News
Apple sneaks Convert to Apple TV into iTunes
Following a trend started with its surreptitious introduction of an “Export to Apple TV” feature to QuickTime, Apple has quietly added a similar feature to iTunes 7.2: “Convert Selection for Apple TV.”
Like iTunes’ previous Convert Selection for iPod feature, Convert Selection for Apple TV offers one-click conversion of a video file into a resolution and video format compatible with one of Apple’s digital media devices. The difference is that the Apple TV converter produces high-resolution files with resolutions up to 1280x720 (720P), creating videos that will not play on current iPods, but look comparatively spectacular on HDTVs.
After Converting for Apple TV, you can then re-convert the file into iPod format later if you prefer. As with the QuickTime conversion tools, each process takes some time, but is guaranteed to yield a compatible file.
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1
That’s excellent news!
Posted by Galley in Greenville, SC on June 1, 2007 at 7:17 AM (PDT)
2
Couple this addition with Elgato’s Turbo.264, and you have the fastest H.264 coversion from within iTunes. Awesome.
Posted by Gordy. in Atlanta, GA on June 1, 2007 at 9:33 AM (PDT)
3
Too many versions of the same file.
Not as if video doesn’t already eat up enough of my harddrive space, now I may have up to 3 versions of the same video.
If I have the original file stored on my computer then I need one for converted for apple tv and yet another coverted file for my iPod.
Oh well, I’m sure things will be a little more compatible with each other down the road and there is a clear road map for the apple tv.
Posted by 3rdEye on June 1, 2007 at 11:21 AM (PDT)
4
In which menu is “Convert Selection for Apple TV.”? I don’t see it in iTunes 7.2. I only see “Convert ID3 Tags” and “Convert Selection to AAC” in the Advanced menu.
Posted by Shorty on June 1, 2007 at 11:42 AM (PDT)
5
Shorty, once you select (highlight) a video from within iTunes those previous choices will change to the AppleTV and iPod options.
Posted by lantz on June 1, 2007 at 11:55 AM (PDT)
6
With this feature Apple is one step away from making it so I don’t have to use 3-party software to convert my DVDs to iTunes/AppleTV video. I wish Apple would strike a deal with the industry to allow iTunes to rip a movie DVD into an AppleTV format. I would care if it added DRM to the file just so I could play it on my computer and ATV. Plug in a movie DVD, choose import and it creates the ATV file. Just like with my CDs.
Posted by lantz on June 1, 2007 at 12:01 PM (PDT)
7
Something doesn’t work here. I constantly get this message when trying to Convert to AppleTV:
“One or more videos were not converted because they are already in the correct format”.
This makes no sense.
Posted by Ferf on June 1, 2007 at 2:11 PM (PDT)
8
If a video is already in an iPod-compatible format, you will get the above message, since there’s no point in converting a lower-res iPod-format file to Apple TV format (you can’t replace pixels that are already gone, so you would gain nothing).
This is only going to be effective in converting iTunes-compatible video content that is already in a higher resolution and/or bit-rate than 640x480.
Further, I have not yet successfully gotten iTunes to leverage my turbo.264 when converting. Quicktime Pro uses it with no issues, but when converting from within iTunes, the turbo.264 is unfortunately ignored.
Posted by Jesse Hollington in Toronto on June 1, 2007 at 4:35 PM (PDT)
9
Heaven help you if you have videos with muxed audio. They come out silent!
Posted by johnboy on June 3, 2007 at 8:07 AM (PDT)
10
I guess I don’t understand the point here. If it’s already playable within Itunes it’s already in a format that can play on Apple TV, it’s not like you can convert and xvid or Divx file as Itunes cannot play those.
Posted by Scarpad on June 4, 2007 at 5:02 AM (PDT)
11
Not true Scar. iTUnes will play any standard QuickTime codec(sorenson, mpeg 1 & 2, etc.) AppleTV plays none of those.
Posted by Gordy. in Atlanta, GA on June 4, 2007 at 6:54 AM (PDT)
12
I have music video on my computer I want to put them on Ipod I converted to ipod video shows nicley on ipod but no sound. How can I fix this. Please someone help me I have a 80 gig Ipod and using lastest version of itunes
Posted by Darlene on October 16, 2007 at 6:31 PM (PDT)
13
I get “One or more videos were not converted because they are already in the correct format” in Itunes V8.0. However the video will not sync to Apple TV. It says it can’t be played on Apple TV. Is there a way to force it?
Posted by Jeff Leach on September 23, 2008 at 7:06 PM (PDT)