No Apple Digital Video Recorder (DVR) Planned?

[MacRumors]

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A USA Today article provides comments from Apple's Phil Schiller indicating that Apple is not going to be competing with TiVo in the Digital Video Recorder market.

Early rumors about the Mac mini had hinted that Apple would be incorporating its own "Tivo-Killer" Digital Video Recording software.

Schiller claims that adding video recording to the Mac mini would make it "too complicated":

"We're not trying to replace the TiVo," he says. "This is about taking the media from your computer and accessing it via the TV."

[the_insider]

damn, i was looking forward to the so called "tivo-killer". Could this mean no front row 2.0 for a while?

[twoodcc]

man, i was looking forward to one. i think Apple could do a great job on one. oh well

[Applespider]

Saying that they're not going to make a DVR doesn't preclude them from coming up with an add-on to Front Row so that existing DVRs can hook into the Front Row interface? Much more useful since the 'all-in-one PC' market isn't there yet - the average consumer still sees computers and TV as different appliances. And more saleable - people can buy it to add to their existing investments in their entertainment system - rather than having to replace them

[EricNau]

If Apple really isn't considering a DVR, they're stupid.

[fed-ex]

Look apple obviously isn't going to put DVR functions in the mini. I have yet to read the obvious answer anywhere. They don't want you to record stuff from tv, that would defeat the whole purpose of itunes store. They want you to buy it from them. Why would they make a product that makes the itunes store obselete? Duh! People need to look at the whole picture. They still want you to be dependant on them.

[kugino]

of course they're not planning a DVR. how would they sell TV and movie content if people were just recording it?

if you want DVR, just get an eyetv...

edit: fed-ex and peyton beat me to it!

[Joe2000]

I personally can now brethe a sigh of relief... ahhhhhhhhhh

I dont like all this talk of "dvr recorders and tivo killers". Apple makes Mac's. And its simple. Latley i've become upset by the new announcements and with the Core Solo and intel s*** integrated graphics going in the Mini and everything, AND THE PRICE GOING UP AGAIN, i'm feeling that moving to intel was a BAD move. However these are REV A machines so there bound to have bugs and high prices. Its just someone on these forums said something of great significance to me the other day when talking about the intel iBook. He/She said "I would really like to see the new iBook be an iMac-to-go again, rather than a Mac-Mini with a screen"

I'm worried about Apple at the moment, I dont like the new Mac Mini - or the iPod Hi-Fi. BTW Apple stock dropped by 2% after the event.

I'm now torn, if i scraped together all my money i could afford an iMac CD but i'd have to sell my iBook and then i wouldent be able to "surf the net at the coffee house" and "lay on the sofa with it" and stuff. I'd really miss that. I want a MacBook Pro but i cant afford one and I need more power. Ohhhh i'm going through a bad Apple period. I sure hope the MacBooks live up to my hopes - that is if I can hang on till April...


Thanks for reading,

Joe

[UWF404]

Originally Posted by fed-ex

Look apple obviously isn't going to put DVR functions in the mini. I have yet to read the obvious answer anywhere. They don't want you to record stuff from tv, that would defeat the whole purpose of itunes store. They want you to buy it from them. Why would they make a product that makes the itunes store obselete? Duh! People need to look at the whole picture. They still want you to be dependant on them.

Because a DVR can be sustained long term. People want to view content on demand in high quality. iTunes is fine for ipods but not a good solution for the living room. Why would I want to watch iTunes poor resolution junk on my 50" plasma?

[m-dogg]

Originally Posted by fed-ex

Look apple obviously isn't going to put DVR functions in the mini. I have yet to read the obvious answer anywhere. They don't want you to record stuff from tv, that would defeat the whole purpose of itunes store. They want you to buy it from them. Why would they make a product that makes the itunes store obselete? Duh! People need to look at the whole picture. They still want you to be dependant on them.

I agree completely, and it really is too bad. It will hurt Apple in the long run.

What would have happened with the iPod if you couldn't copy your own music onto it? That you could only buy songs from the iTMS - It never would have gotten off the ground.

People want to be able to use their own content. If Apple makes it difficult for them, people will go somewhere else to buy the products that do what they want to do.

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by fed-ex

Look apple obviously isn't going to put DVR functions in the mini. I have yet to read the obvious answer anywhere. They don't want you to record stuff from tv, that would defeat the whole purpose of itunes store. They want you to buy it from them. Why would they make a product that makes the itunes store obselete? Duh! People need to look at the whole picture. They still want you to be dependant on them.

That is exactly the attitude that is killing Sony at the moment. For many years, Sony engineers have not been allowed to make products that people want, because their music and video business didn't allow it. They are an excellent example how not to run a business, and I think Apple will be clever enough not to fall into the same trap.

[Thataboy]

Of course, Apple wants you to buy video through iTunes, and stream it to your TV through the Mac mini (and maybe in the future, an Airport Express with video).

I think this is short-sighted, but I can see why they are doing it. What I cannot fathom, however, is their notion that one should stream pathetic, tiny, awful-resolution iTunes videos to your TV.

