[SpeedRacer]

Simple question:

Having seen the potential for networked library functionality via the now-defunct iCommune plugin for iTunes, I can't help but wonder...

why couldn't you have the same automatic sharing of photos via an iPhoto plugin?

IOW, automatically share your library of photos and images with anyone on the same Rendezvous network or over the internet with an exact address. TiVO's already announced the possiblity that we might see this on our TV's. Why hasn't someone made this happen Mac-Mac?

I don't know if there's a similar (and legal) method of tying into the iPhoto structure like iTunes, but I think streaming audio automatically from one Mac to another within a great interface like iTunes or sharing photos using iPhoto has *tremendous* untapped market potential.

What do you think? Is this concept even possible? Where might one begin to look? I've heard iCommune's author has already given up tying directly into iTunes (a *big* shame). Would a similar fate await an iPhoto-based plugin?

Speed

[dampeoples]

I think it would be pretty cool. I think the RIAA may have had something to do with iCommune, although about the only part of the story I got was that the project was terminated

[kman42]

Originally posted by dampeoples:
I think it would be pretty cool. I think the RIAA may have had something to do with iCommune, although about the only part of the story I got was that the project was terminated

People keep bringing up the RIAA in conjunction with Rendezvous music sharing. This seem ridiculous to me. The RIAA should love Rendezvous sharing. There is no copying of the actual digital files, you can't take the songs with you, you can't put them on an MP3 player.

The concept of streaming music from one computer to another over a LOCAL NETWORK is actual more limited than just having a local file sharing network which lets you copy the actual MP3s! There is no issue of music piracy here.

And it is free to stream music for non-commercial purposes so there is no royalty problem either.

The reason this hasn't been released sooner is a simple marketing one. Apple got a big splash when iLife appeared. They want another big splash. While Rendezvous sharing of music and photos is cool, it won't make a for a marketing bonanza all on its own. Apple is simply waiting for TiVo to finish up their Home Media Option and they will release iTunes 4 and iPhoto 2.5 (Rendezvous enabled) at the same time TiVo releases HMO. The reasons are pretty obvious if you think about it:

1) TiVo will be getting a lot of free press for this and Apple can hop on that for nothing.

2) The TiVo integration with iTunes and iPhoto will be seemless. You won't have to install any server software on your Mac as it will be built into iTunes and iPhoto. There will be no setup required at all: the TiVo will simply see your Macs on your home network and start sharing any songs and photos that you designate on your Mac. This is not so with the PC version for which you will have to install third-party (TiVo) server software and configure the network by hand. Apple will get kudos for how simple it works.

3) While it seems cool at first, there is really not much point to sharing photos from Mac to Mac on a local network. It will not be wildly popular to sit on your mac on the other side of the room and watch someone else's slideshows. Photos are more of a group experience and people tend to gather around whatever computer is showing the slideshow (mostly to laugh at the people in the pics ). However, if you could all sit in your living room and watch the slideshow together being streamed from your computer in the den, then it makes sense. It makes good sense for Apple to wait to release this until TiVo is up and running because that is how it gets into the living room. That's not to say that we won't also get Mac to Mac sharing as it basically comes for free once they have incorporated the Rendezvous technology into iPhoto.

4) In contrast, it is much more useful to share music from Mac to Mac as people often listen to music while they work. Therefore, it makes sense to be able to share tunes directly between macs in a small work environment or at home in a way that just isn't analogous for photos. However, as cool as this is, it becomes a totall marketing extravaganza if it is also compatible with TiVo so that you can listen to your tunes on your home A/V system.

Because of these reasons, I think it is pretty obvious that Apple is simply waiting until April to release these products so that they can do it in conjunction with TiVo's rollout of the HMO. The media loves TiVo even though there aren't that many subscribers and papers just keep writing stories about them. I guarantee that will be true come April when they release the HMO. Apple can benefit greatly from all of the free press.

All of thi is pure speculation except for the existence of Rendezvous-enalbed iTunes and iPhoto. Both of these apps exist and function perfectly with the upcoming TiVo HMO. There are screenshots in this thread as well as several other threads talking about CES at that forum. Also, if you read through that thread, an Apple employee will eventually show his head and confirm all of this with a series of winks and nods.

kman

[OAW]

Does anyone know if the Tivo that will share this functionality with iTunes & iPhoto is the standalone or the DirecTV integrated box? If it's the latter, then I may finally have a reason to abandon my UltimateTV box and replace it with a Tivo!

