QuickTime 7.5.7 for DisplayPort Allows Standard Definition Playback

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/11/25/quicktime-7-5-7-for-displayport-allows-standard-definition-playback/)

Apple has issued a new QuickTime update for the new MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air which come equipped with the mini DisplayPort. The update addresses the issue of standard definition playback through the DisplayPort:This update is recommended for owners of MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro with Mini DisplayPort. The update addresses an issue where some standard definition purchases from the iTunes Store do not play on some external displays.Based on early testing by MacRumors reader Ampidire, this update now allows standard definition (SD) content to play unhindered over the mini DisplayPort.

Just last week (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/11/18/apple-incorporates-hdcp-copy-protection-in-new-laptops/), it was revealed that Apple's new mini DisplayPort enforces HDCP protection. This prevents the playback of HDCP flagged content over non-secure video output. In the example given, one customer was unable to play back an SD iTunes movie over a mini DisplayPort VGA connector. Several readers objected to this restriction as iTunes movies downloaded to your computer are only offered in standard definition at this time, while the HDCP protection was intended to prevent digital copying of high definition content.

This latest update appears to remove the HDCP enforcement on standard definition content, which means that current movie content purchased or rented on a Mac should playback unrestricted. While Apple does offer high definition movies for rental through Apple TV, it's not clear when Apple will begin offering this to Mac users.


Article Link: QuickTime 7.5.7 for DisplayPort Allows Standard Definition Playback (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/11/25/quicktime-7-5-7-for-displayport-allows-standard-definition-playback/)

[Sky Blue]

so ...yay(ish)?

[h.21]

Very good news.

[PlaceofDis]

good news, should've never made it out there the way it was previously.

[arn]

ya, it would never had become a story if Apple had issued this from the start. I don't know if there's any HD TV content that is flagged with HDCP.

arn

[Ampidire]

anytime arn.

[Mal]

I'm sure it was just an overlooked thing. The copy protection standards don't include that restriction, from what I understand.

jW

[Boston135]

Hooray! Now I won't be annoyed at this whenever I get my new MacBook... stupid old projector without digital inputs. hmph.

[blizaine]

Wow! Nice move apple :)

[motulist]

DRM is awful. All it does is make pirating more attractive. If you pay for a DRMed media file, maybe it'll play when and where you want, but sometimes it wont. If you pirate a media file, it will definitely play where and when you want. So all DRM does is make the pirated version superior to the version you can legally buy. This leads to even more people choosing to pirate their media.

DRM, it's bad for the consumer, it's bad for the content producers, it's bad for the distribution companies, it's bad for everyone. So why does the entertainment industry insist on hurting themselves and us with worth-than-useless DRM?

[skellener]

Eliminate DRM (http://www.defectivebydesign.org)

[ATimson]

DRM, it's bad for the consumer, it's bad for the content producers, it's bad for the distribution companies, it's bad for everyone. So why does the entertainment industry insist on hurting themselves and us with worth-than-useless DRM?
Because the distribution companies refuse to recognize that it's bad for them.

[commander.data]

I guess by explicitly stating that HDCP is disabled for standard definition content, it's a tacit confirmation that HDCP will be enforced for HD content when it's available for iTunes. In terms of HD content, I thought the standard used by Blu-ray is that under an unsecure connection it'll just output at a lower resolution, 480p or something so better than the average DVD, rather than refuse to play at all like how Apple did it before. Hopefully, Apple implements something similar to allow downscaling, although I think Apple's HD content comes with a separate SD version anyways.

[AidenShaw]

I'm sure it was just an overlooked thing. The copy protection standards don't include that restriction, from what I understand.

jW

Wow! Nice move apple :)

Yes, nice move Apple - clean up another case of sloppy implementation.

They screwed up, and they've fixed it. How can that be a "nice move, Apple"?

