[freudling]

I have the second revision MacBook Pro, 2.16 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 15"er.

I just ordered the Bladerunner 5 disc set (HD DVD). I am running Leopard, and I also have the latest VLC installed. Can anyone give a firm answer on this?

Here is what wiki says:

First-party (Apple, Inc.) player software is included with Leopard, making it the first operating system (OS) to ship with native HD DVD playing software, albeit limited to HD DVD disks authored by DVD Studio Pro.[53]

[TailsToo]

Firm answer is that it will not play. Apple has not put a High Def drive into any of their computers yet. You have the software in the OS, but that doesn't mean that you have the hardware.

[mduell]

Even if you did have a HD DVD drive (which you don't), DVD Player.app only plays unencrypted (which effectively means non-commericial) HD DVDs.

[Remxed]

i believe mac is going blu ray anyways.. there's news that theyre gonna introduce bluray drives soon.

[Cadaver]

Originally Posted by freudling 

I have the second revision MacBook Pro, 2.16 Ghz Core 2 Duo, 15"er.

I just ordered the Bladerunner 5 disc set (HD DVD). I am running Leopard, and I also have the latest VLC installed. Can anyone give a firm answer on this?

Here is what wiki says:

First-party (Apple, Inc.) player software is included with Leopard, making it the first operating system (OS) to ship with native HD DVD playing software, albeit limited to HD DVD disks authored by DVD Studio Pro.[53]

The wiki is wrong here, anyway. I think it was 10.4 (but might have even been 10.3) that introduced the ability to play "high-definition" DVD, though its not what we think of as HD-DVD today. DVD Studio Pro has the ability to encode high resolution content on to a standard DVD and play it back on a Mac running 10.4 (or is it 10.3?). The Aperture introduction discs have a high-def track on them and when you play it (with DVD Player.app) you get the option to play either the standard resolution or the high resolution version. But this is not what we consider "HD-DVD" today (i.e., special media written to and read by a blue-wavelength laser).

So, no. No Mac available today will play a commercial HD-DVD (or Blu-Ray disc). Even if you physically connect an HD-DVD or BD drive to your Mac, the DVD Player.app doesn't decode the copy protection encryption on commercial movie discs.

Perhaps something will be released at MacWorld next week (Blu-Ray most likely if anything) since Apple is on the Blu-Ray Association.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by Remxed 

i believe mac is going blu ray anyways.. there's news that theyre gonna introduce bluray drives soon.

Apple is one of the companies on the Blu Ray board of directors (or some such fancy name), so it's only a matter of time until Blu Ray is available for Macs.

[parkds]

Originally Posted by Cadaver 

The wiki is wrong here, anyway. I think it was 10.4 (but might have even been 10.3) that introduced the ability to play "high-definition" DVD, though its not what we think of as HD-DVD today. DVD Studio Pro has the ability to encode high resolution content on to a standard DVD and play it back on a Mac running 10.4 (or is it 10.3?). The Aperture introduction discs have a high-def track on them and when you play it (with DVD Player.app) you get the option to play either the standard resolution or the high resolution version. But this is not what we consider "HD-DVD" today (i.e., special media written to and read by a blue-wavelength laser).

So, no. No Mac available today will play a commercial HD-DVD (or Blu-Ray disc). Even if you physically connect an HD-DVD or BD drive to your Mac, the DVD Player.app doesn't decode the copy protection encryption on commercial movie discs.

Perhaps something will be released at MacWorld next week (Blu-Ray most likely if anything) since Apple is on the Blu-Ray Association.

Actually...in regards to HD-DVD and DVD-SP, what DVD-SP allows you to record onto a standard DVD is the unencrypted version of a HD-DVD. You can encode (in Compressor) and burn a DVD in DVD-SP that will playback on a set-top HD-DVD player and be recognized as an HD-DVD. The result looks stunning!

I think we will see a true BD solution from Apple shortly, especially with the death of HD-DVD looming.

[Xarthan]

le gasp! time to get rid of my matrix HD-DVD set! I wish the BD would come out!!

[mduell]

HD video content on standard DVD5/DVD9 disks is known as 3X DVD.

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

Apple is one of the companies on the Blu Ray board of directors (or some such fancy name), so it's only a matter of time until Blu Ray is available for Macs.

Aren't they also in the HD-DVD alliance or forum or whatever they call it?

[PaperNotes]

Originally Posted by mduell 

Aren't they also in the HD-DVD alliance or forum or whatever they call it?

No, that was the original DVD forum that Apple was part of.

You can play HD-DVD or Blu-ray discs through Windows and Power DVD if you must.

[thetman]

In case it matters at all I took my Xbox 360 Hd-DVD drive and hooked it up to my MBP right after i install leopard. It's an official - does not work.