Apple Provides Sneak Peak Of Media Center

[carfac]

Originally Posted by Kid Red
Wow, a TON OF YOU totally miss the iTV purpose, to stream content FROM YOUR MAC! That's why no tuner, no storage, no anything!! Does Airport Express have storage, an antenna, etc?!? NO!!!

Kid, I think YOU miss the point. With no storage or disk drive (of whatever type)- and the small form factor that does not look like it would ever support this, all you have here is a video Airport. Period. As you said, "no tuner, no storage, no anything"- that just leaves an airport and a couple of video outs.

Maybe you have all the money in the world, but 299 for an airport is pretty extreme. For what it is, it is overpriced by double- at least. Do you really feel good about dropping three bills on a wireless reciever?

Sure, we would all like to see tuners, drives, opticals, but realistically, that is not happening at this price point. To make this work as a DVR, you need at least 250 Gig these days- thats, what, 30 hours HD, right? Think one of those will even fit in one of these cases- no way. ANd would not happen in a bigger case at 299.

No, I really think Apple failed on this one. Even for those few this may fit a need for can find much cheaper alternatives. For those that say, "Wait, we do not know all it can do", I say open your eyes- the form is not big enough for anything else, and the price is too low to be a REAL Media Center. I wish it were otherwise, I WANT an apple Media Center- and I am prepared to pay for it. But this is not it- this is a mistake.

 

[bretm]

the users at macpredict got the nano and shuffle update dates spot on - shouldn't be too hard to pick the iTV Release Date in the lead up to christmas.

I just hope Apple isn't going totally consumer and forgetting the computers!

Errrr... they came out with ALL the computers 6 months earlier than planned / announced. Their xeon is $1000 cheaper than the exact same specs at Dell. The laptop processors will probably be updated in a few weeks. Chill.

 

[technocoy]

......

He didn't even tell us everything about it... So all the assumptions are just that.

It has two HD outputs for a reason, and it ain't for streaming 640x480 content... thats MY assumption.

plus, aren't rocketboom broadcasts in HD? and aren't most of the trailers on quicktime being pushed as HD... Steve is moving on a direction here.... also... iMovie has HD editing, but no way to effectively output to HDTVs...

AND there are pieces of the puzzle that steve just isn't going to throw out there for the rest of the industry to bite on before it's released...

 

[carfac]

It just hit me- what this REALLY needs to make it work. What would REALLY be innovative on Apples part.

Obviously, to be a media Center, it needs tuners (at LEAST 2, better 4), 250 Gigs HD, an iTune/Front Row to TV Schedule interface and recording mechanism (Tive Programming).. and could use BR/HD-DVD, or at least that option.

But what this REALLY needs is for the unit to CONTROL the "parent" Mac. As more than one person here has mentioned, who wants to go upstairs to change the programming on the mac to watch something downstairs. So, to make this work, the iTV needs to be a slave, but control the parent...

D

 

[suzerain]

DVR -> stupid for apple

Um....12 pages into this...I don't know...my eyes glazed over, but people are still talking about DVR. Let me be the one, then, to point out the obvious:

Why the hell would Apple want to expend one ounce of effort to create a DVR when they are selling TV shows?

Am I crazy?

I mean, I *want* an Apple DVR as much as anyone, but I think there's a very slim chance we'll ever see one, unless Apple's TV sales model falls flat on its face (which it doesn't seem to be).

I think the option for free TV will simply be podcasts..."channels" are quickly becoming irrelevant. The biggest thing for me, if I was considering dumping cable, is: how will I watch, like, the World Cup? Apple needs to have a streaming (as in video from the outside world, not inside your home) option for live events, and then they will have a complete pay-per-view solution.

 

[gugy]

Kid, I think YOU miss the point. this is a mistake.

well, we do not know all the information regarding this product at this time.
I think you are jumping to conclusions very soon.
The only thing I know is that between your opinion and Steve Jobs thinking, I rather choose Steve. No offense.

 

[bretm]

Kid, I think YOU miss the point. With no storage or disk drive (of whatever type)- and the small form factor that does not look like it would ever support this, all you have here is a video Airport. Period. As you said, "no tuner, no storage, no anything"- that just leaves an airport and a couple of video outs.

Maybe you have all the money in the world, but 299 for an airport is pretty extreme. For what it is, it is overpriced by double- at least. Do you really feel good about dropping three bills on a wireless reciever?