[motulist]

Hopefully, Apple implements something similar to allow downscaling


That's still completely unacceptable. Hopefully the industry comes to its senses and eliminates DRM altogether. All DRM does is hurt the industry's interests. This HDCP Apple is implementing is simply so that Apple devices can output blu-ray and iTunes big-media-company DRMed media files to an "approved" external monitor. Blu-ray beat hd-dvd, but that doesn't mean blu-ray is succeeding. Most (but not all) analyses that I've read of how blu-ray is doing in the marketplace say that blu-ray is struggling significantly. DRM itself directly is not the only reason for this of course, but it is a major symptom of the whole unbalanced nature of the product that's causing the format's problems.

[r.j.s]

They screwed up, and they've fixed it. How can that be a "nice move, Apple"?

Because it is better than denying a problem exists.

[bornonbord]

I wonder if this "update" will be looked at by hackers, who will be able to find out how Apple 'allows' SD but 'blocks' HD and flip a switch to crack Quicktime.

[wtb]

As I understand it, HD content should be output on the mini DisplayPort in degraded resolution to match a Standard Definition bandwidth if a non-HD device is connected. If it is disabled, then that is still unacceptable.

[stephenli]

Yes, nice move Apple - clean up another case of sloppy implementation.

They screwed up, and they've fixed it. How can that be a "nice move, Apple"?


funny. maybe apple intended to do it.
Screwed up it at first, to let everybody REALIZE drm/HDCP doesn't make any sense to consumers...

[mrsteveman1]

So HD stuff is still HDCPd huh.

I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm not buying anything from itunes during any period where it is not possible to immediately break the DRM because Apple broke requiem etc. If i do buy something, i will immediately break the DRM. I am not going to play in this little ******** sandbox the content owners have created and Apple is complicit in maintaining.

Yes it would be easier to just not buy any of it, i know.

[arepadetrigo]

This is good news. You should never sell something that your customers cannot use on equipment you also sold them, at least not unless you are very, very, very clear in explaining the limitations before you take their money.

And for all you fanboys who were defending Apple before and saying it was out of their control, give me a break!

[rayz]

Yes, nice move Apple - clean up another case of sloppy implementation.

They screwed up, and they've fixed it. How can that be a "nice move, Apple"?

I sometimes wonder if it is the 'forgive Apple for everything' attitude that is making them sloppy.

I mean, I cannot believe that someone didn't think to test this. If they did, then there is something seriously wrong.
If they didn't, then Apple reckoned it would be okay to release it and fix it later, which is just as worrying.

[ingenious]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)

Horrible to begin with, but at least it's ending (mostly) well.

[BenRoethig]

Nice to see they fixed this issue right away. Even nicer to see that Apple was listening.

[HLdan]

ya, it would never had become a story if Apple had issued this from the start. I don't know if there's any HD TV content that is flagged with HDCP.

arn

Sure would be nice if a new article could be posted on MR without negative responses. :p

[theloon]

Yet again legitimate users are being hampered by copy protection BS, which is cracked the day it is released....

Pirates - pirate stuff
Others - buy it

HDCP etc is pointless.

[Mord]

Solution: Piracy.

[willmc]

Has anyone actually tried playing iTunes-purchased HD content (like a TV show) on a non-HDCP display after applying this update? I know we're assuming it's still blocked, but I'd like to hear a confirmation.

[koobcamuk]

Yes, nice move Apple - clean up another case of sloppy implementation.

They screwed up, and they've fixed it. How can that be a "nice move, Apple"?

Yeh, it's not like we can than the US or UK governments of recent times... Nice move George W - there are no weapons of mass destructions, so we're pulling out!

[koobcamuk]

Because it is better than denying a problem exists.

It should be:

"about time Apple, don't do it again",

not:

"nice move Apple"

[Ampidire]

Has anyone actually tried playing iTunes-purchased HD content (like a TV show) on a non-HDCP display after applying this update? I know we're assuming it's still blocked, but I'd like to hear a confirmation.

