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Avatar special edition takes another dip on iTunes Tuesday, brings exclusive extras
If you've made the switch to watching movies delivered via the internet instead of disc, one of the things that you'll usually give up is interactive special features, but Fox is turning that trend around with its latest repackaging of Avatar. The iTunes Extras Special Edition of the movie goes on sale Tuesday and includes "Green Screen X-Ray" features letting viewers deconstruct the extensive special effects during 17 scenes as they watch, as well as an original screenplay from director James Cameron, his scriptment, and a gallery of 1,700 images. You can get an idea of how the X-ray feature works from the images here and a trailer (included after the break), but at $20 for an HD copy, we figure it will be just the most dedicated fans taking a trip back to Pandora before the 3D Blu-ray is freed from exclusivity next year.
iTunes version of Avatar will let users control scenes, more
Apple has just announced a special iTunes version of James Cameron's Avatar that will not only include some special extras like the film's script and a big 1,700 picture special effects gallery of pictures to browse through, but allow viewers to actually control 17 scenes as they happen, switching between different views like the finished film, rough CG cuts, and the original live action motion capture footage. Viewers will also be able to "x-ray" these scenes, moving a special view around the screen that will show off the original live action footage, superimposed over the finished movie. Sounds pretty awesome to us. Special features have obviously been a standby of disc-based movies for years, and modern Blu Ray discs offer up split-screen and onscreen special effects information and footage for all kinds of movies. But this is something that's really interactive, and it's exclusively on iTunes (Apple doesn't say yet if the special footage will work on an iPad or an iPhone, though it seems likely, right?). That's a nice get for Apple, and it might be an indication of more features like this to come (which would make for nice viewing fodder on a possible Apple TV, wouldn't it). You can preorder the movie on iTunes right now. The special edition version will cost you $20, while the regular edition itself is $15.
Apple granted patent behind new iTunes extras features
Today, Apple was granted a patent covering the ability to sync movie extra features with particular times or locations in videos. This is the same technology Sony is quietly testing now in the iTunes store with The Other Guys, Salt, and Resident Evil: Afterlife in which movie buyers can enter search terms to see scenes in the movie where that term was used. Since the extra features are only available for iTunes content, like iTunes LP, Apple clearly hopes to woo bonus feature-loving consumers to purchase digital copies over Blu-rays or DVDs. Of course if this strategy is going to succeed, you'd think Cupertino would want to expand support for iTunes extras beyond the original Apple TV and the desktop to include the one million second generation Apple TVs sold and three million plus iPhone 4s out there. But hey, what do we know?
Sony taking advantage of iTunes extras
Sony is quietly adding bonus feature content to select iTunes releases including the Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg action comedy The Other Guys, Salt and Resident Evil: Afterlife. If you buy one of these three films, you will be able to use a new search feature that allows you to input a word and pinpoint scenes within the movie that use the search term. You can also take advantage of a "clip & share" function that lets you post select scenes to social networks as well as browse a playlist populated with songs from the film. Each song is available as a preview and linked to a purchase page on iTunes. These extras are iTunes-specific and not available on DVD editions or other digital content providers like Amazon Unbox. This ability of movie studios to add bonus content was added when Apple introduced iTunes 9. Though available for over a year, this iTunes Extras feature is widely underused by content producers. A reason for this limited adoption is the poor support of this feature by Apple. When you buy a film with bonus content, you can only view these extras on the first generation Apple TV and the desktop version of iTunes (Windows or Mac). All iOS devices, including the media-friendly iPad, the iPod touch and the iPhone, are not compatible with this feature. Embarrassingly, the second generation Apple TV, designed for media consumption such as this, will not playback iTunes Extras content. If Apple wants this feature to take off, then it must roll out iTunes Extras support to its latest generation hardware. Though Sony may be exploring this value-added content as way to differentiate its offerings from those of its competition, it may not continue this experiment if its adoption rate is poor. In the future, Sony may turn away from iTunes and bring this extra content to its PS3 network or other digital storefronts instead. Such a move would be a lose-lose situation for Apple and its iTunes customers. [Via MacRumors]
Apple documents iTunes LP and iTunes Extras for developers
After seeing the intent by developers and artists to create iTunes LP and iTunes Extras for their music, Apple has opened up the availability to develop these features to third parties. However, automatic submission for iTunes LP and iTunes Extras is not expected until early 2010; in the meantime, it's still a limited process and uploads must be performed manually. If you're an iTunes contributor and you're looking forward to developing an iTunes LP of your own, Apple has posted several resources for Extras & LP, including a best practices guide, a development guide, asset delivery tips and a testing guide. There's also templates to get you started, and documentation on the TuneKit framework used by iTunes LP and iTunes Extras. These make extensive use of the WebKit framework, while using many new web standards. Are you going to be more interested in these features since it's now open for development? Let us know in the comments below!
