Apple bans Blu-ray from Macs: Discs are 'holding us back' - Polidicks

Most Macs don't have anywhere near the storage capability to stockpile blu-ray quality movies, and most people in the US don't have an internet connection that can support streaming them. Apple is out of their minds if they think they can just eliminate disk drives without eliminating your ability to watch blu-ray resolution media.

I really think Apple & other companies should find a way to produce these awesome USB sticks incredibly cheaply (cause they're currently very expensive) and sell them as 'the next thing' in physical software/movie distribution & ownership. [IMG]http://www.macgasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mac_os_x_lion_usb_drive_tfufj.jpg[/IMG] Alongside that they should put out a HDMI encoder that can read straight from the USB and feeds it out as HDMI and release that very cheaply as well ($50).

[QUOTE=SPESSMEHREN;38238027]That's to be expected. After all, forcing optical media into obsolescence is nothing more than an anti-piracy ploy.[/QUOTE] Absolutely, it's blatant protectionism, and one more angle of Apple's ultimate goal of dictating exactly what their customers are and aren't allowed to do with their hardware.

[QUOTE=Tomberry;38236887]I kind of agree, actually. Good move.[/QUOTE] Ok, tell me a way to get video at 20MBps quicker than a blu-ray. Apple are acting as if the average consumer has a gigabit webspeed.

[QUOTE=SCopE5000;38239054]I really think Apple & other companies should find a way to produce these awesome USB sticks incredibly cheaply (cause they're currently very expensive) and sell them as 'the next thing' in physical software/movie distribution & ownership. [IMG]http://www.macgasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mac_os_x_lion_usb_drive_tfufj.jpg[/IMG] Alongside that they should put out a HDMI encoder that can read straight from the USB and feeds it out as HDMI and release that very cheaply as well ($50).[/QUOTE] One of my teachers at my college use to work for/with Apple* always talked about companies moving to thumb drives are a physical form of media. One idea he shared was stores like Best Buy and Target having kiosks that offer different sized thumb drives that the customer would fill with media they want like movies, music, shows, software, and even games. Once they fill it up or get what they want they pay and a little drive drops into a small slot much like a vending machine, and then away they go to their home and install/transfer whatever they bought to their computer. *the guy always talking about working for/with Apple but his bio on his syllabus mentioned IBM. But he was a total Apple sheep, he'd make up the most bullshit reasons why Windows is awful.

[QUOTE=SCopE5000;38239054]I really think Apple & other companies should find a way to produce these awesome USB sticks incredibly cheaply (cause they're currently very expensive) and sell them as 'the next thing' in physical software/movie distribution & ownership. [IMG]http://www.macgasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mac_os_x_lion_usb_drive_tfufj.jpg[/IMG] Alongside that they should put out a HDMI encoder that can read straight from the USB and feeds it out as HDMI and release that very cheaply as well ($50).[/QUOTE] As much as I despise the "innovations" Apple produce ever year. This is one of the few that I actually thought "yeah, people could actually do with this!". Flash media is a lot faster, and a hell of a lot more power efficient than disc based media. If anything, rather than abolishing disc media for downloads entirely is a bloody silly idea. I believe the PS Vita uses something similar rather than the noisy old UMD bastards the PSP used. But for some reason insist on using massive boxes still, so they aren't any easier to store.

[QUOTE='[EG] Pepper;38236938']Yeah, but isn't it a bit early to ditch optical drives? Downloading a 25GB odd movie is impractical for some people, whether it is connection speed or bandwidth caps.[/QUOTE] This is me, my connection speed is decent by my usage plan isn't, while I never use my optical drive, I always buy games from retail because it saves me download usage.

I think this is right. Most people watch Blue-Rays on a Blue-Ray disc player anyways.

Yeah it'd be so nice if they eradicated game/movie boxes and manuals too, and just had that thumb drive with an awesome universal shape (like the one pictured) but with different designs on each depending on the content. The 007 complete collection on a sleek, carbon-fiber looking design with gold '007' logo.

Plus they are a lot more reusable, rental services would work quite nicely on them I think.

....so the solution is buy an external Blu-ray drive if you need one? I'm not seeing the huge deal in this. Its not like they removed optical drive support from the OS.

Backwards compability? WHATS THAT?

i bet if valve did something similar to this everyone in this thread would be riding their dick like usual. oh wait, they already did. several years ago.

