Apple's September 12th Media Event Roundup

[ImNoSuperMan]

What we will get:

Movie service with 320x240 movies, Airport Express AV with compostie and s-video only.

Extremely unlikely. Or i`d say it`s impossible. We`ll definitely get DVD quality(atleast as an option). But my guesses are 720p will also be offered to those with a really really FAT internet pipe. Fat enough to fill a human body I guess .

I really think Apple will offer atleast 3 resolutions ie QVGA, DVD and(crossing fingers) HD 720p(may be at an extra cost and limited in number of available titles). Apple needs to do something which will set them apart from Amazon. I`ll be really disappointed if all we get is the same as Amazon.

 

[puuukeey]

livingroom ware wishes

* new middle mac should be thirty inch tv. built in bluetooth for control couch. remote with track ball. bundled with eyetv and x10 automation software. NO MORE WHITE PLASTIC
* bluetooth remote. (a few more buttons)
* Airport Express with video and 5.1
* Plugin architecture for front row!!!!!!!!!
* add screen savers to front row(did this myself)
* add video and audio messaging to front row (did this myself)
* Jeff Han coffee table.

 

[nodabs]

Anyone else notice that the student/teacher discount for Office 2004 expires tomorrow?

Apple Store Link

Any chance that means something?

 

[geiger167]

Not really sure if any of the rumoured devices interest me tommorow, as living in the UK we probably will be denied any kind of movie download service (still waiting for tv show downloads to start) The media streaming device might be a cool idea but unless it had support for divx/transport stream files wouldn't really interest me either and cant imagine apple allowing support of an outside player like VLC and without any kind of download structure available to view apple sourced files outside the USA cant imagine it taking off. Having moaned a bit though I have still ordered a 24 imac and cant wait for it to arrive ( I love watching hdtv files on my 20' imac now so 24' must be heaven)

 

[Matiandos]

so I was looking around the apple store this afternoon till I noticed something

When selecting the MBP in the apple store you'll get some info below...
There's this one title where it shows front row... it says "It's showtime"

maybe it's a hint from apple the MBP is the onle one where it says "it's showtime". the rest all say something else like "put on a show"...

ah well I'm just going crazy from waiting for the new MBP's...

(first post though I've been reading here for a long time)

Its a sign !!

btw, my first post too, been using the forum for buing advice for about a year, as long as I've had a mac. Now sold my iBook and awaiting MEROM MBPs

 

[pyramid6]

What rock are you living under?? A 5mb file is high end? Haha Why do you think the RIAA & MPAA are scared? It's soooooo easy to download music & movies illegally. Or look at YouTube, god knows how many 10mb videos are downloaded each second.

I haven't done ripping in a while, but decent encoding was about about 1Mb per minute for music, and the goal for a feature length movie was about 650Mb (The size of a CD ). Maybe they have gotten better, but you do realize a DVD is like 4.5Gb and it already is a lossy format?

650Mb movies are tolarable on a TV, but not a HD TV in my opinion. The few movies I did encode down, I was happy with 250Mb feature length movies at 320x200. Yes, I've been under a rock, but only for a couple years.

 

[sartinsauce]

Extremely unlikely. Or i`d say it`s impossible. We`ll definitely get DVD quality(atleast as an option). But my guesses are 720p will also be offered to those with a really really FAT internet pipe. Fat enough to fill a human body I guess .

I really think Apple will offer atleast 3 resolutions ie QVGA, DVD and(crossing fingers) HD 720p(may be at an extra cost and limited in number of available titles). Apple needs to do something which will set them apart from Amazon. I`ll be really disappointed if all we get is the same as Amazon.

Not gonna happen.

Apple's delivery requirements for iTMS are for an SD resolution (720x486). Many networks, in an effort to expidite iTMS availability, send Apple tapes containing content. Apple will not accept tapes in an HD format.

That being said, DVD quality downloads now (or in the near future) are a distinct possibility. Again, bandwidth is a mofo. How do you offer so much content, with such large file-sizes, to millions of customers simultaneously, while also maintaining bandwidth for music downloads.

Will there be a download queue, so we have to wait in line to download content?

 

[sixth]

Its a sign !!

btw, my first post too, been using the forum for buing advice for about a year, as long as I've had a mac. Now sold my iBook and awaiting MEROM MBPs

Where are you gouys seeing this?

 

[milo]

Should we really be so confidently predicting that there'll be no MBP or MB upgrades because they "take away" from the excitement of the Media announcements? Surely, 99% of the population couldn't care less when a chip is upgraded, and won't even notice the change. Sure, it might take away from the excitement for some of us geeks on here, but for a lot of people, won't it be a complete non-event, easily eclipsed by the shiny new media stuff?

It's something the press would include in their story. If the laptops are updated separately, the story is 100% about "showtime" stuff.

Movie service with 320x240 movies, Airport Express AV with compostie and s-video only.

I don't think we'll get HD anything, but I think we will get at least 480. 320x240 is OK for iPods and tv shows, but Apple realizes that they'd get slammed if they try and pass off such a low rez in the living room.

