Mac OS X Leopard to sport next-gen DVD Player software

[AppleInsider]

A major upgrade to Apple's DVD Player software due to ship with the upcoming Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system release will pack oodles of new features wrapped in a sleekly overhauled user interface, AppleInsider has learned.

People familiar with the latest pre-release builds of Leopard confirm it to include DVD Player 5.0, a significant upgrade to the version include with Mac OS X Tiger in regards to both functionality and aesthetic.

Most prominent of enhancements is a sprawling fullscreen chapter navigation interface, set -- like the remainder of the application's interface -- in a pitch-black motif with satin platinum highlights.

Users of the software will no longer have to exit fullscreen mode to jump between chapters, those familiar with the software say. Instead, DVD Player 5.0 captures a screenshot of each chapter that it then displays in the new fullscreen navigation interface, which runs horizontal across the top of running flicks, fading in and out on the user's cue.

Similarly, Apple has built in a chapter navigation interface for when viewing films in window mode, which floats vertically in its own separate window.

Whether in fullscreen or window mode, the new version of DVD Player reportedly delivers a long sought after feature -- a time bar for visual scrubbing and time jumping. It also features satin platinum highlights, as does a more refined and less cumbersome fullscreen bezel-interface controller.

Artist's rendition of DVD Player 5.0 fullscreen chapter interface

User interface characteristics aside, DVD Player 5.0 will include a plethora of other improvements sure to delight movie buffs. Those familiar with the software say a DVD audio equalizer is among the other new features aimed at enhancing the DVD experience on a Mac.

Meanwhile, new menu items that have cropped up in the application include "Viewer Above Other Apps," "Custom Jacket Picture," and sleep timer options.

Artist's rendition of DVD Player 5.0 window mode chapter interface


Thus far, no documented support for HD-DVD or BluRay discs is apparent in the new player, though old HD settings/limits from previous versions reportedly remain valid.

DVD Player 5.0 and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard are due to ship either this "spring" or "late first half of 2007," depending on which localized version of Apple's webpage you happen to be reading.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Feynman]

Nice to know Tiger will get these new features

[confirmed]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

User interface characteristics aside, DVD Player 5.0 will include a plethora of other improvements sure to delight movie buffs. Those familiar with the software say built-in zoom, de-interlacing, a DVD audio equalizer, and color/brightness correction, are just some of the new features aimed at enhancing the DVD experience on a Mac.

the items in bold are all already implemented in DVD Player

[digitalclips]

Can anyone say "Gestures'? This just maybe designed to be finger friendly for up coming Macs that support the same iPhone UI (as well as mouse and keyboard), something small, compact and portable ... like a Mac tablet that Steve says he will never make ...

[sandau]

Originally Posted by digitalclips

Can anyone say "Gestures'? This just maybe designed to be finger friendly for up coming Macs that support the same iPhone UI (as well as mouse and keyboard), something small, compact and portable ... like a Mac tablet that Steve says he will never make ...

why not gestures using the iSight? Not the ones you send your friends however, UI control...

[Kasper]

Originally Posted by confirmed

the items in bold are all already implemented in DVD Player

Looks like there were just moved around. Article has been update.

Thanks,

K

[Kickaha]

ObPlug: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~smithja/facetop

[jms698]

The interface screenshots look like space-holders. Like if the real color interface is yet to come.

[Chucker]

Originally Posted by jms698

The interface screenshots look like space-holders. Like if the real color interface is yet to come.

Considering they're subtitled "artist's rendition"…

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by Chucker

Considering they're subtitled "artist's rendition"…

And I thought Apple had taken the vector scalable graphics thing to new highs so it'd run on old Asteroids hardware. If you wait long enough, a UFO will fly in from the side....

[machei]

Originally Posted by aegisdesign

And I thought Apple had taken the vector scalable graphics thing to new highs so it'd run on old Asteroids hardware. If you wait long enough, a UFO will fly in from the side....

OK, THAT was funny!

[sCreeD]

Confirmed!!!11! Black is the new black in Leopard.

[Kickaha]

Wait, I thought black was the new white?

