Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 47:
Unfortunately, merging movies in QuickTime re-
quires a re-encode, and you don't have much control over the fi-
nal file size.
5. Click Share.
A progress window appears. Expect the conversion to take at least two hours, so go watch a
movie or something while QuickTime does its thing.
The Blu-ray Bag of Hurt
Yes, you can rip Blu-ray discs! But the process is a smidge different from ripping normal
DVDs, and you need additional hardware and software.
Apple will never sell a Mac with a built-in Blu-ray drive (Steve Jobs once called Blu-ray a
“bag of hurt”), so you need to purchase an external Blu-ray drive if you don't already own
one. I use the $85
Samsung SE-506BB
Blu-ray writer
recommended by The Wirecutter
,
but
it doesn't include any viewer software for theMac (butthat's okay, because you'll beviewing
the content on the Apple TV). Unfortunately, if you want to watch Blu-ray movies on your
Mac in addition to just ripping them, the software is pricey—from $30 to $50. If you prefer
a drive that includes software, you may want to look at the $79
MCE Super-BluDrive
, but it
can't write to Blu-ray discs, only read from them (though it can burn DVDs).
You will also need extra software, because HandBrake can't decode Blu-ray movies. For-
tunately,
AuroraMacBlu-rayCopy
isafreeutilitythatcandecryptandextractanentireBlu-
ray movie to your drive.
In addition to a Blu-ray drive and decryption software, you also need a lot of drive space.
MostDVDmoviesmaxoutat9GB.Blu-raymoviesontheotherhandhoveraroundawhop-
ping50GB.Asaresult,rippingisalengthy,processor-intensiveprocess.It'sbesttostartthe
process before you go to bed and let it run through the night.