Thanks! I would be installing linux instead of MacOS, but it does look like the hardware is compromised by this. The page you link specifically mentions these as having the feature:

• All Mac computers with Apple silicon
• MacBook Pro computers with Touch Bar (2016 and 2017) that contain the Apple T1 Chip

It does not say /all/ macbook pros. So I wonder which MacBook pros do not have that T1 chip.

I also somewhat distrust that /all/ mac computers w/Apple silicon. Surely the really old hardware like G3 wouldn’t?¹

The most interesting would be old 2nd-hand hardware that is free from this secure enclave, but still new enough to run recent MacOS if I want to occasionally boot MacOS for hardware testing purposes. I heard the next couple generations of MacOS will require at least an M1 chip. Guess I need to research where that stands w.r.t secure enclave.

(edit) The T2 chip page lists:

• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)

I think the macbook pros that feature non-x86 MacOS would run on were described as having Four Thunderbolt 3 ports, so I guess that rules out macbook pros. IOW, no macbook pro is spychip-free and simultaneously capable of supporting the next MacOS.

¹ I assumed Apple Silicon referred to Motorola chips, but the wikipedia page says Apple Silicon refers to arm chips.

I have not tried much of anything yet. I just got a cheap laptop with a BD which came with Windows and VLC. I popped in a blu-ray disc from the library and it could not handle it… something about not having a aacs decoder or something like that. I didn’t spend any time on it yet but ultimately in principle I would install debian and try to liberate the drive to read BDs.

thanks!

Though I should mention my original motivation with makemkv was to rip blu-ray discs, which has complications that go beyond DVD. But the DVD guide will still be quite useful.