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Apple Announces iTunes 7, Movies, Set-Top Box
Posted by
kdawson
on Tue Sep 12, 2006 02:02 PM
from the ooh-shiny dept.
from the ooh-shiny dept.
necro81 writes, "As anticipated, Apple announced several additions and upgrades to its iPod and iTunes lineup. The iPod now comes in an 80 GB model, with a $50 price drop for the 30 GB model. The 2nd generation iPod Nano harkens back to the iPod Mini with metallic, multi-colored shells (though as diminutive as ever) and comes in an 8 GB model. The Shuffle has been completely redesigned and shrunk down to the size of a matchbook. All of this comes with the release of iTunes 7, which includes support for downloading full-length movies from iTMS." All 75 movies initially available are from Disney-related studios. The new iTunes will download cover art for all the songs in your library, no matter where you got them from, as long as you have an iTunes account. (A confirmation dialog says: "Information about songs with missing artwork will be sent to Apple. Apple does not keep any information related to the contents of your music library.") There's a new album-cover browsing view of your library. And Steve Jobs gave a sneak preview of a project code-named iTV: a Mac Mini-like wireless set-top box. Engadget has a blow-by-blow of Steve Jobs's presentation.
Related Stories
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News: Special Apple Event Scheduled for September 12 113 comments
davidmcg writes "Macworld are reporting that Apple is hosting a special media event on Tuesday, September 12th 2006 in San Francisco, CA at 10AM Pacific. The event will also be simulcast to a location in London where journalists have also been invited.
The invitation to the media was entitled It's Showtime — suggesting Movie-related announcements. Rumors sites had originally expected iMac updates during the event, but Apple surprised everyone with iMac and Mac mini updates last week.
This leaves iPods, a Movie Store and the possibility of a new streaming Media device for the Tuesday event."
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News: Apple's Moment — Consumers Want To Download To TV 295 comments
ack154 writes, "With so much recent news surrounding Apple's upcoming iTV system, their timing may be nearly perfect. Ars Technica gives the rundown on a recent report, released from Accenture, stating that about half of users surveyed across the globe are now looking to get downloadable videos, movies and other content onto their TV. Based on the article, if Apple can get the right combination in features, price, and usability, many consumers may be ready to eat it up. Macworld has more speculation on Apple's potential living room dominance."
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Slashback: ITunes, Debian, ATMs 122 comments
Slashback tonight brings some clarifications and updates to previous Slashdot stories, including: iTunes 7.0, Wal-Mart threatens studios over iTunes sales, debate over a proposal to fund Debian, and Googling for ATM master passwords. Read on for details.
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Gapless Playback! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Gapless Playback! (Score:5, Informative)
This would imply that it's done within the audio files themselves, perhaps making it usable on all iPods.
I'll see shortly.
The new music view/organize modes in iTunes are great. One is divided by albums, showing a small image of the album cover along with all the tracks. The other looks like they licensed "Cover Flow", it looks like flipping through albums in your old physical collection. Definitely better visual feedback then scrolling through a huge text list of songs.
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Re:Gapless Playback! (Score:4, Informative)
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Re:Gapless Playback! (Score:5, Interesting)
Color screens did not make me want to replace it.
Nor did photos.
Nor did putting the buttons on the clickwheel.
Nor did the longer battery life.
Nor did videos.
But gapless playback? They hooked me. I RAN to the Apple Store over my lunch hour, only to be told to "check again tomorrow", which I most certainly will do.
The sweet thing about this is, since it also plays videos and a smattering of time-killer games, I can sell off both my old iPod and my souped-up PSP to friends who want them, and just about break even on the upgrade! w00t!
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Re:Gapless Playback! (Score:4, Informative)
I'm really eager to try this out and see if they truly fixed it.
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THey also added gapless playback (Score:4, Interesting)
But perhaps most shocking and sacrilegious: they changed the color of the music note! It is blue now! How could they destroy tradition like that!
Re:THey also added gapless playback (Score:5, Informative)
Behold! The iTunes Icon Timeline! [techmanifesto.com] Note that the icons on that page are the real deal until you get to "Alternative iTunes icons", then the rest are mildly crappy "fan art". (Ugh.)
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Re:THey also added gapless playback (Score:5, Funny)
Although, it could also be a chair sailing out the window. I bet they're bolting down everything in the campus today.
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Re:THey also added gapless playback (Score:5, Funny)
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How Much Space (Score:5, Funny)
If only Apple new that I like 10 minute songs, 4096x3072 pics, and 3 hour movies.
