News Commentary: Is Blu-Ray Dying?
It is a well publicized fact that Apple’s lack of support for Adobe Flash on its mobile web devices, including the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, has had the chilling effect of beginning the end for this technology. Where once the whole web thought that Flash was here to stay, today rarely is a new site opened that relies on it. Even where webmasters chose to employ Flash, they almost always provide a Flash-free site in order to have access to those millions of lucrative Apple customers. I wonder though, if Flash was not Apple’s first recent technology sniper job, or really its second.
On Mondays I offer comments on some 
of the most interesting information technology stories that I have found on the web that week. Please feel free to join in the discussion or suggest other stories.
Today’s comments follow the most recent reading of a story describing how Apple is refusing to integrate Blu-Ray disc support into its operating systems and computers. Give it a read below.
Network World – Steve Jobs email hints at no upcoming Blu-Ray support on the Mac By Yoni Heisler
Read more:
“During an informal Q&A session in October of 2008, Steve Jobs explained why Apple wasn’t interested in supporting Blu-Ray on the Mac.
"Blu-ray is a bag of hurt," Jobs famously declared, "I don’t mean from the consumer point of view. It’s great to watch movies, but the licensing is so complex. We’re waiting until things settle down, and waiting until Blu-ray takes off before we burden our customers with the cost of licensing."
Just as it did to the serial port, floppy disc drive, external monitor, and most recently Flash, it sure does look, by now, that Apple has it out for Blu-Ray. There are certainly no lack of third party vendors willing to install them into Apple machines. Also, the guts of a Mac today are really nothing more than a top-of-the-line PC so there is no hardware incompatibility. The reality is just the Apple chooses not to support Blu-Ray at all.
What could possibly be their reasons?
- Apple runs the iTunes movie rental and purchase store. Obviously, Blu-Ray support would negatively impact the sale of online movies..
- There is a licensing fee involved with supporting Blu-Ray. It would negatively impact their bottom line to support it. Of course, they could just pass costs to buyer.
- Most benignly, they think that physical media is dead and thus are looking to ignore newer, not fully established, formats.
I am sure that I don’t know exactly why Apple is not supporting Blu-Ray, but I sure wish that they would. Frankly, I think that it is a bit embarrassing today that you can easily spend $3000 on a Mac Book Pro, but still don’t and can’t get the latest industry standard for movie watching. Seems a bit crazy to me. For a platform that aims to be a media center and content generation device out of the box, it looks like a strange oversight.
What do you think about this topic? Do you agree or disagree with me? Do you have a recommended news story for next week? Please share your ideas below.
That is my Information Technology Thought of the Day (ITTOD) for April 27, 2010 by Scott Coughlin.
Image Credit: Blu Ray Discs
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As far as I’m concerned, Blu Ray can go the way of LP.
It doesn’t help anyone. True; DVD was a logical step up from VHS. (No more FF or RR, don’t have to worry about the media fading from normal use, etc.)
But Blu Ray is an example of upgrading for the sake of upgrading. It offers nothing but trouble. (Buying a whole new system, a whole new tv, paying twice as much for films, and for not even that much of a difference.)
Add to that that you lose the portable aspects of the dvd. They don’t play on most lap tops. They don’t make good gifts because you can’t be sure your friend has a Blu Ray player. And they have a painful and annoying registration process.
Are all these expense and troubles worth it
for a slightly better picture? I think not.
DVD is good enough. As far as I’m concerned, Blu Ray can rot.