Hands-on with the underwhelming Apple TV 3.0 update
Regardless of some of the breathless comments coming out about the Apple TV 3.0 update, it appears that Apple TV is still a "hobby" to Apple. That is my impression after updating my Apple TV this afternoon and giving it a short run around the block. To start with, I need to qualify this post with a quick reminder that I rarely use my Apple TV. But the gyrations I went through to get it updated are an indication that it still needs a real update, not just a facelift. I began the update by turning on my Panasonic Viera Plasma TV and flipping the various switches to get the Apple TV on the display. Shortly after, the Apple TV woke up from a few months of sleep and I began flipping screens to find the Update button. I saw something that said "Downloads," and decided that was where I needed to go. It asked for my Apple ID and password, and then told me I had the password wrong or it couldn't find the Apple ID. All of this was done not by typing on a keyboard, but by using the old white plastic Apple remote to pick one letter at a time off of a grid of letters and numbers. So much for Apple's vaunted skills in user interface design...
Apple TV 3.0 software update is out, with iTunes Extras, LP & Genius in tow
Looks like Apple's "hobby" is finally getting the iTunes Extra & LP features it was initially denied, as the Apple TV 3.0 software has just released, featuring a brand new main menu (above) plus Genius Mixes and internet radio access. It took a reboot and a few tries for units around here to start seeing the new software was available, so feel free to give that "check for updates" button a workout, 'til then the official PR is after the break describing what your box is missing.
Apple TV gains hard disk capacity, loses weighty price
Less than a week after the Apple TV was studiously ignored by Steve & Phil at the music event, a tipster has pointed us in the direction of the Apple online store where the device has suddenly gained some capacity and become less expensive. The original 40GB model has been dropped altogether, and the 160GB model is now available for US$229, down from the previous price of US$329. Is Apple doing this to move inventory in anticipation of a new device, or to clear things out before dropping the Apple TV line? Regardless of what direction Cupertino is taking, the existing Apple TV needs a software update stat! AppleInsider has speculated that the iTunes LP format and iTunes Extras released last Wednesday are specifically designed to deliver content to Apple TV. They've noted that the content is designed for 1280 x 720 resolution, fitting the native resolution of the Apple TV. There are even html meta tags in the new content -- "hdtv-fullscreen" and "hdtv-cursoroff" -- that seem to indicate that these new formats were designed for the Apple TV. If Apple is planning on doing something with their "hobby" device, it would behoove them to announce it before the Christmas buying season. Does anyone want to take bets on whether or not there will be an Apple TV event before the beginning of November? Thanks to twofedoras for the tip!
iTunes 9 bringing iTunes LP functionality, 'beautiful new look'
Ready to pay more for the same music? Good! We've just spotted some new "Deluxe Version" albums in iTunes, which apparently are part of the "iTunes LP" experience in the upcoming iTunes 9, if the album blurbs are to be believed. The albums pack in bonus material like art, videos and additional recordings. Sounds just like Cocktail to us, and we're sure Apple will be explaining it all soon enough.Update: It's more or less official now, complete with a non-working "Download iTunes 9" button and everything. Apple's mainly touting the new interface for the store in this blurb, but we know it's just a front for taking more of our hard-earned cash and putting it in the hands of starving musicians. The nerve.New features mentioned: Improved store navigation, including persistent navigation menu. Full window iTunes store. For times when that sidebar is just too much. Previews from anywhere in the store -- don't have to drill down to preview. iTunes LP includes lyrics, liner notes, video, photos and "more." iTunes Extras. It's like DVD extras, but with iTunes. Not clear if it includes director's commentaries, but let's hope. Update 2: It's now official, and Apple has fleshed out some more functionality. Genius Mixes. It's like Genius Playlists, but it plays forever like a radio station. App management, letting you set up and arrange your home screens on the iPhone and iPod touch. You can drag and drop to move certain apps or whole pages of apps. Home sharing enables file transfers between up to five local computers of songs, videos and even apps. You can send items in the iTunes Store as gifts, add them to a wishlist, and publish them to Facebook and Twitter -- look who's getting all social all of a sudden! It's available today. [Thanks, Dev] %Gallery-72295% %Gallery-72301%
