Apple TV Specs?

[cbud]

No. Syncing or streaming is done to iTunes. Where it is stored is irrelevant.

How do you know this? Where your media is stored is very relevant.

Does iTunes have to be open on my computer for me to use my Apple TV? I honestly don't know, but I really doubt it. The Apple TV is not like the AirPort Express.

I think the Apple TV will search the network for up to 5 valid iTunes' libraries (library and XML files in a iTunes folder). I also think (hope) that we will be able to plug a USB hard drive that contains a valid iTunes library into the new Base Station and have the Apple TV pull media from that.

Edit: It would be silly to have to walk upstairs, open iTunes on my computer, go back downstairs, and play my TV show. I really hope iTunes does not have to be open. I pray it can wake a drive from sleep and access my library.

 

[Doctor Q]

From Apple's Financial Conference Call:

Q: Do you see the Apple TV a niche platform or broad platform?

A: We see it as the DVD player of the 21st century. So clearly not a niche.​

 

[sjk]

I really hope iTunes does not have to be open.

It'll be lame if iTunes has to be left running for Apple TV to work after synching iTunes content, but I think ATV may only require internet access (at least for protected media playback) at that point.

 

[sjk]

I agree, I'd like to play more formats.

I'd be satisfied if it supported what EyeHome does plus H.264.

However, if you export to MPEG4 (instead of MPEG4-10/h264), it will export MUCH quicker (and current Macs are quicker, too).

Yeah, MPEG-4 export seems a bit four times faster than H.264 on my 2GHz iMac G5 (which is where I did the other export test, not on the eMac as I originally said). But lack of quality is the price to pay… it sure makes the already borderline quality originals look better than they are.

EyeTV is an interesting case. Ideally, you would be able to play stuff from EyeTV, or even stream live TV directly from EyeTV through your Mac to the AppleTV. I wonder if iTunes (and EyeTV) could convert an MPEG2 on the fly and stream it to the AppleTV (... it'd slow down the Mac of course)

When I wondered if that sort "on-the-fly" conversion could possibly be done on Apple TV during synching someone said it would be impossibly slow.

With so few DVR products for OS X (Elgato and Miglia likely the most popular developers) it's a shame Apple seems to be going out of the way not to better support or integrate with them. Hopefully these issues shake out in more customers' best interests after Apple TV is shipping, if not sooner.

 

[GregA]

Yeah, MPEG-4 export seems a bit four times faster than H.264 on my 2GHz iMac G5 (which is where I did the other export test, not on the eMac as I originally said). But lack of quality is the price to pay… it sure makes the already borderline quality originals look better than they are.

So how long does it take to convert a .avi file to a .h264 movie on your higher end machine? Does it take <10 mins for a 10 minute AVI?
(I wonder if the AppleTV & iTunes could share the workload - sounds a bit complicated)

To transcode while syncing is an interesting idea - if it takes an hour to transcode an hour film, it'd extend your syncing time. But if you could transcode a file once and send the transcoded one to the AppleTV (keep the original ONLY on your iTunes) that'd be useful. When you "convert for iPod" in iTunes, now, does it store 2 copies in iTunes from then on?

 

[GregA]

How do you know this?

Steve said that it connected to iTunes on any computer. He didn't say connected to iTunes libraries.

Where your media is stored is very relevant.

Not to iTunes. You tell it where the media is, it reads it.

Perhaps AppleTV will read an iTunes library. EyeHome does iirc. But Steve didn't say that.

 

[sjk]

So how long does it take to convert a .avi file to a .h264 movie on your higher end machine? Does it take <10 mins for a 10 minute AVI?

An 18 second, 720x480, ~2300Kbps, ~5MB AVI file exported from QuickTime with the default H.264 movie settings took over three minutes on my 2GHz iMac G5. No reason to waste time finding and exporting longer AVIs since it's already obvious the process is slower than molasses.

(I wonder if the AppleTV & iTunes could share the workload - sounds a bit complicated)

Seems unnecessarily complicated compared to simply uncrippling Apple TV to support the most obvious familiar/popular codecs, none which I'd expect to be technically limited by the device specs considering its H.264 capabilities.

