Apple Backs Blu-ray

zaxios writes "The New York Times is reporting that Apple has joined the Blu-ray Disc Association, and will use Blu-ray in upcoming versions of iMovie and Final Cut. The move puts Apple among Sony, Matsushita, Dell, HP and Walt Disney in supporting Blu-ray; companies including Toshiba, NEC, Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema, Universal and Paramount are pledged to adopt the competing HD-DVD format. Apple's support confirms Blu-ray's future dominance on the desktop, but the division in Hollywood and notebook manufacturers between the two HD videodiscs will ensure the bona fide format war we were all secretly pining for."

Lucky....

[gnoos]

...its not Microsoft backing Blu Ray or we'd have to turn against HD DVD.

Sony & Blu-Ray

[Lev13than]

Well, now that Sony's on board we know it's a real standard. This is good news, as I can finally archive my collection of Betamax tapes.

shiny plastic

[jgercken]

It'll be interesting to see what the Apple design team comes up for the external blue ray drives. Wonder what color they'll be...

Re:shiny plastic

[Quiet_Desperation]

Wonder what color they'll be...

Well, duh! They'll be green, of course!

Re:IBM

[WormholeFiend]

Apple plus IBM's support

BigBluRay and iBluRay.

Sounds like prison love to me.

You're all wrong

[DrinkingIllini]

Whichever one I buy will be the one that loses. *kicks beta max*

Re:HD-DVD will win out

[dsginter]

I really think the HD-DVD will win simply becuase of the name.

But you haven't seen the logo for BluRay yet. It's going to be a shark with a freakin' blue laser mounted on its head. In its teeth will be an HD-DVD.

This will scare consumers into thinking that they could possibly be attacked if they were to buy an HD-DVD.

Oh Great

[DrinkingIllini]

Now there will be TWO other ways for them to release about a billion old movies and tv shows...I own about 5 copies of the Star Wars Trilogy as it is.

Re:Sucks to be an early adopter

[Anonymous Coward]

"At the risk of dating myself..."

Not to worry. 99% of the readership here has no other option.

"Mom, Dad. I'd like you to meet my right hand"

Re:Sucks to be an early adopter

[TrueJim]

As long as they watch old movies, even young whipper-snappers should know that floppy disks used to be considered very expensive. After all, floppies were the penalty that Anthony Michael Hall had to pay if he couldn't get Molly Ringwald's panties in the John Hughes' film, "Sixteen Candles".

"I mean, not many girls in contemporary American society today would give their underwear to help a geek like me."

Re:HD-DVD will win out

[donscarletti]

They could easily hold an entire sporting event

You need to see some cricket some time. Where they have especially short games known as "one day" matches.

Re:The invisible elephant

[LWATCDR]

Apple+Sony+... IBM?
Good heavens. Think about it. IBM is making the CPUs for Apple [G5] and Sony [PS3]. Could we see the ultimate mega media tech company?
Could this be end of all personal freedom?
Could Steve rule the world!
I have really got to stop watching the discovery channel.

Re:Coffee spewed on monitor...

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey ladies. WOODY's here!

Re:It doesn't matter

[soops1966]

Blue-ray will fail because the disks won't play in the current installed base of DVD players. People now have DVD players in their living rooms, SUVs, cars, laptops, desktops, bedrooms, kitchens, vacation homes-- do you really want to explain to your kid that the new Spiderman3 Blue-ray disk they bought won't play in the minivan?

My kids are already complaining that we don't have a minivan to have a DVD player in! I could fit one to the back of my coat but the picture would be a bit jumpy.

Re:It doesn't matter

[Anonymous Coward]

"... Stores will only have to stock one disk. This will decide it...."

I thought the p0rn industry was the one who would decided what the winning format would be.

Re:Lucky....

[Alan Partridge]

The nerd army! The most unpleasant and ineffective fighting force since the US Army! Completely defeatable by offering them a sneak peak at some Star Wars behind the scenes footage or a 10% discount on a Star trek boxed set of DVDs.

Re:Coffee spewed on monitor...

[winkydink]

No it will be PiXXXar, a wholly-owned subsdidiary. :)

don't forget Memory Sticks!

[fritter]

Sony also pioneered Memory Stick media, which has found a range of uses - all the way from digital cameras manufactured by Sony, to digital camcorders manufactured by Sony! They hold a wide range of advantages over other, cheaper media - such as their stick shape!