Or is white the new black, making black the new white and the new black at the same time, in which case how can the new black and old black coexist, or are they really just the same black in two separate temporal states juxtaposed in our current continuum viewpoint?

I'm so confused.

[ksec]

Could some longtime Mac user tell me, why has apple decided to have DVD player on its own and not just use Quicktime player instead for all media?

Quicktime is another application i think that need some sort of update.
It would be much more useful if they could allow full screen mode in quicktime ( or simply scrap the pro version and give it all out for free )

[Porchland]

The full-screen mode of DVD Player looks a lot like the full-screen mode for editing in iPhoto.

[eAi]

I agree, quicktime really needs a rethink. The standard version just has a sea of "pro" stickers in it, kinda makes macs look bad when you compare it to what Windows Media Player offers (not that I like WMP, but it doesn't limit the user continually). Sure, limit media creation functionality, but not full screen mode!

[vinea]

Hopefully playback quality has been improved as well...tho' the ui updates look nice.

Vinea

[bommai]

Originally Posted by vinea

Hopefully playback quality has been improved as well...tho' the ui updates look nice.

Vinea

I agree. I read a review of Apple DVD player's quality. It was not as good as a good stand alone player. They need to make a better de-interlacer and scaler. If more and more people are going to be using Mac Mini, etc with a big screen HDTV, the scaler better be top notch. Otherwise, I won't be able to give up my standalone DVD player.

[smashbrosfan]

Originally Posted by eAi

I agree, quicktime really needs a rethink. The standard version just has a sea of "pro" stickers in it, kinda makes macs look bad when you compare it to what Windows Media Player offers (not that I like WMP, but it doesn't limit the user continually). Sure, limit media creation functionality, but not full screen mode!

That's because Quicktime isn't WMP's competitor. iTunes is. Yes yes, I know iTunes uses the Quicktime codecs for play back. But I think Quicktime's day is over. At least, the Quicktime Player.

I think it's a case of Quicktime not being sure what it wants to be. All of it's player fuctionality is now done by iTunes, so what's left? Editing? That's iMovie's job. They need to get rid of the app altogether and have the other application take care of the codecs. Quicktime Player is a reminent of OS 9.

[kim kap sol]

Originally Posted by ksec

Could some longtime Mac user tell me, why has apple decided to have DVD player on its own and not just use Quicktime player instead for all media?

Quicktime is another application i think that need some sort of update.
It would be much more useful if they could allow full screen mode in quicktime ( or simply scrap the pro version and give it all out for free )

I don't understand it either...why can't Apple create an 'iTunes' for movies/videos on Macs. Call it iTheater or something.

iTunes handles music CDs, why couldn't Apple merge DVD Player and QuickTime into iTheater.

Lately, Apple has been pulling some boneheaded moves...they're not merging apps that could be merged but then they merge what should be a standalone app into current apps.

iTunes is the perfect example of bloatware. Leopard's Mail will be the next example...RSS, Notes and ToDo in a Mail client? Come on now. I know it's been previewed already but I hope Apple goes back on this decision to create a standalone RSS app and a standalone Notes/ToDo app and removes RSS from Safari and Mail.

The rule of thumb should be that if more than one app can benefit from one specific feature, that feature should get its own app (and data accessed through an API similar to the way iPhoto and iTunes libraries are accessed in iLife, iWork and third-party apps.)

Problem is that Apple is reluctant to remove features that already exist even if they're not really removed because people will scream bloody murder. I bet there are a lot of people that want the RSS feature to remain in Safari. It could...if RSS was moved to its own app for people that want an awesome RSS reader but accessible to Mail and Safari in an "RSS Browser" similar to the "Media Browser" for those that just want a simple RSS browser.

Make it happen Apple...or else...

[marzetta7]

Oh nice, way to tease me! We'll find out if Apple will be supporting both Blu-ray and HD DVD soon enough. I hope the future is Blu!

[TenoBell]

Could some longtime Mac user tell me, why has apple decided to have DVD player on its own and not just use Quicktime player instead for all media?

My guess would be too much stuff in one app. A dedicated DVD app can do it better than tacked on to Quicktime. Quicktime is already used to do a lot of things.

The same as Apple does not have contacts and calendar built into the mail app.

