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Mac Mini and external blu-ray player

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  Mac Mini and external blu-ray player Otto Pylot <otto@bogus.address.com> - 2014-03-10 18:04 -0700
    Re: Mac Mini and external blu-ray player Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> - 2014-03-11 01:23 +0000
      Re: Mac Mini and external blu-ray player Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2014-03-11 17:01 -0400
        Rush (Was Re: Mac Mini and external blu-ray player) Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2014-03-11 21:42 +0000
    Re: Mac Mini and external blu-ray player Lewis <g.kreme@gmail.com.dontsendmecopies> - 2014-03-11 05:08 +0000
    Re: Mac Mini and external blu-ray player Kaltsas, Alexander G <macdude22@yahoo.com> - 2014-03-11 12:15 -0500
      Re: Mac Mini and external blu-ray player Otto Pylot <otto@bogus.address.com> - 2014-03-11 20:16 -0700
    Re: Mac Mini and external blu-ray player Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> - 2014-03-11 17:06 -0400

#57877 — Mac Mini and external blu-ray player

My nephew wants to buy a Mac Mini so he came to me for advice. It's
been quite awhile since I purchased a "desktop" so I'm not sure what is
a good, reliable external blu-ray drive for movie playback. The
SuperDrive is only a combo so I'm not sure what's out there. I'm open
to any and all suggestions. He's a college student so cost is
definitely a factor as well as small form factor.

-- 
Deja Moo: I've seen this bullshit before. Please respond to: scasse@invalid.net
replacing invalid with sonic.

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#57878

On 2014-03-11, Otto Pylot <otto@bogus.address.com> wrote:
> My nephew wants to buy a Mac Mini so he came to me for advice. It's
> been quite awhile since I purchased a "desktop" so I'm not sure what is
> a good, reliable external blu-ray drive for movie playback. The
> SuperDrive is only a combo so I'm not sure what's out there. I'm open
> to any and all suggestions. He's a college student so cost is
> definitely a factor as well as small form factor.

(Disclaimer: I don't do Blu-Ray...)

I've enjoyed LaCie's DVD drives over the years, and bet their Blu-Ray
drives have similar build quality and compatibility:

<http://www.lacie.com/products/range.htm?id=10058>

I also tend to like OWC's offerings:

<https://eshop.macsales.com/search/external+blu+ray>

-- 
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

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#57900

On 2014.03.10, 21:23 , Jolly Roger wrote:
> On 2014-03-11, Otto Pylot <otto@bogus.address.com> wrote:
>> My nephew wants to buy a Mac Mini so he came to me for advice. It's
>> been quite awhile since I purchased a "desktop" so I'm not sure what is
>> a good, reliable external blu-ray drive for movie playback. The
>> SuperDrive is only a combo so I'm not sure what's out there. I'm open
>> to any and all suggestions. He's a college student so cost is
>> definitely a factor as well as small form factor.
>
> (Disclaimer: I don't do Blu-Ray...)

Too bad.  The sharp crisp 1080p / 60 is very nice to watch, esp. if the 
production was well done and the screen is plasma.  (Upconverted DVD is 
very nice, but nowhere near as crisp.).  Streamed video is just not 
there yet and often doesn't have the full complement of sound channels 
and depth.

I've only bought about 30 BD titles to date.  But it's usually what I 
rent (including the recent "Nebraska" which is a hoot and "Rush" which 
deserved BluRay (not a bad movie either)).

> I've enjoyed LaCie's DVD drives over the years, and bet their Blu-Ray
> drives have similar build quality and compatibility:

Generally overpriced.  Equivalent spec and performing devices are 
usually less expensive.  I have bought one (ext. HD.  It was on 
clearance) for my son - it was delivered with a faulty FW cable.  They 
did replace it quickly (and it was a different model cable).

>
> <http://www.lacie.com/products/range.htm?id=10058>
>
> I also tend to like OWC's offerings:
>
> <https://eshop.macsales.com/search/external+blu+ray>

Yep.


-- 
   Privacy has become an essential personal chore that most
   people are not trained to perform.
                  - Jaron Lanier, Scientific American, 2013.11.

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#57903 — Rush (Was Re: Mac Mini and external blu-ray player)

In message <_-adne1o29hb5ILOnZ2dnUVZ_rmdnZ2d@giganews.com> 
  Alan Browne <alan.browne@FreelunchVideotron.ca> wrote:
> I've only bought about 30 BD titles to date.  But it's usually what I 
> rent (including the recent "Nebraska" which is a hoot and "Rush" which 
> deserved BluRay (not a bad movie either)).

The thing I think I liked most about Rush was that it felt very much
like a true story and not like a Hollywood rewrite of a true story.

