Is ripping CD's illegal? Shouldn't be any difference. If I own it, I should be able to rip it for my personal use.
I'm not sure if Ripping them is illegal per say, but the software that bypasses the DRM might be or the use of said software to bypass the DRM is illegal. I think that Fair Use allows you to make back-ups though. Either way I think that there are ways to do this on the PC side and there is probably a Mac solution as well.
Well, 802.11g is 54Mbits max (typical 25Mbits) and HDV (mpeg-2) stream is 25Mbits too. In cable they limit it by 18Mbits and typically it's between 13 and 15. I even saw 8 once. So it looks like technically 802.11g can handle HD video, but it will consume almost all bandwidth. On the other hand if Apple going to transmit h.264, then with the same quality it should take less bandwidth since compression is higher.
Anyways it will make air traffic pretty tight. For example you probably won't be able to watch iTV and downloading next episode at the same time.
It doesn't need to be MPEG-2 either. The QoS concerns can probably be handled with a little bit of buffering.
Well, when I first thought about it, this sounded great. Once you think about it a bit, it's probably going to be pretty limited in what video formats it can play back. It'll be interesting to see what the highest resolution it can play back at. It probably won't support any kind of end user plug-ins. I don't know, it's basically just an AirPort Express that supports video, which for $300 sounds awful expensive.
It is suppose to have an HDMI output. Seem pointless to have than unless it supported HD, so at least 1280 x 720.
If they offer plug-in technology, or even just allow it to use the Quicktime layer from the Host TV then it could use Flip4Mac to translate it to a Quicktime format for viewing on the iTV. The things that Apple has going for it are their content delivery and their expertiese in designing interfaces. They do not have enough content yet, and there is a lot of "free" or purchased (DIVIX and WMP) content on the internet that could be added to their arsenal if they are so "enlightened" as they did with MP3's on the iPod/iTunes. Apple needs consumers, and to get them they are going to have to make it as easy to use as possible, if they only allow content from their movie service then it will not look attractive to the consumer and they will be less likely to buy it. They also need to get the price point lower, it is essentially an EyeHome with WiFi which sold for $199 when it was released.
VGA (640x480) video? That will look fine on an iPod but it's going to look nasty on a "big flat screen TV" especially compared to the quality and features of £9.99 DVDs you can play on the £30 DVD player
DV res is 720x480. Standard DVDs will look the same as VGA video on a TV. It's pretty much the same resolution. Unless you're talking about a £30 DVD player that plays BlueRay disks...
As far as HD, I read (MacRumors feed) that the Incredibles clip played during the presentation was HD.
I saw that on the macrumors feed too, but I don't think it was accurate. He said those were the same videos purchased through iTunes and played on the ipod.
I don't think that Steve showed us everything this thing can do. If he did, he would essentially be giving all his competitor's photocopiers a six month headstart. I am hopeful that this little box will do quite a bit more than was shwon today.
um... maybe on youtube, but ripped DVD's generally go to DIVX or XVID, (and occasionally to H264) and these play nicely using a Mac Mini and VLC.
I aggree with others that a $300 price point without a CPU or a hard drive is about $100 too much.
m
If it does those formats, for Quicktime to read them you need plug-ins and VLC is probably not the player that iTV will be using. Sure the plug-ins are free, but there is no guarantee (though it makes sense that it would use the same plug-ins that Quicktime does) that iTV will have a plug-in archetecture for the movies that it plays.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this El Gato's EyeHome with built in wireless and Apple software? Were't they selling that for $199? About the only other thing that I see that is different is that you can link up to Quicktime movie trailers through the internet without a computer (?). I'm not trying to put Apple down, but at that price it seams to be a little low on features. A/D converters like EyeTV are less than that and offer a lot more to the consumer. I'm sure that we did not see all the features, and that Apple will probably hold some back for the next revision or so, but at this price it does not seem like a great deal.
El Gato's EyeHome isn't as mainstream as the iTV will be, simply by the scale on which Apple will produce and market them. Also, although I haven't yet watched the keynote, in the pictures it looks like it says "802.11 wireless" instead of "802.11g"... I wonder if Apple will be using 802.11n, which would make the components more expensive at this stage.
Comments
Is ripping CD's illegal? Shouldn't be any difference. If I own it, I should be able to rip it for my personal use.
I'm not sure if Ripping them is illegal per say, but the software that bypasses the DRM might be or the use of said software to bypass the DRM is illegal. I think that Fair Use allows you to make back-ups though. Either way I think that there are ways to do this on the PC side and there is probably a Mac solution as well.
Once a dvd is ripped it ceases to be a dvd and becomes a video file. Will the iTV be able to play video files is the real question.
And further, what kind of video files? It seams to me that they almost need to incorprate WMP file's since that is the dominate internet format today.
Well, 802.11g is 54Mbits max (typical 25Mbits) and HDV (mpeg-2) stream is 25Mbits too. In cable they limit it by 18Mbits and typically it's between 13 and 15. I even saw 8 once. So it looks like technically 802.11g can handle HD video, but it will consume almost all bandwidth. On the other hand if Apple going to transmit h.264, then with the same quality it should take less bandwidth since compression is higher.
