Why doesn't Apple TV support chapters, streaming images or sprites?

QuickTime is an amazing architecture. Mac OS X bases its media foundation on QuickTime and QuickTime is used in many digital cameras, portable devices and web sites. So why then doesn't Apple TV support some of the most basic functions that QuickTime has to offer?

When we create our daily Podcasts here at Technology Evangelist we make two versions: standard MP3 and advanced AAC. The enhanced file allows us to insert chapter marks, URLs and images into the audio file which will show up in iTunes, QuickTime and on iPods but not on Apple TV. Sprite elements in videos such as identification bugs, closed caption data and URLs will either prevent the media from moving to Apple TV or it simply won't play. When enhanced AAC files are moved to the Apple TV I can see the pictures, but no chapter marks seem to work and I get no additional details on URLs. If I stream that very same file to the Apple TV rather than playing it back locally, I don't even get the pictures. All of these things work just fine in the QuickTime player on Mac or PC, just not on an Apple TV. Why?

Being that Apple TV is based on Mac OS X I would assume that the core video playback is based on QuickTime. This should allow simple things like chapters, closed captioning and sprites to work just fine, but they don't. What is it about the Apple TV that prevents this data from working? While having an iTunes extender is nice, being able to take advantage of Media 2.0's interactive abilities would be even nicer.

I think there's an assumption that Apple TV needs to be super easy to use. Rather than give the consumer a large complicated remote Apple chose to stick with the rather crummy remote that it includes with its computers and iPods. The problem is that this limits what the Apple TV can do from the couch. I don't have a CC button to turn on closed captions. I don't have a chapter advance button. Heck, I can't even control my volume from the remote (oddly enough there is a button for that though).

Why did Apple decide to prevent me from doing what I would consider basic functions? I wonder how many content providers actually take the time to add chapters to their streams? How many add Closed Captions? Heck, how many Podcasts can you find that are shot in 720p or better and distributed specifically for the Apple TV? Does it make sense for Apple to add these features in to the Apple TV or should they worry more about getting additional HD content online and making the Apple TV so easy my Grandmother can use it?

I wonder if the fault lies with Apple or with us, the content producers. If we create more and more dynamic, engaging and compeling stories that have chapters, closed captions, embedded URLs and other webish features, will Apple release a firmware upgrade to Apple TV to bring this functionalty up to the front of the box? What would it take to bring Apple TV into the Media 2.0 world?

I would agree that multiple file formats are really hurting them. 480 lines for iPods, 720 lines for Apple TV and as many as the CPU can decode for the actual computer. I have so many different RSS feeds to keep iTunes users happy it's hard to manage. If I as a content producer have a 1080p file I should be able to send that one file to iTunes and have iTunes use the highest possible quality for playback on all devices, even if it has to recompress it on the fly.

What would be really cool is if Macintosh computers, Apple TV and iPods all just supported 1080p. That way we could encode in whatever resolution, but if we wanted the full quality on any device, it would be there with one file, no recompression required.

What are you talking about? I'm watching Cars right now on my Apple TV and it happily skips chapters with the remote forward or backward button. Maybe your custom encoded content doesn't work, but it works fine with the stuff I purchased.

Is it skipping chapters or skipping ahead a preset amount of time?
On the stuff I purchased it skips ahead in 5 minute jumps.

Even if the chapters in Cars do work, why would that work but the chapters made from a project created in Garage Band not work? These same chapters work in iTunes and on an iPod but not Apple TV?

Comments

1. Posted by: McDave on April 18, 2007 8:35 PM:

All valid stuff but sorry, Hi Def comes first

Aren't the URLs for web links? I thought Apple TV didn't have a web browser isn't that more for computers? Unless you use them to link media (like a DVD menu) - cool. Yes that needs to happen but they need to get the acquiring/managing-multiple-instances(resolutions)-of-the-same-content thing first, that's killing them right now.

McD

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