Trying to make sense out of Apple TV and Vegas 8

wm_b wrote on 1/4/2009, 3:37 AM
I received this from my well meaning girlfriend and have decided to give it a try. I would like to be able to format my own video to be used on the machine but I am finding that to be much more difficult to sort out. From what I can tell, Vegas 8c can make ipod compatible files and they will play on Apple Tv but I would like to be able to have something with better image quality.

The apple tv maximum resolution is h.264 1280x720 at 24fps. From what I can tell, Vegas 8 cannot create this type of file so if I would need to encode from vegas to some intermediate format and use another program to create the apple tv compatible file.

It's kind of looking like putting my own HD content on the apple tv is shaping up to be not so convenient or at least not with vegas. If anyone has any experience with encoding video for use with apple tv I would be interested in hearing about your experience.

So far the apple tv experience has been about a 4 on a scale of 10. I have a slow DSL connection so HD movies take a long time to download from the itunes store. The SD video is pretty poor in my opinion. Hopefully the HD will have more to offer. I haven't given up but my expectations are waning.

Cheers, Wm.

Comments

TheHappyFriar wrote on 1/4/2009, 5:07 AM
if you have a h.264 codec for avi you can render it. i don't use it though so I don't know which else you can render it with.
michaelshive wrote on 1/4/2009, 8:14 AM
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=528388
kairosmatt wrote on 1/4/2009, 11:06 AM
If you have stuff already rendered, iTunes can convert it for you, but I don't know how good their conversion engine is-I haven't tested it at 720, and I don't have an appleTV. I have used it to convert stuff for ipod viewing-and that takes a loooong time (although that is on a 6 year old computer).

kairosmatt

wm_b wrote on 1/4/2009, 12:31 PM
Thanks for the link. I searched but never thought of going back so far as 2007. I had never heard of apple tv till a few months ago. My searches were from the last year only. I will try to render some stuff in that codec and see what happens. This could be the thing that at least makes it clever to have around.

Last night I watched an episode of The Wire season 5 after finishing the last two episodes of searson 4 on DVD from netflix. The image quality on Apple TV was not nearly as rich as the SD dvd played on my bluray player. The Wire series on DVD 4:3 SD and pretty plain looking to the point where I wonder if they even used HD cameras to shoot it. On Apple TV it was much more washed out looking with much softer looking edges. As I understand it the same file would play on an ipod or iphone. Hopefully HD will at least be somewhat satisfying.

Thanks for the replies.

William.
wm_b wrote on 1/4/2009, 1:02 PM
Hmm, cant seem to change the frame size to 1280x720. THe only options are 320x240 and 640x480. There is a check box for "allow source to adjust frame size" though. Would I change the frame size in the project properties?
newhope wrote on 1/4/2009, 1:13 PM
Another option is to buy Quicktime Pro from Apple and it will offer the options for iPod and Apple TV as well as a host of other formats.

It can be accessed through the File/Render as/QuickTime option in Vegas or via the QuickTime player as a standalone application.

New Hope Media
wm_b wrote on 1/4/2009, 9:30 PM
QT pro does not change the existing templates in vegas allowing for renders directly to Apple TV format. It can convert to apple tv from other QT compatible formats. I was able to successfully change the frame size in the Mainconcept AVC encoder.

Thanks, Wm
Jeff_Smith wrote on 1/5/2009, 8:13 AM
I am considering buying an Apple TV, I have heard the video quality is not that good. I want to use it to store and play music through my home stereo. It will be a backup for my music library, itunes GUI on the HD TV, the audio optical audio quality is better than using an iPod headphone jack or dock to your av receiver. I think there is only one other company that makes a unit that can play iPod to your home stereo and keep it digital. There is an app that turns your iphone into a Apple TV remote.
wm_b wrote on 1/5/2009, 12:49 PM
I haven't seen anything on Apple TV that has fooled me into thinking it has good video quality (although the menus are nice). Audio quality had no noticeable defects. I don't know what kind of degradation might be taking place when streaming audio from a computer through the Apple TV (itunes allows you to select Apple TV as the playback speakers). The jury is still out on whether or not it has any benefit other than being much faster than my blu ray player when it comes to video.

I watched Burn After Reading last night and I nearly finished my dinner before the a single line of dialog had been spoken. First the Sony "loading" graphic, then the content "loading" graphic, the menu, all the production company logo BS, then a long, long intro shot from outer space into Washington DC. I was eating slowly and FFwd through the production company ridiculousness. I should probably replace my older Blu Ray player.

One thing about the Apple TV is that getting to the content is satisfyingly quick. Tonight I will watch an HD movie I rented from itunes. I will have more perspective on the visual quality after that.

Cheer, wm.