Not over a non-hdcp display, no.

I thought the whole point was that it was only blocked if the display supported hdcp but was otherwise fine?

[Veri]

How very green (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/11/24/apple-promotes-environmentally-friendly-notebooks-in-new-ad/) of Apple: now buying a new Macbook will no longer require throwing out your perfectly functioning screen if you only want to watch standard definition movies. (Pity about all those Firewire devices.)

Which enviro ratings take interoperability => longevity of machine and peripherals into account?

maybe apple intended to do it.
Screwed up it at first, to let everybody REALIZE drm/HDCP doesn't make any sense to consumers...
Apple appears to support and apply the teeth behind DRM, the DMCA. Its latest application was a few days ago on the iPodHash (http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/11/21/apple-lawyers-hand-ipod-hash-cracking-site-a-dmca-notice) project, which allows non-Apple software to be used with iPods.

[twoodcc]

well at least they fixed the issue. i hope we'll get HD content on our macs and pcs soon though

[koobcamuk]

That's still completely unacceptable. Hopefully the industry comes to its senses and eliminates DRM altogether. All DRM does is hurt the industry's interests. This HDCP Apple is implementing is simply so that Apple devices can output blu-ray and iTunes big-media-company DRMed media files to an "approved" external monitor. Blu-ray beat hd-dvd, but that doesn't mean blu-ray is succeeding. Most (but not all) analyses that I've read of how blu-ray is doing in the marketplace say that blu-ray is struggling significantly. DRM itself directly is not the only reason for this of course, but it is a major symptom of the whole unbalanced nature of the product that's causing the format's problems.

The incompatibility with current tech is putting a lot of people off.

[gnasher729]

Not over a non-hdcp display, no.

I thought the whole point was that it was only blocked if the display supported hdcp but was otherwise fine?

If a movie is blocked when you use a Mac with HDCP and a monitor without HDCP, then it should certainly be blocked if you use a Mac without HDCP.

The exceptions where a movie should be played without HDCP are:

1. If the movie doesn't request HDCP.
2. If the connector is not accessible to the user (MacBook or iMac built-in display).
3. If the device resolution is so low that the movie allows it to be played.
4. If the movie player can reduce the quality of the playback low enough so that the movie allows it to be played.

What happened here was not a problem with HDCP, but a bug where the software didn't recognise case (3).

On the other hand, if I was an evil pirate who wanted to sell illegally made Blu-Ray disks, here is what I would do: Buy the movie on DVD. Use Handbrake to rip it, scale it up to 1080p size, and compress it to 20 Megabit per second. Burn it on Blu-Ray DVDs. Of course the quality won't be any better than the DVD (actually just slightly worse), but 90 percent of the customers will be too stupid to realise anyway. And you don't expect actual quality from pirated disks, do you? No reason at all to try to copy actual Blu-Ray or HD disks. :cool:

At the moment blank Blu-Ray disks are too expensive to do this profitably.

[diamond.g]

ya, it would never had become a story if Apple had issued this from the start. I don't know if there's any HD TV content that is flagged with HDCP.

arn

I thought that HDCP was a function of the TV & playback device. In most cases if you are using HDMI you are also doing an HDCP handshake. Where Apple seems to have screwed up is when using an Analog output HDCP should not be checked for. The Macbooks should know what kind of display device/ cable is plugged into it and act accordingly (DDC or EDID). The only other addition to the feed would be the ICT flag. Supposedly that flag isn't supposed to be turned on till sometime after 2012. That flag dictates if you can see the full rez of the content. It is also supposed to affect analog displays (basically any display that doesn't support HDCP is supposed to have it rez cut by way of ICT).

Maybe some one will correct me.

