Despite what apple says, iTunes sucks horribly at playing video. I wish they would create a whole new video-playing App and leave iTunes for the songs.
Ditto Ditto Ditto! It stinks for vodcasts too, like MacBreak for example.
I always hit command-r on a video I want to watch and open it in Quicktime. I want something that plays as well as quicktime and integrates closely with the iPod, iCinema or something
What? All this time and all these rumours and it's a streaming video device? I can't imagine even with signing up Disney that this is worth a 'world wide' announcement - especially considering that the rest of the world (i.e. the other 5.75 billion of us) that don't live in the US of A won't get to download the damned things anyway!
It can't be just a video streaming device - it must be something more than that. A 23 inch iMac with Merom will be sweat (and I'll buy one to add to my 17 inch iMac, MacBook and MacBook Pro) as would an update to a touch screen iPod.
I'm not really that excited about a metal nano with a bit more storage - who really cares? You buy a nano, you buy an agent 18 hard case and forget about scratches. If you really need 8 GB, then buy an iPod.
I'd like to see an iPod with touch screen and wireless connectivity - yes, I know it'll kill the battery life, but so what? You can turn it off to save battery if that's your bag... or you could just plug it in and charge it! Microsloth is on to a winner with the 'DJ' function of the Zune and Apple will need to respond.
I'd like to see an update to the MBP - merom all around.
I'd like to see the mini updated - in fact, I'd rather see this 'AirPort Movie' be built into a mac mini with a HD TV tuner and a large hard drive - that would make much more sense to me than some 'AirPort Movie' device that just streams data... after all, they already have a device that does that - AirPort Express - data is data after all, music, movies - it doesn't matter what it is to the device, so I can't imagine that streaming movies would be too big an upgrade to the existing device.
All in all, Apple had better produce the goods - and I think they will with a device that none of us has even guessed at.
If the device had a hard drive, and one could download the movie as they watched it, then a computer wouldn't need to be involved in the process. And you wouldn't fill you computers hard drive with movies either. Now that would be the complete solution. And that sounds like something Apple would do.
Also even if they didn't make much money from selling such a device, they'd clean up with movie sales, and then later boom... the new video iPod.
I suppose this hypothetical device could be a media center and a NAS. It could be a repository for Time Machine backup data too. It sounds interesting.
Whoa. Actually I'm not that energised as the style of the article in which it was written.
"This September promises to be the start of exciting new times for Apple, one of the self-proclaimed pirates of Silicon Valley. And it better be -- Jobs and Co. are betting on it big time."
Looks like AppleInsider has some solid info and the AI crew are massively hyped about it.
"After what has seemed like nearly two years of rampart speculation and unbridled enthusiasm on the part of its fans..."
Nitpicking: That's rampant speculation. "Rampart" has something to do with when you are trying to defend or take over a medieval city 500-800 years ago...?
Despite what apple says, iTunes sucks horribly at playing video. I wish they would create a whole new video-playing App and leave iTunes for the songs.
I wonder how shitty the video quality will be and how many extra features these movie downloads will come with?
I'm thinking... extremely and none.
Oh well, at least I can't be disappointed.
Oh, I can be disappointed. The disappointment will come when we see Steve-O actually try and pump it up as cutting edge, cool, and useful.
My prediction: if this is the end of their media strategy, then it'll flop hard. They'll get whipped in the press, and Business Week will do a story around Xmas time entitled something like "Is the Shine off the Apple?" or "Can One Rotten Apple Spoil the Bunch?" (or something equally vapid).
If it's one prong, and Apple is out there looking at ways to manage and work with the persistent storage/MMC, plus YouTube, plus Google Videos, plus an iTunes-esque (Please for the love of the gods, take videos out of iTunes!), then it might be OK.
An airport express in place of a mini-based media center serving font-row will also disappoint.
Think of your iMac as your DVD player substitute - the DVD player will be off so you are saving its energy use. And if your iMac is humming loudly enough to spoil a movie it may need servicing.
That's the feckin desk, it's a piece of shit! I must fix that shizel
Nitpicking: That's rampant speculation. "Rampart" has something to do with when you are trying to defend or take over a medieval city 500-800 years ago...?
Since we're nitpicking, 500-800 years ago is exactly the time the medieval period was ending. "1500-800" years ago would have been better.
You shell out the $9.99 at the iTunes music store for the rights to watch a certain movie, but instead of the movie being downloaded, a record is kept in an Apple database stating your rights to that movie. Whenever you feel like watching that particular film Apple streams the data to your Mac which, in turn, streams it to your Television. This way your hard drive doesn't get filled up with movies you've already watched, and you automatically have a backup of that film through the records kept at Apple. Seems to make a lot of sense. Its a movie store that acts like a rental service...
