Quicktime Update Pending... iTunes? iPods?

[MacRumors]

Apple appears to be warning developers/distributers of an impending Quicktime update. The timing of which is simply limited to "the next few weeks".

Quicktime was most recently updated in January 2003, and simply provided general quality and performance enhancements.

Other sources (of unknown reliability) tie the Quicktime update with the iPod and iTunes updates which have been expected in the near future.

Of interest... in February, this PCPro.co.uk article mentioned Apple, as well as other MPEG4 supports, pushing for Digital Rights Management (DRM) standards to be established for MPEG4.

MPEG-4's lack of DRM in comparison has meant that Apple had some way to go convince Hollywood executives that QuickTime and MPEG-4 are suitable methods of distributing movies.

Target date for establishment of this standard is said to be by June of this year. It is unknown if this will have any relation on this pending Quicktime update.

DRM could also have implications for Apple's distribution of AAC-encoded songs through their rumored music service.

[Tom800]

Whatever, bring on the new iPods and AAC, and the music service with massive selection.

Peace y'all.

[MacBoy88]

I hope we get a new iTunes, one that will work with all of the other iLife Apps. ( and Rendezvous )

P.S. I just got my new iBook and I am loveing it !!
P.S.S. Dose anyone have any good free programs that I can try out? If so E~Mail to Me. MacBoy88@qconline.com

Curtis,14, Illinois
(My First Post)

[Freg3000]

I am weary of all this DRM stuff. If I buy a song, whether it be through downloading it (legally or illegally) or purchasing it in a store in the form of CD, I don't want DRM hampering stuff I can do with it. Only being able to put it on one computer? Stuff like that scares me; I don't want to lose some basic privileges like that because of DRM.

About the QuickTime update-I doubt it'll be released with everything else. I mean, picture it like this: New iPods, iTunes 4, new music service.......and.......QuickTime 6.2? Doesn't seem like QuickTime fits all that well.

Plus it would just take up more bandwidth on the Apple servers hosting the new software. I am sure there will be many downloading iTunes and iTraks (or whatever the new music thing is called.)

JMHO

[mymemory]

All I can say is that I just edited a tv comercial with quicktime 6!!! I need to add a scene and Premiere (yes I was using it) was taking too long to render, so:
I took the scene, selected, close window, open main scene, select the insertion point, select "add" and that was it! in sync with the music and everything!

To be wise make me feel old

[Jaykay]

Sound Interesting, i wonder will what effect this will happen on the AAC, i was under the impression that Apple were pushing for DRM (for the most part) to be left out (of their rumored new music service) so that people could still at least "mix and burn"......

[Tom800]

Anyone else think the iPods should be black? Is so much more a music color.

[achmafooma]

[i]About the QuickTime update-I doubt it'll be released with everything else. I mean, picture it like this: New iPods, iTunes 4, new music service.......and.......QuickTime 6.2? Doesn't seem like QuickTime fits all that well.[/b]

As I understand it, iTunes is actually playing MP3's through Quicktime's infrastructure. In fact, isn't much of what's going on in a Mac dependent on Quicktime (at least as far as video & audio stuff)?

[bentmywookie]

Originally posted by Tom800
Anyone else think the iPods should be black? Is so much more a music color.

I kinda like the white color, although white or black doesn't make too much of a difference to me as long as they get rid of the finger-print lovin' metallic backside.

[iJon]

i think the ipod should be white all the way around. i think it would look cooler and i would feel better about taking it out of the case. then on the downside all the ladies at school couldnt use my ipod as a mirror.

iJon

[swahilibill]

i hope tey do, do you think we will get that with the new update here soon?

Originally posted by bentmywookie
I kinda like the white color, although white or black doesn't make too much of a difference to me as long as they get rid of the finger-print lovin' metallic backside.

[Silver Dragon]

Originally posted by Freg3000
About the QuickTime update-I doubt it'll be released with everything else. I mean, picture it like this: New iPods, iTunes 4, new music service.......and.......QuickTime 6.2? Doesn't seem like QuickTime fits all that well.

iTunes is based on parts of the QuickTime engine, the new music service will probably also use the QuickTime engine... So to put it simply, if they don't update QuickTime you may not be able to get DRM in iTunes and/or the new music service. QuickTime is the heart of any media on Mac OS. Yeah, I bet they will update QT. I just wonder if this will break Final Cut again

-SD

[beatle888]

Originally posted by Tom800
Anyone else think the iPods should be black? Is so much more a music color.

no.

get a cover.


i hate black devices. plus the dirt and body resins are more apparent on black surfaces.

[Tom800]

Could they do the same metal backing but make that black somehow - cold black metal, with a slight reflection but really dark? That would be so cool. They should at least have color options - look at mobile phones faceplates, etc. A lot of my music just feels wrong coming out of this white thing... It should have a more hi-fi feel to it, and nearly all hi-fi systems are either black of silver metal, which would also me good.

We know you read this, Steve.