OAW

[kman42]

Originally posted by OAW:
Does anyone know if the Tivo that will share this functionality with iTunes & iPhoto is the standalone or the DirecTV integrated box? If it's the latter, then I may finally have a reason to abandon my UltimateTV box and replace it with a Tivo!

OAW

It will definitely work with the Series 2 standalone unit. I'm not sure if it works with the integrated units. You can check www.tivo.com or the community forums that I listed above. TiVo has the requirements listed on their website.

kman

[Axel]

Originally posted by kman42:
The RIAA should love Rendezvous sharing. There is no copying of the actual digital files, you can't take the songs with you, you can't put them on an MP3 player.

Actually he was talking about iCommune, and iCommune DOES allow copying songs from one computer to another (using drag and drop).
However Apple's implementation obviously won't allow this when the next version of iTunes comes out.

[-Q-]

I believe kman42 has nailed it. With the Home Media Option set for April, that's perfect timing to piggyback the announcement of the Rendezvous-enabled apps.

[SpeedRacer]

Originally posted by kman42:
While it seems cool at first, there is really not much point to sharing photos from Mac to Mac on a local network. It will not be wildly popular to sit on your mac on the other side of the room and watch someone else's slideshows. Photos are more of a group experience and people tend to gather around whatever computer is showing the slideshow (mostly to laugh at the people in the pics

Disagree. If I can enter an IP for my home computer and instantly have access to my entire iTunes and/or iPhoto library over the internet i see a *definite* value. I don't know if this is specifically the realm of Rendezvous so much as simply IP sharing/serving directly within iTunes/iPhoto, but I can do this right now with iCommune/iTunes and it's amazing.

It's not a matter of simply file serving/streaming your media, but but file serving/streaming it from within a familiar interface like iTunes or iPhoto.

If this is NOT what the next version of iTunes will bring us, then i think some savvy developer should hop on this concept ASAP. I can see a big market opp for something like this right now as it transforms the concept of a thin-client device running iTunes or iPhoto into a out-of-the-box network-based media station.

Just think about that for a second.

Speed

[kman42]

Originally posted by SpeedRacer:
Disagree. If I can enter an IP for my home computer and instantly have access to my entire iTunes and/or iPhoto library over the internet i see a *definite* value. I don't know if this is specifically the realm of Rendezvous so much as simply IP sharing/serving directly within iTunes/iPhoto, but I can do this right now with iCommune/iTunes and it's amazing.

It's not a matter of simply file serving/streaming your media, but but file serving/streaming it from within a familiar interface like iTunes or iPhoto.

If this is NOT what the next version of iTunes will bring us, then i think some savvy developer should hop on this concept ASAP. I can see a big market opp for something like this right now as it transforms the concept of a thin-client device running iTunes or iPhoto into a out-of-the-box network-based media station.

Just think about that for a second.

Speed

I see the difference you are describing. My mistake for not reading the subtelty of the original post. While it is possible what you describe will show up, it falls under a slightly different feature set than what I was talking about. The features I was referring to are more about 'sharing' and viewing slideshows. You are referring more to an access issue for working on photos in a remote library. Both would be useful features.

Under the category you describe I would also like to see more control over sharing libraries (iTunes and iPhoto) among local users. It can be done now, but requires third party apps or some finagling with permissions, etc. It's certainly not straight forward. I have iTunes set up so my wife and I can share the same library and playlists, but if I add files, she can't edit the ID3 tags and vice versa unless I set the permissions on all of the songs. It's a bit of a pain.

Thanks for clearing that up.

kman

[SpeedRacer]

Originally posted by kman42:
Under the category you describe I would also like to see more control over sharing libraries (iTunes and iPhoto) among local users. It can be done now, but requires third party apps or some finagling with permissions, etc. It's certainly not straight forward. I have iTunes set up so my wife and I can share the same library and playlists, but if I add files, she can't edit the ID3 tags and vice versa unless I set the permissions on all of the songs. It's a bit of a pain.

Even if you are both within the same group and that group (say admin for example) has full r/w privileges? From what i understand, dumping something like your iTunes files into the /Users/Shared directory is intended for exactly this purpose - allowing multiple users to access/edit the the same files/folders.

Gotta love those permissions tho eh?

Speed