Airport Express With Video?

[Xtremehkr]

I would still prefer using Mac mini as a home media center, just ad some bigger, faster hard drive to store all the content + Wireless KB and mouse and your set.

I think that the Mac Mini is a great start, but considering that most movies will eventually move to High Definition, it may not be up to the task. Multitasking HD movies while streaming iTunes separately while also allowing someone to browse the internet, may be beyond what it can do now.

 

[barneygumble]

I want to be able to watch porn on a larger TV and carry it with me on my video iPod.

Yeah, spread the love figurativly speaking

 

[hokka]

The Dock is the Key

I predict the new Dock will be the new AE receiver with video-out and the new iPod is the HD (plus portable player).

While the iPod has the power to decode movies to be displayed on a small screen, the dock has another processor that takes the content received from AE and dumps into the iPod to cache, then process the media and outputed to the TV via S-Video, Composite or DVI, and another Audio out on the dock can hook up to amps or speakers.

 

[52_telecaster]

I think the main point behind the Air Port express video out will be for displaying your photos stored on the ipod. You'll be able to sync your ipod with iphoto and all it's slide shows. Then, when you want to view your photos you can simply switch the input on your tv and view photos on it.

 

[dashiel]

MPEG4 is soon to be history.H264 will become better and better..

you can't compare MPEG-4 and H.264, they're two entirely different things. H.264 is a codec, MPEG-4 is a protocol that describes various levels. H.264 is level 10 describing how video is encoded/decoded.

which is why MPEG-4 kicks so much ass over WMV.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPEG-4

 

[HiRez]

I wish it will have a remote and can stream commands to the computer in the other direction, but the most important thing I'd like to see is an ethernet out jack. I just had to buy a Linksys portable wireless box instead of an Airport Express for this reason. Also sincerely hope this box has at least s-video capability, if not component or DVI (although there's probably not enough bandwidth for that).

 

[scotty321]

Here's what took place at Microsoft Headquarters today!

Here's what took place at Microsoft Headquarters today:

Gates: "Apple has a press conference on Wednesday October 12th."

Ballmer: "I've got all my men on it."

Gates: "WHATEVER they introduce at 10am, I want our company to start working on the copycat version of it at 10:01am."

Ballmer: "Of course, Master Satan."

Gates: "I want complete control of whatever market Apple creates & opens up on Wednesday October 12th."

Ballmer: "Whatever innovation Apple brings on Wednesday, we will copy it as closely & effectively as possible."

Gates: "Isn't it wonderful having the least expensive R&D lab in the world: Apple Computer?"

 

[DPazdanISU]

goodbye Tivo

I snapped my Tivo in half after the news, Why do I need a tivo when i can store all my shows on my 300gb hd?

 

[ColoJohnBoy]

Here's what took place at Microsoft Headquarters today:

Gates: "Apple has a press conference on Wednesday October 12th."

Ballmer: "I've got all my men on it."

Gates: "WHATEVER they introduce at 10am, I want our company to start working on the copycat version of it at 10:01am."

Ballmer: "Of course, Master Satan."

Gates: "I want complete control of whatever market Apple creates & opens up on Wednesday October 12th."

Ballmer: "Whatever innovation Apple brings on Wednesday, we will copy it as closely & effectively as possible."

Gates: "Isn't it wonderful having the least expensive R&D lab in the world: Apple Computer?"

Kind of a weird, effed up version of 'The Screwtape Letters'. I dig it.

 

[Airguitarist]

What about a basestation/dock for an iPod that conects not only to a speaker system but to the TV as well? That way instead of having to mess around with dvds and cases and scratches and whatnot, you simply store all of you movies in the iPod. Want to watch a movie at a friends house? Just bring your ipod. Or, if you don't want to use the iPod as a middle-man, conect you mac mini or ibook to the basestation wirelessly.Buy movies through iTunes, upload and enjoy.

Wild speculation, but it just might work, and if anyone could make it work, it would be Steve Jobs.

 

[arkmannj]

my feature request

sure a video link would be nice. but if I could make a feature request for the airport express (or other base stations, but the express would be most usefull for this I think)

I would love an (extra) USB/firewire port that could handle a flash drive or an external hard drive (or iPod).
Network Atttached Storage capabilities would be nice for home and work.
both on the go, or stationary.

I know it wouldn't make for a super duper file server, but that's not what I'd want it for, just to have access to some of the same files raguardless of what computer I'm on at home. then to be able to unplug the device and take it to school would be great !!

or heck, I could even live with the Airport Express having built in storgage. 1GB, 2GB, 1TB, 2TB whatever, it would just be very useful (atleast for myself, and a few other friends I have)

 

[zigziggityzoo]

That's weird. I don't think that 802.11g has the bandwidth to do video yet. What software application would be the conduit to stream to the Airport Express?

