Jobs: Blu-ray is a "bag of hurt"

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 15 Oct 2008 at 08:36

Apple boss Steve Jobs has launched a scathing attack on Blu-ray, describing the HD disc format as a "bag of hurt".

Explaining why Apple had decided not to include Blu-ray drives in its revamped MacBook line-up, Jobs said the format caused too much pain for manufacturers and customers alike.

"You know, Blu-ray is a bag of hurt," Jobs claimed, according to a transcript of his post-launch Q&A published on Arstechnica. "The licensing is so complex - we're waiting until things settle down before we burden our customers with the cost of the licensing and the cost of the drives."

Jobs' comments could further harm the prospects of the HD format, which has so far failed to gain significant momentum since it saw off the threat of rival HD-DVD at the beginning of the year.

The Apple boss also explained his company's decision to eschew HDMI in favour of the DisplayPort connections being integrated into all new Macs. Jobs said HDMI was "limited in the resolution it can drive," with his colleague Phil Schiller claiming that "for typical computer use, DisplayPort is the connector of the future."

Apple's new 24in, 1,920 x 1,200 Cinema Display uses the DisplayPort to connect with the new range of MacBooks.

Click here for full details of Apple's latest MacBooks and other new products.