Front Row (software)

Infobox Software
name = Front Row



caption = Front Row v2 (Included with Leopard)
developer = Apple Inc.
latest release version = 2.1.6 (303)
latest release date = September 9, 2008
operating system = Mac OS X
genre = Media Center
license = Proprietary
website = [http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/300.html#frontrow Apple: Front Row] Front Row is media center software for Apple's Macintosh computers and AppleTV for viewing and downloading video, photos, podcasts, and music from a computer, optical disk, networks using iTunes or iPhoto, and the Internet using an Apple Remote. The software is both the interface for AppleTV and a standalone application on all shipping Macs. It is similar to Windows Media Center and iTheater. The first version was released October 2006 with two major revisions since.

Versions

Being used differently on Macs and AppleTV, the version of Front Row has always depended on which hardware is used.

Front Row 1 was released with the transition to Intel processors. When Apple began building Macs with Intel processors, it also introduced infrared receivers and the new Apple Remote into each product. A new version of Mac OS X v10.4 (Tiger) was also released that could run on the new processors and support the new hardware. Front Row began as a bundled application in these releases to demonstrate how the remote could be used. Photo Booth was likewise released, supporting the new integrated camera. All these updates were made together, starting with the iMac on October 12, 2005. In this original version, Front Row was mainly an alternative interface for iPhoto, DVD Player, and iTunes which was required to run simultaneously. Front Row could play DVDs and anything in the iTunes and iPhoto libraries and the Movies user directory. Internet radio stations could play by adding the station into a playlist in iTunes.

The next incarnation, released in the original Apple TV software in March 2007 was a radical change in interface and functionality. It changed into a complete, stand alone application that played content from libraries directly. Album and video art was introduced for local media but not network media for which the protocol does not provide support. Podcasts and TV shows appear more prominently in the menus. It could also play content from other computers on the local network using the pre-existing sharing features of iTunes and iPhoto. It could also stream trailers for movies and samples of popular TV episodes from Apple's servers. A Settings menu was introduced. A community of enthusiasts formed to bring additional features such as YouTube and RSS browsing. In the summer of 2007 Apple released an update bringing official YouTube viewing. This version lacked support for using the remote to change the volume or playing Internet radio.

Front Row 2 was released in November 2007 with Mac OS X v10.5 (Leopard) [ [http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/300.html#frontrow Apple - Mac OS X Leopard - Features - 300+ New Features ] ] including the new AppleTV features (except using YouTube) for use on all Macs. AppleTV runs a modified version of OS X so the same version of Front Row can't run on both platforms. A plug-in platform was exposed for official use such as EyeTV. Because it uses QuickTime to render video, Front Row can utilize any codec installed in QuickTime including DivX, Xvid, and WMV. It can also play DVD images copied to the hard disk. Minor differences between the Tiger and Leopard versions includes a different vision transition when opened, ending AirTunes functionality, and a launcher application in addition to the Command+Escape keyboard shortcut.

In February 2008 Apple announced a Front Row update branded "AppleTV Take Two." As before, the interface changed drastically and significant features were added. Whereas originally content could only be added via iTunes, movies, TV episodes, and podcasts could now be downloaded via Front Row via the iTunes Store. Front Row uses a user's Apple account to pay for the content. This introduced renting movies from iTunes. Also added was the ability to view online photos from Flickr or MobileMe (branded .Mac at the time) and streaming audio to AirTunes.

ee also

* Plex

References