Lines of code in Windows iTunes reveals WMV video functions

Yes, yes, we're all perfectly positive iTunes is (eventually) going the way of video, but in case you needed some further incidental "proof," the dudes at iPod-fun.de broke out ye olde hidden-function-scanner and apparently found a bunch of lines having to do with video—and we ain't just talkin' Quicktime. Does that necessarily mean they're going to start vending WMV for some unforseen future video iPod? Well, probably not, but a healthy dose of speculation never hurt nobody.

[BirdieNumNum @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

How 'bout the possibility that iTunes wants to increase the value of their product by offering you exclusive video content when you buy a track online. Like interviews or music videos with your music track? Surely that's a more likely scenario than a Video iPod.

[Patrick @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

#1: they already are doing that on select tracks/albums. Coldplay's X&Y album and Black Eyed Peas' Monkey Business for example both come with PDF digital booklets and several MP4 videos and exclusive interviews. I believe the extra content is actually DRMless currently...

[Chris McElligott @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

This isn't really shocking, there has been WMA and Ogg icons in the iTunes package since 2.0 - nothing to worry about.

[wigglemancharley @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

that would be very cool -- getting the music video along with your music purchase.

[kingroach @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

I think they are just for conversion.. like how in Itunes.. if you want to import a WMA song.. it will ask you if you want to convert it.. May be that will happen to WMV too.. Otherwise it can also be used to tell users that "the file is a WMV video and cannt be played on Itunes"

[lcd @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

using iTunes to encorporate video will be interesting considering the amount of time and effort went into developing and promoting quicktime. maybe the two will merge... but I don't see how video fits with the iTunes, music specific application/brand. they would be better off developing the quicktime application to work similar to iTunes and be able to connect to iPods. however, I'm not sure that quicktime capabilities are even feasible on the iPod platform...

maybe the i in iPod really means intel inside - then maybe we can get some decent mpg2/mp4/divx video playback.

[Wei @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

They already are selling music videos on iTunes so having the ability to play videos is naturally the next step. Does iPod photo play videos?

Also, if Apple is allowing the iPod to work with the Xbox 360, maybe MS is giving up their rights to apple to allow WMV files to be used on iTunes.

[Adam Pennington @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

Look closely, the other lines in there are DVD video files (VIDEO_TS.VOB etc). DVD player in iTunes? iFlix?

[long tran @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

Apple seems to prepare for tons of "just in case scenrios". I think this is another one of those cases.

[birostick @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

To numbers 6 and 7

Yes. iPod CAN play videos if you take a look at http://www.ipodlinux.org/Video_Player there is tha abilty to play videos (currently without sound, but give it some time) This works with all the iPods minus the mini 2G

So this is a real possibility that would help the ipod linux guys in their coding :-)

in any case... iPods can play videos :-P

[EatingPie @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

Here's a similar run on the Mac OS X version of iTunes 4.8(31):

% strings iTunes | grep -i video
Has Video
plist/dict/tracks:array/dict/Has Video:true/
Purchased Videos
VIDEOTEXSTRING

None of the WMV stuff those .de bozos found, but that is the PC version after all. We don't even get a reference to VIDEO_TS (basically, DVD video). *sniff*

Interesting (um, or not) that we do have a "Purchased Video" string...

-Pie

[Ryan @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

Considering all the buzz over podcasting, this makes me wonder if the iTunes 4.9 setup will also allow subscriptions to videoblogs.

[Las Vegas Weddings At Cupid's @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

If it's going to show up, I am all for it. All day thats all I do encoding extra Quicktime files for Mac Audiences. I will love the day that preinstalled ITunes machines can automagically play Windows Media Files especially MultiCast broadcasts (Which currently Mac version of Windows Media Player plays at the lowest available rate, even when higher rates are encoded in the stream.)
I love quicktime,the H.264, panoramas etc., but the audience platform numbers are waaaaaay too low. This is great if it comes to fruition.

[NutMeg7 @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

Some interesting facts to add to the mix:
1) Listening to a National Press Club Luncheon speech by the head of the MPAA, I heard him say that the MPAA planned to use the RIAA's tactics for fighting illegal music downloads as a model for fighting illegal movie downloads.
2) The iTunes Music Store has become a more popular place to download music online than all but 1 p2p network according to research from The NPD Group. http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nf/20050608/bs_nf/36124
3) I've heard members of the MPAA say a couple of times that the MPAA has been looking into a way to offer customers the opportunity to buy Movie downloads legally.

You can see where I'm going with this. I'm not saying the movie industry is knocking on Apple's door asking them to please make a version of the iTunes Music store for movies, but I wouldn't be surprised if Apple were tinkering with thie idea. Hell, I'd expect nothing less of good ol' Steve. & the iPod Photo already has a color screen, so....

[Terry Wilson @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

It could just be the fact that iTunes evolved through the purchase of 'SoundJam' and these things were just left over from that.

All this said, with the interesting times we are seeing now, who knows what could happen in the Apple camp.

[Terry Wilson @ Dec 19th 2005 12:54AM]

In response to number 6. I think having video in iTunes just goes to further the exposure on the brand. iTunes could become more about video in the future. I mean what's the point starting up something completely new if you already have a perfectly viable, heavily exposed/known brand available.