[motulist]

if I was an evil pirate who wanted to sell illegally made Blu-Ray disks, here is what I would do: Buy the movie on DVD. Use Handbrake to rip it, scale it up to 1080p size, and compress it to 20 Megabit per second. Burn it on Blu-Ray DVDs. Of course the quality won't be any better than the DVD (actually just slightly worse), but 90 percent of the customers will be too stupid to realise anyway. And you don't expect actual quality from pirated disks, do you? No reason at all to try to copy actual Blu-Ray or HD disks. :cool:

At the moment blank Blu-Ray disks are too expensive to do this profitably.

You're behind the times man. Here's what pirates are already doing. They're ripping the blu ray, compressing to 720p, and they're burning that smaller file to dvd disk (not blu ray disk), then printing the dlu ray logo all over their fake disk and fake box. The product physically looks the same, and plays in all blu ray players, and does give a higher resolution image (but not a better quality image), but they're actually dirt cheap dvd disks sold at higher price than pirated dvds because they're being sold as pirated bluray, not pirated dvd. So the pirate make even MORE profit.

[supmango]

DRM is awful. All it does is make pirating more attractive. If you pay for a DRMed media file, maybe it'll play when and where you want, but sometimes it wont. If you pirate a media file, it will definitely play where and when you want. So all DRM does is make the pirated version superior to the version you can legally buy. This leads to even more people choosing to pirate their media.

DRM, it's bad for the consumer, it's bad for the content producers, it's bad for the distribution companies, it's bad for everyone. So why does the entertainment industry insist on hurting themselves and us with worth-than-useless DRM?

Agreed, so what if my television is unsupported and I have a HD video from iTunes? This will only prevent me from purchasing video content on iTunes.

[hayesk]

Solution: Piracy.

Solution to what? Make the studios try even more DRM?

The solution to drop DRM is to not purchase and not pirate it either.

If you pirate it, you send the message that you're just a thief. If you go without it, you send the message that their draconian DRM made you realize that you can do without their product. Nothing would send a stronger message that telling them their DRM made you realize their product is not a necessity and you don't really need it.

[rtheb]

Apple being Apple...

:eek:

[Mindflux]

Apple being Apple...

:eek:

They never said this fixed HDCP content over non HDCP compliant monitors/TV's.

[iSee]

This quick fix makes me feel a lot better about this--it was just a bug that got fixed, not some nefarious DRM plot.

[vincebio]

I sometimes wonder if it is the 'forgive Apple for everything' attitude that is making them sloppy.

I mean, I cannot believe that someone didn't think to test this. If they did, then there is something seriously wrong.
If they didn't, then Apple reckoned it would be okay to release it and fix it later, which is just as worrying.

absolutely spot on
best post yet imo

[spatlese44]

What's "HD"?

Seems everyone has a different idea. Four years ago I bought a used HDTV. Rear projection; no tuner; cheap. It also has no HDMI, and therefore no HDCP. Bummer right? So I buy an upconvert DVD player and hook it up thru the component video outputs and play a movie only to find out that it won't upconvert without the HDMI with HDCP. Apparently at that point, upconverted DVD was "HD". The solution was to find a hacked DVD player, which I did. Of course now almost everyone can rip/burn their own copies of DVD's, so the scale slides.

Enter Apple TV.

Now there is Apple TV, which to my delight has component video outputs. The odd thing is that they are now putting out "HD" content. What does that mean???? I was in there during the early days of digital video with my All-In-Wonder card, recording things at whatever compression rate I thought appropriate. HD on Apple TV is not Blu-ray. Not even close. In fact, I've never watched a Blu-ray disk and almost certainly never will with my current TV. Doubtful I'll be able to find a hacked Blu-ray player. Still, Apple TV is odd in that it's a potential analog hole.

What's it all mean?

Apple is playing this dance with the media providers. They don't like Apple's stance on DRM, but Apple doesn't step too far over the line. Yes, I have an analog hole and could theoretically copy Apple TV stuff, but it's at a quality level that is considered "safe". It's certainly less than Blu-ray quality, and generally considered not as good as having a DVD (hacked and all).

