[turbinez]

I don't see why not, because Plex is on the appstore. I would love to see this happen. I wouldn't mind paying for this. I would prefer not to jailbreak my device and hope to see this happen.

[Memphiz]

No it won't because XBMC is using a private API for using the hardware decoder. This is something which is forbidden by Apple and prevents it from going into the AppStore.

[WisdomWolf]

Basically not unless the App store undergoes a radical change in allowable criteria. The Plex app that is in the app store is merely a front-end and requires some kind of back-end device to serve up and transcode the media. XBMC is a full-fledged app that runs standalone and therefore requires the aforementioned private API calls that bar it from being allowed.

[davilla]

There are many more things that also bar xbmc from Apple's App store, using private framework APIs are the least of the issues.

[xboxluvr]

I don't see why not, because Plex is on the appstore. I would love to see this happen. I wouldn't mind paying for this. I would prefer not to jailbreak my device and hope to see this happen.

Why would you ever want a free, open source program on the official Apple App Store?

The Apple App store represents everything that is wrong with the new business model that is being pushed on consumers. As consumers we will loose our freedom of choosing what to purchase and install on our hardware, and developers will loose the freedom to make new and innovative software. Apple will have a monopoly and total control over what software is developed, placed on their store, and subsequently installed onto their LOCKED hardware.

This is very bad for innovation, competition, and consumers. (But it is very good for Apple's record setting profits).

Please don't take this the wrong way because I am not trying to be rude; If "you don't mind paying for this", the best way to "pay" is to donate to this team. At least this way they will get 100% of the revenue, and won't be coerced into giving 30% to the Apple mafia.

The future is very bleak if the app store + locked hardware, totally eliminates the old method of development, distribution, and installation.

IMHO

[yabbiman]

The Apple App store represents everything that is wrong with the new business model that is being pushed on consumers.

I seriously doubt there's something wrong with their business model...
Have you ever watched the endless rows of people in front of the Apple stores if they launch a new model of *whatever* they make? While everyone's on a budget due to the global crisis.....

[Thurbs]

Mac Users who wait for the newest items reminds me of this video
My favorite quotes "I will buy anything that is shiny and made by apple" and where "It is yet to be seen if the new apple will be used in the business world or just be used for dicking around"

[davilla]

new shiny things from Apple ? where ?

[Memphiz]

ymmd ...

[topfs2]

can it run xbmc? why can't it run xbmc yet? I don't know anything about the code but surely it can't be _that_ hard?

[Advocate]

Why would you ever want a free, open source program on the official Apple App Store?

The Apple App store represents everything that is wrong with the new business model that is being pushed on consumers. As consumers we will loose our freedom of choosing what to purchase and install on our hardware, and developers will loose the freedom to make new and innovative software. Apple will have a monopoly and total control over what software is developed, placed on their store, and subsequently installed onto their LOCKED hardware.

This is very bad for innovation, competition, and consumers. (But it is very good for Apple's record setting profits).

IMHO

What a load of complete rubbish, IMHO. As a consumer, Apples App Store has given me the greatest amount of choice bar none of what to purchase and install on my iPad and iPhones. If the App Store was so bad for consumers why are other manufacturers struggling, and failing, to emulate it?

I don't know if you've taken a look at what software is available through the App Store (I assume not from your post) but "new and innovative" software are the hallmarks of the iPad and iPhones success! All this talk about Apple's hardware being "locked" and therefore stifling development is nonsense. Apples guidelines are there for a reason, how would you feel as a consumer if the software you paid for suddenly stopped working after a firmware update because the developer had used private API's that had been changed?

Apple also isn't the only hardware manufacturer with a "locked" environment. Games consoles have for years only been allowed to run "approved" software. Has this led to the stagnation of console games?? Has it put an end to innovation? The simple answer is of course no. If it had then consumers would have stopped buying consoles, and wouldn't have bought the millions upon millions of iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch's that are currently in use around the world today. The same consumers that you claim are getting a raw deal from Apple and being hoodwinked into buying into a closed, and therefore evil, system.

Whether you like it or not Apple is a company that requires profit to exist, and as such, have no legal or moral responsibility to give the consumer, or developers the freedom to write and/or install whatever software they see fit onto their Apple devices.

The way I see it, Apple is more than aware of the JB scene and IMHO could probably make it FAR more difficult, if not impossible, to JB the iOS devices. IMHO however they tolerate it to allow the more technical of us to install whatever we want whilst also relinquishing them of the responsibility of supporting users who manage to break their devices.

XBMC is a great way for me to organise and watch my ever growing media collection, I just wish they'd release an official iOS app, and code in AirPlay streaming to iOS devices even if that means transcoding the files. In the main however I tend to use Plex, precisely because it DOES offer those features.

I've heard the arguments as to why the XBMC developers won't go down this route and frankly they frustrate me. The XBMC team could do with a decent source of income to provide developers and skinners with hardware to code on, and iOS and Android devices to test on. I know the team is against going commercial for ANY aspect of XBMC but I'm sure lots of people, me for one, would gladly pay for the ease of use of one-click installing to my iPad and iPhone coupled with the fantastic media organisation that XBMC currently offers.

Heck they could even offer the source code for the various apps if they wanted to remain true to the ideals of open source, I'd STILL pay for the iOS apps.

Sorry if you found any of this post offensive but I do wonder why Apple is getting such a bad rap from certain quarters lately

[Chris!]

I've heard the arguments as to why the XBMC developers won't go down this route and frankly they frustrate me.

