iMac revision, will we see Blu-Ray?

This week should see Apple release new versions of the iMac if the rumour sites are to be believed.

I wonder as well as new chips, etc… we will see the first Macs to have Blu-Ray drives?

It was back in 2005 that Apple joined the Blu-Ray consortium. MacWorld at that time said:

Apple did more than just affiliate with a trade group looking to develop and promote a new technology when it announced plans last week to join the Blu-Ray Disc Association’s board of directors. The company also inserted itself right into the middle of a battle over high-definition DVD.

Since joining the association we have not seen a single Mac with a integrated Blu-Ray drive. Third party developers (such as Roxio) have been providing Blu-Ray support for external Blu-Ray drives, however no such Apple drive has been seen.

Of course back in 2005 was the start of the HD format war, which saw HD-DVD lose this war back in February. Blu-Ray had won the format war.

So could now be the time we see Blu-Ray for the first time on the Mac platform?

Of course though Blu-Ray won the war, both Microsoft and Apple seem to be ignoring the physical HD formats and concentrating on the HD download market, with xBox Live and Apple TV.