Patent: Apple Media Hub?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Arstechnica explores (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070415-new-patent-hints-at-apple-tv-expansion.html) a recent Apple patent entitled "Multi-media center for computing systems". In the patent (http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220070083616%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20070083616&RS=DN/20070083616), Apple describes a system involving a central multimedia hub which can use various external "modules". These modules would be controlled by a centralized user interface on the hub itself.

The modules could be any sort of media device - such as an iPod, DVD player, or HD DVD player. The central multimedia hub would coordinate and consolidate all the devices under one user interface.

The clear benefit to the segmented system with external modules—as opposed to an all-in-one device—is that it would allow customers to add on whatever extra functionality they prefer to the main device. This would allow power users to have all variety of extra modules for storing, playing, and streaming media—all through a centralized control hub—while more "average" users could settle for the simplicity of the main Apple TV-like device and just one or two extra modules as they see fit for their lifestyles.

Other reports (http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/15/patent-app-hints-at-iphone-controlling-mac-itunes/) on this same patent speculate that Apple may be thinking of using the iPhone as a remote control for this sort of media hub.

[emotion]

Interesting approach. Like Hifi separates under your TV.

If there's a PVR, I'm in.

[twoodcc]

sounds neat! i might be interested in something like this :) :apple:

[clevin]

its ok to patent everything,
but if all these stuff get materialized, apple is going down the tube, an phone and tv topset can delay leopard for 4 months, plus a bunch of side products may or may not be successful, god knows what apple is thinking.

[mattscott306]

Apple's continuing to innovate the multimedia market, its great.

[knowledg333]

LoL. I just posted this in the Apple TV forum. :p :apple:

I'm all for it.

[Chaszmyr]

its ok to patent everything,
but if all these stuff get materialized, apple is going down the tube, an phone and tv topset would can leopard for 4 month, plus a bunch of side products may or may not be successful, god knows what apple is thinking.

They're probably thinking something very similar to what they were thinking when they made the iPod.

[brad.c]

The real question: will this be out in time for Fathers Day?

[clevin]

They're probably thinking something very similar to what they were thinking when they made the iPod.

well, i hope they think a little about their G4 cube or newton next time trying to expand their business.:)

The real question: will this be out in time for Fathers Day?
2012? maybe

most patents eventually go nowhere.

[Clive At Five]

I agree that this is some sort of "ultimate form" of :apple:tv. Face it, :apple:tv is just not going to cut it for the 97% of us who aren't iTS whores. As much as I hate to admit it, we still need optical media (when will we move to flash for our media distribution?!) and until Apple competes in this realm (or offers a wide selection of high-quality media content on iTS), it will never be a complete solution to the "digital home."

-Clive

[MacVault]

well, i hope they think a little about their G4 cube or newton next time trying to expand their business.:)


2012? maybe

most patents eventually go nowhere.

What use would we have for that in 2012... that's the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar :D

[thedonga]

I was wondering what that USB port was really for ......;)

[McGarvels]

What use would we have for that in 2012... that's the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar :D

Those pesky Myans and their calendar ruining all of our fun...:D

That whole story is pretty interesting though, I just saw a show about it on the History Channel ( I think it was on Decoding the Past, that show rocks).

[ironring2006]

I don't think this is so much a new product as it is patenting the evolution of the :apple:tv/mac mini/front row.

What they are patenting is the entire system and how it is all going to integrate and be operable from a single interface. You're going to be able to operate anything through front row. The iPods and iPhones are your floating peripherals. Your :apple:tv will be statically fixed to your big screen. Your Mac is going to be somewhere else in this whole setup, but it doesn't matter as long as it is in your local network.

Now, here are some scenarios that I can think of off the top of my head. Whenever an iPod or iPhone is within range of something running front row, it will show up as a source. Pipe music to your home theatre setup or take a video call on your iPhone and have it show up on your big screen. Download music from itms on your wireless iPod on the bus/train, come home and sync it to your :apple:tv or your Mac, whatever one you have set up as your central storage.

