front row posts

While Front Row's integration with iTunes and iPhoto provides a nice, seamless experience, there are times when your needs demand a not-so-integrated approach -- say, for example, if you have an external hard drive full of videos that you'd like to watch on Front Row, but don't necessarily want to import into iTunes or copy into your Movies.

One solution to this is to create an alias that points to said external hard drive or any other folder on your computer or network. For new PC-to-Mac converts, an alias is the equivalent of a "shortcut" on Windows. To create an alias, right-click on the file or folder (in our case, folder) and select "Make Alias." Now, place said alias in the your Movies folder, which is located in /Users/username/Movies.

Now, you'll be able to browse and play movies of the folder that the alias points to. And if QuickTime can play the file, then so too can Front Row.

Here's an interesting feature of Snow Leopard that you may or may not (probably not) find particularly useful. Apparently after upgrading to 10.6 several users at the Apple Discussion Forums -- mostly owners of Mac mini or MacBook models with the GMA950 graphics subsystem -- are reporting poor performance with Front Row.

The performance issue seems to effect navigation as well as playback, resulting in jerky video/audio in the menu and when watching a movie. This is also not limited to pesky DiVx files or QuickTime plug-ins either, as some users are reporting seeing the problem with iTunes purchases and others are even running a completely stock installation. Interestingly enough, some of the same users with Front Row issues are not seeing the same problems when playing back with QuickTime X.

In my opinion, this is not much of a surprise following such a major upgrade to many of the OS's underpinnings -- including an overhaul to QuickTime on which Front Row is largely based. This is the reason I did not upgrade the Mac mini in my living room. Aside from being a full-time webserver, I also rely on it for multimedia functionality as well.

Some folks with complaints have found solace in either Plex or Boxee as these fine media players do not rely on QuickTime or iTunes. For most though, a working Front Row would be ideal. Personally, I have not checked for problems with Front Row since my multimedia Mac hasn't been upgraded. However, I did note some wonkiness on another machine when using QuickLook to playback some video files through Finder. I have a sneaking suspicion there is something going on related to QuickTime X being used by other programs (i.e. FrontRow or QuickLook). What say you dear readers? Is your Front Row experience causing you grief or are you simply smirking because you haven't received your pre-order upgraded yet?

Thanks to Ivey for sending this in via Twitter.

Once again, it's time for another edition of Ask TUAW: the place where we try to answer all of your Mac and Apple-related questions. This week we're answering questions about taking apart a MacBook Pro, installing Leopard on a Mirror Door G4, watching movies streamed from a Mac media server and more.

As always, we welcome your suggestions for this week and questions for next time. Please leave your contributions in the comments for this post. When asking questions, please include which Mac and which version of OS X you're running. If you don't specify, we'll assume you're running Leopard on an Intel Mac.

Jim asks:

Hey guys, Jim here. I am running OS X 10.5.6 on an Intel 2.4Ghz MacBook Pro (2007 model). Lately, this thing has been getting really, really hot. I've tried a lot of things, fresh OS X installs, laptop cooling pads, but none of it seems to work. A quick Google search told me that my laptop's innards might be clogged with dust, blocking its airflow. I'm thinking of opening it up and using some compressed air to clear out some of the dust. What do you guys think?

Opening up any computer can be sometimes lead to difficulty; opening up an Apple laptop even more so. Apple packs their computers into as small a casing as possible. Consequently, they are sometimes difficult to work on and may require a trained Apple tech.

That said, you can take the MacBook Pro apart successfully if you are very, very careful and make sure to keep good track of all the parts and pay close attention to what you are doing. Of course, Apple always recommends you seek help from an authorized repair facility but if you decide to take the plunge, the guides provided by iFixit are especially useful. Check out their MacBook Pro guides here to find your specific model.

I think one of the coolest features in Boxee, the XBMC-based media center software for Macs and Apple TVs, has been the relatively recent addition of Hulu and Netflix streaming. Now Understudy offers similar functionality for Front Row users.

The plugin adds an Understudy menu item to the Front Row interface. You can use it to add feeds from those two streaming services (e.g. most popular, etc.) or URLs from the clipboard. Frankly, if it were me I think I'd go whole hog with Boxee, but if you're happy with Front Row but want to add a little streaming content, Understudy is worth a look.

Understudy is a free download from Google Code.

[via Macworld]

The updates keep coming out of Cupertino this morning. iTunes, QuickTime and now Front Row. Version 2.1.6 adds iTunes 8.0 compatibility and "...bug fixes." This update is just over 13MB.

Short and sweet. Get it via Software Update now. We didn't find anything obviously new with this release, but let us know if you do.

In a recent Ask TUAW we addressed a question about getting divx video files to register properly as TV Shows in Front Row. In the discussion that followed one of our readers suggested VideoDrive as an easy way of accomplishing this. Basically, VideoDrive allows you to import your videos into iTunes without converting them, while still having full control over the metadata, including the tags that control placing videos either in the TV Shows or Movie categories. That way they will appear in the appropriate submenus in both Front Row and on the Apple TV. VideoDrive can also download cover art form Amazon as well as clean up file names and more. Keep in mind, however, that the appropriate codecs must already be installed to use this (check our Perian for this purpose).