Incidentally, I wrote macosrumors.com way before the iPod first came out essentially describing it to the exact way it came out and saying wouldn't this be a possibility for apple (I hadn't even seen any of the other HD mp3 players). I told them apple should make an 'iTunes to go'. They never reacted at all. But hey they're probably run by Apple to test ideas or something.

[AmbitiousLemon]

Originally posted by Jaykay
Sound Interesting, i wonder will what effect this will happen on the AAC, i was under the impression that Apple were pushing for DRM (for the most part) to be left out (of their rumored new music service) so that people could still at least "mix and burn"......

This is true (at least from the unsubstanciated rumors). as the rumor goes the only thing holding back the music service is apple convincing the music execs that drm tech isn't needed.

I would prefer to think that apple has continued to fight DRM techologies. Apple has butted heads with the bigwigs of the entertainment industry before and has one, lets hope they continue to fight the good fight and don't sell us all out.

[pyrotoaster]

iTunes 4, new iPods, iPod OS Update, and new Quicktime all at once. It would explain why those iPod updates weren't last Tuesday, or the Tuesday before that, or the Tuesday before that, or the Tuesday before that.

The iPod OS hasn't been updated in ages (and it's never had a major update), but a new iTunes would push that, especially if it had new features (like music downloading).

As for copy-protection in iTunes 4, I know Apple is against it. They really want to let us burn CDs and put mp3s on our iPods. (Thanks, Steve!)

[MacBoy88]

Originally posted by iJon
i think the ipod should be white all the way around. i think it would look cooler and i would feel better about taking it out of the case. then on the downside all the ladies at school couldnt use my ipod as a mirror.

iJon

That little thing dose get the girls. ( Thank god for bad hair days! )




Curtis, 14, Illinois

[anand]

Anybody see the latest issue from Macworld. The y mention a version of Tivo that allows you to see your iPhoto library and iTunes playlist. I wonder if it will also allow you to see your MPEG-4 movies? This would be cool.

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by Tom800
Incidentally, I wrote macosrumors.com way before the iPod first came out essentially describing it to the exact way it came out and saying wouldn't this be a possibility for apple (I hadn't even seen any of the other HD mp3 players). I told them apple should make an 'iTunes to go'. They never reacted at all. But hey they're probably run by Apple to test ideas or something.

Nah. The only time MOSR posts unsubstantiated speculation as actual rumor is when it's their own unsubstantiated speculation

[Squire]

Originally posted by Tom800
Anyone else think the iPods should be black? Is so much more a music color.

When the first iPod rumors were circulating, somebody (can't remember who) made the following observation:

iMac -> PowerMac
iBook -> PowerBook
iPod -> PowerPod (?)

(Again, my apologies for not knowing the "author" of that post but I don't feel like going through 282 posts to find it.)

Anyway, for that reason, I think the iPod should remain white while the new "PowerPod"- if such a critter exists in Cupertino- could have the silver look to it.

Any takers?

Squire

[Wonder Boy]

I just downloaded QT Pro on the 8th. I really hope I dont have to pay for an update.
I like the idea of a darker iPod. Mayber the color of the hardware door on the new G4?

[boobers]

Apple needs to support both encoding and decoding DivX5 natively in QT6 . Everyone knows this is the best of compression codecs there is. Mpeg4 doesn't compete with DivX5.

[melchior]

DivX5 is good. but it's propriatory. like mpeg4, with already a significant investment in mpeg4, divx5 is simply not going to happen because it competes directly with the format the apple is trying to promote.

[squatch]

Originally posted by Freg3000
I am weary of all this DRM stuff. If I buy a song, whether it be through downloading it (legally or illegally) or purchasing it in a store in the form of CD, I don't want DRM hampering stuff I can do with it. Only being able to put it on one computer? Stuff like that scares me; I don't want to lose some basic privileges like that because of DRM.

About the QuickTime update-I doubt it'll be released with everything else. I mean, picture it like this: New iPods, iTunes 4, new music service.......and.......QuickTime 6.2? Doesn't seem like QuickTime fits all that well.

Plus it would just take up more bandwidth on the Apple servers hosting the new software. I am sure there will be many downloading iTunes and iTraks (or whatever the new music thing is called.)

JMHO

My thinking of why the new Quicktime update will be coming on the heels of the new iTunes/music service is to prevent those who are using QT right now to make AAC formatted music through such programs as "Make Mine MPEG-4" without any DRM restraints. And as many have said here, since iTunes utilizes some of the QT engine capabilities, perhaps Apple came to an agreement with the music industry to use some implementations of DRM with their new music service, including adding DRM control to QT as well.

Just my two cents.

[squatch]

Originally posted by melchior
DivX5 is good. but it's propriatory. like mpeg4, with already a significant investment in mpeg4, divx5 is simply not going to happen because it competes directly with the format the apple is trying to promote.

True, but DivX is a compression standard that can work well across the Windows/Mac boundary. I don't know that WMP supports MPEG4 currently, nor if Real does either. Someone help me with that.