Sure, we would all like to see tuners, drives, opticals, but realistically, that is not happening at this price point. To make this work as a DVR, you need at least 250 Gig these days- thats, what, 30 hours HD, right? Think one of those will even fit in one of these cases- no way. ANd would not happen in a bigger case at 299.

No, I really think Apple failed on this one. Even for those few this may fit a need for can find much cheaper alternatives. For those that say, "Wait, we do not know all it can do", I say open your eyes- the form is not big enough for anything else, and the price is too low to be a REAL Media Center. I wish it were otherwise, I WANT an apple Media Center- and I am prepared to pay for it. But this is not it- this is a mistake.

Maybe you've completely missed the point as well. The DVR will be whatever mac you have with whatever drive you have. Perhaps Tuner will be on the production model or via USB, etc. Then, it transmits BACK to the computer for recording.

 

[bretm]

Off topic, but how do you get your broadband internet? DSL? I guess DSL requires me to pay for a landline phone for another $20 per month, as I currently do not have a landline phone. Then, there is the DSL fee itself. Basic cable, broadband + HDTV is $62 per month right now. If I go with DirecTV, I would end up with DirecTV fees + $40 per month for DSL. Overall more expensive than cable.

If I recall, they recently passed a law so that the phone co has to offer DSL without landline. Perhaps it hasn't passed yet. You might want to check into that.

 

[tack]

Laptop Owners

I'm starting to think that everyone on this forum has a desktop.

What frustrates me about what this device appears to be is that it requires a desktop computer somewhere that is always on. Otherwise you need to go grab your laptop from whatever room you left it in and plug it in any time you want to use it to watch a movie or listen to music.

I would like something that is NOT a computer, that I never have to connect a keyboard or mouse to that I can use to access my media.

Now if this device supports adding a usb hard drive (or can use a network drive) that you can sync to like an ipod, then I'll be interested. But if streaming is the only option then I think it is of minimal use to laptop users.

What would be really cool is if you could connect a usb drive to it and use that as the source for your media as well as the location that time machine uses to back up your data.

 

[carfac]

Maybe you've completely missed the point as well. The DVR will be whatever mac you have with whatever drive you have. Perhaps Tuner will be on the production model or via USB, etc. Then, it transmits BACK to the computer for recording.

Maybe I have... but do you really think they can fit a tuner in that little box? If it is another idd on box, it kind of defeats the purpose, looks fugly, and is not an all in one solution. But if it could send it back to the Mac, that would be good, yes.

But my basic point is this- 299 for an enhanced airport is insane.

bretm:

IF the unit would send it back- you have another problem- how to control it. You could MAYBE change channels with the Apple remote, but I doubt you could easily set it all up and record. And make it all pretty in a nice package...

Just a thoihgt...

 

[Carl Spackler]

I think this thing looks great, a bit pricey, but c'mon, it's Apple afterall. I think everything they make is overpriced until I've had it for a month. It's a quality product, of course it will be more than similar items. It's simple and elegant in my book, just like everything else I have from Apple.

It would be nice if it comes with a BluRay add-on, like someone suggested.

I also believe this has great appeal to audio/videophiles. It offers nothing but upper-crust outputs, it doesn't even sport s-video. I would imagine it pumps out e very clean signal as it doesn't appear to be overrun with a myriad of electronic bells and whistles to create interference. I've run my iPod through a TurboDock II to a pair of Vandersteens and also to my beloved Maggies. I'm greatly impressed with Apple Lossless and the majority of music on my iPod is just that. I cannot see the audio or video quality of the iTV disappointing anyone, because the quality is up the consumer. Apple knows that a great deal of the content people will watch and listen to with the iTV is going to be provided by the owner and the iTV will be there to support it. Also, I would be shocked if hi-def content on the iTunes Store didn't accompany this release. We could be looking at March 2007 as a release date. I wouldn't be surprised if the iTV support greater than 1080p for presentation purposes. I can easily see these things feeding content to projectors and displays in museums.

I like my TV, but I'm not at all sad about the iTV not having PVR or TV Tuner capabilities. Almost everyone I know has their PVR through their local providers. To me, I'd think it would be a hassle to have to gather local schedules for menus. Same reason we'll never see an Apple phone, it's too regional and too many resources would have to be spend on ensuring too much is covered. I think Apple wants to make something that can go on the shelf anywhere in the world with little adjustment.

 

[bree]

Q1?