Re:How Much Space (Score:5, Insightful)
They really should also market the raw capacity in GB on the Apple Store page. Maybe before the number of songs. In bold.
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Another expensive Christmas (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Another expensive Christmas (Score:5, Funny)
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iTV (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:iTV (Score:5, Informative)
But, since you can absolutely import any video you wish (including, say, ripped DVDs) into iTunes, there's no reason you wouldn't be able to play any media you wished.
This is likely for people that DO NOT already have some kind of media center or EyeTV/EyeHome/DVR setup: the target for this isn't people who already have made the leap to having full-fledged computer systems in their living room. The target for this is the same as for AirPort Express: not people who build an MP3 and media station computer in their living room. People who want to plop down a device, hook the A/V outputs up to their TV and entertainment system, use an assistant (like AirPort Express) to set it up, and it's ready to play media they download/import on their computer/laptop/etc. elsewhere in the house.
No second whole computer in the living room. This is, essentially, an AirPort Express for video (and yes, I know it's not exactly like an AirPort Express, but its functionality in the context of video and the living room can be summed up that way).
There probably will be *some* advanced or interesting functionality, but it looks like this is more or less an appliance designed to play video content downloaded to iTunes on a remote computer via a Front Row-like interface. But yes, you will be able to add your own video content, since you can do that with iTunes now. The only requirement is that it be some format QuickTime understands.
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Re:iTV (Score:4, Informative)
That's because it's not "legal" in many jurisdictions, including the US.
I wasn't saying that iTunes or iTV would do this; what I'm saying is that it's definitely going to be technically possible, and in fact it's possible right now, in one step, with tools like:
http://handbrake.m0k.org/ [m0k.org]
But it won't be iTunes itself that does it for you; you'll still have to rip it with another tool first, such as HandBrake. But you can then certainly import into iTunes, play via iTV, or put on your iPod (and you can put it into iTunes and sync it to your iPod today).
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iTunes Browse-Album Mode (Score:4, Informative)
No movie burning? Meh (Score:5, Interesting)
Without it - sorry, folks, but I'll wait.
Blow by blow? (Score:5, Funny)
This is lame (Score:5, Informative)
I know this is not new, but enabling this functionality for iTMS tracks only is a real dick move.
In the iFuture: (Score:4, Funny)
"That's not dust! That's my ipod!"
Just downloaded a movie... (Score:5, Informative)
- The movie is 1.22 GB, and downloaded in about 20 minutes on a 100 Mbps connection (Internet2).
- The movie was able to be played before downloading was finished, and could skip to anywhere in the content that was already complete.
- The content shows itself as being protected by "FairPlay Version: 2".
- The bitrate is 1.5Mbps.
- The framerate is 24fps.
- The audio on this particular movie is Protected AAC, stereo, 128kbps, 44.1kHz.
- The video on this particular movie is Protected H.264/AVC0 640x272 (Widescreen format, probably just 640x480 with the black bars eliminated).
- The video looks very good (indeed, "near DVD quality") on a high quality 20" LCD. (I'm not a "videophile", but this is absolutely more than watchable on a nice quality large TV or monitor, and I suspect most consumers would agree).
- The video can be played in QuickTime, and uses QuickTime Chapters for DVD chapters; chapters are also accessible in iTunes.
- The video file can be burned to a DVD, but you cannot burn the file as a video DVD.
- You can play the file on multiple computers (I *believe* up to three as opposed to five for music), or on an unlimited number of iPods (if the usage rights haven't changed with iTunes 7; I haven't looked through the terms - if someone knows this to be different please correct me. In any case, it's already less restrictive than Unbox).
- iTunes 7.0 requires QuickTime 7.1.3.
- Pretty much every movie I looked at was $9.99; some new releases were up to $14.99, but were cheaper if preordered.
- When used on a Mac in a media center configuration, or with the forthcoming iTV solution that will presumably be much like a video AirPort Express (and yes, I know it's not an AirPort Express, but it will probably act a lot like a AirPort Express functionally, except allowing the streaming of video to your TV), this will be a pretty compelling and vertically integrated solution for most consumers.
Shouldn't compare Microsoft MCE to Front-Row (Score:5, Insightful)
Front-Row is a product designed to be turned on and used with a remote with 5 buttons and no skills. The iTV (!!) box is designed and marketed to be plugged in to a television and used with no skills. It is also sold specifically to be attached to a TV to watch movies, it is not bundled into a general purpose PC guerilla marketing style by PHBs that mistakenly believe that once the user realizes he has a media center on his desktop that he will move his PC to the living room and attach it to his television.