It would be much more useful if they could allow full screen mode in quicktime ( or simply scrap the pro version and give it all out for free )

Yeah I agree forcing people to pay for pro for full screen is Apple nickel and dimeing the consumer. But you can play full screen video through iTunes.

but I hope Apple goes back on this decision to create a standalone RSS app and a standalone Notes/ToDo app and removes RSS from Safari and Mail.

Perhaps I don't use RSS enough, but I don't see its need to become an entire app.

[ksec]

One thing i forgot to point out as well . H.264; infact mpeg 4 , or even more ALL video decoding built in on OSX are pretty bad ( i try to avoid the word SUCKS here )

It eat up loads of CPU resources ( the most CPU intensive Software H.264 decoder out there ) while doesn't produce the best quality picture.

And i argee with kim. RSS, Notes and Todo is just silly in Mail. However i do expect newsgroup to be in there but it is not. ( Although newsgroup could be a seperate package as well if those mail function could be used for newsgroup posting without Dev rewriting those portion again. )

[kim kap sol]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

Perhaps I don't use RSS enough, but I don't see its need to become an entire app.

So you can see QuickTime and DVD Player being separate apps but not Safari and RSS?

RSS could benefit from a better UI. The one in Safari is decent but not nearly powerful enough.

The problem with RSS getting its own app would probably be third-party devs feeling betrayed.

[pmjoe]

I just keep hoping stuff like this means we'll see a nice shiny new Mac mini for under $900 (or preferably under $700) with a built-in Blu-ray player for the Leopard release.

[sandau]

Originally Posted by pmjoe

I just keep hoping stuff like this means we'll see a nice shiny new Mac mini for under $900 (or preferably under $700) with a built-in Blu-ray player for the Leopard release.

don't get your hopes up. I can't see that happening until 2009.

[pmjoe]

Originally Posted by kim kap sol

The problem with RSS getting its own app would probably be third-party devs feeling betrayed.

Vienna is free, open source, and does nearly everything I'd want an RSS app to do.
http://www.opencommunity.co.uk/vienna2.php

Yeah, it'd be nice if Apple separated this out of Safari though. I haven't found in-browser RSS support that I've liked yet.

[lonepilgrim]

Originally Posted by kim kap sol

I don't understand it either...why can't Apple create an 'iTunes' for movies/videos on Macs. Call it iTheater or something.

iTunes handles music CDs, why couldn't Apple merge DVD Player and QuickTime into iTheater.

Lately, Apple has been pulling some boneheaded moves...they're not merging apps that could be merged but then they merge what should be a standalone app into current apps.

Something like iTheater wouldn't make any sense considering both Apple TV and iPhone will be linked into iTunes.

[kim kap sol]

Originally Posted by lonepilgrim

Something like iTheater wouldn't make any sense considering both Apple TV and iPhone will be linked into iTunes.

That's the other problem, iTunes isn't an app anymore...it's a frickin' platform. Sad really. It's used to sync iPods, iTVs, future iPhones. It's used to sync notes, ToDos, calendars. Why? Because the hardware is sold to PC users and the only ported app that'll do it all is iTunes.

While iTunes has raked up a ton of money for Apple and pleases a lot of PC users, it's a curse to Mac users.

[pmjoe]

Originally Posted by sandau

don't get your hopes up. I can't see that happening until 2009.

If PS3 sells for $600, I think an under $1000 Mac mini with Blu-ray is quite doable, especially if they can design it to use the same drive as for a Blu-ray iMac. You'll be paying ~$200 on top of the rest of the Mac to get it, but it seems doable. It's a nice fit for people hooking mini's up to large or very high-res displays, as well as the really high-res displays on iMacs.

I can pretty much guarantee we'll see some kind of high-def DVD as an option on all Macs before 2009, might not be on all Macs this year, but certainly by first half of 2008.

[solipsism]

.....

[sjk]

Originally Posted by bommai

If more and more people are going to be using Mac Mini, etc with a big screen HDTV, the scaler better be top notch.

For me that's an overspecialized waste of a decent general purpose computer. I'd prefer using Apple TV, though so far its specs are disappointing and seem unnecessarily crippled as an unappreciated ploy to promote Apple Store sales while severing itself from legacy content (and SDTV).