Oh really? So tell me what the Front Row G5 iMac and the iPod nano had to do with last years iTunes Phone Special Event.

Those weren't at the same event, were they? The nano was with the phone, and later Front Row showed up with the iPod with video. And generally, apple hasn't been doing computer refreshes at events, just major updates (which lately has been intel, and not even all of those have had events).

 

[daneoni]

Not really sure if any of the rumoured devices interest me tommorow, as living in the UK we probably will be denied any kind of movie download service (still waiting for tv show downloads to start) The media streaming device might be a cool idea but unless it had support for divx/transport stream files wouldn't really interest me either and cant imagine apple allowing support of an outside player like VLC and without any kind of download structure available to view apple sourced files outside the USA cant imagine it taking off. Having moaned a bit though I have still ordered a 24 imac and cant wait for it to arrive ( I love watching hdtv files on my 20' imac now so 24' must be heaven)

I was just gonna say that. As a UK user i'm not really bothered because we wont be getting anything....its all Yankee based. Heck even the battery recall is practically non-existent. I have yet to hear one UK user receive his/her battery whilst US users are getting theres as soon as 48 hrs of sending their requests.

 

[bikertwin]

That being said, DVD quality downloads now (or in the near future) are a distinct possibility. Again, bandwidth is a mofo. How do you offer so much content, with such large file-sizes, to millions of customers simultaneously, while also maintaining bandwidth for music downloads.

Will there be a download queue, so we have to wait in line to download content?

What if you get a $2 discount on the movie if you allowed Apple to point up to 10 customers to your machine to download that movie, bittorrent-style? (Obviously this would be secure Apple technology, not bittorrent per se.)

 

[orbino]

Form factors

The assumption is for new Nanos and new 5G videos with more capacity...but nobody has conjectured on the form factors for these. Same thickness? Same sized screens? For what it's worth, we might have some circumstantial evidence in this arena...

Some of you might be familiar with our high-end, form-fitting iPod cases (Orbino). Our cases are precisely fit for each model, so every millimeter counts.

Well...a couple weeks ago, the iPod marketing manager for Apple in Europe contacted us requesting samples for a press presentation "long lead time" consumer magazines. They were presenting the top iPod accessories for Christmas-related articles.

She asked us for three leather case models for the presenation: our Cambio case for the current iPod video; and our Sportivo and Cambio models for the iPod Nano. One would assume, therefore, that the form factors will remain virtually the same -- otherwise, why would Apple have asked us for those cases to present to the press for the Christmas season?

But then again with Apple, you never know!

 

[topherchris]

Nobody else seems interested, so they must have already seen it, but I have not. That's pretty interesting.

no. THIS is interesting (though old)

http://mammals.org/

 

[dernhelm]

I really think Apple will offer atleast 3 resolutions ie QVGA, DVD and(crossing fingers) HD 720p(may be at an extra cost and limited in number of available titles). Apple needs to do something which will set them apart from Amazon. I`ll be really disappointed if all we get is the same as Amazon.

Apple is not concerned with the width of your internet pipe, they will be concerned about the pressure everyone else puts on their own pipes.

All I can say is plan on being disappointed. You will get wide-screen aspect ratios but there is no way they will start out with (720p or 1080i) HD quality for an internet download. Amazon didn't do it for the same reasons. A movie download store is of no particular use to anyone if you could drive to the store and purchase the movie quicker. Geeks who don't mind fiddling around with BitTorrent not withstanding, John Q. Public needs something straightforward and simple.

I'm more interested in the way Apple plans on getting around the "you gotta watch it on your computer screen" problem. Computers are fun and all, but when I watch a movie, I want to do it curled up on the couch in front of my TV. I don't live in a dorm room and I have no particular desire to replace my TV with a computer screen. The number and types of movies that I will download will be severely restricted if they are limited to those that I am willing to watch on my computer.

Apple has to solve that problem if they want their video store to take off. And I think SJ knows it. Really high quality video would be a bonus, but non-HD, widescreen aspect ratio video that I could stream directly to my TV with little or no headache would suit me just fine.

 

[FreeState]

What iExpect

What I expect is not much:

Movie download service (with less than 100 movies, all current resolution of music video,s).
Updated Nano and iPod (size of flash/hard drive on both updated).

That is it. Thats all I believe we will see...

What Id like to see but think it will come out later, before Christmas:

A way to stream video to your TV
A remote of some sort to control the stream.

I believe that the movie service will not rely on new TVs or Macs. That would cut out way to many PC users and people that do not want to buy a new TV. If apple releases a Mac home center or TV I believe it will be after the movie service takes off - kind of like they did with the Apple branded iPod Hi-Fi, maybe January will see these.

The multi-function device will be the phone, and I guess it will come out next year (January).

But then again Im always wrong Here's to hoping Im wrong

 

[hawken1]

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/annou...ere-199513.php

perhaps you've seen this a long time ago?

they have live coverege 12th.

