Hmmmm - nearly all the big MacWorld rumors were accurate this year, including a leaked snapshot of the amazingly thin MacBook Air. Compared to last year, Steve’s new product lineups are definitely more evolutionary than revolutionary (AppleTV Take 2 hardware is EXACTLY the same), but what was more interesting was the impending end to DVDs that seem to crop up.

* First, the sexy new MacBook Air requires either an optional DVD player OR a remote connection to someone’s DVD player. It’s the first move by Apple to stop including DVD players in their machines. Remember, they were the first to stop providing floppy disks several years ago and signaled the end of floppies altogether.

* AppleTV’s box helps bring the rental market online, allowing those of us who have not purchased HD DVD or BluRay players to watch HD movies at home. I for one have been really put off by the format war between the studios and would be very happy to see all optical disks be rendered irrelevant. It’s interesting that the AppleTV hardware did not need to be revved, which actually makes sense. No network delivers 1080p feeds and not that many TV sets can play 1080p yet. At 4 GB per movie, a 720p download is plenty big already already - I’d hate to see how big a 1080p movie would be.

I am curious to see how the competition with NetFlix will help accelerate adoption of online delivery. I am still hoping that Apple gets it right and doesn’t pull a Microsoft and cripple video “sharing” within the home environment.

* MacPros did not receive a BluRay upgrade. Considering Apple wants to control the HD movies through iTunes rentals, I figure BluRay is actually a “competing” delivery source and will actually be avoided. I actually think that Microsoft will gently block BluRay success as well, in order to protect digital delivery to XBox.

* HD DVD’s poor showing in 2008 doesn’t mean that BluRay has won, it just means that BluRay is becoming irrelevant slower.

All in all it’s a great trend to encourage. Our goal is to kill off DVD’s throughout the commercial and TV production industry. Hopefully this is a trend that will increase in speed throughout the consumer world.

Regards,

Bill