ARG! I want to play along SO BADLY!

Gosh Darnit! It has been about a month or two now since I deleted 90% of my music library to make my computer officially pirated/illegal music free. I have been using iTunes ever since (sure it is more expensive than free, but I have discovered that it isn't that big of a deal, I just buy things that I really want, not whatever I happen to see at the time.) I really like the iTunes experience and I want to start getting into the video aspect of it.

Here's where the problem starts :

I download Total Recall from iTunes and watch it on my macbook because I was sitting in an airport and wanted a new movie to watch on a flight. Sounds great! It was great too, thank you Apple for offering such awesome functionality. What now though? I have a movie that I want to watch again, but perhaps not on my little lappy. Due to DRM, there is no way to legally take my movie and burn it to DVD. SO frustrating . I know that this isn't really Apple's choice, I just wanted to vent out against digital rights in general. I don't want to break the law, I just want to view my purchased content in a more normal type of situation. I guess that the only thing to do is go shell a few hundred dollars into an AppleTV

I agree with you. Apple is doing the best they can do with the Video situation but I also wish I could also watch them on my Sony WEGA and not just on the computer screen.

This is the very basis for the whole anti-DRM movement. It's not that people want to be able to pirate music/movies, it's that they want to be able to use the media they LEGALLY purchased in the way THEY want, not to feel restricted to a single device/format.

Media companies aren't stopping pirates with their useless DRM (the "professionals" will crack it and within a short period the petty pirates will download it). They are simply alienating legit, paying customers. In fact, they are practically encouraging piracy because of their restrictions.

It's not enough to "go legit" by removing all illegal music/movies on your computer. We must work to change these archaic DRM laws to better suit the consumer rather than the media corporations.

walmartconnect said:

Gosh Darnit! It has been about a month or two now since I deleted 90% of my music library to make my computer officially pirated/illegal music free...........

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You are to be congratulated on that decision. I admire you for doing that.

Kash said:

This is the very basis for the whole anti-DRM movement. It's not that people want to be able to pirate music/movies, it's that they want to be able to use the media they LEGALLY purchased in the way THEY want, not to feel restricted to a single device/format.

Media companies aren't stopping pirates with their useless DRM (the "professionals" will crack it and within a short period the petty pirates will download it). They are simply alienating legit, paying customers. In fact, they are practically encouraging piracy because of their restrictions.

It's not enough to "go legit" by removing all illegal music/movies on your computer. We must work to change these archaic DRM laws to better suit the consumer rather than the media corporations.

Click to expand...

Well said.

walmartconnect said:

I download Total Recall from iTunes and watch it on my macbook because I was sitting in an airport and wanted a new movie to watch on a flight. Sounds great! It was great too, thank you Apple for offering such awesome functionality. What now though? I have a movie that I want to watch again, but perhaps not on my little lappy. Due to DRM, there is no way to legally take my movie and burn it to DVD. SO frustrating . I know that this isn't really Apple's choice, I just wanted to vent out against digital rights in general. I don't want to break the law, I just want to view my purchased content in a more normal type of situation. I guess that the only thing to do is go shell a few hundred dollars into an AppleTV

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- I thought it was possible to share your files within your network, i think Jobs did that in one of the keynotes, am i wrong?
- Why not connect your laptop to your TV with a cable?
- Isn't it possible to authorize up to 5 computers to download your music/video files?

I haven't bought any movies from iTunes so i don't know about those limitations, this are honest questions. Personally, i like to buy DVDs and CDs, my brother says i like to collect boxes.

Apple TV requires high def tv, from what I understand. Here's how you watch what's on your MacBook with a regular tv.

First, get one of these:

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=6C04E07A&nplm=M9319G/A

You connect the mini DVI end to the output on the MacBook. The MacBook automagically resizes and rescales the screen for proper viewing on your tv.

Then you plug either an S-video cable or an RCA-type video cable to the other end of that little device into your video system. I connect mine to the VCR. Additionally, connect the audio output from your MacBook into your audio system.

Here's how it looks. Hope this helps!

Nice Movie collection you have there Mathogre!

Thank you RIDE! ^_^

PapaNoHair said:

You are to be congratulated on that decision. I admire you for doing that.

