News
Apple pushes podcasters to upgrade video quality
Apple’s iTunes team has sent an email to current video podcasters, recommending that they increase the resolution of their videos. “Apple TV is here, and podcasts are making a big move into the living room,” Apple said in the email. “We want all of them to look as good as possible, so we have three video formatting recommendations for you.” Apple’s tips for enhancing a video podcast are included below.
Recommendations for Formatting Video Podcasts
1. If you’re encoding your video podcast at 320x240, please increase the resolution to either 640x480 or 640x360 (depending on the aspect ratio of your source files). Why? Because video podcasts at this resolution look great on Apple TV and still port to video iPods. Lower resolution podcasts might also work on both platforms, but they don’t look nearly as good on a widescreen TV. As always, make sure to test any encoding changes you make to ensure device compatibility. QuickTime 7.1’s “Export to iPod” function will ensure that a video file is encoded at a width of 640 and is iPod-compatible.
2. It’s best not to create two different podcast feeds for different resolutions. By doing so, you dilute the popularity of your podcast and reduce exposure in our charts. It’s better to have one feed high in the charts than two that are lower.
3. If your source files are 16:9, stick with that aspect ratio. Don’t add letterboxing to make them 4:3. By doing so, you prevent the video from expanding to fill a 16:9 widescreen TV and instead end up with black space on all four sides. Also, your original source files should be at least 640 pixels wide.
Of course these are just recommendations. We understand that there are good reasons for 320x240 (bandwidth bills) and 720p (looks fantastic). Do whatever makes the most sense for your show. For more information on formatting video, see the recently updated spec.
Related Stories
- Washington Post offers HD podcasts for Apple TV
- Apple authorizes usage of ‘podcast’ term
- Study: Podcast use rising but small for daily usage
- NBC News video podcasts coming to iTunes
- Podcast Ready releases myPodder with iPod support
- Apple cracking down on ‘podcast’ use
Comments
If you have a comment, news tip, advertising inquiry, or coverage request, a question about iPods/iPhones/iPad or accessories, or if you sell or market iPod/iPhone/iPad products or services, read iLounge's Comments + Questions policies before posting, and fully identify yourself if you do. We will delete comments containing advertising, astroturfing, trolling, personal attacks, offensive language, or other objectionable content, then ban and/or publicly identify violators.
Recent News
- Pulp adds iCloud sync, new Home Page
- WordPress for iOS adds Push Notifications
- Sony launches Music Unlimited for iOS
- Apple device poll ends, computing poll begins
- Fruit Ninja adds new features and power-ups
- Apple to sell Nest Learning Thermostat
- Third-gen iPad to launch in Guam, Philippines May 29
- Apple tweaks App Store with Editors’ Choice, Free picks
- Panic releases Diet Coda
- Booq rolls out new Folio for iPad
Recent Reviews
- Pelican i1075 Hardback Case for iPad
- Skinit Skins for iPad (3rd-Generation)
- Spigen SGP Steinheil Ultra Optics Screen Protector for iPad (3rd-Gen)
- ZeroChroma VarioProtect for iPhone 4/4S
- BodyGuardz UltraTough Clear Skins for iPad (3rd-Gen)
- Wrapsol Original + Ultra Hybrid Protective Film for iPad 2/iPad (3rd-Gen)
- iBattz Mojo Removable Power Card Wallet
- dreamGEAR i.Sound Power View Pro S 2.1A Dual Charging Dock
- dreamGEAR i.Sound Universal Power View
- Sena Cases Florence Portfolio for iPad (3rd-Gen)
Recent Articles
- Removing music from iTunes after copying to iPod
- iOS Gems: Farm 123, Facebook Camera, Scribblenauts, Shoot the Zombirds + Virtua Tennis Challenge
- iTunes TV show size totals don’t match actual disk storage
- Consolidating Multiple iTunes Libraries
- Converting Purchased Videos to 1080p HD
- Find My Friends always reports home location
- Creating an iTunes Match library from an external hard drive
- Benefits of keeping apps in iTunes when using iCloud
- Recovering iTunes from an External Hard Drive
- Normalizing volume levels for Voice Memos
1
That’s all well and good, but who is going to pay for the extra hosting and bandwidth costs?
Posted by phennphawcks on April 12, 2007 at 8:55 AM (PDT)
2
Recommendation 3 is also going to force widescreen videos to be stretched to 4:3 when viewed on an iPod, right?
Isn’t there supposed to be a tag in the file that says what aspect ration it’s supposed to be viewed in? And isn’t/shouldn’t an iPod supposed to honour that tag???
Posted by Wibbly on April 12, 2007 at 9:17 AM (PDT)
3
That’s good news. I don’t like watching a tiny 320 x 240 video on my MacBook, so why would I want to watch the same thing on my Apple TV? As far as the additional costs go, I suspect we’ll be seeing more ads in the podcasts.
Posted by Galley in Greenville, SC on April 12, 2007 at 9:18 AM (PDT)
4
@Wibbly
The iPod itself doesn’t do any Stretching of Non 4:3 content.
By setting the >Videos>Video Settings>Widescreen option to On, the iPod will letterbox, and with the option off, it will “Pan and Scan”.
Letterboxing is where black bars are added to the top and bottom of the video. “Pan and Scan” is where the sides of the Video is cropped. Most directors of Photography frame video so all the action is in the centre of the screen, meaning that the Viewers without Widescreen Displays can still follow the story.
Posted by Dan Woods on April 12, 2007 at 1:06 PM (PDT)