But here's also what I think they will be doing based on this patent. They've already shown the ability to put pressure on other manufacturers to accept iPod integration. Now think of :apple:tv integration. Plug that new HD-DVD player into your :apple:tv or mac mini and have it also show up as a source in front row. What about what comes after HD-DVD? Plug that media device into an :apple:tv or mac mini and it'll show up in the sources list. New hardware, same consistent interface for all.

They're not patenting a single new device, they're patenting the whole system. Peripherals to displays to storage to input devices. Apple is all about the end to end model.

[freddiecable]

from the description it sounds as it's the "missing link". aTV is somewhat limiting in the current incarnation.

[Sprung]

01-07-2007, 02:49 PM
My addition for 'Mac World Guess & Tell' would be a 'Core' Mac Mini Media Center , and here is why.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=3219014&postcount=75

04-13-2007, 12:26 PM
On another note, one could imagine how Apple TV, iPhone, and 64bit architecture Mac, with a fast 'bus', could 'nicely work together'. ;)
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost.php?p=3544426&postcount=55

Thanks for FCP'n'stuff! ...and the frosting was a drag :D NHRA, that is. Great day and thanks to MR for a fun lead-up.

:) See you in June.

[dantehicks42]

its ok to patent everything,
but if all these stuff get materialized, apple is going down the tube, an phone and tv topset can delay leopard for 4 months, plus a bunch of side products may or may not be successful, god knows what apple is thinking.

I agree with you. Another possible patent aiming at the electronics segment. I think Apple should make sure their iPhone lives up to the hype, cause if not, it'll be hard to come back.

Then again, as an :apple: TV owner, I sure hope they improve it, cause it needs it, even though I'll probably have to change the hardware to do so.

[kalisphoenix]

In the patent (http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220070083616%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20070083616&RS=DN/20070083616), Apple describes a system involving a central multimedia hub which can use various external "modules". These modules would be controlled by a centralized user interface on the hub itself.


Holy Buttnuggets, Batman!

Perhaps this "hub" could be called a "Mac mini," the "modules" could interface with the "hub" through "USB" or "Firewire," and the "centralized user interface" could be called "OS X!"

These Apple patent writers never fail to blow my #$%^ing mind.

[Darkroom]

iPhone for remote would be a big ass remote... i'm still waiting for apple to replace the IR Apple Remote with a remote enabled iPod Nano. or at least a Bluetooth Apple Remote... IR is so 70s...

[miketcool]

Yeah....
Apple pulled their OS X team to make my $500 iPhone a remote. Featuring the most advanced technologies to control my dvd player. I am sure that was the last thing Jobs intended the iPhone to be.
WIDESCREEN IPOD
REVOLUTIONARY PHONE
BREAKTHROUGH INTERNET DEVICE
TV REMOTE CONTROL
FANCY PAPERWEIGHT
JEALOUSY METER
AIRPLANE WHEEL CHUCK

[johnee]

This would be nice to have one interface for all components. I wonder if they will push for a spec to provide SEAMLESS integration of non-apple components? I doubt they would, since this hub would be a selling point for apple branded modules.

[yzp]

omnigraffle yeah!

[yzp]

so 70s

hahaha true


:apple: scheme

omnigraffle yeah!

[surferfromuk]

IMHO pretty much all the crap to the left of the box marked 'display' can be stuck on a tiny weeny VLSI chip and stuck inside the back of an Apple Brand LCD TV!!!

[badcrumble]

We're already seeing the very beginnings of this. Think of the stackable form factors of the Mac mini, :apple: TV, and AirPort Extreme base station. Looking at this makes me think we should get ready to see a whole lot more stuff in a similar form factor.

[twoodcc]

well, i hope they think a little about their G4 cube or newton next time trying to expand their business.:)


why not think of the iPod instead?

[ironring2006]

Holy Buttnuggets, Batman!

Perhaps this "hub" could be called a "Mac mini," the "modules" could interface with the "hub" through "USB" or "Firewire," and the "centralized user interface" could be called "OS X!"