 

[milozauckerman]

I would expect us to get 480p movies - who wants to stare at an iPod for 115 minutes? And if Apple didn't offer them at DVD quality (with HD in the future), then they'd look mighty stupid going up against Amazon.

Personally, I don't care. I've got Netflix - and I don't think Apple's going to beat (roughly) $2/rental.

 

[Doenertier]

For sure

What we should get:

Movie Service with 1280x720 movies, Airport Extreme AV with composite, s-video and hdmi outputs.

What we will get:

Movie service with 320x240 movies, Airport Express AV with compostie and s-video only.

nope (the latter). Apple wouldn't have been waiting this long. this would be an announcement for the 1st of April. Apple has been preparing for years (since opening the movie store) to bring on movies for $9.99 to $14.99 at 320x240.

Seriously. TV shows in this resolution are okay for $1.99 and for watching on your iPod when you're on the go. That's great. But Apple is delivering the whole package. As they did with iPod+iTunes. Now there's a frontend in the line for your TV. And you are sitting on your couch. As you were on the go with your iPod. Either media center or streaming solution. And it will be at least DVD-quality if not 720p. No prob with a H.264 at 2-6 mpbs. Files for a 90 minute movie at 700 mb (near-DVD-quality) to 4.5 GB (HD 720p).

I just hope for a renting solution as this is what people do with MOVIES.

Comparison MUSIC ---> MOVIES

solution: on the go ---> on the couch
license: owning ---> renting
price: $.99 ---> $3.99

That is an Apple way of doing. If they have another solution: bring it on; it's gonna make sense.

 

[HecubusPro]

Where are you gouys seeing this?

Go here...
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/0.RSLID?mco=925997E8&nclm=MacBookPro

Down towards the bottom of that page for the MBP where you read all about the computer and what it does, there's a bolded subheading that reads "It's Showtime." IMac and Mac Mini are the only other systems that offer a similar description, but their description heading says "Put on a Show."

That is a little odd, since they're basically all describing the same thing. Why would the MBP say "It's Showtime" yet the iMac and Mac Mini descriptions use "Put on a Show?" How long have these read this way? Is this old or new? Does it have something to do with tomorrows' event, or nothing at all?

Hmmm... very intersting.

Reaching? Coincidence? Apple being coy?

 

[Doenertier]

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/annou...ere-199513.php

perhaps you've seen this a long time ago?

they have live coverege 12th.

Either the link ist broken or they are already down with us 2 guys trying it out.

 

[xPismo]

...No prob with a H.264 at 2-6 mpbs. Files for a 90 minute movie at 700 mb (near-DVD-quality...I just hope for a renting solution as this is what people do with MOVIES.... If they have another solution: bring it on; it's gonna make sense.

Nicely put. Shocking to believe what modern compression and modern (read lower) expectations of the average film watcher have allowed distriution solutions to do.

I'm expecting a slick, consumer oriented solution to the video portion of the iTunes music store, but I'm not holding my breath for a 'movie' store or movie rental store solution.

At a compression value I would accecpt, files will still be to big for the internet of today / average power of a computer today / the HD's of today.

Sorry to be a wet blanket. We shall see.

 

[Peace]

iLounge.com will be providing coverage also.

 

[Doenertier]

Go here...
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wo/0.RSLID?mco=925997E8&nclm=MacBookPro

Down towards the bottom of that page for the MBP where you read all about the computer and what it does, there's a bolded subheading that reads "It's Showtime." IMac and Mac Mini are the only other systems that offer a similar description, but their description heading says "Put on a Show."

That is a little odd, since they're basically all describing the same thing. Why would the MBP say "It's Showtime" yet the iMac and Mac Mini descriptions use "Put on a Show?" How long have these read this way? Is this old or new? Does it have something to do with tomorrows' event, or nothing at all?

Hmmm... very intersting.

Reaching? Coincidence? Apple being coy?

Some what-was-his-name?-intern...

 

[theBB]

Unless you have a progressive scan TV, which propbably means an HDTV, DVD is only 480i, which can be argued to be equivalent to 240p. That way Apple can easily claim their movies to be DVD quality at 320x240. In any case, they can easily offer it at 480p, but compress it more to get the same file size, but satisfy the more numerically obsessed with probably the same video quality. I'd say just download and watch it. See if it looks better or worse than your regular DVDs on a regular TV from about the same distance. No need to focus on just one number.

 

[milo]

At a compression value I would accecpt, files will still be to big for the internet of today / average power of a computer today / the HD's of today.

People keep saying things like this. But look at online movie piracy. It's probably as big now as napster was a few years ago. The pirates have proven that people are interested in getting movies online, and that the technological barriers can be overcome.

Unless you have a progressive scan TV, which propbably means an HDTV, DVD is only 480i, which can be argued to be equivalent to 240p. That way Apple can easily claim their movies to be DVD quality at 320x240.

But would that look as good as DVD on NTSC television? Sure doesn't seem like it with the current downloads.