I'd be curious to see a desktop vs. notebook DVD Player usage comparison. Or just an estimate of how many people use it at all.

[Slewis]

Originally Posted by pmjoe

If PS3 sells for $600, I think an under $1000 Mac mini with Blu-ray is quite doable, especially if they can design it to use the same drive as for a Blu-ray iMac. You'll be paying ~$200 on top of the rest of the Mac to get it, but it seems doable. It's a nice fit for people hooking mini's up to large or very high-res displays, as well as the really high-res displays on iMacs.

I can pretty much guarantee we'll see some kind of high-def DVD as an option on all Macs before 2009, might not be on all Macs this year, but certainly by first half of 2008.

The PS3 is sold as a Loss Leader while Apple makes most of their revenue in Hardware sales. Then again, I think the Mini is the worst selling Mac right now, maybe after the Mac Pro but the Mac Pro has an excuse.

Sebastian

[Slewis]

Originally Posted by sjk

For me that's an overspecialized waste of a decent general purpose computer. I'd prefer using Apple TV, though so far its specs are disappointing and seem unnecessarily crippled as an unappreciated ploy to promote Apple Store sales while severing itself from legacy content (and SDTV).

I'd be curious to see a desktop vs. notebook DVD Player usage comparison. Or just an estimate of how many people use it at all.

How is the AppleTV crippled?

It does exactly what Apple said it would do:
Stream Content from your iTunes (and iPhoto) Libraries.

Sebastian

[pmjoe]

Originally Posted by kim kap sol

I don't understand it either...why can't Apple create an 'iTunes' for movies/videos on Macs. Call it iTheater or something.

iTunes handles music CDs, why couldn't Apple merge DVD Player and QuickTime into iTheater.

Well first, they already did this. It's called Front Row. Second iTheater already exists, and it does pretty much what Front Row does.
http://www.itheaterproject.com/

Lately, Apple has been pulling some boneheaded moves...they're not merging apps that could be merged but then they merge what should be a standalone app into current apps.

iTunes is the perfect example of bloatware. Leopard's Mail will be the next example...RSS, Notes and ToDo in a Mail client? Come on now. I know it's been previewed already but I hope Apple goes back on this decision to create a standalone RSS app and a standalone Notes/ToDo app and removes RSS from Safari and Mail.

I already do Notes in Mail. My poor Drafts mailbox if full of them. I'd use TextEdit, but when it crashes, it tends to lose everything that isn't saved, so I switched to Mail which auto-saves and re-opens everything when I re-launch the app. Apple probably missed the boat on this one, watched someone like me who uses Mail for notes, and didn't get why I'm doing it. I always assumed everyone else uses Stickies anyhow.

I haven't quite been able to figure Apple's RSS approach out yet, but possibly that's because RSS is still emerging itself. If I remember right, doesn't the RSS visualizer get it's feed from the Safari feeds? Maybe someone just needs to convert an app like Vienna, or write a new one, to interact with the Safari feeds. In Leopard, will the RSS in Mail use the same feeds that are in Safari? Maybe Apple is heading in the direction you want.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by pmjoe

I just keep hoping stuff like this means we'll see a nice shiny new Mac mini for under $900 (or preferably under $700) with a built-in Blu-ray player for the Leopard release.

A Mac Mini doesn't have the CPU or GPU to adequately use HD optical media.

Originally Posted by pmjoe

If PS3 sells for $600, I think an under $1000 Mac mini with Blu-ray is quite doable, especially if they can design it to use the same drive as for a Blu-ray iMac. You'll be paying ~$200 on top of the rest of the Mac to get it, but it seems doable. It's a nice fit for people hooking mini's up to large or very high-res displays, as well as the really high-res displays on iMacs.

I can pretty much guarantee we'll see some kind of high-def DVD as an option on all Macs before 2009, might not be on all Macs this year, but certainly by first half of 2008.

The PS3 is being sold at a loss. Sony expects to recoup its HW losses from game sales and, potentially, gaining royalities by using the PS3 to help make Blu-ray the next standard.