These Apple patent writers never fail to blow my #$%^ing mind.

Replace "Mac Mini" with "Xbox 360" and "OS X" with "Windows Vista" and you can see why Apple is trying to patent something like this. It's not that it is really innovative, but it adds to their side of the patent arms race between Apple and Microsoft.

[BoRegardless]

Apple's continuing to innovate the multimedia market, its great.

Actually, "multimedia" is too limiting.

There is no limit now to operating and controlling digital devices from any number of "places" & "devices".

The name iPhone, in my lowly estimation, is a misnomer. Compared to every "phone" and "cell phone" I have owned in decades past, the "iPhone" is anything BUT a phone. The phone function is a trivial part of what the device can do.

I can see that Apple is merely putting "convergence" to work, and continually refining on the user interfaces so it is easily possible for an average person to access functions on a wide range of equipment without reading those danged 500+ page manuals that come to explain things like "Windows XP Unveiled".

[jds3266]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Arstechnica explores (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070415-new-patent-hints-at-apple-tv-expansion.html) a recent Apple patent entitled "Multi-media center for computing systems". In the patent (http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220070083616%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20070083616&RS=DN/20070083616), Apple describes a system involving a central multimedia hub which can use various external "modules". These modules would be controlled by a centralized user interface on the hub itself.

The modules could be any sort of media device - such as an iPod, DVD player, or HD DVD player. The central multimedia hub would coordinate and consolidate all the devices under one user interface.



Other reports (http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/15/patent-app-hints-at-iphone-controlling-mac-itunes/) on this same patent speculate that Apple may be thinking of using the iPhone as a remote control for this sort of media hub.

Just a minor comment, but I doubt Apple would help support an HD-DVD player when they have announced that they will embrace the Blue-Ray DVD format.

[ironring2006]

Just a minor comment, but I doubt Apple would help support an HD-DVD player when they have announced that they will embrace the Blue-Ray DVD format.

Think of it in the other direction. It won't be Apple supporting the HD-DVD player, but the HD-DVD player supporting the Front Row interface standard.

Look at the diagram again, specifically the box "User Interface Library". Apple will define those. 3rd party manufacturers will have to pull from that library and put it into their own devices.

[Yvan256]

I agree that this is some sort of "ultimate form" of :apple:tv. Face it, :apple:tv is just not going to cut it for the 97% of us who aren't iTS whores

You do know you can use your own files with the :apple:TV? That's actually the only way (for people in countries other than the USA) we can use the :apple:TV for TV shows and movies. I sure didn't buy one to play music and watch photos and podcasts on my TV. :rolleyes:

As much as I hate to admit it, we still need optical media (when will we move to flash for our media distribution?!) and until Apple competes in this realm (or offers a wide selection of high-quality media content on iTS), it will never be a complete solution to the "digital home."

Media distribution didn't move from optical to flash (that would be even worst as far as costs and environmental issues go), it moved from optical media to direct downloads. And Apple is already there with the iTunes Store.

As for the quality of what is offered on the iTunes Store, it's not really a problem. They can increase the quality if they want and even offer free upgrades to people who already bought something (just like they did before).

[RedTomato]

Where is the Toaster attachment?

I have a burning need to run OS X on my toaster, or at the least, have it properly run by OSX, with a suitable GUI interface and browning control.

It should fit in quite easily with the interfaces and attachments in this patent description.

[Maccus Aurelius]

Now all I need is a new DVD player, a new TV and the jaws of life for my wallet.

[EagerDragon]

Too speculative at this time. Can't vote eitherway yet.

The patent has potential but we need to see what it develops into. PVR capabilites would be a positive, however using the phone as a controller in a sea of controllers is not attractive to me. Apple already has a controller that works in the Apple TV and Front Row, so why do we need another?

The capability to join multiple inputs and outputs woud be important, specially if you can add the devices you already purchased like DVD player, Cable TV box tunner, or eye TV tunner.