VideoDrive is €12.99 (~$20) and a demo limited to 12 videos is available for download.

Just when you think Apple's update spree is over, they send you a Front Row update. This update, version 2.1.3, will provide you "bug fixes and improved iTunes compatibility." This update coincides with tonight's iTunes and QuickTime updates.

You can get this update by opening up Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update).

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Looks like today was the ultimate Apple software update day in addition to that other thing that also happened! In their last batch of updates, Apple updated Front Row for Leopard. Here's what Apple says about the update:

This Front Row update provides for bug fixes and improved iTunes compatibility.

Please note, this update for Front Row requires iTunes 6.0.4 or later, and iPhoto 6.0.2. You can download this update by using Software Update, or by visiting the Apple downloads website.

The folks at Apple have been busy bees! New iMacs, new iLife, new iWork, and now a shiny new version of Front Row? That's right, fire up Software Update, kids, Front Row 1.3.1 is awaiting you. What does it do? Why, it has 'improved iPhoto compatibility.'

I like compatibility.

Thanks, Andrew K.

The Mac media center market is heating up lately, with a healthy collection of competitors to Apple's Front Row offering unique features and different UI experiences. This is great news for anyone who wants to turn an older Mac into a media center, or if Front Row simply doesn't float your boat. CenterStage, while still very much in alpha and under heavy development (they're always looking for more developers to lend a handy, by the way), is a promising open source media center that brings a strong style, some exclusive features and the promise of an impressive UI down the road.

For now, CenterStage covers the meat of what a media center needs to be pretty well: it can play movies, music and your photos; nothing too much to write home about there. CenterStage can already do interesting things like play TV shows recorded with EyeTV, but highlights from the planned features list, however, is what might peak more of your interest:

• Bonjour support is coming to allow access to the media of other machines on the network, which will include viewing photos and slideshows from other computers (take that, Apple TV)
• Subtitle support for playing movies
• Live TV viewing
• Live and scheduled TV recording
• Game support - playing CD-ROM, Flash and emulation games

For now, CenterStage has released a significant v0.6.2 update which the team calls the "most fully functional release to date." For the future, however, the CenterStage crew have also produced a slick video of what the interface will eventually become, with demonstrations of browsing the library and a few other choice features.

Like I said though, CenterStage is still very much an alpha product so if you give it a spin, definitely treat it as such. Still, the project seems to be progressing nicely and it will be great to see the day when it is a formidable competitor to the likes of Front Row and equinux's MediaCentral.

One of the 300 new Leopard features that Steve didn't mention is an updated version of Front Row. Specifically, the UI has been rebuilt to look just like that of the Apple TV, so there no more need to install your own skin.

From the limited copy on the webpage, we can assume that the functionality is the same, and only the look as changed. Perhaps this is just an extension of Leopard's new unified look.

Thanks, to everyone who sent this in!

One of the major things I miss about switching away from a Windows Mobile or even Sony Ericsson mobile phone is Salling Clicker - just about the best darn software I've ever seen for controlling your Mac with a mobile phone or PDA. Clicker offers a wide array of customizable controls with which you can enable your device to control everything from iTunes to Keynote, and even do things like pause music when a call comes in or lock your display if you walk too far away from your Mac. While I cross my fingers that Salling Software can create a BlackBerry client sooner than later, the rest of you can enjoy today's v3.5 update which ushers in a slew of new features and wider support for yet more devices.

At the top of the feature list is support for Front Row, potentially eliminating the need to pack an Apple Remote when venturing out. Other new features include: improved iTunes functionality with quick access to current playlists and more browsing options, support for Windows Mobile 6 and Symbian 9.x devices, much easier Wi-Fi connections for Symbian and WinMo devices, improved Keynote and PowerPoint functionality and much more (I should also note that Salling Clicker for Windows now supports Vista as well).

Check out the main product page of Salling Clicker for Mac if you're new to the possibilities of this excellent software, or take a look at the v3.5 press release to get a look at what's new for you seasoned clickers. A demo is of course available, while a license costs a mere $23.95.

You say your Intel Mac has Apple TV envy? It's understandable, as the Apple TV is suddenly everyone's favorite gadget. Boost its ego a bit with this trick for "skinning" Front Row to make it look more like Apple TV's UI.

It's quite simple, really, as it's just a matter of replacing Front Row's image files with those from the Apple TV. You can even edit the default menus to display the "Apple TV" title. You can download all of the files you'll need - as well as the instructions - here (remember: Back up your resource files first!). When you're finished, it will look like the image above.

All currently shipping Macs (with the exception of the Xserve) come with an Apple Remote free of charge! What a deal. As you know the tiny white Apple Remote lets you control Front Row, and when coupled with some third party apps lets you do even more.

Sik looked at the Apple Remote and thought, 'Sure that's cool, but what if you could store that remote in an ExpressCard slot, like those found on the MacBook Pro?' Hence the birth of Rex, a replacement for the Apple Remote that is capable of doing everything the Apple Remote does, and can be stowed in your MacBook Pro's ExpressCard slot.

The remote is $26.

[via Uncrate]