Lot of cool offerings, and maybe The iTunes Store will sell shorts and features by up-and-coming filmmakers.

One thing not announced: the rumored iPhone.

heath

Maybe all Apple's OWN distributed video is 640x480, but I'm betting the iTV will play user-created HD content at full HD resolutions.

apple+disney are tightly knit because of pixar&disney's close affiliation. for all our purposes, they're more/less 1 company now.

That's just the resolution of the files provided via iTunes download. I'm fairly certain he device will play at higher resolution. Jobs demonstrated streaming photos to the device stating that they are 'already HD resolution'.

-gb-

Apple continues to carve out a niche in the entertainment business. That sounds like good news for an Apple user, such as myself.

Some more Wall Street analysis...

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060913/analy...pple.html?.v=1

Attached is a screen shot of my MPEGStreamClip settings.

Remember to change your frame rate to match the source footage. I also always deinterlace for iPod.

Also, go here and read the info and follow the link referencing the material.

Did Apple state yet what the TV connectivity options and output resolution will be?

HDMI says it all
 

I hope it does 1080P. DVI out would be nice for my current TV

I believe it will HAVE to be HDMI only which will eliminate ALL the early adopters of HDTV who dont have such on their TVs. I admire Apple for pushing the envelope here but I think you have a generation of people to change. HD-DVD, Blueray, DVD, downloads, etc. too many choices. Why would I buy a new $300 box from Apple that does the same thing as a decent upconverting DVD player can do for $150? Plus, I dont have to REBUY every movie I own and I can watch those on ANY player, not just one box they live on.

For most people DVD is good enough quality, so now you have to make it about convenience, as MP3 did. What is convenient about paying the same prices as WalMart to have a sub-quality "file" that is tied via very strict DRM to a box in my living room? I promise you that in most peoples situation, they would be able to go to Walmart/Best Buy in the same time it takes to download a full HQ movie.

What does all this mean? That Apple is taking a baby step in the right direction but there will be others. What if Cox/Comcast/etc. get the jukebox in the sky concept going? Your cable box (or internetTV box, etc.) can deliver you any movie at any time. A lifetime license to watch a movie is $9.99, or maybe you can "rent" it for 24 hours for $4 and if you like it, buy the rights for $6 more. As for me? I want something in my hand, as do most people. We will get there but slower than most think.



ash =o)

It also has component HD output, along with digital audio output and good old RCA audio output. The attachment is a link to the streaming file of Job's presentation for the iTV section only.

-gb-

Interesting, how are they going to handle DRM over analog out?

Another point made by a friend today was how fast people adapted to the Ipod and other MP3 players, how is this different? I made the counter point that people have been listening to music in their car for 50+ years and people have been using walkmans for 20+ years, it was not a new concept.



ash =o)

Well my crystal ball is a little dirty so I have no idea how the public will accept this. But, with all due respect Ash, your argument above sounds exactly like what people said about the iPod. Heh, I'm glad I kept my Apple stock and didn't listen to them. I wouldn't underestimate Steve Jobs, especially since he and Apple have attracted so much media attention these days.

Of course I could be way off base here, but I think I have some idea of what they're up to here and it goes beyond selling DVD downloads. Once you have the box, you're TV is plugged into Apple's network. It's all software, so they can give it all kinds of capabilities in the future. And I would expect free content to appear on iTunes as well. There's nothing to prevent them from offering the equivalent of on-demand cable TV with this gadget. And the beauty of it is that (in Apple's "pirate" tradition which created the Mac) they will use the expensive pipes which Verizon, Comcast and other companies have built for their own TV service.

Jobs said that Apple would be in your living room, he didn't say they would be in the DVD aisle at WalMart. Using your argument above, this is not a new concept either. People have been watching TV for 60 years. This is really just a new way to deliver it. Their challenge will be making it easy to use, fun, and "cool". In recent years this is something they've been doing pretty well.

But we'll have to wait a few months to see what the iTV really is and how well it goes over... it might just be another Mac TV: http://www.lowendmac.com/500/mactv.shtml

HUGE difference, many people were already getting their music digitally thru the net, burning CDs, etc. etc. etc. Only a FRACTION of those same people are burning DVDs, and getting movies digitally. When iTunes happened the public and the industry were STARVING for digital distribution. The same is not true of movies. The public is luke warm and the industry is weary to say the least. The other gigantic difference is that there are more people in Apples way, cable companies, etc. all want to get in this mix.



ash =o)