Both interesting and a snoozer depending on how you look at it.

[EagerDragon]

Let me know when it has a brain tap like in the Matrix, the brain is the ultimate controller, the ultimate input device, the ultimate video and sound mixer, and the ultimate output device. See, smell, hear and feel your data (or anything else you prefer, LOL).

[EagerDragon]

We're already seeing the very beginnings of this. Think of the stackable form factors of the Mac mini, :apple: TV, and AirPort Extreme base station. Looking at this makes me think we should get ready to see a whole lot more stuff in a similar form factor.

Remember that you can use the Apple TV as a frying Pan and that Apple prefers you put nothing on top as to prevent interference with the wireless. So you can stack it on top of other devices and maybe add something extra below to ensure good air circulation.

[Object-X]

This seems to be the direction the AppleTV is going to take. The take away point is that no matter what way you want to consume media, AppleTV will be a part of your setup.

It also means that Apple could add to the AppleTV device a PVR or HD-DVD/Blu-Ray player. Just stack them up.

[Object-X]

Where is the Toaster attachment?

I have a burning need to run OS X on my toaster, or at the least, have it properly run by OSX, with a suitable GUI interface and browning control.

It should fit in quite easily with the interfaces and attachments in this patent description.

Actually, it's a popcorn popper. Snack of choice for movie watchers everywhere.

[ironring2006]

Where is the Toaster attachment?

I have a burning need to run OS X on my toaster, or at the least, have it properly run by OSX, with a suitable GUI interface and browning control.

It should fit in quite easily with the interfaces and attachments in this patent description.

Sorry, this one runs NetBSD, but I'm sure the OS X version can't be too far behind.

[Bosunsfate]

I read the multi-touch capabilities, not necessarily buy an iPhone to be a remote.

[QUOTE=ironring2006;3553396]I don't think this is so much a new product as it is patenting the evolution of the :apple:tv/mac mini/front row.

What they are patenting is the entire system and how it is all going to integrate and be operable from a single interface. You're going to be able to operate anything through front row. The iPods and iPhones are your floating peripherals. Your :apple:tv will be statically fixed to your big screen. Your Mac is going to be somewhere else in this whole setup, but it doesn't matter as long as it is in your local network.

Now, here are some scenarios that I can think of off the top of my head. Whenever an iPod or iPhone is within range of something running front row, it will show up as a source. Pipe music to your home theatre setup or take a video call on your iPhone and have it show up on your big screen. Download music from itms on your wireless iPod on the bus/train, come home and sync it to your :apple:tv or your Mac, whatever one you have set up as your central storage.

But here's also what I think they will be doing based on this patent. They've already shown the ability to put pressure on other manufacturers to accept iPod integration. Now think of :apple:tv integration. Plug that new HD-DVD player into your :apple:tv or mac mini and have it also show up as a source in front row. What about what comes after HD-DVD? Plug that media device into an :apple:tv or mac mini and it'll show up in the sources list. New hardware, same consistent interface for all.

They're not patenting a single new device, they're patenting the whole system. Peripherals to displays to storage to input devices. Apple is all about the end to end model.

Very well stated ironring.

[Sport73]

It's about time somebody did this, and who better than Apple.

Anyone who's used a programmable universal remote, like the Harmony 880, knows that it's a nice way to integrate all of your components, but still leaves you feeling that you're wrestling a bunch of non-integrated, non-communicating pieces to work together. With HARDWARE and slick SOFTWARE sitting between all of your components, you can ensure that everything 'talks' together in just the right way and presents a common interface that anyone can use.

I seem to recall Apple patenting something about wireless communication between home theater equipment as well. Seems to me what Apple is targeting is for a new set of HD-DVD players, Blu-Ray players, Satellite/Cable boxes etc. to include a new 802.11n wireless standard for sending video/control/communications to one-another. Instead of the Microsoft approach (building a big PC with everything in it to sit next to your TV), Apple proposes a solution where you can still have a modular system, but everything communicates seamlessly through AppleTV.