Where does this leave us? I don't think the current Apple TV really has what it takes for higher resolution content. January is going to be a big month, and I think we're going to see the "hobby" turn into a passion with a new Mini/Apple TV that has only HDMI and a higher bitrate. It's only a matter of time.

[BRLawyer]

I hope this teaches a lesson to the armchair "pundits" and PC lovers of this forum...Apple never ceases to amaze us in terms of EXEMPLARY customer service and prompt response to customer feedback. This is just ONE among many other cases where Apple, in DIRECT reaction to complaints and suggestions, implemented new features in the OS or corrected situations that were not ideal to its market base...like what happened for the Dock, the lax DRM requirements for music, movie and song pricing and many more issues.

As if we hadn't already the BEST machines, the BEST average reliability in the market, the BEST designs and the BEST OS...thank you, Apple!

[diamond.g]

What's "HD"?

Seems everyone has a different idea. Four years ago I bought a used HDTV. Rear projection; no tuner; cheap. It also has no HDMI, and therefore no HDCP. Bummer right? So I buy an upconvert DVD player and hook it up thru the component video outputs and play a movie only to find out that it won't upconvert without the HDMI with HDCP. Apparently at that point, upconverted DVD was "HD". The solution was to find a hacked DVD player, which I did. Of course now almost everyone can rip/burn their own copies of DVD's, so the scale slides.

Enter Apple TV.

Now there is Apple TV, which to my delight has component video outputs. The odd thing is that they are now putting out "HD" content. What does that mean???? I was in there during the early days of digital video with my All-In-Wonder card, recording things at whatever compression rate I thought appropriate. HD on Apple TV is not Blu-ray. Not even close. In fact, I've never watched a Blu-ray disk and almost certainly never will with my current TV. Doubtful I'll be able to find a hacked Blu-ray player. Still, Apple TV is odd in that it's a potential analog hole.

What's it all mean?

Apple is playing this dance with the media providers. They don't like Apple's stance on DRM, but Apple doesn't step too far over the line. Yes, I have an analog hole and could theoretically copy Apple TV stuff, but it's at a quality level that is considered "safe". It's certainly less than Blu-ray quality, and generally considered not as good as having a DVD (hacked and all).

Where does this leave us? I don't think the current Apple TV really has what it takes for higher resolution content. January is going to be a big month, and I think we're going to see the "hobby" turn into a passion with a new Mini/Apple TV that has only HDMI and a higher bitrate. It's only a matter of time.
What model TV do you have. If it has DVI, and it was at least made in 2004, it may actually support HDCP over DVI. Yes it isn't the 1.3 spec and yes it wont have audio, but it is better than nothing.

[rtheb]

I hope this teaches a lesson to the armchair "pundits" and PC lovers of this forum...Apple never ceases to amaze us in terms of EXEMPLARY customer service and prompt response to customer feedback. This is just ONE among many other cases where Apple, in DIRECT reaction to complaints and suggestions, implemented new features in the OS or corrected situations that were not ideal to its market base...like what happened for the Dock, the lax DRM requirements for music, movie and song pricing and many more issues.

As if we hadn't already the BEST machines, the BEST average reliability in the market, the BEST designs and the BEST OS...thank you, Apple!

And let's not forget to thank Apple for removing Firewire from the MacBook, and Glossy Displays, and proprietary "Mini DisplayPort", and the MacBookAir Superdrive lockout, and of course the everloving "Beach Ball"!

Grief, such a "Fanboy!:p

[BRLawyer]

And let's not forget to thank Apple for removing Firewire from the MacBook, and Glossy Displays, and proprietary "Mini DisplayPort", and the MacBookAir Superdrive lockout, and of course the everloving "Beach Ball"!