You'll be paying a lot mor,e than $200 for a Blu-ray drive. Also, HD optical drives use a lot more power than your standard optical drive; not to mention the CPU and GPU that will be maxed trying to decode H.264 for 1080 resolution.

You'll see it in the Mac Pro first as an option. Then, many months later, when the media starts to become more mainstream, you'll see it as an option for the iMac and maybe the MacBook Pro.

In the meantime, you can always buy one of the several external models being sold.

[Slewis]

Originally Posted by pmjoe

Well first, they already did this. It's called Front Row. Second iTheater already exists, and it does pretty much what Front Row does.
http://www.itheaterproject.com/

I already do Notes in Mail. My poor Drafts mailbox if full of them. I'd use TextEdit, but when it crashes, it tends to lose everything that isn't saved, so I switched to Mail which auto-saves and re-opens everything when I re-launch the app. Apple probably missed the boat on this one, watched someone like me who uses Mail for notes, and didn't get why I'm doing it. I always assumed everyone else uses Stickies anyhow.

I haven't quite been able to figure Apple's RSS approach out yet, but possibly that's because RSS is still emerging itself. If I remember right, doesn't the RSS visualizer get it's feed from the Safari feeds? Maybe someone just needs to convert an app like Vienna, or write a new one, to interact with the Safari feeds. In Leopard, will the RSS in Mail use the same feeds that are in Safari? Maybe Apple is heading in the direction you want.

I use Journler for all my notes. Steve said he keeps sending himself To Do Items in the form of an Email, which wasn't working to great, and so the idea of Notes and To Dos in Mail came along.

As for Apple's RSS approach, Mail and Safari will use a shared store. I can't remember if Developers will be able to access it or not though. They also have an Aggregator built into iTunes, for Podcasts and such, but it only works for Audio and Video and only if that Audio or Video is in a format that iTunes will read.

Sebastian

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by smashbrosfan

That's because Quicktime isn't WMP's competitor. iTunes is. Yes yes, I know iTunes uses the Quicktime codecs for play back. But I think Quicktime's day is over. At least, the Quicktime Player.

I think that's only because iTunes is now the multi headed hydra of the Mac software world. It slices, it dices, it chops and makes smoothies. Apple's desire to cram everything into iTunes is highly annoying. Quicktime WAS WMP's competitor back in the day of WMP6, but it's been lying there, mostly forgotten for so long that it looks sort of basic now.

Originally Posted by smashbrosfan

I think it's a case of Quicktime not being sure what it wants to be. All of it's player fuctionality is now done by iTunes, so what's left? Editing? That's iMovie's job. They need to get rid of the app altogether and have the other application take care of the codecs. Quicktime Player is a reminent of OS 9.

Quicktime PRO also does a pretty good job of converting from one codec to another, splitting out audio or video, splitting out frames, joining movies. Sometimes it's much quicker to edit things in Quicktime PRO than one of the heavier editing packages.

I think Quicktime should stick around but lose some of the crap like the movie trailers so it's lighter and of course it should have all the PRO features built in or at least fullscreen.

I quite like Classic Windows WMP6 too though.

I've never quite seen why we need QT Player AND DVD Player either, except for the stupid full screen limitation in Quicktime. Merge the two.

[EruIthildur]

I agree, open up quicktime, don't make it a pain to save the movies and go fullscreen.

You can go fullscreen anyway... It's easy if you know applescript, apple just needs to get a life in that regards, I'm not paying to watch quicktime trailers full screen. As for media, I've got final cut and junk so I don't bother paying for media creation. What I do need is a good binary extractor But w/e.

[pmjoe]

Originally Posted by solipsism

A Mac Mini doesn't have the CPU or GPU to adequately use HD optical media.

[...]

not to mention the CPU and GPU that will be maxed trying to decode H.264 for 1080 resolution.

[...]

In the meantime, you can always buy one of the several external models being sold.

Well, which is it? First you say it can't do it, then you say it'll be maxed doing it, and then you say, just go ahead and get the external drive and everything will be fine.

Back in the real world, people play 1080p content on their minis, though it comes close to maxing things out (like it would on most Macs), so I assume it'll work but be close to maxed out (as a lot of other Macs with similar specs will also be).

It would really help your case if you could keep your story straight.