We need an article to compare what is available on what platform.
No need, you can look it up as you please. Just browse through the latest movie rentals. If on Windows or OSX it is only available in SD, look for the fine print on Windows and OSX that says "available in HD on iPad and AppleTV". A fun game. I've already mentioned two movies above.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiggin
I can't speak to the iPad, but the AppleTV and the iTunes application on your computer have never had the same access to rentals. There are many movies which are on AppleTV but either not on the computer via iTunes at all or are only available in SD.
This could either be a licensing requirement by the studios. Or, perhaps more likely, Apple not so subtly suggesting you should spend money to buy more of their gadgets.
I think the suggestion is pretty clear. Why can't you watch 720p on your 27" Mac but you can on a 10" iPad running ARM with a fraction of the RAM and storage?
I think the HDMI organization is being self-destructive. If they don't permit the cable, it will result in fewer consumers using HDMI, not more. Apple users will simply wind up buying future versions of Apple monitors which include the mini Display port instead of buying 3rd party monitors that have an HDMI port. And presumably, that would also reduce their licensing revenue. Seems to me they should just bite the bullet and test and license the cables.
It would be one thing if the Mini Display Port outputted signal inconsistent with the HDMI standard which could in turn, cause either playback problems or damage to the HDMI device connected to the other end, but if that's not the case (and I'm assuming it's not), they should either license those cables or not license them, but let the manufacturers issue them with a disclaimer that they're not licensed. Besides, to claim that a dongle is okay, but a cable isn't, is really a distinction without a difference. (I thought size didn't count!)
My bet is that the ruling Board or committee of that organization simply doesn't like Apple, for reasons real or imagined.
The group explained to TechRadar that “the HDMI specification defines an HDMI cable as having only HDMI connectors on either end. Anything else is not a licensed use of the specification and therefore, not allowed... Cables, or dongles, that have a DisplayPort on one end and an HDMI female receptacle on the other are licensed.”
Taking a cue from Apple's "App Store" lawsuits:
1) A "Mini Displayport to HDMI cable" is not an "HDMI cable".
2) Since a Mini Displayport-HDMI cable does have an HDMI connector on one end, it meets the "either end" requirement.
Another annoying article on several fronts, one of which is the obvious shortcoming of the article itself.
The article says in part that cables that have DisplayPort (the older, non-mini variety) on one end and that have the female gender of HDMI on the other are deemed legal by the HDMI Org, but does not explain whether the key difference is the use of DisplayPort as opposed to MiniDisplayPort, vs. the use female vs. male HDMI. It boggles my mind that the author of this article would not have bothered to clear this up. Basically, the article says that Apple's cable is classified as verboten by the HDMI org, but it completely fails to explain why, exactly, the HDMI org takes that position. Is it because it uses MiniDisplayPort at one end, or is it because it uses the wrong gender of HDMI at the other? How can someone write an article of this sort and leave fully unanswered the explanation for why HDMI org considers the cable non-compliant? All that talk about dongle is utterly meaningless. A dongle is simply a short cable that has two types of connectors.
As I ponder this, it seems very likely to me that MiniDisplayPort per se has nothing to do with it, in which case this article has managed to create a lot of confusion.
But the position of HDMI org is also silly. If they permit "dongles" of any sort, they permit cables that have a female HDMI socket at one end and any other sort of connector at the other end. If they restrict the other sort of connector, then this is silly at face value, to allow a dongle for only specific types of on-computer ports. Surely they are not that fickle. The other, less fickle possibility is that they require that adapter cables, i.e., "dongles", use female HDMI only, i.e., no male parts permitted. But this also is just silly. You have to ask why they would do this, and they only reason that I can think of is that the real, unspoken reason is that they do not want to see cables that have HDMI at one end and a proprietary connector at the other end. But if this is their concern, then they should not allow any sort of "dongle" that has a proprietary connector at one end. My guess is that this is what is really going on here, and it is most likely a matter of them doing what they need to do to force Apple to give up licensing fees when other companies want to make cables that combine HDMI and MiniDisplayPort. This makes a lot of sense, but still does not make perfect sense because it begs the question of why HDMI org would not ban a cable that has MiniDisplayPort on one end and female HDMI on the other.
All in all, this article is a really cheap article. It does not even begin to answer the questions that are immediately obvious, and probably has applied an erroneous interpretation to whatever facts were available to the author. Articles of this caliber are abundant on the Web. Articles where the author actually went to trouble of figuring out what is going on and then presenting the facts in a meaningful, straightforward way are as rare as hen's teeth.
Maybe they've fixed it in recent revisions. I haven't tried any Monoprice cables.
I use the Monoprice dongle and an HDMI male-male cable with a 2011 MacBookPro and a Samsung HD-ready monitor, and it has worked fine so far, including the new audio-pass through to monitor option in the Sound preferences panel. You should be aware, however, that Monoprice sells one dongle that does not support audio-pass through and one that does, so be careful when you order.