-- 
'People need vampires,' she [Granny] said. 'They helps 'em remember what
stakes and garlic are for.' --Carpe Jugulum

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#57884

In message <100320141804167826%otto@bogus.address.com> 
  Otto Pylot <otto@bogus.address.com> wrote:
> My nephew wants to buy a Mac Mini so he came to me for advice. It's
> been quite awhile since I purchased a "desktop" so I'm not sure what is
> a good, reliable external blu-ray drive for movie playback. The
> SuperDrive is only a combo so I'm not sure what's out there. I'm open
> to any and all suggestions. He's a college student so cost is
> definitely a factor as well as small form factor.

Short version: Macs do not playback blurays.

Long version: It won't be free. It won't be cheap. The software sucks
(unless it's gotten a lot better very recently), but it's possible.


-- 
'Oh, I never play to win.' She smiled. 'But I do play not to lose.'

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#57892

[Multipart message — attachments visible in raw view] — view raw

On 2014-03-11 01:04:16 +0000, Otto Pylot said:

> My nephew wants to buy a Mac Mini so he came to me for advice. It's
> been quite awhile since I purchased a "desktop" so I'm not sure what is
> a good, reliable external blu-ray drive for movie playback. The
> SuperDrive is only a combo so I'm not sure what's out there. I'm open
> to any and all suggestions. He's a college student so cost is
> definitely a factor as well as small form factor.

I have an OWC Slim Bluray drive that works fine.  

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MRSSBDR6X/

They appear to be significantly cheaper than when I bought mine. 

I use it with Toast and Mac Blu Ray Player. I've never burned a blu ray 
disk with it, only DVDs.

Mac Blu Ray Player is somewhat bare bones but it's always played the 
disks I've thrown at it. They did recently add menu support which can 
be somewhat glitchy but they have been good about supplying frequent 
updates.

http://www.macblurayplayer.com/

If you have any questions about this combo, or would like me to test 
something please let me know.

-alex-

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#57905

In article <531f4495$0$25721$862e30e2@ngroups.net>, Kaltsas, Alexander
G <macdude22@yahoo.com> wrote:

> On 2014-03-11 01:04:16 +0000, Otto Pylot said:
> 
> > My nephew wants to buy a Mac Mini so he came to me for advice. It's
> > been quite awhile since I purchased a "desktop" so I'm not sure what is
> > a good, reliable external blu-ray drive for movie playback. The
> > SuperDrive is only a combo so I'm not sure what's out there. I'm open
> > to any and all suggestions. He's a college student so cost is
> > definitely a factor as well as small form factor.
> 
> I have an OWC Slim Bluray drive that works fine.  
> 
> http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/MRSSBDR6X/
> 
> They appear to be significantly cheaper than when I bought mine. 
> 
> I use it with Toast and Mac Blu Ray Player. I've never burned a blu ray 
> disk with it, only DVDs.
> 
> Mac Blu Ray Player is somewhat bare bones but it's always played the 
> disks I've thrown at it. They did recently add menu support which can 
> be somewhat glitchy but they have been good about supplying frequent 
> updates.
> 
> http://www.macblurayplayer.com/
> 
> If you have any questions about this combo, or would like me to test 
> something please let me know.
> 
> -alex-

I found  one from mctech.com, MCE Super-BluDrive, that comes with Mac
BluRay Player software with a free, one year license, or for $20 you
can get a lifetime license. I don't expect my nephew to be ripping and
burning blu-rays, he's more of a movie watcher than a ripper/burner. He
just wants to watch blu-rays movies with no problems, and still stay
within his meager budget.

-- 
Deja Moo: I've seen this bullshit before. Please respond to: scasse@invalid.net
replacing invalid with sonic.

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#57901

On 2014.03.10, 21:04 , Otto Pylot wrote:
> My nephew wants to buy a Mac Mini so he came to me for advice. It's
> been quite awhile since I purchased a "desktop" so I'm not sure what is
> a good, reliable external blu-ray drive for movie playback. The
> SuperDrive is only a combo so I'm not sure what's out there. I'm open
> to any and all suggestions. He's a college student so cost is
> definitely a factor as well as small form factor.

He should get a generic BluRay player (burner).  They are not expensive 
and will play on Mac - though he will need specific s/w to do so.  I'm 
not sure if there is a decent freeware player out there...

Some basics guidance here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/2042431/watch-and-rip-blu-ray-movies-on-your-mac.html

And here (more of a commercial)
http://www.macworld.com/article/2084815/turn-your-mac-into-the-ultimate-blu-ray-player.html

-- 
   Privacy has become an essential personal chore that most
   people are not trained to perform.
                  - Jaron Lanier, Scientific American, 2013.11.

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