“Essentially, Apple has pulled an iMovie 08 here: rather than enhancing features of the current QuickTime 7.x, Apple has replaced it entirely with a new version written from the ground up to create a launching pad for a new generation of media-related development,” Dilger reports. “Snow Leopard’s QuickTime X is actually derived from work done to build the iPhone’s mobile optimized, embedded QuickTime playback software.”
“But the real potential for QuickTime X relates to HTTP Live Streaming, a new open protocol for dishing out live or on-demand video streams using standard web requests,” Dilger reports. “If streaming playback were only limited to QuickTime X in Snow Leopard, this might not be that big of a deal, but Apple has lined up support from content delivery networks and already added HTTP Live Streaming to iPhone 3.0.”
“That means there are already over 45 million mobile clients optimized to view HTTP Live Streaming videos; that installed base also happens to consume a plurality of the world’s mobile web traffic,” Dilger reports. “Add in new QuickTime X clients on the desktop and Apple has a ready-made dominant standing in mobile video streaming.”
“What about Apple TV 3.0? There could be more information on that in the coming iPod event on September 9, but it’s safe to say that Apple TV will eventually also offer HTTP Live Streaming on it, too,” Dilger reports. “This will make the device much more “TV like,” in that it will be able to peruse streaming video feeds without requiring an initial progressive download.”
There’s much more in the full article – recommended – here.
when it comes to appletv, i’ll believe it when i see it
Hopefully Steve hot some bright ideas for appleTV while being bed ridden.
Maybe, just maybe, in this particular case …
Don’t think of AppleTV as just “hardware” anymore than QuickTime is just a “Multimedia” program
Apple, as always, is aiming for the Whole Enchilada™
And, as this article points out, Apple is always “laying foundations”
Foundations that “magically and mysteriously spring overnight” into Something Wonderful™
Ok, in this case maybe not “overnight” but on Sep 9 …
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BC
I believe we’ll see the quicktime X interface as part of 10.7, OS wide, i think it’s going to be amazing, love the minimalist look.
Netflix has already proven video streaming can work. Their HD streams look pretty good on a TV and Netfllix compatible Blu-Ray players make it easy to use.
Apple have serious competition here given that Netflix offers the service free with a regular subscription.
I’m considering buying a Mac Mini that can sit under my TV, serve all the content options I have and be a repository for all music and video files. It will be more expensive than an Apple TV but have more flexibility.
QT X, and more importantly, lining up the HTTP streaming content, is definitely a viable reason for apparent stagnation of TV. Steve likes to have all his ducks in a row before introducing something new. And, with TV, it’s definitely time for something new.
If you need its features, you can still install QuickTime 7 from the Snow Leopard installer disk. QuickTime X does not yet support all video codecs, but its underlying technology is a huge step forward. For details, read the lengthy but good Arse Technica article mentioned in yesterday’s MDN.
What is incredible about Apple today is that the number of ducks they have TO BE lined up is incredible.
Running at about five ducks a year by my count…
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@Bob,
I don’t see that you need to load QT 7.
I just played an FLV file and it opened 7 automatically (I had Perian installed).
DogGone
Many are and myself included use a Mini for the TV. The thing is brilliant. We hardly ever watch live (commercials) TV. If it weren’t for sports ie. NHRA Drag Racing and football I wouldn’t even have to have a second source for programing. I am not a big fan of iTunes model but Netflix is great and even Youtube is watchable for off the wall stuff. DVD’s are good too but optical media is a dying breed and after streaming for a while you’ll see why! Games, internet, music etc….
Ok … Remember Folks … all them “ducks” ?
Lot of them are “content owners” – TV, Movie, Studios, etc etc
Are a LOT of “cooks in the kitchen”
Apple is somewhat at their mercy … and this Gordian Knot makes Music look easy
If ya know what I mean …
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BC
Well, QUICKTIME X has a sleek interface but it lacks many of QUICKTIME 7’S features. Sound adjustment is a big one for me. And I also use PERIAN on Quicktime 7 Pro to play unconverted FLV files.
I think I will continue using QT7 Pro more often.
and what’s the deal with quicktime VR?? does apple still support this?
QuickTime 7 is a real app with a plug-in architecture- X is a steaming pile of crap- nothing more than a front-end for core video.
what is up with all this talk about not being able to play “full screen” i’m running QT 7.6 and i can watch full screen???!!!
that’s all.
@Macaday & @Bob
This article is a little confused about the role QT7 plays in Snow Leopard. The Ars Technica review explained it better. The optional install is for the QT7 player. QT7 itself installs automatically as part of the Snow Leopard installation.
Whenever QTX can’t perform an operation like, say, using a plug-in, it calls QT7 in the background to perform the task.
So you don’t need to install the QT7 player to use Perian — QTX can use Perian by calling QT7 behind the scenes. The QT7 player is made available as an optional install because some people have gotten accustomed to the Pro features as they existed in the old player.
——RM
SMIL has been removed from Quicktime as well, and not a word as to whether it’s coming back.
Apple describes SMIL as a scripting language that is “typically used for multimedia presentations that can integrate streaming audio and video with images, text or any other media type.”
In particular SMIL is really useful for adding captions to Quicktime videos, especially those on the web and is much easier to manipulate than the “cc” implementation for Quicktime and iTunes.
I’m not clear as to whether Quicktime 7 is automatically loaded during a Snow Leopard install, and although it’s an option, the option is to turn it off. It would make more sense to me to simply install QT 7 until QT X is robust enough in terms of matching QT 7’s features.