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 1280×720 (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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