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Apple Provides Sneak Peak Of Media Center

BillHarrison said:
Just because Apple hit a home run with that one, does not turn this into one. How about the "Apple" Digicam, it was just another digicam, what made it better?

How is that doing these days?
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Awww, c'mon Bill. The Quicktake is about 15 years old and that was way before Jobs came back from exile. Since the original iMac, Apple has rarely struck out on any product. Apple can't afford a big strike out.

Sure, not everything is a home run, but a double is still pretty good.

Here's my scorecard in no particular order.

G3 iMac - Grand Slam
toilet seat iBook - double
iceBook - Home Run
iPod - Grand Slam
iTMS - Grand Slam
Cube - strike out
G4 iMac - single
G4 PowerBook - triple
G5 PowerMac - triple
G5 iMac - double
Mac mini - triple
intel products - pending
iPod Boom Box - ground ball to second

Looks like a pretty good track record to me. YMMV.
 
A couple of folks have mentioned this already, but this thing does not just have to be a glorified video connector. Bandwidth of broadband goes higher and higher, and there are going to be uses for that bandwidth.

iChat--very glorified... live hi res (or not) video conferencing from your living room to any place on the planet.

iMovie/podcasts--streaming the grandkids' video to the grandparents' television--over the internet... People will buy that.

iTunes--being able to authorize the box and sign in to your media content at home (or on .mac) from any where that has the capability.

Apple's culture hasn't just about providing media content from artists and movie studios, but about users creating and sharing content.

The concept is already there (share your photos, podcasts etc. etc.) .mac or something like it could create the ability for everyone to become a television producer and "broadcast," on demand, to anyone on the planet. Think youtube on steroids--with hidef and Apple simplicity. iLife with a button to send your production to your family (integrated into addressbook, of course) and it shows up on their TV menu.

Think Different here! The possibilities are endless (and didn't Apple purchase some property like a big server farm a while back?)
 
I am reposting this comment from Slashdot as it echoes my thoughts perfectly. And also to the dude above, I was thinking the exact same thing about iChat... iChat AV through the television on Windows/Mac could be huge. But they would have to figure out the webcam part. Cant just build in an iSight if this thing sits below the TV.

---------
I downloaded The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy as a test.

- The movie is 1.22 GB, and downloaded in about 20 minutes on a 100 Mbps connection (Internet2).
- The movie was able to be played before downloading was finished, and could skip to anywhere in the content that was already complete.
- The content shows itself as being protected by "FairPlay Version: 2".
- The bitrate is 1.5Mbps.
- The framerate is 24fps.
- The audio on this particular movie is Protected AAC, stereo, 128kbps, 44.1kHz.
- The video on this particular movie is Protected H.264/AVC0 640x272 (Widescreen format, probably just 640x480 with the black bars eliminated).
- The video looks very good (indeed, "near DVD quality") on a high quality 20" LCD. (I'm not a "videophile", but this is absolutely more than watchable on a nice quality large TV or monitor, and I suspect most consumers would agree).
- The video can be played in QuickTime, and uses QuickTime Chapters for DVD chapters; chapters are also accessible in iTunes.
- The video file can be burned to a DVD, but you cannot burn the file as a video DVD.
- You can play the file on multiple computers (I *believe* up to three as opposed to five for music), or on an unlimited number of iPods (if the usage rights haven't changed with iTunes 7; I haven't looked through the terms - if someone knows this to be different please correct me. In any case, it's already less restrictive than Unbox).
- iTunes 7.0 requires QuickTime 7.1.3.
- Pretty much every movie I looked at was $9.99; some new releases were up to $14.99, but were cheaper if preordered.
- When used on a Mac in a media center configuration, or with the forthcoming iTV solution that will presumably be much like a video AirPort Express (and yes, I know it's not an AirPort Express, but it will probably act a lot like a AirPort Express functionally, except allowing the streaming of video to your TV), this will be a pretty compelling and vertically integrated solution for most consumers.
 
tack said:
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.
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I think you're mi9ssing apple's philosophy. Why build an expensive device, that can potentially cost as much as a conmputer, and have all the parts of a computer without all the functionality of a computer? Apple's philosophy with products is exhibited here as well as in the iPods. Why don't iPods have FM Tuners, voice recorders, electric shavers, lint removers and cat grooming kits built in? Because apple would make a product that is insanely great at doing one thing thatn make a product that is undeniably mediocre at doing everything. Back to the iTV, this is a device designed to decode media into streams that a TV can use, nothing more, nothing less. Perhaps it will have a record capability that is as yet unannounced, who knows? As far as I'm concerned, apple's doing the right thing in making a quality product that excels at what it does and doesn't try to be a jack of all trades.
 
I have seen many post where OPs compare iTv with the iPod.
The brilliance with iPod was that its simplicity and it was compatible with all macs.
My question is: don't you need a 802.11n WiFi card to make the streaming possible? If so, doesn't that imply that you need a spanking new Mac/PC in order to use iTV? Assuming this is correct, it will put a serious cap on the potential buyers.
 