[psxndc]

Hate to be the IP nazi, but, this is an application for a patent, not a patent itself. The application still needs to get examined.

We now return to your regularly scheduled program, already in progress.

-p-

[Porchland]

Replace "Mac Mini" with "Xbox 360" and "OS X" with "Windows Vista" and you can see why Apple is trying to patent something like this. It's not that it is really innovative, but it adds to their side of the patent arms race between Apple and Microsoft.

Also, one thing Apple does better than any of the other kids on the block is to make cool, intuitive products that work out of the box. Apple wants to develop a component-based living room strategy that does not require a degree in electrical engineering to set up, and this looks like a step in that direction.

There are applications for this sort of technology that go far beyond :apple:tv:

* buy a song/movie/etc. from your Apple phone, add it to a playlist, and it's there waiting for you when you get home.

* check the thermostat and adjust the lighting at home from your office computer.

* a front-door cam pops up on your TV when someone rings the doorbell.

Apple doesn't control each of these individual pieces but provides a platform to make it all work seamlessly.

[BobbyDigital]

I would love for this to happen. I have been wanting to get a phone that's compatible with Salling Clicker for a really long time so I could use my phone as a remote (unfortunately, barely any Sprint phones are compatible)... but I am switching to the iPhone in June, so this would be perfect!

[johnee]

I don't think apple will take it far enough.

What I would like to see is a spec which specifies how a device can present itself to a module network and provide to the controller of that module network an api definition so the module network controller can manage it and present it's options on it's gui.

Imagine you buy a brand A DVR, a brand B phone, and a brand C toaster which have implemented the spec.

You plug these devices into the module network controller (apple's hub in this case) and via the spec, OSX can recognize what that device is, and by reading it's api via the spec, could manage that device, and present it's interface on the gui. Want to record a show? open up the multimedia center, select your DVR, and set it. Want to make some toast? open up the multimedia center, select the toaster, and make your toast!

[davede70]

I wouldn't mind using my iphone to say turn on my media enviroment before I walked in the door, so I didn't miss a minute of the baseball game or something. But I certainly don't want my $400 iphone to be my ONLY remote. Too much use and potential for damage/loss.

I don't see this as that mind blowing. I think this is the stage we're heading with our media. We want it centrally located and easy to access.

[A is jump]

I dunno about the iphone. But the upcoming wifi/touchscreen ipods would be pretty awesome. ever since the apple tv/game console thread I've been so into the possibility of the multi-touch game controller/remote.
what did steve jobs say was the problem with all the media center remotes when apple released their front row? that they had all those buttons, that they were confusing.
what is the major advantage of the touch screen display? it only displays buttons you need.

[gkarris]

New :apple:TVs with tuners/dvr/dvd or super-multiblu drives, faster processor, more memory, runs all your Mac OS X games!

[Mac Fly (film)]

IMHO pretty much all the crap to the left of the box marked 'display' can be stuck on a tiny weeny VLSI chip and stuck inside the back of an Apple Brand LCD TV!!!

Agreed, this would be the real Apple TV!! An actual TV, but not LCD, make it plasma, plamsa has waaaaaaaaaay better picture quality, viewing angle and deeper black levels. Or possible OLED, now that's dreaming.

An all-in-one TV that has wireless capabilities to connect to anything from a PC or Mac to a lappy, iPhone or 6G iPod. Put some huge storage inside, a slod load standard DVD player, make it slim and slick and I'll have my money waiting. I would want this product even more than an iPhone. Then Apple could add an iTunes iPTV subscirption service and finally I would have just one remote on my coffee table!!!

[Hattig]

That diagram to me suggests that the modules are "software" modules - hence the link to the User Interface Library.

Basically this patent describes a minor superset of the Apple TV running BackRow as the interface with the BackRow plugins being the modules.