It seems that people have assumed that the iTV won't be ready until next year and would miss the christmas season. But Jobs said Q1 2007. He didn't say spring or anything like that, but the first quarter of 2007. Assuming that this is the fiscal year, wouldn't that be different from the calendar year? Or in other words, isn't Q1 actually christmas season of the previous year?

So if Jobs was actually referring to the the fiscal year, the iTV would be ready for christmas after all!

 

[beaster]

I cannot see the audio or video quality of the iTV disappointing anyone, because the quality is up the consumer. Apple knows that a great deal of the content people will watch and listen to with the iTV is going to be provided by the owner and the iTV will be there to support it.

But that's just it - where is the HD content going to come from? Basically 3 choices that can be done LEGALLY from a Mac by joe-average Mac owner, without going through some messy analog loophole: 1) streaming directly off a Blu-ray disc (can't legally rip a copy-protected disc to the hard drive). 2) iTMS download, assuming they start selling HD versions. 3) User-shot home video on an HD camera. Did I miss any?

1) might become a reality when Blu-ray drives become a reasonably-priced add-on to Macs, maybe sometime next year? But then you're still renting/buying Blu-ray media from someone other than Apple (i.e. Netflix). Plus by the time you spend $299 on the iTV and however much more for a Blu-ray drive for your Mac, you could have bought a standalone player.

2) would require massive storage capacity on the Mac for even a modest movie library, or burnable Blu-ray drives/media (not cheap), plus mega-bandwidth or slick compression improvements. Possible, but still have the storage problem (after all, they're selling movies, not renting them).

3) A non-issue until HD video cameras come down in price.

I really like the overall idea, but w/out HD content, I'm waiting.

-Sean

 

[zimtheinvader]

why would I get this? I will get a used mac mini tomorrow for the same price and do everything it promises and so much more today, without dilluiting/destabilizing my current PB setup.

 

[hondaboy945]

Now, who wants to start speculating when this device will become the long-rumored TiVO killer? Doesn't look like there's much room back there to fit in a coax - seems like Apple missed out on a decent opportunity...

Is it a fair assumption to guess that Apple is reading this, or has already thought of this. The picture of the iTV and the preview is just that...a preview. It may well be a TiVo killer, and I am definetly cool with that; I hate my DVR (does not always work). Combine this media center with, most likely Bose accessories, and holy s@*t I am in.

 

[Whotheheck]

If this thing streams video from your Mac/PC, won't it be able to stream a DVD too? That way the iTV doesn't need a drive? And maybe it can stream blu-ray also?

BTW, isn't iTV an actual TV station? I swear one of my cable channels is called that. Is that why the name is temporary?

 

[~Shard~]

I think we all have to keep in mind that, as Jobs said, this is just a preview, and the iTV box is just a prototype in many respects as a result. It is subject to change, and I don't think anything is set in stone just yet. Even Jobs mentioning "802.11" for wireless - well, that could be "g" or "n", now couldn't it!

I compare it to Leopard - we got a sneak peak at WWDC, however all the really good features are still under wraps.

 

[R.Youden]

When I first saw the webcast saying we are bring out an iTV I was so excited, it is something I have been looking at for ages. But when you break it down at the end of the day it is just a video airport and nothing more really. OK I has some HDTV outputs which is very cool but I dont have a HDTV (and at the price they are I aint getting one soon!).

I was going to get a mac mini and an eyeTV digital terestrial tuner and make a home cinema system out of that. OK it will cost more than the iTV but it has the following advantages that I can see at the moment:

The mac mini would be fully independent of my laptop i so it could be a true media 'hub'. I can remove all my music, photos, movies from my laptop and also be able to work on my laptop whilst listening to music through my TV if I wanted.

It is a computer. At the moment I only have one computer and that is a bit of a precarious situation as a few years ago my laptop went down and I had nothing to work on.

You can use an eyeTV as a DVR without having to have a TV cable lead running throughout the house to get to your main computer.

I still think that this will sell well but I just think tha if you want a true digital hub then go for the mac mini. This isnt a hub, it is more of a prosthetic limb connected to your mac.

 

[Evangelion]

When this thing surpasses the capabilities of my Windows media center and Xbox 360 combo then I will be impressed. Until then Apple is playing catch up to MCE and playing it poorly.

How much did you pay for that MCE/Xbox-combo?

 

[h00ligan]

yah so basically it does what an xbox 360 can do - a la media center extender.. but you know.. nothing else.

no thanks.