Grief, such a "Fanboy!:p

FW = Anticipating withdrawal of a dying technology, not to mention that the new USB ports are just as fast; and no ordinary PC user knows about it after all;

Glossy = EVERY PC fan on this rumor always loved to brag about the "XBrite" screens and all, when every Apple display was matte...and to be honest, I have ZERO complaint with the 24" glossy screen in the market...my iMac. Apple has taken a bold decision, and nobody seems to care apart from the most rabid conservative designers;

DisplayPort = is industry-standard, and the mini aspect is simply a design feature;

SuperDrive lockout = no comments, because it doesn't make sense;

Beach ball = it's almost nonexistent nowadays.

[rtheb]

SuperDrive lockout = no comments, because it doesn't make sense;


http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=420281

[Ampidire]

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=420281

That actually isn't true... It's the controller locking out the external super-drive, modders have replaced the internal controller and it then works fine on... any computer.

http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/24/mod-use-your-macbook-air-superdrive-on-any-machine/

[Veri]

FW = Anticipating withdrawal of a dying technology
Any reliable source for this? When Apple moved from dedicated graphics on the Mac Mini to a GMA950, was it anticipating the withdrawal of, err, dedicated graphics? Similarly, can you accept that Apple might make a decision on business (upsell!) rather than technical grounds?

not to mention that the new USB ports are just as fast;
Hm.. 480>400.. the megahertz myth has evolved. USB's sustained throughput is lower, and its host CPU usage is higher. Many places will explain why, but nothing beats trying it for yourself: buy a Firewire 400 and a USB enclosure and compare. I use drive in Firewire enclosure for regular backup (speed/reliability) and USB drives for backups to take offsite (interop).

and no ordinary PC user knows about it after all;
The target audience of the Macbook is the neophyte PC convert? Scary. Last three mid-range XP/Vista-based laptops that passed by me had Firewire (800, no less). One was even an Acer.

I have ZERO complaint with the 24" glossy screen in the market...my iMac.
It's a fine screen - better than the screens in all the other iMacs, Macbooks and Macbook Pros, since the rest are TN panels, so the comparison is moot.

Apple has taken a bold decision, and nobody seems to care apart from the most rabid conservative designers;
Glare, glossy, eye strain, etc. Affects some, not others. Maybe not you. That's good. Not all humans were created equal. Moreover, some people have the privilege of working in a fixed position they have chosen. Others would be laughed at by clients if they said "let me just angle my laptop to get rid of that reflection".

DisplayPort = is industry-standard, and the mini aspect is simply a design feature;
Possibly part of 1.2 standard. In what way is a slightly smaller connector a "design feature" (ignore Air)? The mini DVI port on my iMac is horrible, lacking the sturdiness of a screwed-in DVI connector. It served little more than an opportunity for Apple to sell for $30 (UK) what eBay confirms is produced for much less.

Beach ball = it's almost nonexistent nowadays.
I think in the past 6 months I've got beachballs mostly from either Safari or misbehaving USB devices. Less of a problem since I've switched to Firewire where I can. This doesn't surprise me from a $ PoV - manufacturers aim to create the cheapest, Friday-afternoonest USB controllers, but people looking for the bottom of the barrel don't use Firewire.

[rtheb]

That actually isn't true... It's the controller locking out the external super-drive, modders have replaced the internal controller and it then works fine on... any computer.

http://www.tuaw.com/2008/06/24/mod-use-your-macbook-air-superdrive-on-any-machine/

If you read to the end of the linked thread
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=420281&page=6
you'll see that I was one of the modders who got the MacBook Air Superdrive to work on other Macs and PCs.

The Apple IDE to USB bridge with apple's proprietary firmware is causing the lockout on other computers.

So pray tell how is that not a lockout by Apple unless you MOD it?