Anyways it will make air traffic pretty tight. For example you probably won't be able to watch iTV and downloading next episode at the same time.
It doesn't need to be MPEG-2 either. The QoS concerns can probably be handled with a little bit of buffering.
Is ripping CD's illegal? Shouldn't be any difference. If I own it, I should be able to rip it for my personal use.
You should but it's THEM, THE OTHERS who think their 'personal use' is also their friends personal use, friends' friends, gnutella, the world...
I'm sure you'd never dream of it which is why you're fine with DRM, you can make as many copies as you like coz only you can see 'em
McD
And further, what kind of video files? It seams to me that they almost need to incorprate WMP file's since that is the dominate internet format today.
Yea right like thats gonna happen
Would I do that? No never because it's wrong.
I would.
F*** Hollywood (to quote Ice Cube).
Well, when I first thought about it, this sounded great. Once you think about it a bit, it's probably going to be pretty limited in what video formats it can play back. It'll be interesting to see what the highest resolution it can play back at. It probably won't support any kind of end user plug-ins. I don't know, it's basically just an AirPort Express that supports video, which for $300 sounds awful expensive.
It is suppose to have an HDMI output. Seem pointless to have than unless it supported HD, so at least 1280 x 720.
As far as HD, I read (MacRumors feed) that the Incredibles clip played during the presentation was HD.
Is ripping CD's illegal? Shouldn't be any difference. If I own it, I should be able to rip it for my personal use.
There shouldn't be, but in most legislations, there is.
Ummm.... Isn't ripping DVD's illegal? I don't think Apple will be going there...
It's perfectly legal to make a backup. I think your associating ripping with ripping something off. Two entirely different things.
Yea right like thats gonna happen
If they offer plug-in technology, or even just allow it to use the Quicktime layer from the Host TV then it could use Flip4Mac to translate it to a Quicktime format for viewing on the iTV. The things that Apple has going for it are their content delivery and their expertiese in designing interfaces. They do not have enough content yet, and there is a lot of "free" or purchased (DIVIX and WMP) content on the internet that could be added to their arsenal if they are so "enlightened" as they did with MP3's on the iPod/iTunes. Apple needs consumers, and to get them they are going to have to make it as easy to use as possible, if they only allow content from their movie service then it will not look attractive to the consumer and they will be less likely to buy it. They also need to get the price point lower, it is essentially an EyeHome with WiFi which sold for $199 when it was released.
VGA (640x480) video? That will look fine on an iPod but it's going to look nasty on a "big flat screen TV" especially compared to the quality and features of £9.99 DVDs you can play on the £30 DVD player
DV res is 720x480. Standard DVDs will look the same as VGA video on a TV. It's pretty much the same resolution. Unless you're talking about a £30 DVD player that plays BlueRay disks...
And further, what kind of video files? It seams to me that they almost need to incorprate WMP file's since that is the dominate internet format today.
um... maybe on youtube, but ripped DVD's generally go to DIVX or XVID, (and occasionally to H264) and these play nicely using a Mac Mini and VLC.
I aggree with others that a $300 price point without a CPU or a hard drive is about $100 too much.
m
Why rename it? iTV sounds like a fine name.
Because ITV already exists.
As far as HD, I read (MacRumors feed) that the Incredibles clip played during the presentation was HD.
I saw that on the macrumors feed too, but I don't think it was accurate. He said those were the same videos purchased through iTunes and played on the ipod.
um... maybe on youtube, but ripped DVD's generally go to DIVX or XVID, (and occasionally to H264) and these play nicely using a Mac Mini and VLC.
I aggree with others that a $300 price point without a CPU or a hard drive is about $100 too much.
m
If it does those formats, for Quicktime to read them you need plug-ins and VLC is probably not the player that iTV will be using. Sure the plug-ins are free, but there is no guarantee (though it makes sense that it would use the same plug-ins that Quicktime does) that iTV will have a plug-in archetecture for the movies that it plays.
And further, what kind of video files? It seams to me that they almost need to incorprate WMP file's since that is the dominate internet format today.
It will play anything quicktime can play, and quicktime (via flip4mac) can play wmp files.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this El Gato's EyeHome with built in wireless and Apple software? Were't they selling that for $199? About the only other thing that I see that is different is that you can link up to Quicktime movie trailers through the internet without a computer (?). I'm not trying to put Apple down, but at that price it seams to be a little low on features. A/D converters like EyeTV are less than that and offer a lot more to the consumer. I'm sure that we did not see all the features, and that Apple will probably hold some back for the next revision or so, but at this price it does not seem like a great deal.
El Gato's EyeHome isn't as mainstream as the iTV will be, simply by the scale on which Apple will produce and market them. Also, although I haven't yet watched the keynote, in the pictures it looks like it says "802.11 wireless" instead of "802.11g"... I wonder if Apple will be using 802.11n, which would make the components more expensive at this stage.