iTunes Store Movie Downloads File Format

Question

iTunes Store Movie Downloads File Format

I am considering begining to "backup" several of my personal DVDs onto my Mac in anticipation of the new "iTV" device, and create a media center out of my mac with storage of over 400 movies. I figure once released that the iTV will stream movies to your home theater setup that are in the same file format as movies downloaded from the iTunes store. Not having purchased a movie yet from the iTunes store, does anyone know what file format these are in?

Powermac G5, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Nov 28, 2006 12:57 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 28, 2006 1:35 PM in response to Dr. Scott A. Greenwell

When you download movies from iTunes, you get near DVD-quality, 640-by-480-pixel video

From:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/movies.html

Regards,
Colin R.

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Answer 2

Nov 28, 2006 4:02 PM in response to Colin Robinson

When you download movies from iTunes, you get near
DVD-quality, 640-by-480-pixel video

From:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/movies.html

Regards,
Colin R.

Thank you for your response Colin, but maybe you can re-read my question. I did not ask what resolution the movies download in, I already knew that. My question was what is the file type (i.e. MP4, AAC, MOV, AVI, etc.).

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Answer 3

Chris CA

Level 10

82,440 points

Nov 28, 2006 4:12 PM in response to Dr. Scott A. Greenwell

I am considering begining to "backup" several of my personal DVDs onto my Mac in anticipation of the new "iTV" device,
I'd wait and see what they come out with.
They may have something which will give a better format than what you may use now.

Video content is 640x480 (VGA).
It is encoded as 1.5 Mbit/s Protected MPEG-4 video (H.264) with an approximately 128 kbit/s AAC audio track.

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Answer 4

Nov 28, 2006 4:19 PM in response to Chris CA

I am considering begining to "backup" several of
my personal DVDs onto my Mac in anticipation of the
new "iTV" device,
I'd wait and see what they come out with.
They may have something which will give a better
format than what you may use now.

Video content is 640x480 (VGA).
It is encoded as 1.5 Mbit/s Protected MPEG-4 video
(H.264) with an approximately 128 kbit/s AAC audio
track.

Thanks Chris. Do you think they will be creating a new format altogether?

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Answer 5

Chris CA

Level 10

82,440 points

Nov 28, 2006 4:26 PM in response to Dr. Scott A. Greenwell

No idea at all & I'm not "speculating".
Just that if you are going to start encoding them for later, I would wait.
Even if Apple doesn't do something, 3rd party products may become available to simplify everything.

But if you want to do it now and see how and what's available, go for it.

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Answer 6

Nov 28, 2006 4:33 PM in response to Chris CA

No idea at all & I'm not "speculating".
Just that if you are going to start encoding them for
later, I would wait.
Even if Apple doesn't do something, 3rd party
products may become available to simplify
everything.

But if you want to do it now and see how and what's
available, go for it.

I just figured with 400 movies to go through, better start now.

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Answer 7

varjak paw

Level 10

170,206 points

Nov 29, 2006 7:41 AM in response to Dr. Scott A. Greenwell

Your call. But since we have no idea what formats the "iTV" will handle, or even if it could handle a ripped DVD (it's not impossible that there may be blocks in the unit, placed there by demand of the movie studios, that would prevent it, though I doubt it), you may be wasting effort. I'd suggest waiting to see what the iTV can do and handle before you spend a lot of time ripping your DVDs; you may find that you have to redo your rips.

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Answer 8

Chris CA

Level 10

82,440 points

Nov 29, 2006 10:57 AM in response to varjak paw

I'd suggest waiting to see what the iTV can do and handle before you spend a lot of time ripping your DVDs; you may find that you have to redo your rips.
My point exactly.

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Answer 9

Jan 11, 2007 4:04 PM in response to Chris CA

Hey Chris,

just wondering where you got this information from (how the iTunes movies are formatted/encoded)? is there an apple technical document that gives the specs for the iTunes movies? has Apple released this information? if so where (could you possibly include a link?), and if not, how do you know it? i'm encoding some of the DVDs that i own to put on my ipod using handbrake. Does this mean that if i set my handbrake average bitrate to 1500 kbps (and the format to MPEG-4) that i will be importing them at the same quality as the movies on iTunes? thanx very much!

David

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Answer 10

W.T.C.T.

Level 1

120 points

Jan 11, 2007 9:08 PM in response to David Bergner

.m4p(protected) and .m4a(regular) is music and few movies too)

.ipg is iPod games

.m4v is movies(music videos, movies and tv), video podcast

.m4b, .m4v(video) and .mp3(old) podcasts

some of this is confusing for me too but closely accurate

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