OT: Blu-Ray licenses to get easier and cheaper in 09

For everyone who's been waiting for Blu-Ray support on the Mac, here's a ray of hope:

Mac Rumors: Blu-Ray to get easier and cheaper

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Nice it's about time. The Blu-Ray licensing scheme is really quite draconian. Was for DVDs at first too btw.

-Noah

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It would be nice if Blu-ray device licensing (which is what the post refers to) would be made cheaper, and simpler. That might contribute to some renewed interest from Apple in including BD in Macs (assuming they're not completely convinced to bypass Blu-ray altogether, and go directly to online distro, which sure SEEMS like what they've been doing). (BTW you can BUY a BD device NOW that can be used for data archiving - affordable burners do exist - you just can't WATCH a BD movie on them, on your Mac (yet))).

HOWEVER, having a licensed BD device in your Mac isn't going to change the roadblocks to AUTHORING and PUBLISHING BD that the current AACS licensing scheme creates. As it stands now, only the well-heeled can afford the cost of licensing and publishing on BD-ROM. The rest of the non-Hollywood publishing community has to make do with the BD-recordable format (which, thankfully, is seeing a price decline as quantities sold are increasing).

When replication and AACS licensing are made affordable for all, there SHOULD be a significant increase in the number of publishers who will take advantage of Blu-ray Disc replication. At that point, having a licensed BD device in a Mac will complete the circle. Until then, I'm not sure how much it's going to help. (This is my personal 2 cents, not an official comment from the IDMA/DVDA, althougg the IDMA's position is that AACS really needs to be made affordable and easier - visit our website to sign our BD petition, and take our BD survey - www.idmadvda.org)


- Bruce Nazarian, "the digital guy"