Leopard: Broadcasting Apps Over iChat

[MacRumors]

Appleinsider points to a Leopard Developer page which details Leopard's upcoming Instant Message framework which allows developers to take advantage of Leopard's new "iChat Theater" functionality.

iChat theater was first described when Apple first released details of Leopard last year:

Why wait for a darkened room and a projector to present vacation photos or Keynote slides? With Leopard, you can do it all remotely, from the comfort of iChat. Use new iChat Theater to present photos from iPhoto, slides from Keynote, or content from any iChat-enabled application with any iChat or AIM buddy. And do it in style — full-screen, accompanied by a video feed of you playing host. iChat’s virtual presentation room makes a big impact.

The Instant Message framework opens this functionality to any Leopard application. According to the preview document "your application can present a slide show, a video feed, or even 3D graphics, complete with sound, to one or more conference participants".

More details about Leopard are expected at WWDC 2007 which takes place between June 11-15, 2007.

 

[bigbossbmb]

this seems like a really cool feature that might get me to actually use ichat...

 

[Lito]

:^)

and: iChat with iPhone? Go on Apple - ya know ya wanna!

Well I do anyhow...

 

[Yurtra]

So...how long before we can stream entire hi-def movies across iChat to all our buddies?

 

[WildCowboy]

Saw this at the MWSF Leopard demo...very cool. Great for video-conferencing with a Keynote presentation and your smiling face.

 

[Texas04]

I am confused as to what this actually means....

Does this mean that I can take Final Cut projects and stream them to a buddy across the world? Or my own movies?

If so that gives a new meaning to "drive in theaters" we could just sit back with a friend and watch movies "together".

 

[Bosunsfate]

Say Goodbye to WebEx?

Well, given the amount of remote support I perform and use of WebEx, I'd like to think I can save some costs.

However, the catch with this is that the other users also have to have Leopard and iChat.

I really like the concept, but feel it might take awhile to gain any type of traction.

After all, how often do any of us have three way iChat video session?

 

[twoodcc]

this seems like a really cool feature that might get me to actually use ichat...

yes it does. looking forward to seeing this at WWDC

 

[blueflame]

I agree but...

Make it a really integrated device and application.

and: iChat with iPhone? Go on Apple - ya know ya wanna!

Well I do anyhow...

 

[eenu]

oh come on this is poor. We already knew about this it was in a keynote!

 

[Peace]

I am confused as to what this actually means....

Does this mean that I can take Final Cut projects and stream them to a buddy across the world? Or my own movies?

If so that gives a new meaning to "drive in theaters" we could just sit back with a friend and watch movies "together".

If you and your buddy have the available bandwidth I'd say yes.

 

[Bern]

Sounds great !

Now if only I could get pc'ers to use something other than MSN I might actually have a chance of trying out iChat..... one day.

 

[BornAgainMac]

I am more excited about the ability to remotely control a person's computer (on their request). Sometimes I have to show beginners something on their Mac and it would be nice to do it online and I can talk to them while I am doing it. That is the killer feature of iChat that I want. The other stuff is nice too if the quality is good.

 

[Clive At Five]

and: iChat with iPhone? Go on Apple - ya know ya wanna!

Well I do anyhow...

ya know ya wannaaaaaaaaaaa have 3G for that.

Oh well.

So...how long before we can stream entire hi-def movies across iChat to all our buddies?

With my lame 6 kbps connection speed with Comcast, not for quite some time.

Lo-Def XviD via QT? No problem!

I am more excited about the ability to remotely control a person's computer (on their request). Sometimes I have to show beginners something on their Mac and it would be nice to do it online and I can talk to them while I am doing it. That is the killer feature of iChat that I want. The other stuff is nice too if the quality is good.

I know these programs have existed for both Macs and PCs for years, but it's nice to be able to bring that down to a consumer level (not to mention adding audio!). Now if only my parents would give in and buy macs, I, like you, could show them how to do certain tasks!

-Clive

 

[pederg]

old news...

this info has been on their site for weeks... its not exactly macrumours material is it?
PG

 

[darwen]

I cant believe nobody has said anything about the tv. This feature must be worked into it somehow. You can have an tv in the confrence room and everyone can just sync their mac to it for their presentation. Does this not make senese?

 

[eenu]

I cant believe nobody has said anything about the tv. This feature must be worked into it somehow. You can have an tv in the confrence room and everyone can just sync their mac to it for their presentation. Does this not make senese?

no it doesn't! You can only sync one mac and share files from 4 others. Hardly coporate material

 

[Clive At Five]

I cant believe nobody has said anything about the tv. This feature must be worked into it somehow. You can have an tv in the confrence room and everyone can just sync their mac to it for their presentation. Does this not make senese?

I agree with eenu. Does not make sense. Plus, tv doesn't have an iSight so it's only 1-way.

-Clive

 

[entropys]

.....However, the catch with this is that the other users also have to have Leopard and iChat.

I really like the concept, but feel it might take awhile to gain any type of traction.
.......

Why is this necessary? it is only a video transmission. Surely the other end could be AOL, or whatever additional standards apple chooses to add (please be skype!).
I could understand the need to have leopard and ichat if it was the feature that will allow remote control of the client mac through ichat, but not for the video feed.

 

[kuebby]

no it doesn't! You can only sync one mac and share files from 4 others. Hardly coporate material

I love all the multimedia features on macs but I'm not sure this is "anyone" material. I really don't see anyone setting this up to actually use productively.

Especially if Apple wants to go more mainstream they should add more features that make PC buyers really envious.

 

[WildCowboy]

oh come on this is poor. We already knew about this it was in a keynote!

this info has been on their site for weeks... its not exactly macrumours material is it?
PG

I'm sure the only reason this is posted here is because of the AppleInsider article that came out today. News or not, the topic is going to see increased discussion due to the AI visibility, so MacRumors might as well focus the discussion here in our forums to a single area.

 

[phillipjfry]

Well, given the amount of remote support I perform and use of WebEx, I'd like to think I can save some costs.

However, the catch with this is that the other users also have to have Leopard and iChat.

I really like the concept, but feel it might take awhile to gain any type of traction.

After all, how often do any of us have three way iChat video session?

If your friends aren't using Leopard, then they really aren't your friends


As cool as this might sound, I still hope it isn't one of the "secret features" in Leopard. I want something that everyone can benefit from, not just the "chatters"

 

[nxent]

it's good to see apple become more versatile with it's applications. unfortunately this is a functionality that's been built into windows msn messenger for a while. if apple wants to break into the corporate world of teleconferencees, etc, this is def going in the right direction. if they want to, that is...

 

[ShaneM]

Mac Pro? ACD?

which really makes me not want to buy the current ACDs or MacPros.
And I need one really bad. Pro users need iSight capabilities in order to take advantage of these new iChat features (obviously). Many think that pros don't, but I am a pro user and I refuse to buy a new mac without an iSight camera and I don't want to settle for a discontinued unit on top of an over-priced under-specced display. And I don't want a Dell or BenQ monitor either.

Videoconferencing is a must. People seem to forget that the technology was invented for business users not macbook users talking to their parents from college (no offense, I am and always will be a student too).

Come on apple.

 

[Diatribe]

Imagine playing Chess over iChat where you can see your opponent, etc. There is a lot of cool stuff you can do with that.