Apple does offer the Moshi 3rd party adapter on the website, although it is relatively expensive.
I think the suggestion is pretty clear. Why can't you watch 720p on your 27" Mac but you can on a 10" iPad running ARM with a fraction of the RAM and storage?
The iTunes media store is able to detect what device you are renting or purchasing on. Hence iPad movies are available in HD but some (many) are not available to rent in HD on Windows or OSX. Remember, you can't transfer rentals from iPad to Windows or OSX, only vice versa.
Look up The Adjustment Bureau. Notice on Windows or OSX it says "available to rent in HD on iPad and AppleTV". Same for Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 1, which is why I rented that on my iPad.
Hence my response to Wiggin that you can rent and watch 720p HD movies on a 10" iPad... but on a 27" iMac, sorry, no HD rental for you. How many movies have these restrictions? I leave that to the individual to discover. One might be unpleasantly surprised. Wiggin suggested this may be to encourage purchases of iPad and AppleTV. Which sounds plausible.
Don't confuse the US iTunes store with the rest of the world.
These things you say absolutely disgust me.
Why can't licensees get it together and actually offer stuff to their country's citizens? It's depressing.
What we need is ONE iTunes Store. Every movie, every TV show, every song, every app, every audiobook, every podcast. In every country.
The Long Tail says the greed-mongering studios will get MORE money by allowing everyone on Earth access to their stuff, and there would be less piracy if people could actually PAY for things they wanted. RIght now, people have the option to pirate media or fly to [country name] and buy a local copy. I know that many people would pay if the option to buy it was offered.
<snap> I know that many people would pay if the option to buy it was offered.
I certainly would like to rent movies thru iTunes. But it's not offered here in The Netherlands. The iTMS has been available here since 26 October 2004, so that's only 18 months since its inception. Still no movies or TV shows. Some people get iTunes Gift Cards from sites like itunescode.nl, mediawob.com, www.instantitunescodes.com and itunes-giftcards.com and rent or buy movies that way.
Comments
We need an article to compare what is available on what platform.
No need, you can look it up as you please. Just browse through the latest movie rentals. If on Windows or OSX it is only available in SD, look for the fine print on Windows and OSX that says "available in HD on iPad and AppleTV". A fun game. I've already mentioned two movies above.
I can't speak to the iPad, but the AppleTV and the iTunes application on your computer have never had the same access to rentals. There are many movies which are on AppleTV but either not on the computer via iTunes at all or are only available in SD.
This could either be a licensing requirement by the studios. Or, perhaps more likely, Apple not so subtly suggesting you should spend money to buy more of their gadgets.
I think the suggestion is pretty clear. Why can't you watch 720p on your 27" Mac but you can on a 10" iPad running ARM with a fraction of the RAM and storage?
It would be one thing if the Mini Display Port outputted signal inconsistent with the HDMI standard which could in turn, cause either playback problems or damage to the HDMI device connected to the other end, but if that's not the case (and I'm assuming it's not), they should either license those cables or not license them, but let the manufacturers issue them with a disclaimer that they're not licensed. Besides, to claim that a dongle is okay, but a cable isn't, is really a distinction without a difference. (I thought size didn't count!)
My bet is that the ruling Board or committee of that organization simply doesn't like Apple, for reasons real or imagined.
The group explained to TechRadar that “the HDMI specification defines an HDMI cable as having only HDMI connectors on either end. Anything else is not a licensed use of the specification and therefore, not allowed... Cables, or dongles, that have a DisplayPort on one end and an HDMI female receptacle on the other are licensed.”
Taking a cue from Apple's "App Store" lawsuits:
1) A "Mini Displayport to HDMI cable" is not an "HDMI cable".
2) Since a Mini Displayport-HDMI cable does have an HDMI connector on one end, it meets the "either end" requirement.
Problem solved.
The article says in part that cables that have DisplayPort (the older, non-mini variety) on one end and that have the female gender of HDMI on the other are deemed legal by the HDMI Org, but does not explain whether the key difference is the use of DisplayPort as opposed to MiniDisplayPort, vs. the use female vs. male HDMI. It boggles my mind that the author of this article would not have bothered to clear this up. Basically, the article says that Apple's cable is classified as verboten by the HDMI org, but it completely fails to explain why, exactly, the HDMI org takes that position. Is it because it uses MiniDisplayPort at one end, or is it because it uses the wrong gender of HDMI at the other? How can someone write an article of this sort and leave fully unanswered the explanation for why HDMI org considers the cable non-compliant? All that talk about dongle is utterly meaningless. A dongle is simply a short cable that has two types of connectors.
As I ponder this, it seems very likely to me that MiniDisplayPort per se has nothing to do with it, in which case this article has managed to create a lot of confusion.