"Frustrate you" because their your views, not those of the majority here I would think.

me for one, would gladly pay for the ease of use of one-click installing to my iPad and iPhone

Well that's not gonna happen unless apple change, not XBMC


Seems like your choice of Plex is the more appropriate one. It seems to be what it's there for.
I like the way XBMC is heading and them sticking to their principles.

One thing I think a lot of people forget is that XBMC isn't the Developers' jobs - they don't work for you (they're mathematicians and CEOs etc). They're just extremely talented and generous people who work on an app for you in their spare time.

[topfs2]

I've heard the arguments as to why the XBMC developers won't go down this route and frankly they frustrate me. The XBMC team could do with a decent source of income to provide developers and skinners with hardware to code on, and iOS and Android devices to test on. I know the team is against going commercial for ANY aspect of XBMC but I'm sure lots of people, me for one, would gladly pay for the ease of use of one-click installing to my iPad and iPhone coupled with the fantastic media organisation that XBMC currently offers.

Heck they could even offer the source code for the various apps if they wanted to remain true to the ideals of open source, I'd STILL pay for the iOS apps.

Sorry if you found any of this post offensive but I do wonder why Apple is getting such a bad rap from certain quarters lately

There is nothing to discuss, it is not possible to have a GPL licensed app in the store, that point alone stops us from having XBMC in there, not to talk about all the other reasons.

What plex does is create a thin client which is closed source and not in conflict with the app stores rules, which we also could. This however includes us selling out our principles which we do not want to.
Android market IS however compatible with the GPL and which is why we have an official remote and which could become a thin client later when we add transcoding. For Apple you just have to use third party apps as we simply cannot enter that market without selling out our ideals, which we won't.

Cheers,
Tobias.

[Advocate]

"Frustrate you" because their your views, not those of the majority here I would think.

Which is why I used the word "me" rather than "us" or "everyone" or, as xboxluvr chose "consumers". I wasn't claiming to represent the views of the majority of XBMC users, just "me"

Well that's not gonna happen unless apple change, not XBMC

Which again, in my opinion, is a damn shame.

Seems like your choice of Plex is the more appropriate one. It seems to be what it's there for.

For my needs and wants at the moment Plex certainly does seem to be the more appropriate choice for me, but seeing as though I started with XBMC, and the fact remains that it is an excellent piece of software (the foundation for Plex) I also maintain my media library with XBMC. Given the choice between Plex and XBMC for playback on my Mac Pro, I prefer XBMC, mainly due to the superb skins, the skinners here are VERY talented. I also own an AppleTV, an iPhone 4, an ATV1 and an ATV2 and for those devices I'm afraid XBMC just doesn't provide what I need.

I like the way XBMC is heading and them sticking to their principles.

Please forgive my ignorance of the terms of the open source license here but if the XBMC devs were to release on iOS/Android in the respective app stores for a fee, but also released the source code would that not allow them to stick to their principles? I have no idea if the open source license allows for this or not.

One thing I think a lot of people forget is that XBMC isn't the Developers' jobs - they don't work for you (they're mathematicians and CEOs etc). They're just extremely talented and generous people who work on an app for you in their spare time.

This may not have been directed solely at me but if so at no point in my post did I make any assertion that the XBMC devs owed me any features, or an iOS version of XBMC. I merely pointed out my frustration.

I am well aware of the fact that XBMC is coded by people who do it for love, not money, and give away their hard work for free. Which is why I made the suggestion of the iOS/Android app being developed and sold by the XBMC devs as a way to raise a modest amount of money to fund development/testing hardware for the hard working devs.

My last post may have sounded like I'm a complete Apple devotee who won't hear a word against them, but that was because it was in response to xboxluvr's rant about how Apple are supposedly stifling innovation and giving consumers something they don't want.

The fact of the matter is I'm fairly platform agnostic, and not afraid of switching from OS X to Windows or Linux, or vice versa for that matter. Whatever gets the job done is what counts IMO.

As time goes by XBMC and Plex are diverging, which is slightly worrying for me because both are gaining great features that the other doesn't have. And I'd love to be able to have ALL of the great features

Why oh why can't I have my cake AND eat it?

[Advocate]

There is nothing to discuss, it is not possible to have a GPL licensed app in the store, that point alone stops us from having XBMC in there, not to talk about all the other reasons.

What plex does is create a thin client which is closed source and not in conflict with the app stores rules, which we also could. This however includes us selling out our principles which we do not want to.
Android market IS however compatible with the GPL and which is why we have an official remote and which could become a thin client later when we add transcoding. For Apple you just have to use third party apps as we simply cannot enter that market without selling out our ideals, which we won't.

Cheers,
Tobias.

Tobias, thanks for stepping in and clearing up my ignorance around the GPL

I never intended to open it up for discussion as I know where the team stand so my apologies for that.

As a final question, and if you don't mind. What principles would you be selling out? Is it the fact that you want XBMC and all of it's companion apps/subsidiaries to remain free to all?

I suppose once you add transcoding there wouldn't be anything to stop a developer from writing and selling his own app to accept streams from XBMC but I think it's a real shame that the XBMC team can't at least use some of their work to fund hardware purchases, and an even bigger shame that someone else could profit from the XBMC teams hard work.

Alistair

[EDIT]Another hypothetical question. If an independent dev wrote an app for the appstore which accepted streams from the to-be-included transcoding XBMC, and then donated the proceedings to XBMC.org, would that be acceptable to the XBMC team?[/EDIT]