 

[Jimmieboy]

Looks cool. i can't wai until they're relleased. Won't be getting one until I've moved outta home. Maybe I can convince my parents to get one for themselves so I can 'show them how it works."

 

[exactjack]

I'll Take Two Of These, Please

I am really struck by just how many really geeky, elitist, techno-snobs there are posting here who are more interested in bending the world around them to their shape, than in doing what a smart business -- like Apple -- does: They actually look at the vast sea of real customers, and create new products that will sell in large numbers. Apple's customer is not 'you,' Mister (or Ms.) TechnoGeek. The customer here is Jane and Joe Everyman... the same people now buying the vast majority of iMacs, minis, and iPods. And, from that view, that's me: Joe Everyman.

I watch video of all qualities, including really screwy VHS tapes from 10-years ago with lines flickering through the image. I also watch some hi-def, with most stuff being generally broadcast or commercial DVD quality. I watch it all, as I am really into the stories portrayed in these movies and shows, and care much less about the gem-like perfection of the image. If you'll go out into the middle-class neighborhoods of the world and talk to real families, you'll find a prevalence of this same attitude. "Quality" is secondary to content to the mass market.

You, Mister TechnoGeek, may have a home stuffed with leading edge electronics... 102 inch plasmas... gigbit Ethernet everywhere... dedicated rackmount media servers... whatever. I am proud for you. But, Joe and Jane are out here with a 20-inch TV in the bedroom connected to a 5 yr old VCR and a 1 yr old DVD player, and they have a 27-inch CRT set, or 52-inch rear projection set in the living room connected to a cable box, a 2 yr old VCR, and a new DVD player (not "progressive scan," either... the mid-priced one from Target). We see flat panel sets when we shop, and hear a few friends brag about them... we are talking about buying one. We have a nice PC in the corner or in the bedroom... or, we're thinking about replacing the old PC, and are aware of the new Apple products. We're 'hip' enough to use some technology, but we don't live it and breathe it. We are avid iPod/iTunes users, and iTunes store shoppers.

That all said, I now see Apple showing a little box that I can plug into the 52-inch set in the living room wiht one cable. And, magically I can now watch any video that's on our PC on that TV set... AND can control it all with a little simple remote control that works with the PC back in the bedroom. My response is, "Wow, that's cool!" And, despite my somewhat backwards appearance to the technology cogniscenti of the world, I actually do spend cash on cool grdagets from time to time... like that $350 iPod I own. I have that $299 sitting here to spend on something simple and cool like this iTV box.

Joe and Jane don't know that ElGato exists, and would never dream of trying to figure out how to start hanging peripherals off their PC and getting multiple doodads working together. They're just not into that sort of tinkering. They have real lives. And, they just want to plug something in, and instantly have it work. And, they want to just push a button or two, sit down on their sofa, and watch their videos of choice. No hassle.

Welcome to the next era of transitioning Joe and Jane away from real-time content and into the world of content on demand. Apple really did just fire the magic bullet by showing us this one elegantly simple end to end solution possibility.

If you don't get it, you're probably not in Apple's vast target demograpic for the iTunes Store or the iTV. I am. I get it. And, I want two of these right now... for the living room and the bedroom.

 

[h00ligan]

i dont' want to burst your bubble, but joe everyman doesn't own a mac, he owns a dell he bought fot $499 on teh intarweb super special.

apple sells things to gadgeteers and "artists"

aside from the ipod - they don't sell anything in quantity - and this isn't going to be an exception.

 

[Jimmieboy]

Calm down dude. Sure some people aren't going to know hopw to use these devices. Thats why if you can't use it don't buy it. I'm sure that most people have frinds or children that can figure out how to use a piece of technology.

 

[exactjack]

i dont' want to burst your bubble, but joe everyman doesn't own a mac, he owns a dell he bought fot $499 on teh intarweb super special.

apple sells things to gadgeteers and "artists"

aside from the ipod - they don't sell anything in quantity - and this isn't going to be an exception.

You're pretty wrong here. Apple sells iPods, song files, and TV show files in vast quantities. And, this product is aimed into that sea of 50,000,000+ existing Apple customers.

And, you must have missed that the iTV is OS agnostic. Any OS with an iTunes client works as the host PC. No "Mac" required.

I love the way Apple patiently sits back, watching a market evolve, then offers an affordable little gadget that eliminates the need for special skills, and replaces several products with just this one plug-and-play solution. That's how to take fringe technology and get mainstream acceptance. Love it...