SPUY767 said:
Except that that thing would take an MIT PhD to figure out whereas residents of a nursing home should be able to figure out th iTV, so long as they are not red/green color blind.
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And you base this on? How simple is the iTV to install and stream too? Ever used one? For that matter, ever used the Linksys extender?

My guess is you are exaggerating on both ends :D
 
BenK01 said:
Think Different here! The possibilities are endless (and didn't Apple purchase some property like a big server farm a while back?)
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Yeah, I have been thinking that one reason for the delay in this product until early next year, might be that we will see fairly tight interconnection between the iTV and iLife '07. Much in the same way that Front Row pulls its photo content from iPhoto, we may see new features of this box that only make sense with iLife.

Of course this may pose some problems with the statements that it'll work with Mac or PC, unless it's similar to how Windows iTunes was previously unable to sync Calendars, Contacts and photos. The base functionality is there, but it works better with a Mac.

B

Dr.Gargoyle said:
My question is: don't you need a 802.11n WiFi card to make the streaming possible? If so, doesn't that imply that you need a spanking new Mac/PC in order to use iTV? Assuming this is correct, it will put a serious cap on the potential buyers.
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The iTV box clearly has both Ethernet and USB ports. Either could be used for wired connectivity. If it does require 802.11n, I'm sure Apple will oblige by giving you a nice new Airport Extreme or Express like box you can hook up to your Mac via plain old Ethernet.

B
 
A must have feature for iTV is wake on lan. I don't want to run my iMac up in my home office 24x7 (rather than having it 'sleep' when I'm not using it). iTV should be able to issue a wake on lan command to my iMac so that when I try and browse pictures or music stored on my iMac from the living room I don't have to run upstairs and turn the thing on.
 
h00ligan said:
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.
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Didn't the keynote mention it would be PC and MAC?
 
balamw said:
I think his point was the $499 Dell owner might think twice about a $299 add on to his PC.

B
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Gotcha, but the fact that this seems to be the "Living Room" piece of the puzzle would mean their business plan is to do the same thing they've done with the iPod which sold big once it was PC compatible. So "Joe Dell Owner" can stream his media from his Dell, opening the possibility of a larger market than just Mac owners. Whether the plan works or not is certainly debateable, but its obviously what they are wanting to do with this business-wise.
 
Chundles said:
My 1.2GHz iBook handles any H.264 around 480p just fine, it chokes on the higher HD resolutions though. 640x480 plays just fine at 1.3mbps.

This thing is soooo getting a USB port somewhere on it to plug in an iPod and will boast on-screen navigation for all the iPod's content. That'd be sweet for people like me without all the top technology. Rip some DVDs to the iPod then plug the iPod into the iTV and use the remote to navigate.

Of course, Apple could just get off their arse and update the 5G software to output the interface to a TV via the Universal Dock. If it did that I'd probably start whinging now to get one for my birthday.
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Yes, chundles, but your iBook is using software decoding to decode the H.264 stream, this device is clearly going to use a dedicated H.264 decoder chip and will thus have no problems decoding the highest resolution streams, i.e. 1080i.
 
BillHarrison said:
Just because Apple hit a home run with that one, does not turn this into one. How about the "Apple" Digicam, it was just another digicam, what made it better?

How is that doing these days?
Click to expand...


Are you comparing the quicktake, originally released in 1992 to a ive/Jobs era product? Get a clue.
 
BillHarrison said:
And you base this on? How simple is the iTV to install and stream too? Ever used one? For that matter, ever used the Linksys extender?

My guess is you are exaggerating on both ends :D
Click to expand...

I helped a friend set up the Linksys unit and it's a pain in the ass. it's dangerous to assume anything, but I think that we can safely assume that the iTV will be a plug and play device.
 
balamw said:
The iTV box clearly has both Ethernet and USB ports. Either could be used for wired connectivity. If it does require 802.11n, I'm sure Apple will oblige by giving you a nice new Airport Extreme or Express like box you can hook up to your Mac via plain old Ethernet.
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I am quite sure there will be a wired work-around, but doesnt this fail the original concept? This snag and the fact that iTV doesnt replace the DVR, makes me think that future of iTV might not be as glorious as some posters have suggested.
 
Dr.Gargoyle said:
I am quite sure there will be a wired work-around, but doesnt this fail the original concept? This snag and the fact that iTV doesnt replace the DVR, makes me think that future of iTV might not be as glorious as some posters have suggested.
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Thats why Apple need to release the Mac Pro Mini.

Also, where do most people have their aerials for TV. Living room - not with their Mac. So you need a Mac in the living room to begin with.
 
aswitcher said:
Thats why Apple need to release the Mac Pro Mini.

Also, where do most people have their aerials for TV. Living room - not with their Mac. So you need a Mac in the living room to begin with.
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I couldn't agree more.
However I would prefer a beefed up Mini with 3.5'' HD, Tv-tuner and frontrow on steriods. Perhaps, even doubling as an Airport Extreme.
Still I can see the need for a downsized Mac Pro. The gap between the Mini and the Pro is ...big...very very big.
 