Explain this Apple [img]http://puu.sh/1keTt[/img]

[QUOTE=Demache;38239345]....so the solution is buy an external Blu-ray drive if you need one? I'm not seeing the huge deal in this. Its not like they removed optical drive support from the OS.[/QUOTE] I see a problem when you spend $2000 on something and it doesn't have a simple thing such as a optical drive.

[QUOTE=GameDev;38239425]Explain this Apple [img]http://puu.sh/1keTt[/img][/QUOTE] What about it? The SuperDrive has been around for a while. It was originally for the MacBook Air and the newer Mac Minis.

[QUOTE=Makol;38239497]What about it? The SuperDrive has been around for a while. It was originally for the MacBook Air and the newer Mac Minis.[/QUOTE] They pull out the drive in the Macbook air, and then release that charging another 80 bucks.

[QUOTE=GameDev;38239541]They pull out the drive in the Macbook air, and then release that charging another 80 bucks.[/QUOTE] It wouldn't be nearly as thin if it had it in. And judging by the sales of this drive, seems most MacBook Air owners don't give a shit about the missing "functionality." So I think they made the right call after all.

[QUOTE=GameDev;38239541]They pull out the drive in the Macbook air, and then release that charging another 80 bucks.[/QUOTE] It's like hardware DLC

[QUOTE=GameDev;38239541]They pull out the drive in the Macbook air, and then release that charging another 80 bucks.[/QUOTE] The Air never had a drive.

[QUOTE=GameDev;38239425]Explain this Apple [img]http://puu.sh/1keTt[/img][/QUOTE] Hey, how else is Apple going to milk your money dry?

[QUOTE=Intoxicated Spy;38239451]I see a problem when you spend $2000 on something and it doesn't have a simple thing such as a optical drive.[/QUOTE] Maybe if it had a terrabyte SSD.

Today I was digging through my closet. I found my Prince of Persia 1 PC copy. I thought about playing it, but realized that it would take longer for me to find my usb dvd drive than to download an iso, and put my box's key in. As long as I have a decent internet connection, I'm ok with this trend.

[QUOTE=SCopE5000;38239315]Yeah it'd be so nice if they eradicated game/movie boxes and manuals too, and just had that thumb drive with an awesome universal shape (like the one pictured) but with different designs on each depending on the content. The 007 complete collection on a sleek, carbon-fiber looking design with gold '007' logo.[/QUOTE] While I don't disagree with the actual idea, apple is the last company I would want spearheading it.

[QUOTE=Makol;38239710]The Air never had a drive.[/QUOTE] but they still said the same bullshit about how dvds are the past or whatever when they announced it

Also I would prefer to keep cases since they make organisation easier.

[QUOTE=TtIiVv;38237530]'You don't need discs, but you do need a tin and light desktop computer with a HD screen'. Where is the logic? I know, ironic coming from an Apple user.[/QUOTE] I like you, you have humor. [QUOTE=SCopE5000;38239054]I really think Apple & other companies should find a way to produce these awesome USB sticks incredibly cheaply (cause they're currently very expensive) and sell them as 'the next thing' in physical software/movie distribution & ownership. [IMG]http://www.macgasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/mac_os_x_lion_usb_drive_tfufj.jpg[/IMG] Alongside that they should put out a HDMI encoder that can read straight from the USB and feeds it out as HDMI and release that very cheaply as well ($50).[/QUOTE] Well there's already cheap Allwinner A10 based devices that can play fullHD movies off USB drives with some minor tweaking.

I'd love to be involved in marketing for Apple. Honestly, I imagine a typical conversation goes like this: 'What's different about it?' 'It's thinner and lighter, we've removed some features....and that's about it. How much are we going to charge for it?' 'As much as we fucking well please'

Macs will no longer play Blu-rays Ripping Blu-rays that you own to video files is technically illegal The easiest legal way to get HD films on a Mac is now iTunes Apple profits

On my current computer I've only ever used the CD/DVD drive once or twice, and I have a 50 Megabit line that isn't throttled or capped. For me the exclusion of a CD/DVD/BluRay drive makes sense, it's just another part that is going to be obsolete soon. And just a note, HD movies do not have to be the 20 GB that BluRay has them. BluRays are commonly encoded in MPEG-2, where they could be using a similar quality MPEG-4 AAC or VC-1 for about half the size. If they were using the new H.265 codec, a quarter with comparable quality.