I really dont have a problem with using iTunes for video. It obviously does need to be reworked so the integration and playback is better. Even something as simple a an X Play podcast can start skipping after a few minutes. But using iTunes to play video even HD video is fine by me.
Yeah, Apple will introduce some kind of streaming device because my ass just purchased a Slim Device's SqueezeBox a week ago.
Don't feel bad. I love my Squeezebox and won't easily give that up. It is great for listening to Apple Lossless and any other high quality music. The only drawback is the protected AAC but most of my music is lossless. I am using it in the living room for listening to various music we have. However if Apple comes out with the video settop box I think I will get it for our home theatre in the basement.
You shell out the $9.99 at the iTunes music store for the rights to watch a certain movie, but instead of the movie being downloaded, a record is kept in an Apple database stating your rights to that movie. Whenever you feel like watching that particular film Apple streams the data to your Mac which, in turn, streams it to your Television. This way your hard drive doesn't get filled up with movies you've already watched, and you automatically have a backup of that film through the records kept at Apple. Seems to make a lot of sense. Its a movie store that acts like a rental service...
And if the movies are in HD, and you watch the only movie you've ever bought in the store once a week, that movie you paid $10 for, ends up costing Apple 12Billion dollars in bandwidth costs. Wuuuaaahhhaahahaha!!! Never happen in a million years. Then people would say you never actually own the movies etc. And apple would lose considerable money.
Assuming an AirPort Video becomes a reality, another option for ensuring wireless performance didn't interfere with watching a video would be to use some local storage on this theoretical device. But why use a hard drive? Flash is reasonably cheap now, and 2GB would handle a full-length movie in H.264 without a problem, assuming DVD-like resolution. You'd then push the file over to the device, and be absolutely assured that nothing like local WiFi traffic could interrupt the performance.
The secret sauce will be more in the unit's capability to play back H.264 at, say, 720x480. The iPod can handle H.264, but only up to 320x240 - so if there are any firmware concerns as suggested, I'd guess that's where they'd rest. Code optimization is immense fun, but you need to be a little deranged to be really good at it.
The snag with DVD resolution files being offered, though, is what happens to the iPod? They wouldn't be able to play those files. Would these movies only be playable - other than on actual computers - on a new iPod or via the AirPort Video? Perhaps an option would be including a much smaller version for existing iPods in the purchase, or offering people the choice of which version they want to download. (Or just the ability to convert the "full" resolution version down to something the current iPod can digest)
And what of HD? That wouldn't be an option for an embedded device, though it'd be a strong credit to the programmers involved if that did turn out to be the case. If you've got a shiny new 23" iMac, and do want to use that rather than a TV, how about offering them the option of a full 1080p version, sidestepping the whole HD-DVD/Blu-Ray kerfuffle?
Comments
Despite what apple says, iTunes sucks horribly at playing video. I wish they would create a whole new video-playing App and leave iTunes for the songs.
Ditto Ditto Ditto! It stinks for vodcasts too, like MacBreak for example.
I always hit command-r on a video I want to watch and open it in Quicktime. I want something that plays as well as quicktime and integrates closely with the iPod, iCinema or something
It can't be just a video streaming device - it must be something more than that. A 23 inch iMac with Merom will be sweat (and I'll buy one to add to my 17 inch iMac, MacBook and MacBook Pro) as would an update to a touch screen iPod.
I'm not really that excited about a metal nano with a bit more storage - who really cares? You buy a nano, you buy an agent 18 hard case and forget about scratches. If you really need 8 GB, then buy an iPod.
I'd like to see an iPod with touch screen and wireless connectivity - yes, I know it'll kill the battery life, but so what? You can turn it off to save battery if that's your bag... or you could just plug it in and charge it! Microsloth is on to a winner with the 'DJ' function of the Zune and Apple will need to respond.
I'd like to see an update to the MBP - merom all around.
I'd like to see the mini updated - in fact, I'd rather see this 'AirPort Movie' be built into a mac mini with a HD TV tuner and a large hard drive - that would make much more sense to me than some 'AirPort Movie' device that just streams data... after all, they already have a device that does that - AirPort Express - data is data after all, music, movies - it doesn't matter what it is to the device, so I can't imagine that streaming movies would be too big an upgrade to the existing device.
All in all, Apple had better produce the goods - and I think they will with a device that none of us has even guessed at.
Long Live Jobs!
If the device had a hard drive, and one could download the movie as they watched it, then a computer wouldn't need to be involved in the process. And you wouldn't fill you computers hard drive with movies either. Now that would be the complete solution. And that sounds like something Apple would do.
Also even if they didn't make much money from selling such a device, they'd clean up with movie sales, and then later boom... the new video iPod.
I suppose this hypothetical device could be a media center and a NAS. It could be a repository for Time Machine backup data too. It sounds interesting.