To transcode while syncing is an interesting idea - if it takes an hour to transcode an hour film, it'd extend your syncing time. But if you could transcode a file once and send the transcoded one to the AppleTV (keep the original ONLY on your iTunes) that'd be useful.

Personally, the quality lost and time consumed with transcoding would quickly become unacceptable. I've been down that path enough to know it's one not to take whenever possible.

When you "convert for iPod" in iTunes, now, does it store 2 copies in iTunes from then on?

I'm not sure. My wife's got the only iPod (mini) and I haven't tinkered with it much.

. . .

Apple's If it plays on iTunes it's on TV claim risks confusing some people into mistakenly interpreting plays on iTunes to always mean plays with iTunes on my computer rather than sometimes only it's on the iTunes Store. Heck, that page says Apple TV puts your iTunes library — movies, TV shows, music, and podcasts — plus movie trailers from Apple.com on your TV, but how accurate is that?

I'm betting a fair number of people will end up with content in their iTunes libraries that the Apple TV they've bought won't handle, added both before or after the purchase. In other words, it might not always be apparent that certain iTunes-compatible content won't fly with Apple TV. Oops!

Perhaps AppleTV will read an iTunes library. EyeHome does iirc. But Steve didn't say that.

EyeHome software on the Mac finds iTunes and iPhoto libraries without their respective apps running.

 

[GregA]

EyeHome software on the Mac finds iTunes and iPhoto libraries without their respective apps running.

Yes. Though the EyeHome hardware can't just find the iTunes libraries - EyeHome Software has to be running on the machine you're sharing from.

Completely off topic... but does Frontrow show movies from iTunes-Movies folder, or from the Home folder's Movies folder?

 

[ftaok]

Completely off topic... but does Frontrow show movies from iTunes-Movies folder, or from the Home folder's Movies folder?

The answer is both. Items in iTunes that are categorized as "Movies" will show up in Front Row under Movies. Items in your Home Directory's Movie Folder will show up in Front Row under Movies as well.

ft

 

[danerh]

Why Oh Why no DVD

Surely they could have included DVD capability as well to really make life easier. It would have removed another of the many remote controls people have, uncluttered TV cabinets, brought the device into a much broader demographic, which would have then lead more and more people to what the device is really meant for; to get us all into the itunes store... both for ours and Apple's interests. Sure its great and very easy to go and buy things from the itunes store... but if you could throw in a DVD or music cd as well...and as its connected to your home theatre system already...well it just makes sense. Great idea but its stunted. I hope they remedy this in the future...

 

[madmaxmedia]

My guess is that ATV will play most videos that can be played in iTunes, but not all.

iTunes can't play everything and won't accept stuff like WMV files, even though you can play WMV with Quicktime after installing Flip4Mac.

For people willing to take an extra step, there are plenty of great free programs to convert video so it's compatible with iTunes or the iPod. That's good enough for me.

For example, I know FrontRow has certain limitations. But I just enjoy using it, for say when I'm working at my desk (but not on my computer), and I want to play some stuff in the background. ATV will have an even better interface.

 

[Evangelion]

Steve said that it connected to iTunes on any computer. He didn't say connected to iTunes libraries.

At the keynote, during the demo SJ did say that "we are now browsing Phil's itunes-library" or something like that. That was when they demonstrated the streaming-feature.

You can encode subtitles in Handbrake, but they are encoded in the video (i.e. you can't turn them off). I know this because I've done it.

OK, I was mistaken. And I'm very happy that I was

And as long as the the special features are just video titles so I'm not sure what you mean about that either.

Can I encode the DVD in such a way, that when I play back the file, I get the DVD-menu from where I can play back the various contents?

 

[Evangelion]

Evangelion, can't i view my iMovie content using the appleTV? Lots of us have used iMovie to product lots of content that would be nice to view so easily. Doesn't appleTV permit that?

terry

If it plays back in itunes, then yes. But when I'm talking about "content" in this case, I'm referring to commercial content, not home-videos and such.

 

[Evangelion]

I guess I've got a similar question for DVDs. Could Apple be planning on letting you put a DVD in your Mac and watch it via AppleTV?

No idea, but that would be awkward and inconvenient. Very awkward and inconvenient. Instead of just plopping the disc in, you need to walk over to your Mac (propably in another room), log in, put the disc in, walk back to the living-room, select DVD from the AppleTV...