[benpatient]

I guess by explicitly stating that HDCP is disabled for standard definition content, it's a tacit confirmation that HDCP will be enforced for HD content when it's available for iTunes. In terms of HD content, I thought the standard used by Blu-ray is that under an unsecure connection it'll just output at a lower resolution, 480p or something so better than the average DVD, rather than refuse to play at all like how Apple did it before. Hopefully, Apple implements something similar to allow downscaling, although I think Apple's HD content comes with a separate SD version anyways.

that's for an unsecured DIGITAL connection, but those don't exist in the marketplace because nothing that has an unsecured digital output (say a non-HDCP DVI port) has been allowed to license Blu-ray, or HD satellite or HD cable or anything else "official" and HD.

You can connect a Blu-ray player to a 1080i, 720p, or in some cases 1080p analog (component or VGA) output device and watch full-resolution HD movies. My HD satellite DVR is outputting 1080i and 720p (and if I wanted to 1080p) through component to my Panasonic commercial plasma display. Since the display is only 768p, there is no reason for me to send a 1080p signal, even though some 1080p content is available through VoD PPV on the satellite.

But I've got 3 "HD" sources set up running through analog means (2 component and one VGA) and they will all play "copy protected" HD content without any issue. I am not using HDCP or HDMI as long as I can help it strictly on principle. I'm glad Apple fixed this problem, but they are still being more restrictive than anyone else out there right now...nobody else is blocking HD output through analog connections, so I don't want to hear about how the studios are "making them do it." I can rent an HD movie from my xbox 360 and watch it over component or VGA on my TV. No HDMI or HDCP needed.

drm enforcement≠cool, apple.

[benpatient]

just reading some threads and i wanted to say that my father-in-law's two laptops, both cheap and both PCs (one a dell the other an HP) have mini FW400 ports on them. He asked me what this funny little port was a couple months ago. I plugged in one of my 7200rpm external hard drives with USB and FW connectors and showed him what that little port could/would do.

Pretty lame that Apple dropped the FW from their best-selling computer just as it's getting to be ubiquitous in PC land.

[rtheb]

Glossy = EVERY PC fan on this rumor always loved to brag about the "XBrite" screens and all, when every Apple display was matte...and to be honest, I have ZERO complaint with the 24" glossy screen in the market...my iMac. Apple has taken a bold decision, and nobody seems to care apart from the most rabid conservative designers;



Is this a mirror or a display?

http://media.arstechnica.com/journals/apple.media/24-inch-led-screen-6-20081126-135523.jpg

[diamond.g]

Is this a mirror or a display?

http://media.arstechnica.com/journals/apple.media/24-inch-led-screen-6-20081126-135523.jpg

Both, at the same time! :D

[Mindflux]

Is this a mirror or a display?

http://media.arstechnica.com/journals/apple.media/24-inch-led-screen-6-20081126-135523.jpg

A display. Want proof? Plug it in and hook it up to a machine.

[benpatient]

Look, Apple just wants to make sure that you aren't the victim of a sneak-attack from behind!

Nobody can walk up behind you when you're "using" a screen with that much reflectivity.

You could also use it to do a pretty fun thing I like to call "trace the reflection in photoshop.

You have to be really still, and you just open a blank, black document in photoshop, put it full screen, and trace over what it reflecting back at you with an appropriate brush. It's GREAT for self-portrait work.

The next Warhol or Picasso will be born at a shiny-screened iMac with a wacom pen and a copy of photoshop.

[rtheb]

A display. Want proof? Plug it in and hook it up to a machine.

How do I hook it up to my 1st Gen MacBook?

[diamond.g]

How do I hook it up to my 1st Gen MacBook?

I'd use duck tape. It makes everything work. ;)

(or maybe a converter, but the duck tape is more fun)

[AidenShaw]

The next Warhol or Picasso will be born at a shiny-screened iMac with a wacom pen and a copy of photoshop.

...or Dalí - just give Gala a keyboard

http://www.salvador-dali.org/media/IMATGES/i0094.jpg

Dalí i Domènech, Salvador