"This September promises to be the start of exciting new times for Apple, one of the self-proclaimed pirates of Silicon Valley. And it better be -- Jobs and Co. are betting on it big time."
Looks like AppleInsider has some solid info and the AI crew are massively hyped about it.
"After what has seemed like nearly two years of rampart speculation and unbridled enthusiasm on the part of its fans..."
Nitpicking: That's rampant speculation. "Rampart" has something to do with when you are trying to defend or take over a medieval city 500-800 years ago...?
So no 6G iPod, aka "touch screen iPod" at this time?
Disappointed.
Absolutely nothing has been announced yet and you are already disappointed?
Despite what apple says, iTunes sucks horribly at playing video. I wish they would create a whole new video-playing App and leave iTunes for the songs.
Here here!
I wonder how shitty the video quality will be and how many extra features these movie downloads will come with?
I'm thinking... extremely and none.
Oh well, at least I can't be disappointed.
Oh, I can be disappointed. The disappointment will come when we see Steve-O actually try and pump it up as cutting edge, cool, and useful.
My prediction: if this is the end of their media strategy, then it'll flop hard. They'll get whipped in the press, and Business Week will do a story around Xmas time entitled something like "Is the Shine off the Apple?" or "Can One Rotten Apple Spoil the Bunch?" (or something equally vapid).
If it's one prong, and Apple is out there looking at ways to manage and work with the persistent storage/MMC, plus YouTube, plus Google Videos, plus an iTunes-esque (Please for the love of the gods, take videos out of iTunes!), then it might be OK.
An airport express in place of a mini-based media center serving font-row will also disappoint.
Think of your iMac as your DVD player substitute - the DVD player will be off so you are saving its energy use. And if your iMac is humming loudly enough to spoil a movie it may need servicing.
That's the feckin desk, it's a piece of shit! I must fix that shizel
Nitpicking: That's rampant speculation. "Rampart" has something to do with when you are trying to defend or take over a medieval city 500-800 years ago...?
Since we're nitpicking, 500-800 years ago is exactly the time the medieval period was ending. "1500-800" years ago would have been better.
You shell out the $9.99 at the iTunes music store for the rights to watch a certain movie, but instead of the movie being downloaded, a record is kept in an Apple database stating your rights to that movie. Whenever you feel like watching that particular film Apple streams the data to your Mac which, in turn, streams it to your Television. This way your hard drive doesn't get filled up with movies you've already watched, and you automatically have a backup of that film through the records kept at Apple. Seems to make a lot of sense. Its a movie store that acts like a rental service...
Here here!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hear_hear
Yeah, Apple will introduce some kind of streaming device because my ass just purchased a Slim Device's SqueezeBox a week ago.
Don't feel bad. I love my Squeezebox and won't easily give that up. It is great for listening to Apple Lossless and any other high quality music. The only drawback is the protected AAC but most of my music is lossless. I am using it in the living room for listening to various music we have. However if Apple comes out with the video settop box I think I will get it for our home theatre in the basement.
Okay here's what my ideal scenario would be:
You shell out the $9.99 at the iTunes music store for the rights to watch a certain movie, but instead of the movie being downloaded, a record is kept in an Apple database stating your rights to that movie. Whenever you feel like watching that particular film Apple streams the data to your Mac which, in turn, streams it to your Television. This way your hard drive doesn't get filled up with movies you've already watched, and you automatically have a backup of that film through the records kept at Apple. Seems to make a lot of sense. Its a movie store that acts like a rental service...
And if the movies are in HD, and you watch the only movie you've ever bought in the store once a week, that movie you paid $10 for, ends up costing Apple 12Billion dollars in bandwidth costs. Wuuuaaahhhaahahaha!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hear_hear
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oy_vey
The secret sauce will be more in the unit's capability to play back H.264 at, say, 720x480. The iPod can handle H.264, but only up to 320x240 - so if there are any firmware concerns as suggested, I'd guess that's where they'd rest. Code optimization is immense fun, but you need to be a little deranged to be really good at it.
The snag with DVD resolution files being offered, though, is what happens to the iPod? They wouldn't be able to play those files. Would these movies only be playable - other than on actual computers - on a new iPod or via the AirPort Video? Perhaps an option would be including a much smaller version for existing iPods in the purchase, or offering people the choice of which version they want to download. (Or just the ability to convert the "full" resolution version down to something the current iPod can digest)
And what of HD? That wouldn't be an option for an embedded device, though it'd be a strong credit to the programmers involved if that did turn out to be the case. If you've got a shiny new 23" iMac, and do want to use that rather than a TV, how about offering them the option of a full 1080p version, sidestepping the whole HD-DVD/Blu-Ray kerfuffle?
Since we're nitpicking, 500-800 years ago is exactly the time the medieval period was ending. "1500-800" years ago would have been better.
Good one. Hear hear and Oy Vey...!