Where's "bluetooth"?

Though it's argued back and forth, I'm surprised I don't see any mention of "bluetooth" being supported on this.

The state of bluetooth should be at the point of supporting good stereo headphones. That would seem worthwhile. to me.

That would also be a key attraction for some audio use.
 
What A Come - Back!

This is a GREAT COME-BACK to the iTV debate!

dcranston said:
Does this thread remind anyone of the original iPod thread?

"gee! an mp3 player with a HD! how original! kinda reminds me of a JUKEBOX i once knew."

vs.

"What a disappointment... I guess Apple is just trying to stave off the competition from the media capabilities of Windows Media Center and XBOX."

--

"There are already two products similar to this on the market. The Nomad Jukebox and the Archos Jukebox which can come with a 20 gig HD [4x the storage]. Apple is playing catch-up."

vs.

"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."

--

"I have a Nomad Jukebox with a 6gig hardrive and it only cost me $250. It works great and syncs fine with the computer and the transfer is relativley fast. I don't know what the big deal is. So...it works well with apple's software....big deal, anyone can do that. There is nothing there of interest."

vs.

"Yawn. How is this any different than my DSM-520 running along side my TVersity sever? It can handle just about every single codec/format I throw at it and is linked via usb 2.0 to my 500GB Western Digital MyBook. Yes Divx, TS, VOD, Pictures, Music, you name it. The D-Link was under $200...and released nearly a whole year before this locked down proprietary (you know it will definitely not be supporting the UPnP AV / DLNA standard) iTV nonesense. This is nothing new people...we've been streaming media from servers to our TVs for quite some time"

--

"Not revolutionary. Big capacity mp3 players already exist. With Creative Labs' entrance into the firewire arena, future nomads will have similar specs and better prices."

vs.

"For $300 I built a Windows MCE box that plays back 1080i content flawlessly thanks to an GeForce 6600 and Nvidia's excellent Purevideo decoder which means GPU-assisted decoding negating the need for an expensive CPU. Doesn't get any better than MCE + MyMovies right now, sorry."

--

yeah... clearly the options out there are amazing! Just go purchase a gaming console and configure the network for it, set up some streaming content from your PC and you're good to go. Nevermind the fact that the interface isn't built for this content, the setup is horrendous, the device is loud and huge, it won't stream iTunes content, and it costs the same. Better yet, build your own! Now we're talking the 90% case!

I think those that understand that folks who start subscribing to season passes, downloading content to iTunes, importing DVDs on their machines... these are the folks this device will work for. Without any extra work, it's now available on your TV. Subscribe to the daily show? $10/month and you have every episode in the living room.

I understand the use and necessity of DVRs at the current moment in time, but the concept exists only due to a restriction from the existing state of media. 300+ channels, all scheduled out by 30-minute time slots? This is a relic of an old era. I have a TiVO and I love it, but I can see the future is away from this, and this device puts apple right there ready for it.
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Just a Thought

Most people now recieve broadband via a combined modem router unit, often with wifi onboard. Most companies seem to offer these with their better packages. As they are stand alone and don't require an active computer to run.

Now take the iTV with a decent amount of onboard NAND (4GB). It sync with your iTunes account what media you own the rights to, so if your macs off, whats to stop the iTV accessing the movies directly from the internet rather than your computer, in a smilar manner to .mac. The data ammount this would need probably wouldn't be suitable for music but it would work for movies or for photo's on .mac.

Just a thought. Would be good with a new airport base station. (replace the dialup with dsl) - actually the unit i'm using now looks like a mac ripoff.
http://digital-lifestyles.info/display_page.asp?section=distribution&id=3404 - phone optional
 
I'm excited about this new product. I don't know if I'll use it or not though. I had already been thinking of getting a mac mini for my living room and the basement tv sometime, to use with front row to play any videos, music, and also show pictures that I have on my computer. This gives me all of that for far less than a mac mini, just $299.
The only thing is my idea is also I could use it as a living room computer. I'm not really interested in being able to do actual computer work such as with Adobe, etc. that I use for my job. It's mainly for something simple like web browsing. I think if they simply build in a web browser that would be a great thing.
Someone mentioned earlier they hope the Macs aren't ignored. I hope Apple never does this. I just switched from PC's a few days ago and it's great. It's great to see them forming into such a media company and it does tie in great with the Mac.
 
macdragonfl said:
I think that what so great about this product and it's potential for sales is to existing mac customers, who I expect will buy in groves. It saves you from another computer to play content you already have, and at a lower price point than a mac mini.
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How do you figure? You still need a computer to play content to the iTV. iTV only works with iTunes or QuickTime, how are you going to play content from those applications if you don't have a computer.

I still just see iTV as a wireless ADC/HDMI cable to the TV set. It is a good idea and it does give Apple a complete solution from download to your TV. But I think it is way over priced.

I would rather use on-demand or directv ppv with DVR. It is a lot cheaper and it is true 720p or 1080i resolution with 1080p on the horizon. PPV on DirecTV costs all of $3.99 a movie. The equipment is usually discounted or free with a subscription.
 
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