iTunes 8.2 beta hints at support of Gracenote's video platform

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
Apple on Tuesday equipped iPhone developers with a beta of iTunes 8.2 that appears to add full support for Gracenote's video platform, which includes components for organizing, searching and managing both DVD and Blu-ray optical discs.



Hints to this end were noticed in the credits roll of the new jukebox software by both a MacRumors forum member and AppleInsider reader David. The specific reference reads, "CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and music and video-related data from Gracenote."



The current version of iTunes includes similar credits but without mention of DVD and Blu-ray, leading to speculation that iTunes 8.2 will ship with software support for recognizing and reading Blu-ray discs.



Once called Compact Disc Data Base (or CDDB), Gracenote is a firm that maintains and licenses the largest Internet-accessible database containing information about the contents of audio discs and digital music files. Applications like iTunes tap into the CDDB database to easily provide users with album names, song titles, and other information about their audio CDs, which don't contain such descriptive information by default.



"iTunes connects to this database to look up information about the CDs you own so you can easily select which songs to listen to and sort and view your music library," Apple explains in a support document on its website dated August 2004.



A little over a year ago, Gracenote introduced a similar database for digital video called the "Gracenote Video Platform." It contains five key components, one of which is the VideoID-DVD for "identification, search and organization of physical DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-Ray disc collections." Similar to the firm's CDDB database, it provides metadata, cover art, synopsis, cast/credits, and detailed product information for identified video discs.



It therefore appears that iTunes 8.2 will support Gracenote's video platform in some capacity. Still, it should be noted that Apple may be adding support for the platform primarily to help users manage their conventional DVD collection, with the reference to Blu-ray slipping in as a matter of standard legalese.







Despite persistent rumors, Blu-ray support has yet to find its way to the Mac in any capacity due to complicated licensing issues that Apple has seen no interest in tackling given that the format remains in its infancy and has yet to show signs of mainstream adoption, according to comments from Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.



"Blu-ray is a bag of hurt. I don’t mean from the consumer point of view," he said at a media event last October. "It’s great to watch movies, but the licensing is so complex. We’re waiting until things settle down, and waiting until Blu-ray takes off before we burden our customers with the cost of licensing."



Though it's uncommon for Apple to distribute pre-release betas of iTunes broadly, it did so Tuesday alongside the release of the fourth beta of iPhone Software 3.0, which requires the new version of the media cataloging software.



"This is a pre-release version of iTunes 8.2," the company told developers. "You must download and install iTunes 8.2 pre-release in order to activate iPhone OS 3.0 beta 4 on your iPhone or iPod touch."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 122
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    LOL



    Sometimes Jobs' cracks me up with his statements. I think Blu-ray is coming but I'd agree that this is likely just rudimentary support for cataloging BD discs.
  • Reply 2 of 122
    gtl215gtl215 Posts: 242member
    somewhat off-topic, but not totally...I've never seen a Blu-ray movie played on a computer, but I just can't imagine it being so much better than a standard DVD. So many people complain about Apple's lack of Blu-ray support (esp in their notebooks). However, people who have Blu-ray right now are clearly videophiles who probably don't do the majority of their movie-watching on computers. So then, what's the big deal? I wouldn't be surprised if Apple NEVER adopts blu-ray as a standard feature. By the time it becomes mainstream enough, DVD sales will be dropping off considerably more than they already are. Online distribution is clearly the future.
  • Reply 3 of 122
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Gimme an iMac with a blu-ray already.
  • Reply 4 of 122
    If BR does comes out for the Mac Mini, it would totally rock!



    And it'll make the decision to buy an xbox 360 or ps3 easier this Christmas.
  • Reply 5 of 122
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GTL215 View Post


    somewhat off-topic, but not totally...I've never seen a Blu-ray movie played on a computer, but I just can't imagine it being so much better than a standard DVD. So many people complain about Apple's lack of Blu-ray support (esp in their notebooks). However, people who have Blu-ray right now are clearly videophiles who probably don't do the majority of their movie-watching on computers. So then, what's the big deal? I wouldn't be surprised if Apple NEVER adopts blu-ray as a standard feature. By the time it becomes mainstream enough, DVD sales will be dropping off considerably more than they already are. Online distribution is clearly the future.



    Future for a select few maybe. optical discs will be around for awhile. Blu-ray is having a banner year finally- even in a recession. Even Pixar's Bug's Life comes out next month.
  • Reply 6 of 122
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paul_onxo View Post


    If BR does comes out for the Mac Mini, it would totally rock!



    And it'll make the decision to buy an xbox 360 or ps3 easier this Christmas.



    If it were available now and I certainly would buy.
  • Reply 7 of 122
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hmurchison View Post


    LOL



    Sometimes Jobs' cracks me up with his statements. I think Blu-ray is coming but I'd agree that this is likely just rudimentary support for cataloging BD discs.



    Remember when he said he replaced his home stereo system with iPod Hifis!!!!
  • Reply 8 of 122
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GTL215 View Post


    somewhat off-topic, but not totally...I've never seen a Blu-ray movie played on a computer, but I just can't imagine it being so much better than a standard DVD. So many people complain about Apple's lack of Blu-ray support (esp in their notebooks). However, people who have Blu-ray right now are clearly videophiles who probably don't do the majority of their movie-watching on computers. So then, what's the big deal? I wouldn't be surprised if Apple NEVER adopts blu-ray as a standard feature. By the time it becomes mainstream enough, DVD sales will be dropping off considerably more than they already are. Online distribution is clearly the future.



