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Front Row is an application that ships with IMac G5 , IMac (Core Duo) , MacBook Pro , and Intel-based Mac Mini s that is designed to allow users to browse media on their computers using a Remote Control called the Apple Remote . The remote is based on the interface of the IPod Shuffle and contains only six buttons. It was announced by Steve Jobs at an Apple special event on October 12th , 2005 . Some view this move by Apple as one entering the Media Center market and establishing the Mac as the digital hub it has been called in recent years, while others see this as a simple sales boosting gimmick. Others have criticized the lack of features seen on Microsoft's competing Media Center computers, such as a TV tuner or radio reception (broadcast or streaming).

Front Row was introduced with the final revision of the iMac G5, along with the built-in ISight camera. The software is now included in all new Macs shipping with an Intel Processor .


FEATURES

Front Row includes a number of features including:

  • A large, elegant, iPod-like user interface

  • Browse for and play songs from playlists or the ITunes library.

  • View slideshows and look at albums from IPhoto .

  • Watch television episodes and music videos that the user has purchased from iTunes.

  • Watch movie trailers.

  • Watch DVDs without the DVD player application

  • Watch home-made movies that the user has filmed and edited in IMovie .

  • Watch non- ITMS video in Quicktime to the ITunes library or the user's Movies folder(such as video ripped from DVD using Handbrake )

  • View "Video Podcasts " ( Vodcast s).

  • Watch, view or listen to any of the above media types, streamed from nearby computers and any connected iPods running ITunes or IPhoto via Bonjour .



ON UNSUPPORTED MACS

While Apple does not support its use on Macs with which it did not ship, a Hacked version of the Front Row application has appeared on Filesharing services and is able to run on other modern Macs. MacRumors, ''Front Row on Any Mac (Video, Photos'', October 25, 2005 There have been at least two major versions of the any-Mac Front Row. The earlier of the two relied significantly on patches and hacks to run, whereas the second makes far fewer system changes.

As an alternative, there are also other Mac Media Center applications currently being developed for both supported and unsupported Macs. Two major open source media center projects are ITheater and CenterStage . Both are free and available for download at their project web sites. Neither work with the Apple Remote.

MediaCentral does support the Apple remote:

http://www.equinux.com/us/products/mediacentral/movies.html


NOTES



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