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+---- Thread: XBMC for iPad / iPhone in the Apple App Store a future possibility or not? (/showthread.php?tid=91310)
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XBMC for iPad / iPhone in the Apple App Store a future possibility or not? - Dannydeman - 2011-01-21
I know it would be something for the future, and I first want to say that it is awesome you guys managed to get XBMC on the iOS devices in the first place. But I believe XBMC is a very polished program, and it deserves a place in the Appstore. I know the AppStore guidelines are far from perfect, and it will take some effort to make XBMC compatible so it would be accepted. But what exactly needs to be changed?
You wrote that "it directly competes with apple products". I don't think that is the case at all? There is no other iOS program from Apple that comes close to XBMC, nor does anything exist in the Appstore that can even dream of being like XBMC.
They approved VLC, but VLC had it removed by their own suggestion.
I know there are some GPL problems, and you guys probably need to workaround some private API's. But besides the GPL problem, you think it is doable to work around this private-video API without losing much of the XBMC experience? If the answer is yes, I believe you can get millions of users and bring the iPad to a next level. Also, if XBMC gets a more touch-friendly skin, I think the iPad can be a whole new XBMC experience.
- pecinko - 2011-01-21
davilla Wrote:1080p is confirmed, 1920 x 900 is no problem, 1920 x 1080 has some slight frame drops which we don't understand yet as the hw decoder has no problem keeping up.
First of all, great thanks to all you guys. I think this will prove as great step forward. I'm persuaded that migration of Macbook Air to A5 will happen later this year and Xbmc is prepared! As I don't have needed coding skills I decided to contribute by sending a financial donation.
Great news is 1080 capability. Hopefully, those drops will be solved eventually.
What's the deal breaker stopping us from seeing iPhone and iPad version in App store? Is it Apple's license not being compatible with GPL (as with VLC)?
EDIT: Quite a few new threads regarding iOS Xbmc :-) It seams you made a lot people happy :-)
- darkscout - 2011-01-21
pecinko Wrote:What's the deal breaker stopping us from seeing iPhone and iPad version in App store? Is it Apple's license not being compatible with GPL (as with VLC)?
"Duplicate functionality"
- pecinko - 2011-01-21
darkscout Wrote:"Duplicate functionality"
That didn't stop VLC? Or am I missing something?
- topfs2 - 2011-01-21
The appstore does not work with GPL, since apple is the only one having powers over distribution this is not ok in GPL. Android for example is in this regard since you always have the option to install an app even if its not in the market.
Some may consider jailbreak being a way to install any app but its debatable at best if thats OK in GPL. Personally I don't care if its arguably ok to put it in the app store, I don't like the idea that Apple does not have a GPL ok store and dont want to support them (which is what you do if you find loopholes to put the app in the store).
- ix400 - 2011-01-21
Why should there be a problem?
There is also Plex client in the Appstore.
Or do I get something wrong?
Chris
- JustinAiken - 2011-01-21
Dannydeman Wrote:I know the AppStore guidelines are far from perfect, and it will take some effort to make XBMC compatible so it would be accepted. But what exactly needs to be changed?
Apple's control-freak policies are what need to be changed :p
XBMC for iOS is a perfect reason why I only buy a new Apple device AFTER it's jailbroken..
- Dannydeman - 2011-01-21
They are control-freaks ideed, but it's their AppStore, so they decide what to do. The fact is that millions of people will be able to download XBMC, far more easy then is the case right now. I think the application would be the most popular app for a long time.
Also, jailbreaking in the future will be much more difficult. We are waiting for a unthethered jailbreak on 4.2.1. for months now which was very hard to accomplish. I bet that with version 4.3, or maybe 4.5 Jailbreaking as it is now, would be almost impossible (the unthethered variant).
With the coming of the iPad 2 I bet they removed the security breach which exists in the A4 chips. Therefore, it will be a long time before we can jailbreak again, thethered or unthethered for that matter.
So in the long term, I believe there is no other option then get this beauty in the AppStore. Just bend a little to make millions of people happy. If it is possible by Apple's rules, I think it's worth the effort and time to really make it work. Also, I think XBMC would release it for free if it is in the AppStore in some bright future, but even if they charged for it I would be totally fine with that and will be glad to give them my money
.
- dazex - 2011-01-21
Quote:There are currently no plans for an App Store submission, although Davilla said that once they get a better handle on the program for Apple TV and iOS, they might consider refactoring XBMC into an App Store-compatible version (noting that there isn't yet an App Store for the Apple TV).
"But since many iOS devices out there seem to be jailbroken in the first place, we are not sure it's worth the effort," Davilla said.
That's from the TUAW article.
- zebrum - 2011-01-21
ix400 Wrote:Why should there be a problem?
There is also Plex client in the Appstore.
Or do I get something wrong?
Chris
The plex app is just a remote client. However transcoding to the ipad/iphones low screen does make more sense to be on a mac.
- CASHMON3Y - 2011-01-21
zebrum Wrote:The plex app is just a remote client.It seems like I see people asking that in every thread... Its almost on the virge of being something that should be posted at the top of the forum
- Halopend - 2011-01-21
pecinko Wrote:What's the deal breaker stopping us from seeing iPhone and iPad version in App store? Is it Apple's license not being compatible with GPL (as with VLC)?
It currently accesses private API's to get hardware accelerated playback (which is why it works so damn well) and that's something which is a nono according to AppStore policy.
- jmarshall - 2011-01-22
The obvious things would need working first:
1. We use private APIs for the HW decode. This would be a no-no, so unless a public API to do the same stuff is present, we'd be SOL.
2. Licensing is questionable - it appears this is not clear one way of another, and I'm not a lawyer so can't say, but the XBMC team would not submit it if we weren't 100% certain that it was OK. Note that we have no choice in the license that XBMC currently is under (i.e. it cannot be released under a more permissive license).
3. XBMC includes it's own "app store" for addons which I believe is also a no-no.
4. XBMC includes python, which is a no-no.
At least as far as I see it, the very things that make XBMC on iPad a great thing to have (HW decode, lots of addons) are negated in points 1,3,4.
As we've said: We're not opposed to someone taking the time to look into it, rip out the bits that are obviously not going to be OK and then assessing the resulting app.
Having to jailbreak sucks, I agree. However, that's not our problem - we have never been into hacking devices - we code the software that runs on those devices. There's plenty more similar hardware that'll be out over the next year that will also allow XBMC to run, so good times ahead.
Cheers,
Jonathan
- rodalpho - 2011-01-22
VLC was recently removed from the iOS appstore due to licensing conflicts with the GPL.
Even if apple accepted XBMC, the license is an insurmountable obstacle to distribution on non-jailbroken devices.
- darkscout - 2011-01-22
VLC asked for themselves to be removed. One thing you really can't pin on apple.