Re: New Macbook - Deliberately hobbled?

[Jeremy Garchow] "Also, as of right now, there's exactly one BluRay burner that I know of for a Mac. "

There's at least two that I know of, not including the external LaCie.


[Jeremy Garchow] "In order to get that integrated into the OS, Apple has to license the BluRay tech from Sony. Not sure if that's something they want to do and it will do nothing but drive the cost of their computers up."

It can't be that expensive. Our fully loaded HP Workstation with the BluRay burner included was only $1,700. I don't think you have to license anything from Sony for the BluRay player, it's the authoring software. Our BluRay burner for the Mac was only $540.


[Jeremy Garchow] "Not only do they have to pay for the burner, but they have build in the software capable of burning to BluRay to make it as easy as it is to do right now with the OS's finder (i.e., no other software needed)"

They really don't even need to do that. Roxio Toast has been able to burn to BluRay disc for two years now. It just shows up as a 25 or 50GB BluRay disc and you can burn data to it just like you do any CD or DVD.


[Jeremy Garchow] "I truly believe the Steve Jobs is right. The licensing to produce BluRay DVDs is very very complex. Have you tried to get a BluRay professionally replicated (not copied but professionally replicated and stamped)? It's not easy and it certainly isn't cheap and a lot of that cost is the licensing of the BluRay name, not to mention the fact it's hard to find places that will do it for you. "

The licensing is not complex. The actual authoring software is complex. DoStudio does allow you to get professionally replicatable discs for only $250 per month to license, on a month to month license. In fact we got a call from one of the commercial BluRay replication houses to let us know about this software. They had tested it and it actually works to spec. It's a great low cost option for boutique shops like mine.

It's now quite easy to find BluRay replication houses. Certainly much easier than it was 14 months ago when we started authoring BluRay discs here.


[Jeremy Garchow] "I bet it could be done today, but it couldn't be done the way Apple wants it."

THAT is something I will absolutely agree with you on. Our 14 month journey into BluRay has put me in touch with some amazing folks who are authoring BluRay discs for the major studios. What I have learned is that creating BluRay authoring software is incredibly complex. As one engineer explained to me, "A 16 year old can write DVD authoring software. BluRay is incredibly complicated."

Adobe Encore has shown me what happens when you bring out a product with not much understanding of what the product has to do in order to work. Even DoStudio is a very very young software and there are growing pains with it. But NetBlender has been very responsive and quick to produce updates.

I believe Apple is looking at things like Scenarist, BluIt, Encore and DoStudio to see what they do and how they do it. When they are ready to release a BluRay authoring software or add it to DVDSP, they will want it to work pretty much like DVDSP, just pick and template and drag and drop. This is VERY complicated in BluRay. There are tons of conditions and now with BluRay 2.0, there are all sorts of additional java functionality that can be added, especially if the unit is connected to your internet network. But nobody knows how much of this functionality will actually be desired and used by the general public, or if they will even figure out how to use it.

So my belief is that Apple is simple biding its time to see what the BluRay market wants, taking its time to engineer something that actually works, and then it will release the product to market in due time. Not sure if we'll see anything in 2009, but I would suspect by 2010 Apple would have something out unless BluRay has already been replaced by something else.



Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Biscardi Creative Media
HD and SD Production for Broadcast and Independent Productions.

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