I'm sure it covers modules that are a combination of software and hardware though. Once the Apple TV has evolved to handle HD formats fully (i.e., BluRay 40mbps decoding, not 720p 5mbps decoding) then I can see the possibility of adding a BluRay drive in a similar style to the Apple TV 'stack', or a DTV box, or cablecard box. Like HiFi separates. Maybe someone will release an Apple TV styled surround amplifier/receiver...

[MACaBAMA]

in my opinion apple has a golden opportunity to impact even to a greater extent the way we access, watch, listen, and interact with the content we want to use.

We all have to many individual devices that we want to work together as one but have no simple easy it just works type of device to control it all. My original hope was that apple TV would be that device. No such luck.

There is company out there that makes a great control unit called "control 4". Check out their stuff. If apple can take the ideas these guys have and integrate ipods itunes my Mac and the apple TV by way of a central hub we'll all be dancing in the streets.

[bigjohn]

codename: asteroid

[crees!]

Regarding a remote whose interface is tailored to the hardware it's paired with.. this is old news. Back in 2006 there was an Apple patent (w/ images) showing a remote control-like device whose interface became specific for the device it was currently controlling. Or, maybe it was an iPhone patent in disguise?

[ortuno2k]

Another useless consumer electronic piece of junk?

[Max Payne]

Apple is working it's a$$ off everywhere. Do their workers have holidays?

[Porchland]

Once the Apple TV has evolved to handle HD formats fully (i.e., BluRay 40mbps decoding, not 720p 5mbps decoding) then I can see the possibility of adding a BluRay drive in a similar style to the Apple TV 'stack', or a DTV box, or cablecard box. Like HiFi separates. Maybe someone will release an Apple TV styled surround amplifier/receiver...

If Apple goes that direction with :apple:TV, I think it would be a significant shift from the digital-media-only model they're headed toward at the moment. Otherwise, wouldn't :apple:TV have a DVD drive now?

I think Apple sees the digital living room as one without CDs, DVDs, DVRs, etc.

I could eventually see :apple:TV marketed in a bundle with an AirPort and an external hard drive as a digital entertainment center that doesn't need a computer.

Buy your songs, TV shows, movies and other content from your TV, which stores them on the external drive. No computer necessary. (Of course, if you have one, so much the better.)

[SPUY767]

I have my MacPro hooked up to my HDTV, and I must say, when I scale up movies to 1080i played in DVD Player on the Mac, they look nearly as good as HD-DVDs. Not quite, but they look much better than played straight through the DVD player.

[Digital Skunk]

I agree that this is some sort of "ultimate form" of :apple:tv. Face it, :apple:tv is just not going to cut it for the 97% of us who aren't iTS whores. As much as I hate to admit it, we still need optical media (when will we move to flash for our media distribution?!) and until Apple competes in this realm (or offers a wide selection of high-quality media content on iTS), it will never be a complete solution to the "digital home."

-Clive

Remember... the only reason Windows is so large now is because it was just 'Good Enough' And the Apple TV seems to be good enough for some people to buy it, void the warranty, and reprogram it and add larger HDDs. I agree with you though, and hope Apple doesn't start making good enough tech... not going to go over well with the FanBoys/Girls.

[Digital Skunk]

Another useless consumer electronic piece of junk?

Yeah... during the keynotes. :D

[Peel]

Where is the Toaster attachment?

I have a burning need to run OS X on my toaster, or at the least, have it properly run by OSX, with a suitable GUI interface and browning control.

My 1MB Mac Classic had toast browning control way back in 1987. Granted it was for the Flying Toasters screensaver in After Dark. I always knew that they were visionaries. :p

[mrthieme]

I feel like someone in Cupertino has been listening in on my bedtime prayers. The whole home media environment could use some Apple gui in a bad way. The wifi 6g iPod could be a killer remote, all the stored media would be accessible and viewable from the remote ( think Sonos), and music could be played without ever turning on the plasma. Separate modules could contain optical drives, additional storage, DVR, or whatever. iPod Hifi could be morphed into a pair of powered wireless monitors, or maybe a complete 5.1 system. A separate module would be a dedicated surround decoder and tranmitter. Lots of hardware could be sold around the :apple: TV, and selling hardware is what makes Apple happy.

