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Welcome to Techsurvivors => Tech => Topic started by: Jack W on February 24, 2013, 12:30:19 PM

Title: Read & Play HD-DVD on Mac
Post by: Jack W on February 24, 2013, 12:30:19 PM
The old HD-DVD format that lost out to Sony.

Have one or two that won't play on either of my DVD players hooked up  to my TV.
Or mount on my iMac.

Any add-on software out there that will allow these to load & play on a Mac?

Thanks,

Jack
Title: Read & Play HD-DVD on Mac
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 24, 2013, 05:08:18 PM
Actually, it was Toshiba:
QUOTE
HD DVD (short for High-Definition/Density DVD) is a discontinued high-density optical disc format for storing data and high-definition video.[1] Supported principally by Toshiba, HD DVD was envisioned to be the successor to the standard DVD format. In February 2008, after a protracted format war with rival Blu-ray Disc, Toshiba abandoned the format, announcing it no longer developed or manufactured HD DVD players or drives.
Possible apps:If you already have an external (hardware) HD-DVD player, here's a box that can output the video/audio via FireWire to your Mac... <ADVC-HD50, Grass Valley.com> ~$675 wink.gif

Never mind, all the above seem to simply use "HD" in a generic meaning that has nothing to do with HD-DVDs. wallbash.gif
Title: Read & Play HD-DVD on Mac
Post by: Jack W on February 24, 2013, 06:55:10 PM
Jim,

Problem is, DVD/HD disks won't even mount.

So I need some kind of driver, or such, that would permit mounting the disk.

No sense having conversion software if you can't mount the disk!

At the time of the BluRay-DVD/HD 'wars', I was rooting for DVD/HD to win.

I'm not that enamored by Sony. Weren't they the main force behind Blu-Ray?

I have a Sony BDP-S590 BluRay player on my TV-HiFi system. (supports 3D which I have none of - TV is 2D)

Controller is VERY limited and simple. Player is very limited.

It does have WiFi, so I can download stuff fron the internet. Many sites available for this. Including Netflix and Hulu, etc. etc.

I think Sony was the main force behind Beta-Max, in the VHS-BetaMax wars, but they lost that war.
They keep coming out with their proprietary equipment and ideas that are incompatible with all other existing equipment.

How many of you out there have BluRay discs? I have none.


Jack
Title: Read & Play HD-DVD on Mac
Post by: Paddy on February 24, 2013, 09:39:23 PM
Jack (and Jim) - this is a HARDWARE problem, not a software problem. Macs can't read HD-DVD discs - they use a different sort of laser than the one in the optical drives in Macs (and PCs for that matter). Toshiba abandoned the format in 2008; it simply hadn't caught on. An old XBox-360 could work, if you have access to one. Google "XBox360 + HD-DVD" for details. Other than that, or finding an old HD-DVD player, methinks you're out of luck.
Title: Read & Play HD-DVD on Mac
Post by: Jack W on February 25, 2013, 03:07:15 AM
Thanks Paddy.

End of quest.

Anybody want the original Transformers movie on DVD/HD ?
Title: Read & Play HD-DVD on Mac
Post by: Xairbusdriver on February 25, 2013, 09:01:54 AM
Correct, HD-DVD players use a blue laser, I think. Whatever the color, it is a higher frequency to allow smaller 'bit' burning in the substrate, thus increasing the amount of info that can be placed on the same, physical sized platter.

The hardware player should still work.

As for various competing formats for all sorts of things (VHS/BetaMax, HD-DVD/BluRay(SP?), Windows/Apple, etc.). There are few 'formats' developed outside corporate entities. Thus, they will almost always start out as 'proprietary.' But if they are developed by a business, they have a monetary interest in having the format adopted. It is rare that more than one 'format' survives. And the one that does may not be the best. Most people will simply vote with their dollars/pounds/euros/etc. Cheap often wins over best. sad.gif

No, I don't have any BluRay disks/discs. Never bought a player. We currently don't even have a DVD player in the house (nor outside, either!) other than the ones in our computers. So, don't blame me for the HD-DVD/BluRay war! laughhard.gif
Title: Read & Play HD-DVD on Mac
Post by: Highmac on February 25, 2013, 10:08:15 AM
We chose the third offering on the market in Europe in the early 80s - V2000, developed by Philips and Grundig. It used tape cassettes similar in appearance and size to VHS, but were double-sided, like audio cassettes (2x4hr). A TV engineer neighbour reckoned it was actually a better system than either of the other two, but had lost out in marketing. (Wikipedia seems to support this last point). He put BetaMax as second best and VHS in third - just his opinion. Ours lasted almost 20 years before it became impractical to spend cash on repairs and it went to the "recycling centre" along with its tapes.


Not ours, just an image from the "old technology" website.

Fortunately choosing a Mac in 1999 was a much better idea biggrin.gif
Title: Read & Play HD-DVD on Mac
Post by: tacit on February 26, 2013, 02:34:26 PM
QUOTE(Jack W @ Feb 24 2013, 06:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The old HD-DVD format that lost out to Sony.

Have one or two that won't play on either of my DVD players hooked up  to my TV.
Or mount on my iMac.

Any add-on software out there that will allow these to load & play on a Mac?

Thanks,

Jack


This may be obvious, but...do you have an HD DVD player attached to your Mac?
Title: Read & Play HD-DVD on Mac
Post by: Jack W on February 26, 2013, 03:11:51 PM
QUOTE(tacit @ Feb 26 2013, 03:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE(Jack W @ Feb 24 2013, 06:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The old HD-DVD format that lost out to Sony.

Have one or two that won't play on either of my DVD players hooked up  to my TV.
Or mount on my iMac.

Any add-on software out there that will allow these to load & play on a Mac?

Thanks,

Jack


This may be obvious, but...do you have an HD DVD player attached to your Mac?
I have no HD DVD players anywhere, on my Mac or on my entertainment system.

Jack
Title: Read & Play HD-DVD on Mac
Post by: tacit on March 05, 2013, 04:25:33 AM
QUOTE(Jack W @ Feb 26 2013, 09:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE(tacit @ Feb 26 2013, 03:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE(Jack W @ Feb 24 2013, 06:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The old HD-DVD format that lost out to Sony.

Have one or two that won't play on either of my DVD players hooked up  to my TV.
Or mount on my iMac.

Any add-on software out there that will allow these to load & play on a Mac?

Thanks,

Jack


This may be obvious, but...do you have an HD DVD player attached to your Mac?
I have no HD DVD players anywhere, on my Mac or on my entertainment system.

Jack


Without an HD player, you can't play HD DVD discs. Software won't help--the players are physically different. It'd be like looking for software that will let you see color on a black and white monitor. Sorry...