Apple TV export options slip into latest QuickTime update
Going virtually unannounced by Apple, an option has slipped into the most recent edition of QuickTime Pro that adds handy conversion for the company's forthcoming wireless media hub.
Owners of the premium version of the video playback and editing software discovered this weekend that a new "Export to Apple TV" option -- potentially added as part of the QuickTime 7.1.5 patch -- now gives them an easy way to convert videos into resolutions ready-made for the imminent set-top box.
Choosing the new feature gives the choice of reformatting videos to a DVD-like 720x404 widescreen image as well as high-definition 1280x720, 24 frames per second. This matches the maximum size of H.264 movies supported by Apple TV.
At this maximum quality option, videos consume roughly 2GB of space per hour of video -- making the option an unlikely choice in the immediate future for all but those with poor scaling in their HDTV sets.
Apple has not signaled any intention to offer videos through iTunes at resolutions above the 640x480 size supported by the fifth-generation iPod.
Owners of the premium version of the video playback and editing software discovered this weekend that a new "Export to Apple TV" option -- potentially added as part of the QuickTime 7.1.5 patch -- now gives them an easy way to convert videos into resolutions ready-made for the imminent set-top box.
Choosing the new feature gives the choice of reformatting videos to a DVD-like 720x404 widescreen image as well as high-definition 1280x720, 24 frames per second. This matches the maximum size of H.264 movies supported by Apple TV.
At this maximum quality option, videos consume roughly 2GB of space per hour of video -- making the option an unlikely choice in the immediate future for all but those with poor scaling in their HDTV sets.
Apple has not signaled any intention to offer videos through iTunes at resolutions above the 640x480 size supported by the fifth-generation iPod.
Comments
What a surprise Apple allows you to convert media to play on their new device that supports that media type
I think the point of interest is that it implies that Apple might start offering movie downloads at 720p.
There's not really any point in scaling up the current iTMS offerings to 720 before you send it to the Atv receiver, so "compatibility" doesn't account for it.
At this maximum quality option, videos consume roughly 2GB of space per hour of video -- making the option an unlikely choice in the immediate future for all but those with poor scaling in their HDTV sets.
It might be useful for those with HD camcorders.
I think the point of interest is that it implies that Apple might start offering movie downloads at 720p.
Except it doesn't. When Apple added VBR support for AAC, that didn't mean iTS music downloads started adopting VBR.
They added the tv export option as a convenience for people to convert their own recordings into a format suitable for the best quality on the tv. Simple as that. Whether iTS will go to 720p one day (they aren't even at 480p) is completely unrelated.
Wow, 2GB per hour of video. With my 1.5 Mbp DSL connection, a movie would take almost as long to get to my TV as Netflix.
1) Codecs will improve, further decreasing file sizes while maintaining a similar level of quality.
2) Connections will improve, further increasing bandwidth while maintaining a similar level of pricing.
Your package service, on the other hand, is pretty much at its efficiency level.
Except it doesn't. When Apple added VBR support for AAC, that didn't mean iTS music downloads started adopting VBR.
They added the ?tv export option as a convenience for people to convert their own recordings into a format suitable for the best quality on the ?tv. Simple as that. Whether iTS will go to 720p one day (they aren't even at 480p) is completely unrelated.
I instantly thought the exact same thing when I saw that in Quicktime. This internet makes people overreact sometimes. What's questionTV though?
What's questionTV though?
It's AppleInsider's setup being broken.
It's AppleInsider's setup being broken.
No I get the last word.
Wow, 2GB per hour of video. With my 1.5 Mbp DSL connection, a movie would take almost as long to get to my TV as Netflix. Well, maybe if it was cheaper...
This 2GB/hour figure is for user created movies. You would ostensibly transfer this via your 105 Mbit 802.11n wireless.
Professional movies that you would download from itunes are going to be ecoded with Compressor ( or some similar quality encoder ). I am certain your file size will be much smaller for this. Also bear in mind that you will be able to watch the movie within minutes of the download starting.
Wow, 2GB per hour of video. With my 1.5 Mbp DSL connection, a movie would take almost as long to get to my TV as Netflix. Well, maybe if it was cheaper...
1.5 Mbps = 192 KB/second
192 KB/second = 675 MB/hour
2 GB / 675 MB/hour = = 3.03 hours
In reality, you won't be able to achieve full 1.5 Mbps of course. Even so, an overnight download is highly possible.
Professional movies that you would download from itunes are going to be ecoded with Compressor ( or some similar quality encoder ). I am certain your file size will be much smaller for this.
The compression ratio of one and the same codec doesn't differ all that much.
Also bear in mind that you will be able to watch the movie within minutes of the download starting.
True.
I have purchased the QT pro and can see the AppleTV option but I have no other further options after that.
That's the idea. It's a preset for H.264 to best match the ?tv's needs. It's not a new codec or anything.
Any bets that Apple will start offering widescreen content on iTunes in this resolution soon after the AppleTV is released? It'd only be small bump up in resolution, but I really don't see Apple selling video that won't play on an iPod anytime soon. The iPod is still going to be the primary target playback device for some time to come, I think.
That's the idea. It's a preset for H.264 to best match the ?tv's needs. It's not a new codec or anything.
So are you telling me that Apple TV tells my computer what resolution my TV can do and then encodes to that standard. That does not make me happy. I want to be able to encode at higher rates knowing that HDD are going to get bigger and that eventually the Apple TV will be doing higher resolutions. I hope I did not understand you right.
So are you telling me that Apple TV tells my computer what resolution my TV can do and then encodes to that standard.
No. It's a convenience preset. That's all.
I want to be able to encode at higher rates knowing that HDD are going to get bigger and that eventually the Apple TV will be doing higher resolutions.
Then just use the regular H.264 choice, in which you get lots and lots of options, or install x264, which gives you even more. ?tv will play it regardless. This new export choice is just for people who don't have the time, knowledge or inclination to mess around with lots of settings, and just want a reasonably good result. This is no different from the iPod export setting, which is also just a preset. Nothing about it is new; it's just a simplification for non-advanced users.