In comparison, MCE is something that is really only owned accidentally by people who don't even know they have it (because it was bundled with their PC from Best Buy), it requires the PC to be near the TV rather than on a desk and requires the user to know how to configure it and operate it with some crazy 300 button remote control (exaggeration, but the point is clearly made). It would probably require a class to get a user comfortable with the relationship between and configurations of MCE and Microsoft Media Player (and the derivitaves such as Amazon Unbox). It really doesn't matter if MCE can do any of the things that Front-Row does (which it really doesn't because Microsoft doesn't use zero-conf [bonjour] and whatnot). The simple fact is, it is not designed or marketed in a manner that will ever be used that way by the common man.
To say that something *can* be done is not the same as saying that people *will* do it. You *can* write an assembly language CGI script library for publishing a Blog site. But I doubt you *will*...
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Apple = Big Brother (Score:5, Funny)
I love that somewhat Orwellian slide that Engadget has from the presentation:
Apple is in your den
Apple is in your living room
Apple is in your car
Apple is in your pocket
What's next?
Strength Through iTunes
iTunes Through Apple
Apple Prevails
Re:Apple == Big Brother (Score:5, Funny)
Apple is in your den
Apple is in your living room
Apple is in your car
Apple is in your pocket
What's next?
Strength Through iTunes
iTunes Through Apple
Apple Prevails
It's always like that. Apple is going along, brainwashing people. Things are great. And then when we are watching a Steve Jobs special event presentation on a giant screen in an auditorium some athletic chic from IBM comes running in and throws a big hammer at the screen. Bummer.
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Dag Nabbit. (Score:4, Funny)
I wanna Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro
...
I wanna Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro
I wanna Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro
Smart, Apple, very smart! (Score:4, Insightful)
With iTunes 7, Apple will now let you get the artwork for your entire music collection, even if it wasn't bought from iTMS. This means that Apple has now given you a reason to willingly tell them about your entire music collection, effectively letting them get the information they want about your musical tastes. Very smart!
Well, I've found a bug in iTunes 7 (Score:4, Interesting)
But there is a third option, which you generally have to set via the terminal, for double arrows at both ends. This has worked in everything AFAIK until now. iTunes 7 appears to have the arrows at the bottom right by default, and only changes to the arrows at each end if that is set. It doesn't honor the double arrows at both ends setting, instead defaulting back to double arrows only in the lower right. And since it apparently doesn't use the standard arrows, like pretty much everything else, this is relevant.
This is pretty minor, but annoying, especially since if I couldn't have double arrows at both ends, I'd have single arrows at both ends, but since I won't change the global setting (since everything else still works with it), iTunes uses the double at one end arrows, which I hate.
New features (Score:4, Informative)
CoverFlow (Score:5, Informative)
New shuffle cute but not a USB key anymore (Score:5, Informative)
Upgrade your old videos? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Big question... (Score:5, Insightful)
Two reasons. One: we love new iPods. and Two: Apple nearly wrote the book on this sort of marketing technique, and we still love to fall for it every single time.
Parent
Re:Big question... (Score:4, Insightful)
Well, this announcement's kind of significant. Apple's taking a risk here, but if they pull it off, what you're seeing, once all the pieces are in place (such as the "iTV") is an entire reinvention of visual media delibery. That is, this announcement may well be the most radical thing in that field since the VCR and cable television.
Of course, nobody cares about that, most of the postings here are "OMG! A blue iPod! I so want that!!" Still, this is the forum that brought you "No wireless. Less space than a Nomad. Lame."
iTunes 7, the Movie Store (with the pre-existing TV shows), and the "iTV" (name pending.) Cool. Be interesting to see if Apple can pull it off.
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Re:I liked the old nano... (Score:4, Insightful)
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Re:I liked the old nano... (Score:5, Funny)
Ok, you had me up until that point, but girlfriend? Please. What are you doing on
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Re:I liked the old nano... (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:I liked the old nano... (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:Another Settop Box (Score:5, Interesting)
It's been pointed out that the only reason most iTMS users would buy full-length movies online is so they could watch them on their TV set. Since DVD burning isn't an option (yet?), Apple had to announce their intended set-top box to give the movie announcement some real weight..................
