EX1 Footage and Apple TV
 

Was in the Apple store today and it dawned on me, I wonder if you could use the Apple TV to view XDCAM EX movies on a High Def TV. The Apple folks told me that if iTunes can play it, so can the Apple TV. Well I pulled up FCP there at the store and exported their DVCPRO HD project they use in store to an XDCAM EX 1080 30p quicktime movie. It opened and played in iTunes just fine. I wanted to connect the computer (sitting right beside the Apple TV) to the Apple TV to give it a try. Only thing was out of three employees none of them could figure out how to sync the Apple TV to the Mac right beside it... don't ask.

Anyone have an Apple TV that would like to try this? It could be a great way of seeing final XDCAM EX edits on an HD set. Exporting a final sequence to XDCAM EX from FCP doesn't really take that long if it's already rendered or cuts only.

In fact, that was one of the reasons I bought my AppleTV last year. To play clips from my full sized XDCAM HD camera on my HDTV set in the living room. Mind you, the clips will have to be formatted for AppleTV which is easy to do in QT Pro or MPEG Streamclip.

However, you have options with the EX that I don't have. Namely, component HD output. Why not just send the camera's component output directly to the TV?

-gb-

Because I want to see the final edited sequence with graphics, titles, ect. I can do this by going back out to the camera in HDV mode but it's a hassle.

You have to format it to h.264? So it won't play whatever will play in iTunes? I played a native XDCAM EX movie within iTunes.

While the Apple TV is cool and fun, it doesn't support full raster. Check the specs:

http://www.apple.com/appletv/specs.html

1280 x 720 24fps.

I would think that you would be much better off with something like an Intensity Pro which has HDMI, plays right out of your computer without transcoding. The IP doesn't do full 1080p but it does support 1080i or full 720p plus has analog ins and outs for not too much more money than an Apple TV

I'm building my own house right now.

I'm putting HDMI cables in the walls from the server room to the living room with TV and ethernet cable so that I can use the mac pro on the big tv.

Will use usb 2.0 over ethernet adapters to connect keyboard and mouse to the mac and then just run the 1080p image from the DVI port to the TV via HDMI.

Looking forward to it :)

Ah, see that's what I thought too. It's just the employees swore that if it played in iTunes it would play on the Apple TV. Of course this was the same employees that couldn't figure out how to connect the Apple TV to the Mac sitting right beside it. So, I'm sure you are right.

I'm definitely going with the IP card with analog outs. As soon as my budget allows a new computer purchase. I'm currently using an iMac. :(

Umm... it's meant to be a wifi device, not physically connected to the Mac. It does have ethernet capability, but wireless N is the real beauty of it.

-gb-

That's what I mean, they couldn't figure out how to connect to the Apple TV on their wireless network.

I play films I shoot all the time on my appletv shot from my ex1.

I export using quictime pro appletv menu setting... and drag the file onto iTunes. it will be 720 24p

I set the source from the appletv to my macpro in the other room all using airport extreme.

my appletv goes to my 720p projector via a denon receiver using a single hdmi cable. screen is 10 fee horz and I'd looks fantastic!

with the recent software update the appletv has become an awesome component.... we rent hd movies from iTunes all the time....

Chris,

If you shoot in 30p are you forced to knock the resolution down to 960X540?

Also, you can't drag a native XDCAM EX quicktime movie into iTunes and play it on the Apple TV?

Thanks!

the easiest route is to export out of fcp as a QuickTime... then open that .mov in QuickTime pro... and export as appletv preset. 1080 24p will end up as a 1280x720 24p m4v, 1080i or 30p will end up 960x540 60i m4v.

Thanks Chris!