I'm going with. ^_^
 

accguy9009

Senior member
Oct 21, 2007
504
10
81
Either I am just blind or apple does not make an external blu-ray drive.

Anyways, my friend just bought a new mini and wants to watch these legally. He has an entire shelf full. He does not want an aftermarket drive, but rather a genuine apple one. I am not finding it on their website.

Apple has never been "in on" blu-ray.

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/homecinema/apple-bans-blu-ray-from-macs-discs-are-holding-us-back-50009616/

Buy it from the iTunes Store. Physical media so passe anyway.