[BiggWill2007]

A Blatent copy os Salling Clicker

check out www.salling.com to see for yourself.

Salling have been doing this yor the last 4 years

[matticus008]

its ok to patent everything,
but if all these stuff get materialized, apple is going down the tube, an phone and tv topset can delay leopard for 4 months, plus a bunch of side products may or may not be successful, god knows what apple is thinking.
Probably the same thing people are thinking when they BUY component systems. People buy them one at a time; there's no reason that they can't be developed one at a time. Obviously some sort of Mac is going to sit at the center of this. You can add components slowly as they become available and as you can afford them (whether you're the customer or the manufacturer).

Not many of us can drop $15,000 on a home audio system at once, even those of us with few financial worries. But $2000 here and there over the years can put together an amazing setup.

A Blatent copy os Salling Clicker
Salling Clicker is a remote application for your phone or PDA. This is an entire media array of hardware, run through a central interface displayed on (presumably) your television. It might very well include similar remote functionality, but it is nowhere near the same thing.

[Babasyzygy]

Face it, :apple:tv is just not going to cut it for the 97% of us who aren't iTS whores.

Nonsense. I love my :apple:TV, and I own no iTS content.

I do, however, have iTunes and MediaFork (aka Handbrake), so can rip CDs and DVDs.

[Babasyzygy]

Where is the Toaster attachment?

I have a burning need to run OS X on my toaster, or at the least, have it properly run by OSX, with a suitable GUI interface and browning control.


That's AmigaOS, silly.

[GregA]

Interesting approach. Like Hifi separates under your TV.

If there's a PVR, I'm in.

There seem to be 3 main types of devices in the definition
- media module (source of digital media)
- media controller (co-ordinating device)
- media player (decode digital media)

As such, I would greatly hope that 3rd parties can make media modules. This would allow DVD players (+ HD-DVD or BluRay DVD), Cable boxes, Satellite boxes, EyeTV (FTA) receivers, iPods, iTunes libraries.

A PVR could be constructed by attaching a cable receiver (media module) and a hard disk (another media module) to your Apple media controller. The Apple media controller would control the receiver's channel etc and direct its output to the hard disk, telling the hard disk to record it. The media player would have to be capable of decoding MPEG2 of course.

[GregA]

I don't think apple will take it far enough.

What I would like to see is a spec which specifies how a device can present itself to a module network and provide to the controller of that module network an api definition so the module network controller can manage it and present it's options on it's gui.

Imagine you buy a brand A DVR, a brand B phone, and a brand C toaster which have implemented the spec.

You plug these devices into the module network controller (apple's hub in this case) and via the spec, OSX can recognize what that device is, and by reading it's api via the spec, could manage that device, and present it's interface on the gui. Want to record a show? open up the multimedia center, select your DVR, and set it. Want to make some toast? open up the multimedia center, select the toaster, and make your toast!Isn't that what this patent implies already?

[blkaplan]

I'm on to you, twoodcc! don't think you'll be sneaking any drugs past my super-drug-detecting-vision. All those macbook you've been using as mules?!!? You should really reconsinder where you're going in life. Please don't make this mistake, ever again....



I'm watching you............ and next time, I'll report!


P.S. The whole tropical island breeze (flannel) v-neck shirt was SO '98.


P.P.S. I love you.


P.P.P.S. Are you a member of the lostblog, with username bwoodcc? Because I'm searching you!!!! And you don't even have good theories!


P.P.P.P.S. You never call me when you're sbober!


P.P.P.P.P.S. The strip turned blue .

[macwatcher]

I had a dream and in my dream was this diagram.

I've been waiting so long for a REAL media center... not the hype that Microsoft has been touting for years. Maybe this is the wrong forum but does anybody remember the Windows 98 "read this while it installs" slideshow... they were all about Windows 98 showing videos and TV and making movies. What a joke!