And how much bandwidth would DVD-video + audio require?

 

[sjk]

Can I encode the DVD in such a way, that when I play back the file, I get the DVD-menu from where I can play back the various contents?

Play back which file? Are you familiar with the DVD File/Folder Structure for DVD-Video?

 

[sjk]

Evangelion, can't i view my iMovie content using the appleTV? Lots of us have used iMovie to product lots of content that would be nice to view so easily. Doesn't appleTV permit that?

If it plays back in itunes, then yes.

Where are you getting that information? Based on published specifications it would be more accurate to say something like "if it plays on an iPod then it's compatible with Apple TV".

 

[sjk]

And how much bandwidth would DVD-video + audio require?

See the DVD column under Video File Comparison and do the math.

 

[GregA]

And how much bandwidth would DVD-video + audio require?

Up to 10Mbps (averaging about 6Mbps).

Can I encode the DVD in such a way, that when I play back the file, I get the DVD-menu from where I can play back the various contents?

I've never seen it done, myself.

I'm reasonably sure that going back 5years, an interactive Quicktime was being pushed. Through it, you could have a file with menus, and options you could click to go to different links or parts of the file. I expected that some people would use this instead of webpages, and some would use it to make Quicktime look like a DVD.

But since then little has happened. Apple doesn't use that... so maybe it doesn't do what I thought. It'd be great to have an option in iDVD to compress your DVD as a single Quicktime file, which you could share with friends OR post to the web. Or download a movie from Apple and when you open it have the real DVD menus, extras, etc.

As Apple doesn't do it, maybe Quicktime can't handle it. Or maybe they need to think differently

 

[balamw]

I've never seen it done, myself.

This is one of the goals of the Matroska project, an MKV container file can have the DVD, menu, extra features, etc...

There's other "single file" DVD image format. ISO.

B

 

[sjk]

This is one of the goals of the Matroska project, an MKV container file can have the DVD, menu, extra features, etc...

Similar to Interactive QuickTime (that GregA mentioned), Flash, etc. that can be encapsulated with a single file for playback/navigation?

There's other "single file" DVD image format. ISO.

Are there any useful methods for processing data in an ISO image file without "opening" it first and exposing the individual files it contains?

In a way you could look at those other container formats as specialized "filesystems".

Anyway, thanks for examples that make Evangelion's original question make more sense.

 

[2ms]

I'm not going to buy the iTV for the same reason I do not own any other entertainment devices -- it doesn't have a C2D in it. I do not own a stereo, I do not own a calculator, I do not even have a mobile phone -- none of these electronic devices have Intel C2D processors in them so they are all pieces of ****.

 

[Evangelion]

Play back which file? Are you familiar with the DVD File/Folder Structure for DVD-Video?

Yes I am. But since AppleTV does not play back DVD's, I obviously need a singular file to play back. Sheesh. In short: there needs to be a tool that transforms that folder-structure in to a file that can be played back by AppleTV. And it would have to resemble the DVD, with all the features the DVD offers.

 

[sjk]

Yes I am. But since AppleTV does not play back DVD's, I obviously need a singular file to play back. Sheesh.

I asked because it wasn't originally clear to me what you meant by the way you'd worded it. Maybe you missed my final remark in #170? Sheesh.

In short: there needs to be a tool that transforms that folder-structure in to a file that can be played back by AppleTV. And it would have to resemble the DVD, with all the features the DVD offers.

I seriously doubt Apple TV would ever have support for something that "resembles a DVD" instead of just supporting DVD-Video format/media playback directly. Using earlier examples, even Apple's own Interactive QuickTime is relatively unknown/unused and Matroska certainly isn't mainstream.

 

[OdduWon]

Metamorphous

The Tv is just a place holder till they put a screen on it as this new "ultra Portable" we have been hearing about.

 

[GregA]

I seriously doubt Apple TV would ever have support for something that "resembles a DVD" instead of just supporting DVD-Video format/media playback directly. Using earlier examples, even Apple's own Interactive QuickTime is relatively unknown/unused and Matroska certainly isn't mainstream.

Why not?

Many people are saying they like the features available on DVD - it's still a selling point for DVDs. Why wouldn't Apple be looking at providing a downloadable film+extras?