The current airport express allows for multi-channel communication (at 54 Mbits per channel). This means, if you use 2 channels, you can transfer at 108, 4 channels at 216, with a maximum of all 11 channels being used simultaneously.

 

[davidwes]

Remember when apple actually cared about imovie!!! Imagine the focus back on that. Your child does something, you videotape it, edit it in imovie, stream it to your tv to show the rest of your family!

 

[ibook30]

This is gonna be good !!!!!!

 

[MacSlut]

Like the eyeHome only better (I hope)

Some of you people who think an Airport couldn't handle video should come over to my house sometime** and try watching a *DVD* stream wirelessly from my Mac to my EyeHome box while at the same time my network is transferring a TiVo show from one box to another (at about real-time), my Mac is downloading (legal) BitTorrents and iTunes is streaming music to my Airport Express connected to my stereo.

The EyeHome does iTunes and videos as well as iPhoto slideshows and even surfing the Web. The interface is clunky, but it *works* and has been available for some time. It's more of a "pull" device than a device that can be pushed "to" the way iTunes pushes to an Airport Express.

** Please don't actually come over to my house

 

[daveL]

Elgato EyeHome

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this product. It's currently selling for $100, after a $100 rebate.

 

[mac_hine82]

I for one am super excited I cant wait till this thing comes out. One problem is I already own a Airport Express. I hope that It works as a repeater so it don't go to waste. My TV is no were near my phone line for my DSL so if the express would send the signal to the video express that would be GREAT!

 

[pdpfilms]

I think that the Mac Mini is a great start, but considering that most movies will eventually move to High Definition, it may not be up to the task. Multitasking HD movies while streaming iTunes separately while also allowing someone to browse the internet, may be beyond what it can do now.

If the mac Mini, a (now 1.5ghz) computer cannot process H.264, there's no way a device like the current Airport Express will be able to do it better.

 

[ebunton]

Apple's going to establish itself strongly in the nascent movie-via-internet market by going in this direction.

It's clear that in the following years, DVDs will go the direction of CDs. Apple has a iTunes store to replace CD sales, and will have another store to replace DVD sales.

I think they have a great business strategy. Wow.

 

[Mudbug]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this product. It's currently selling for $100, after a $100 rebate.

On that line of thinking, I'm surprised Apple hasn't bought ElGato by now and incorporated their technology into the mac itself. iTV or something of that nature. They've got the cash, and elgato has a functioning finished product.

 

[ariza910]

It doesn't. BUT 802.11n, which is the next standard, does. Many companies already have "pre-n" routers out. The next Airport products will be "pre-n" and probably firmware upgradable to "n" once its officially adopted.

802.11g most certainly does have the bandwidth to do video, just look at the eyeHome from Elgato

I have been using the EyeHome to stream movies and tv shows for well over a year now, it works great, the software leaves something to be desired.

Cant wait for a product from Apple with their usual polish and antention to detail

 

[balamw]

If the mac Mini, a (now 1.5ghz) computer cannot process H.264, there's no way a device like the current Airport Express will be able to do it better.

You could have said the same thing about MPEG-2 a few years ago, but now you can buy a $29 DVD player that handles decoding it well. ATI has already announced that their next rev. of GPUs will support hardware acceleration of MPEG4/DiVX/H.264. These kind of chips will also be needed for the next generation DBS systems in the US which are migrating to MPEG4, as well as HD-DVD/Bluray.

Maybe Apple just bought a whole lot of them like the nano's Samsung flash memory?

B

 

[Mechcozmo]

The current airport express allows for multi-channel communication (at 54 Mbits per channel). This means, if you use 2 channels, you can transfer at 108, 4 channels at 216, with a maximum of all 11 channels being used simultaneously.

Eh, but there is overlap. So you are limited to channels 11, 9, 7, 5, 3, and 1, and if you use all those at once you get nasty interference. (3 channel overlap, so if you are on 11 you are also on 10 and 12, but 12-14 are not used in the U.S.) And if someone has one of those damn "ultra super duper G" routers you can't get a constant signal worth a crap.

 

[EricNau]

Darn, I just bought a Airport Express about 20 days ago!
What are the chances of Apple letting me bring it back and trade it in for a new, updated one?

 

[EricNau]

Would Apple really make it Video Airport Express. I'm assuming then, one would put videos on thier computer, via Combo/Superdrive. What is stopping me from getting Netflix and having all of the DVD's I ever wanted, virtually for free?