Whatever... El Gato is probably breathing a sigh of relief. If Apple wanted to play nice, they would at least open up Front Row and the Apple Remote so that El Gato could access them. If Apple really isn't interested in a DVR, then it wouldn't hurt them to do this.

[dornoforpyros]

So in other words they are planning one. Remember everytime apple says their not working on something they actually are

[joemama]

Originally Posted by EricNau

If Apple really isn't considering a DVR, they're stupid.

Exactly. They are going to miss the boat on this. They are so consumed by people paying for FREE television shows they will be blindsided when the general public gets over this fad of paying for tv shows.

Dumb, D-U-M, dumb.

[Arcady]

I already have a DVR that can also play songs from iTunes and show my iPhoto library on my TV set. It is called a TiVo. Why do I need to connect a Mac in my living room? So I can watch crappy 320x240 videos that I have to pay for? No thanks.

[age234]

Originally Posted by joemama

Exactly. They are going to miss the boat on this. They are so consumed by people paying for FREE television shows they will be blindsided when the general public gets over this fad of paying for tv shows.

Dumb, D-U-M, dumb.

Uh, free?

I don't know about anyone else, but I get something called a "cable bill" every month. And I probably don't watch enough TV to justify it.

Downloading TV shows is not a fad. It's the future of broadcasting. It's not going to be long before everything but live news throws off the harness of linear broadcasting. Everything will be some variation of what iTunes is now. Why should I wait around and plan my life around a TV show that comes on at 9:00 when I can get it whenever I want?

DVR is the bridge between the past and the future, granted. But Apple is already working on the future with videos on iTunes.

Sure, it's not perfect. I'm sure Apple would love to offer 1080 resolution videos, but guess what? The technology and infastructure isn't there yet. What are you going to do, wait 257 hours to download your movies? Then you'll complain that it's too slow. Seems like my fellow Apple fans are either ga-ga over stuff or whining like children (recently the latter).

[Some_Big_Spoon]

Nope, just greedy.

Originally Posted by EricNau

If Apple really isn't considering a DVR, they're stupid.

[jtquick2001]

Didnt steve jobs himself say that there would not be any video on the ipod? And now look how popular that is.

[anastasis]

Too bad. If it had a DVR option I would already own one...

[PeteyKohut]

Originally Posted by jtquick2001

Didnt steve jobs himself say that there would not be any video on the ipod? And now look how popular that is.

I couldn't have said it better! This says it all. How many times has Steve and Company said...there is no way we are doing this, only to come out with it!

[Stella]

Some people are deluded, they want a Powerful Mini Mac + PVR for the bargain price of $499.

This is reality. Its not going to happen.

[carfac]

Originally Posted by Stella

Some people are deluded, they want a Powerful Mini Mac + PVR for the bargain price of $499.

This is reality. Its not going to happen.

I am a PC user. An Apple PVR would make me switch (and is about the only thing that will get me to Apple). A larger-than-mini is expected, no big deal. 1000$ price tag is also expected. I would want HD. If Apple could do that, I would switch in a second. I have NO expectations of a 500 box... and a whole new line would probablr be best- a great-looking box with DVI-HDMI out. Apple could do this, if they wanted.

This is bad news for me....

[Bonte]

Originally Posted by carfac

I am a PC user. An Apple PVR would make me switch (and is about the only thing that will get me to Apple). A larger-than-mini is expected, no big deal. 1000$ price tag is also expected. I would want HD. If Apple could do that, I would switch in a second. I have NO expectations of a 500 box... and a whole new line would probablr be best- a great-looking box with DVI-HDMI out. Apple could do this, if they wanted.

This is bad news for me....

If Apple adds a PVR function it would be heavily DRM'd so there's always something to bitch about. Add a USB hard disk and Elgato© and you have a sub 1000$ PVR. H-D content is useless at the moment with no players/recorders so there is no market for it.

[Damek]

Originally Posted by Bonte

If Apple adds a PVR function it would be heavily DRM'd so there's always something to bitch about. Add a USB hard disk and Elgato© and you have a sub 1000$ PVR. H-D content is useless at the moment with no players/recorders so there is no market for it.

Amen brother. I just don't understand HD. HD is pointless and nigh on useless.

I'd rather be trading & sharing good comedy or drama or news clips or whatever than be able to see some footballer's sweat glands!

[Lynxpro]

Originally Posted by Bonte

If Apple adds a PVR function it would be heavily DRM'd so there's always something to bitch about. Add a USB hard disk and Elgato© and you have a sub 1000$ PVR. H-D content is useless at the moment with no players/recorders so there is no market for it.

Crunching the HD content with MPEG4 would allow you to put the files onto a dual layer (at most) DVD-R. Its not like the eventual HD-DVD and Blu-Ray players are not going to play HD content if its only on a DVD-R disc... Thus your only concern right now has to be the fact that you couldn't just pop it into any average DVD player at the moment. It would be an interesting experiment to see if native HD content on such a disc would output to an HDTV courtesy of one of the current "upscaling" DVD players on the market that also play DIVX content.