    Exactly



    I have a 32" HDTV and I can see the difference between a good DVD and a HD version of the movie but it's not really that easy.



    I own The Unforgiven 2-disc DVD and the HD DVD version and the difference is pretty small.



    I have a hard time thinking that it's even a good idea to have an Blue Laser optical drive playing movies on a laptop that has a 17" screen at best.



    720p digital files are pretty damn good for a desktop/laptop screen IMO. Though I would like to see Blu-ray for recording capability.
  • Reply 9 of 122
    saareksaarek Posts: 1,520member
    Does this mean that a future iTunes might allow me to import my DVD collection for play on my apple tv?
  • Reply 10 of 122
    gtl215gtl215 Posts: 242member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paul_onxo View Post


    If BR does comes out for the Mac Mini, it would totally rock!



    And it'll make the decision to buy an xbox 360 or ps3 easier this Christmas.



    i'm hoping for a significant update to AppleTV (bigger HDD and DVR capabilities, specifically). I've already begun digitizing my DVDs (Handbrake/VisualHub/MacTheRipper). Best case scenario is they update it by Christmas, but who knows...
  • Reply 11 of 122
    noirdesirnoirdesir Posts: 1,027member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GTL215 View Post


    somewhat off-topic, but not totally...I've never seen a Blu-ray movie played on a computer, but I just can't imagine it being so much better than a standard DVD.



    Go to www.apple.com/trailers/ and run a SD and 1080 HD movie trailer, there is a clear difference.



    And there is no difference in resolution your eyes can absorb whether you sit close to a small but high-resolution display or further away from a larger but lesser-dpi screen. Resolution of the human eye is measured in fractions of a degree (assuming you eyes can focus correctly).
  • Reply 12 of 122
    gtl215gtl215 Posts: 242member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by saarek View Post


    Does this mean that a future iTunes might allow me to import my DVD collection for play on my apple tv?



    Hopefully! That'd obviously be easier than 3rd party software.
  • Reply 13 of 122
    kasperkasper Posts: 941member, administrator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    Remember when he said he replaced his home stereo system with iPod Hifis!!!!



    Yeah, I still don't know what Jobs was thinking.



    I'm not sure anyone believed him when he said this to begin with =P



    K
  • Reply 14 of 122
    walshbjwalshbj Posts: 864member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GTL215 View Post


    somewhat off-topic, but not totally...I've never seen a Blu-ray movie played on a computer, but I just can't imagine it being so much better than a standard DVD. So many people complain about Apple's lack of Blu-ray support (esp in their notebooks). However, people who have Blu-ray right now are clearly videophiles who probably don't do the majority of their movie-watching on computers. So then, what's the big deal? I wouldn't be surprised if Apple NEVER adopts blu-ray as a standard feature. By the time it becomes mainstream enough, DVD sales will be dropping off considerably more than they already are. Online distribution is clearly the future.



    I pretty much agree and have little interest in Blu-ray. Totally satisfied with DVD quality. I'd be more interested in Blu-ray if they all came with an iTunes ready copy of the movie.



    Is that (an iTunes copy of the movie) what this is really about? Or do people want to catalog their disks in iTunes ala Delicious Library? Or what?
  • Reply 15 of 122
    noirdesirnoirdesir Posts: 1,027member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hmurchison View Post


    I have a hard time thinking that it's even a good idea to have an Blue Laser optical drive playing movies on a laptop that has a 17" screen at best.



    Why? What is the difference to looking at 2000 horizontal pixels from one feet or from five feet away? Sure, you need a display that can display 2000 pixels, but the 24" desktops and the 17" laptops get close with 1920 pixels.
  • Reply 16 of 122
    cory bauercory bauer Posts: 1,286member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by saarek View Post


    Does this mean that a future iTunes might allow me to import my DVD collection for play on my apple tv?



    Now why would you want to do that? A good Blu-Ray player will do a nice upconversion of your DVD, making it look better than it does. Your Apple TV will not.
  • Reply 17 of 122
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by saarek View Post


    Does this mean that a future iTunes might allow me to import my DVD collection for play on my apple tv?



    Where's Susan Boyle to sing- "I Dreamed a dream...."
  • Reply 18 of 122
    cdyatescdyates Posts: 202member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GTL215 View Post


    Hopefully! That'd obviously be easier than 3rd party software.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by saarek View Post


    Does this mean that a future iTunes might allow me to import my DVD collection for play on my apple tv?



    Don't I wish... but not likely - at least anytime soon i think. There's still too much legal uncertainty with the encryption on a dvd.
  • Reply 19 of 122
    cory bauercory bauer Posts: 1,286member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noirdesir View Post


    Go to www.apple.com/trailers/ and run a SD and 1080 HD movie trailer, there is a clear difference.



    Good example. Don't know why I never thought of that. To me though, it's not about the extra resolution being necessary on my computer screen, but simply having compatibility with the movies I purchase/rent. What good is a computer that can play DVDs all of the movies I've bought/rented for the past year are Blu-Ray discs?
  • Reply 20 of 122
    gtl215gtl215 Posts: 242member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cory Bauer View Post


    Now why would you want to do that? A good Blu-Ray player will do a nice upconversion of your DVD, making it look better than it does. Your Apple TV will not.



    saarek was talking about using iTunes as a DVD ripping software, presumable so you can (A) archive your collection, and (B) stream your movies to your TV with something like AppleTV. Currently, you need third-party software to rip DVDs.
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