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I've done this too. I've bought a Mac and bought Logic and Aperture.

However legitimate software owners get all the restrictions. I lose a USB port thanks to the dongle for Logic, I don't want ugly wires hanging out of the front of my Mac Pro, so I try to keep them all around the back. But I only have two ports now. I don't like USB hubs.

mathogre said:

Apple TV requires high def tv, from what I understand. Here's how you watch what's on your MacBook with a regular tv.

First, get one of these:

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=6C04E07A&nplm=M9319G/A

You connect the mini DVI end to the output on the MacBook. The MacBook automagically resizes and rescales the screen for proper viewing on your tv.

Then you plug either an S-video cable or an RCA-type video cable to the other end of that little device into your video system. I connect mine to the VCR. Additionally, connect the audio output from your MacBook into your audio system.

Here's how it looks. Hope this helps!

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Pretty nice setup you got there!

Thank you!

Hey now. I wanted some real feedback on those dvi to what have you thingys. hows it look on screen? Can you read text well or is it best used for say movies. Thanks Mathogre

I use my mini-dvi to dvi all the time, then link it through to an HDMI cable running to my 42" sharp 1080p lcd and watch my HD movies through it, or any TV movies i've got on there, love it!

steven11 said:

Hey now. I wanted some real feedback on those dvi to what have you thingys. hows it look on screen? Can you read text well or is it best used for say movies. Thanks Mathogre

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If you use the mini-DVI to VGA/DVI adapter, then it effectively makes your TV into a monitor. So you should be able to read text perfectly fine.

But if you use the mini-DVI to composite/S-video adapter, then things get fuzzy and reading text will probably give you a headache

Kash said:

If you use the mini-DVI to VGA/DVI adapter, then it effectively makes your TV into a monitor. So you should be able to read text perfectly fine.

But if you use the mini-DVI to composite/S-video adapter, then things get fuzzy and reading text will probably give you a headache

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Precisely, Thats what I was afraid. I've been talking myself out of buying a HD tv for a long time and I'm about to give in. I really want to hook my macbook up to a 42" monitor. I have a wicked plan to make my mac the media hub of my living room.

steven11 said:

Hey now. I wanted some real feedback on those dvi to what have you thingys. hows it look on screen? Can you read text well or is it best used for say movies. Thanks Mathogre

Click to expand...

I really haven't used it all that much. Originally I ran my ThinkPad with its S-Video output through a converter box and out to the tv. With the MacBook and the composite video output, which is what I used here, it's still a curiosity but it looks fine overall.

If you go to Front Row and look at the trailers, the small text on the trailer icon page is nearly impossible to read, just as it is with regular tv. Watching the trailers however seems just fine. The image is decent.

If you have a high def tv, you could probably read text well enough. With a normal low res tv, you'd probably do well to stick to movies et al.

mraya said:

- I thought it was possible to share your files within your network, i think Jobs did that in one of the keynotes, am i wrong?
- Why not connect your laptop to your TV with a cable?
- Isn't it possible to authorize up to 5 computers to download your music/video files?

I haven't bought any movies from iTunes so i don't know about those limitations, this are honest questions. Personally, i like to buy DVDs and CDs, my brother says i like to collect boxes.

Click to expand...

It is very easy to hook my mac up to a TV, but that isn't what I want. It would be kind of annoying to have to put my laptop near the television and plug wires and cables in every time that I wanted to watch a movie anyway. I want to be able to produce a professional quality DVD and use it in my professional quality DVD player with professional quality receiver and speaker system. Does anyone else feel me on this one? All of this hardware is wasted to my iTunes video purchases.

I forgot to mention. I think that boxes are cool too, but honestly, over the years my DVD collection has been somewhat transient: disappearing into my house somewhere for months at a time, having movies mixed up by other family members, ect. I like the idea of having all of my media together in a format where I am more organized and really do keep back ups of everything.

My DVD and CD collection haphazardly travel back and forth from home to school to the Marine Corps constantly. I never have to worry about my digitally stored collection.

Looks like you're gonna have to shell out for an AppleTV to be able to do what you want legally.

Or you could just go and buy a physical disc. Then you can use Handbrake to have a copy on your Mac. As long as you don't share that file, you won't be doing anything illegal.