Electronista reports, “Microsoft last night posted a video taking a mild jab at Apple for the lack of Blu-ray on Macs. The roughly minute-long spot personifies a MacBook and a Windows 7 notebook on a flight and has the Windows system play a Blu-ray copy of Avatar that the both of them enjoy. The Mac isn’t criticized but is clearly envious, saying that the movie is ‘so cool.'”
“Microsoft’s promo notably omits the [Mac users’] download option, which would negate some of the advantage. iTunes is currently limited to 720p instead of Blu-ray’s 1080p, but both can produce surround sound and have access to special features. The Windows 7 user would have access to other digital movie stores, but with Blu-ray would have to purchase the disc to practically take it on a flight as well as own a heavier, relatively expensive notebook,” Electronista reports. “The Mac user could rent an iTunes download and wouldn’t need an optical drive at all or to chew battery life through spinning an optical drive.”
Full article, with the video, here.
Wait, what? People still use physical media rather than streaming their movies? How quaint!
Look at the new Mac Book Air, no CD drive…. Microsoft it’s called streaming. Duh!
If you are really worried about a Blu Ray player I have some other already-dead technologies to sell you. Plastic boxes are yesterday, kids.
Would the PC laptop’s battery even last for an entire Bluray movie?
Just because you can doesn’t necessarily mean you should.
This is in essence the problem inherent in a locked down system where modifications no matter how advantageous are positively frowned upon. If SJ decrees that Blue Ray is ‘dead on arrival’ then necessarily this must be the truth. No ifs, no buts, take your pain medicine & you will like it.
What does 1080p matter on such small screens anyway? Duh!!!
BD…off line storage,off site and clouds will replace that once you can total trust it….
Control freaks will keep BD storage a while longer.
It’s easy to not need something when you don’t have it as an option.
And they are really proud of making this spot with Windows PC only? Just another example that all guys at Microsoft have absolutely no taste!
Before I go on a trip, I rent movies on iTunes on my MackBook Pro. Why would I want to take a $20-30 Blu-ray disc with me? You cannot back up a Blu-ray disc (legally), so you are stuck bringing the original. If the original is lost or broken, you are screwed. Steve is right, it is a bag of hurt.
Missing one point though.
Airplane, can’t exactly stream from iTunes…
Id love to have blu ray in my mbp but I just rip them instead of use the disc.
I agree that most winblows laptops prob couldn’t play the whole movie on just a battery, but at least 1st class plane seats normally have power outlets.
I would love to buy my new iMac with a blu ray drive… I can understand a MacBook not having one (somewhat) but an iMac.. They should at least be able to order one with a blu ray drive.
I am all for streaming, but not everyone has an Internet connection 100% of the time.
When I go fishing/camping for 3 weeks in the woods… I don’t have Internet to be able to stream.
Then again, that’s why I rip the movies…
Still haven’t purchased or rented any iTunes movies/tv. Rent/netflix/rip only way to go
But if you have a >40 inch screen and a good 5.1 surround system, there ain’t nothing like a good BR.
Also if you are a content creator and need an end-to-end 1080p HD delivery solution, it’s hard to beat BR.
For everything else, the streaming or iTunes stuff is perfect.
@Backlash
Are you a Mac user?
When you rent a movie from iTunes on your laptop you download it… not stream it.
peter.s.: And they are really proud of making this spot with Windows PC only?
Well, don’t the production values quite exactly reflect that fact…?
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
Apple already answered that this ad by revealing their new Macbook air and saying this is how other MacBooks are going to be as well in future.
So, MS can hang on to their optical drives.
If you can bring a CD, you can also have a downloaded Avatar movie from iTunes store.
MDN word: even
Plastic boxes are yesterday, kids.
No, MS put that on tv.
When you get BETTER than blu-ray with a “quick download, You let me know.
I DON’T CARE about watching Blu-ray on a laptop/desktop. I want to EDIT and burn to a MAC OS supported built-in Br burner.
You DON’T NEED drm for that !!! Avchd from the start was made to capture,edit, and burn to Br. I’m thinking of getting Sony’s ax2000. But Panasonic’s new 3d camera, And Sony”s ax2000 new camera, are listed on their website’s as having NO mac support! Let’s get this sraight. No Mac OS supported built-in Blu-ray burner– No upgrade from my G5. Apple WAS KING with imovie and firewire….but now? You’re slipping Apple—Give people what they want, or ignore them, and treat them like shit.
What? I’m the ONLY one that wants this with FCE? Maybe pc?
P.S
With Disc Copy you CAN record your Br to hard disk, I believe.( I may be wrong)
Again, I don’t care about watching Br on a laptop/desktop.
Anyone have anything to say about “rolling shutter” unintentional special effects? Hope companies fix this quick.
Is Blu-ray support missing from OS X or is it simply that Apple doesn’t sell BTO machines with a Blu-ray drive? If it’s an OS issue, then MS has an argument (albeit a weak one).
I looked at $100 Bluray players in Walmart last week, but was not sure why I needed one.
I also looked at 16 and 32 GB SD cards costing $10 to 20 that fit in my laptop and are easier to carry than optical disks.
Apple will never bring Blu-ray playback support to Mac OS X. This is the “bag of hurt” Steve was referring to, and it includes licensing, deep kernel-level DRM control, hardware, etc. Apple carefully analysed their audience and determined (correctly) that the number of people who want to watch HD Blu-ray content on their Macs is negligible. Same approach as when they eliminated ExpressCard slot from MBP, FireWire from MB, full-size keyboard from iMacs, etc.
As for Blu-ray authoring, I firmly believe there would be enough of an audience for Apple to consider it. I mean, if they can put so much effort into developing and improving GarageBand (how many of you here play/record music or podcasts??), surely there would be enough people interested in burning HD video on optical media for sharing. On Windows, there are at least half a dozen major players offering end-to-end NLE packages. Apple shouldn’t let Adobe clean up Mac market with their Premiere Elements.
Who will need blu-ray in a mobile device? The next generation of MacBookPros will come without optical drive at all.
I thought Winblows users only played Solitaire on plane flights?
That’s why I switched back to a PC, after switching to a Mac several years ago.
Fanboys attack.
The Switcher,
You will need to clarify a bit the reason for switching. Is it the lack of Blu-ray? Or something else?