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Re:Another Settop Box (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think that's the case. What Apple appears to be doing is dropping a huge hint in terms of how they expect the whole downloadable visual media thing to work.
Before the announcement, most people were talking about "downloadable movies" in terms of watching them on iPods. This was seen by most people as completely ridiculous, even assuming a "video iPod" was just around the corner with a larger screen. So the talk moved towards the idea that perhaps you were supposed to watch the movies on your laptop, or hook up a video card to your computer that would pipe the output to a TV. These are all ugly options for various reasons, and they certainly take away from the idea of this as more than a gimmick.
Now imagine the year 2010. You have broadband in common with 95% of the country. You flop in front of the TV, and select the program you want to watch and watch it. The programs come from a variety of sources: free video blogs, CNN newscasts available on a subscription basis, serials available on a subscription basis, free sample pilots, plus movies you're either renting or downloading.
How are you doing this?
With the products Apple announced today (and some its already announced.) That's how. You already could buy TV shows from Apple. You can now buy DVDs, and (once Jobs and the studios work something out) the chances are that movies on a PPV basis will probably be available too. The other thing necessary is the TV, the whole "flop on the couch" thing, and that's iTV.
They couldn't have announced the products they did today without announcing iTV. The question isn't why they pre-announced the iTV today, it's why they announced the movie store today without the iTV being ready.
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Re:Shocking Interface Change (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:Shocking Interface Change (Score:5, Informative)
The most noticable difference appears to be the new scollbars. I agree with the original poster -- I don't like them.
Can we please just get everything looking consistent again Apple? Please? Before you stick Java scollbars on iTunes 7, can we please ditch brushed metal in Finder (and a half dozen other Apple apps that ship with OS X)?
I mean seriously, OS X is starting to look more frankensteinish than your typical Linux installation. I can count 5 different application "looks" now:
- iLife (darker, unified toolbar, squared off corners)
- iTunes 7 (same as iLife, new scrollbars)
- Mail.app (unified toolbar, lighter than iLife, rounder corners)
- Safari/Finder/iCal (etc) (brushed metal)
- TextEdit/Preview (etc) (older non-unified look)
I love my MacBook Pro, but I'm not sure what happened to that consistency that Macs were supposed to be known for.
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Re:Shocking Interface Change (Score:5, Informative)
If the interface schizophrenia is getting to you, it might be the best solution, until Apple at least realized that their getting slightly off base with the "a style per app" philosophy. How hard is it to just use some stardardized Aqua on everything? Do individual apps really need to stand out, can function speak for them? I damn well know I'm running iTunes (sound coming from speakers, etc), and don't need it to be styled in such a way to let me know that "yep, thats itunes" when I look at it. Its annoying that they screw up their own standards.
Sorry for the rant, preaching to the choir.
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Re:Shocking Interface Change (Score:4, Informative)
Would it be nice if all the iApps had a similar look? Yes. Is it more important that they all have a similar "feel"? Yes.
OK, please follow me and close the main window by clicking the red button in:
iTunes - nothing remarkable happens, it is just the window that vanishes
iDVD - closes the current project, goes to opening screen
iChat - nothing remarkable happens, it is just the window that vanishes
iDVD - closes the current project, goes to opening screen
iPhoto - quits application
Three types of behaviour in five applications on a principal part of the interface. I wish Apple shared your beliefs.
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Re:Shocking Interface Change (Score:4, Informative)
iTunes/iChat: They can keep doing their thing even without any windows around and you will probably use them that way. iTunes will keep playing music, iChat will keep you connected and people might contact you.
iDVD/iMovie (I assume that was a typo): They are project based. Close the project, go back to the opening screen. There's not much to do with neither app without a project open.
iPhoto: The window manages the library. Nothing to do without it around. Application quits.
Hope that helps.
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Re:New shuffle (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:iTunes 7 (Score:4, Informative)
the cover view is made crappy by not grouping compilations - hence the same album art repeated for different artists.
It seems it shows you cover art in the order in which your music is sorted. If you're sorting by "Artist", for example, then yes, it will show you the same cover art multiple times if there are multiple artists on the album. That's because it's actually sorting the cover art by artist.
If you sort by Album, however, I think you'll find that your complaint goes away.
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Re:Yawn (Score:5, Insightful)
A dock isn't so bad if you have a desktop computer, but with a laptop that moves around a lot, it's suddenly a third component to keep track of, where you really only want two.
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Myfairtunes6/7? (Score:4, Interesting)
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Gapless != overrated (Score:4, Insightful)
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