But the position of HDMI org is also silly. If they permit "dongles" of any sort, they permit cables that have a female HDMI socket at one end and any other sort of connector at the other end. If they restrict the other sort of connector, then this is silly at face value, to allow a dongle for only specific types of on-computer ports. Surely they are not that fickle. The other, less fickle possibility is that they require that adapter cables, i.e., "dongles", use female HDMI only, i.e., no male parts permitted. But this also is just silly. You have to ask why they would do this, and they only reason that I can think of is that the real, unspoken reason is that they do not want to see cables that have HDMI at one end and a proprietary connector at the other end. But if this is their concern, then they should not allow any sort of "dongle" that has a proprietary connector at one end. My guess is that this is what is really going on here, and it is most likely a matter of them doing what they need to do to force Apple to give up licensing fees when other companies want to make cables that combine HDMI and MiniDisplayPort. This makes a lot of sense, but still does not make perfect sense because it begs the question of why HDMI org would not ban a cable that has MiniDisplayPort on one end and female HDMI on the other.
All in all, this article is a really cheap article. It does not even begin to answer the questions that are immediately obvious, and probably has applied an erroneous interpretation to whatever facts were available to the author. Articles of this caliber are abundant on the Web. Articles where the author actually went to trouble of figuring out what is going on and then presenting the facts in a meaningful, straightforward way are as rare as hen's teeth.
Maybe they've fixed it in recent revisions. I haven't tried any Monoprice cables.
I use the Monoprice dongle and an HDMI male-male cable with a 2011 MacBookPro and a Samsung HD-ready monitor, and it has worked fine so far, including the new audio-pass through to monitor option in the Sound preferences panel. You should be aware, however, that Monoprice sells one dongle that does not support audio-pass through and one that does, so be careful when you order.
Apple does offer the Moshi 3rd party adapter on the website, although it is relatively expensive.
My bet is that the ruling Board or committee of that organization simply doesn't like Apple, for reasons real or imagined.
But Apple doesn't make any of these cables, so what would that have to do with anything?
I think the suggestion is pretty clear. Why can't you watch 720p on your 27" Mac but you can on a 10" iPad running ARM with a fraction of the RAM and storage?
Sorry, I'm confused. You CAN do that, though.
Sorry, I'm confused. You CAN do that, though.
Not in most countries from the iTunes store.
Sorry, I'm confused. You CAN do that, though.
This is what I mentioned earlier:
The iTunes media store is able to detect what device you are renting or purchasing on. Hence iPad movies are available in HD but some (many) are not available to rent in HD on Windows or OSX. Remember, you can't transfer rentals from iPad to Windows or OSX, only vice versa.
Look up The Adjustment Bureau. Notice on Windows or OSX it says "available to rent in HD on iPad and AppleTV". Same for Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 1, which is why I rented that on my iPad.
Hence my response to Wiggin that you can rent and watch 720p HD movies on a 10" iPad... but on a 27" iMac, sorry, no HD rental for you. How many movies have these restrictions? I leave that to the individual to discover. One might be unpleasantly surprised. Wiggin suggested this may be to encourage purchases of iPad and AppleTV. Which sounds plausible.
Not in most countries from the iTunes store.
This too. But I was referring specifically to iPad being favoured over PC/Mac for HD Rentals.
This too. But I was referring specifically to iPad being favoured over PC/Mac for HD Rentals.
I'm still confused.
I'm still confused.
Don't confuse the US iTunes store with the rest of the world.
Don't confuse the US iTunes store with the rest of the world.
These things you say absolutely disgust me.
Why can't licensees get it together and actually offer stuff to their country's citizens? It's depressing.
What we need is ONE iTunes Store. Every movie, every TV show, every song, every app, every audiobook, every podcast. In every country.
The Long Tail says the greed-mongering studios will get MORE money by allowing everyone on Earth access to their stuff, and there would be less piracy if people could actually PAY for things they wanted. RIght now, people have the option to pirate media or fly to [country name] and buy a local copy. I know that many people would pay if the option to buy it was offered.
deleted
And lawyers wonder why everybody hates them
These things you say absolutely disgust me.
<snap> I know that many people would pay if the option to buy it was offered.
I certainly would like to rent movies thru iTunes. But it's not offered here in The Netherlands. The iTMS has been available here since 26 October 2004, so that's only 18 months since its inception. Still no movies or TV shows. Some people get iTunes Gift Cards from sites like itunescode.nl, mediawob.com, www.instantitunescodes.com and itunes-giftcards.com and rent or buy movies that way.
But I digress.
Y R all the links in the article broken? Is it the authors' (Blake Steven) fault?
Never mind; it's the author. All links in his idc_bumps_2011_tablet_forecast_to_53m_as_apples_ip ad_2_dominates article are also broken. Link