BLU Ray support???????

Correct, for pro apps there are only three. BluPrint, Scenarist and now Do Studio. Did you bother pricing any of those out? And yes, none of the them run on Macs. I still greatly prefer to edit in FCP over anything available for Windows. Your cheapest solution would be running Do Studio with bootcamp. Or you could buy a whole new Windows system and a whole new editing suite, just to have Do Studio.

The question is do you need pro level BluRay authoring? Are you just providing your client with HD video on a disc or are you designing sophisticated menus and interactivity? Are you going to send your disc out for replication? BluStreak for the Mac will help you out with that. Are your clients asking for sophicated menus, or just HD video on a disc? How many clients are asking for BluRay? Enough to cover your costs? I have very few clients ask for BluRay. Most still ask for DVDs. And DVDs still greatly outsell BluRay discs of the same title. Maybe in a couple of years that might change, or maybe the internet will be everyone's primary source for movies. Witness Hulu, iTunes, Netflix and now YouTube.

Then buy a PC.

But constant whining here contributes what?

You have Encore CS3/4, Toast 9/10, and Compressor 3.5 to encode.

Install Bootcamp, and purchase a cheap PC blu ray player app, and you're done.

Your opinion has been stated here over and over. You use the word "professional" as the catch to place Blu-ray out of the reach of Apple. I've seen you state over and over that you use the high-end tools, and I'm impressed. But for me, we're 90% complete for what I need. Give me the Final Cut Studio tools and workflow that I was sold, but include Blu-ray as output - Oh, and give me the ability to watch the disk on my workstation. Apple obviously bet on HD and was wrong, but, if case you haven't looked down, the world of industrial video is rapidly changing to high-definition.

I would hate to think that the companies who sell high-end "Blu-ray authoring" systems and/or their services would discourage Apple from fixing DVDSP. I agree with your contention that DVDSP would never have all the tools necessary to compete in your lofty "professional" business space.

Harold You have the same opportunity as me or anyone else on this list to produce the kind of work you want for your clients. Just don't count on Apple providing those tools. Thats just the way it is. The tools I use are not mine but you can bet, if I were working for myself, Id be using Do Studio.

You can bet companies who provide high end BD tools will discourage Apple from entering into the BD market. Look what DVDSP/Maestro did to DVD authoring. Authoring used to be a black art and it paid well to those who knew how to do such work.

DVDSP doesn't need fixing - its a DVD authoring tool. Apple will need a new tool if they were to enter the BD market. One thing Apple does not is make crap! Apple would never release something like Encore...its just not how they work thank God!

For the record, when you get Do Studio 😉 you won't want to playback on a computer anyway. Your testing should be done on a set top and a good monitor only.

Eric,
Thanks for being a good sport! However, I reserve the right to disagree.
As someone who has also founded a UNIX software company, I don't believe it would be that big a job to give DVDSP the ability to output to Blu-ray disks. This opinion is based on what we can do with Blu-ray in FCS today, however clumsy it may be.

So... then FCS does everything you want. It does now offer BluRay as output. So what are you complaining about?

BTW, Apple did bet on HD, not HD DVD, but HD over the internet.

Shawn,

Please tell me where I said FCS does everything I want.

Why is HD DVD still in the DVDSP?

Point me to a credible reference that Apple bet on HD over the internet, and then I will believe it is something other than your opinion.

Thanks for helping to keep the thread alive. Maybe Apple will notice that all is not well.

Please tell me where I said FCS does everything I want.

I think the issue there is no software that will do everything that every person wants. I know you commented on this issue, but not sure exactly what you want.

If it is do do basic things (simple menu and playback) so your clients can watch what you produce, it is pretty much there. If you need more than that, there are other options, such as Encore and the other options that mentioned. The entire Final Cut Studio is fairly inexpensive at this point and rather comprehensive. Is it lacking for some things? I am sure each of us have a wishlist.

You can submit a feature request to Apple, but bumping this thread or discussing the issue on the forum is not going to really change things. Perhaps they look, but generally asking for the feature is going to be the best way to go.

I have Encore and use it with material from other parts of Final Cut Studio (such as edited items, etc.) It will do basic blu-ray authoring to some degree for under $1,000. (Think it was $799 last I looked with Premiere) The options are out there. DoStudio is $3,000. Again if blu-ray is important to a business, there are options out there at a reasonable price and which can be implemented into workflows. Some smoother than others. If the workflow is not that smooth (meaning it costs time for things that are generating income and blowing deadlines) then it sounds like another tool is needed to ensure business continues. If the price of $799 or $3,000 is too much, then perhaps blu-ray is really not that critical to the business.

Even doing a few small jobs will pay for it, and the things you describe you do sound like you are way past just making DVDs for friends (meaning that is a compliment and you should probably focus on getting what you need now to meet client demands and keep income coming in) since DVD SP does not do what you need it to do. Sort of like if you are a carpenter and you need to drive nails into a 2 x 4. You can drive yourself nuts using the handle of a screwdriver and wondering why the company does not make a screwdriver with a handle to drive nails, or you can get the hammer and just get the job done.

I understand the situation and frustration that it is not what you need and has not been changed, but at some point the aggrevation and worry cuts into what you (any of us "you") need to get done.

Harold Abbott wrote:
Point me to a credible reference that Apple bet on HD over the internet, and then I will believe it is something other than your opinion.

Uh...here.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/

Andy

Andy,
That's an inference. Not credible!
Hal

I'm doing what I need to do for my customers, and it's more painful than it needs to be. But i'll deal with it! If the time comes when it's obvious to me that Apple has abandoned (independents) us for what ever reason, it's OK. That's when I'll quit the fight with Apple. But I love what we're able to do with video today too much to surrender to corporate short-time interests. What we're doing is too important! Maybe Steve needs a heart transplant!

Umm, yes it is credible. Apple has been distributing HD videos over the internet for years now, via iTunes, and Apple TV. iMovie and Compressor are both set up to easy create HD movies, but until now with their support of BluRay, the only way to distribute those videos was via the internet. DVD SP cannot create HD DVD discs, it can only put HD material on DVD-R/+R discs to be played back on Macs only. Toshiba changed the programming on their HD DVD players to play these Mac only discs. So in reality, Apple did nothing to support the HD DVD format.

So why does DVD SP still have that HD support still built in? Simple. Apple has done nothing with DVD SP for two generations of FCS now. They are not putting any money into adding anything to DVDSP, they certainly wouldn't put money into taking something away.

So FCS doesn't do everything you want it to. You haven't said that you want anything more the ability to burn BluRay discs. FCS can do that now. Can you afford a pro level BluRay authoring program? Why should Apple give you something like that for free? DVD SP, when it first came out, was sold separate from FCP for $1,000.

Hey Steve
I also have a produktion, and have many customer waiting for Blu-ray.
I thing that I would give Apple half a year , to update DVDSP.
And if they doesn´t update until there, I will bye Encore CS 4.

Encore can make the same as DVDSP 4, but you can´t make transition to a button.
And the Blu ray disc ,you can make in Encore, it can be played on all Blu ray players.

A good Blu ray burner it a Lacie.
Regards
Almfeldt

Hi guys,

I should point out that there is now a Blu-ray audio encoding option for Compressor.

www.dtshdforcompressor.com

This doesn't solve the authoring part per say, but at least allows you to stay in your workflow to encode the audio streams.