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Haven't read the entire thread, but it seems the usefulness of this is largely dependent on what your existing setup includes.

But this is exactly the product I'd go out and buy as soon as it comes out. Not worried about the whole TV / PVR thing, as our cable box has HD storage, and tivo like functionality (pause / FF / RW etc) (Telewest in the UK).

We basically have a wi-fi powerbook in the house - never got airtunes, as it still needed to be controlled from the powerbook, rather than the stereo.

But something like the Front Row UI on the tv screen, that can pull up our music library on the TV screen in the living room, and play it through the main stereo, and pull up photos / slideshows etc straight onto the tv screen, rather than laptop, from the sofa, will be brilliant.
 
Manic Mouse said:
Does anyone else think that $300 (or £200+) is too much for what is a glorified WiFi module with a few ports on the back? You can buy a core 360 for the same price which includes real hardware. Surely $200 would be a much more realistic price?

I could imagine quite a few would agree.
 
AvSRoCkCO1067 said:
You really think that Apple would include a non-activated USB port? :p
No, but just like the the Airport Express, it's uses might be far more limited than you might expect. I'd love to be able to plug in a HDD to my Aiport Express and use it as a NAS, but that's not supported. :p

B
 
I Think $299 Is Exactly The Right Price

Manic Mouse said:
Does anyone else think that $300 (or £200+) is too much for what is a glorified WiFi module with a few ports on the back? You can buy a core 360 for the same price which includes real hardware. Surely $200 would be a much more realistic price?
While he was pitching it, I thought "it should cost $299" - then he said $299. So no I don't think $299 is too much. Seems just right to me.
 
Clive At Five said:
There's a MUCH more systematic way that Apple could name this product.

"AirPort" is derrived from "Air" (being the medium through which the device works) and "Port" (gateway to aforementioned medium)

So this iTV box:

The medium through which the device works is Television and the device is a gateway to the Television so add "port" to the end. Thus...

I herby propose "TelePort."

hahah.

TelePort.

And you thought "AirPort" was bad.

LOL - we already have teleport here in the UK!
 
no one ever answered my question.

Won't we all have to get new computers to use the itv? Since streaming will be done through wireless "n", all of apple's current computers wouldn't work. This sounds like a deal stopper to me.
 
allexsimmons said:
Won't we all have to get new computers to use the itv? Since streaming will be done through wireless "n", all of apple's current computers wouldn't work. This sounds like a deal stopper to me.
I'm sure if "n" is necessary Apple will be happy to sell us a box that connects to the Ethernet or USB port of your existing Macs to connect them to an "n" network.

Personally, I intend to use the wired connection when I get my iTV.

B
 
allexsimmons said:
no one ever answered my question.

Won't we all have to get new computers to use the itv? Since streaming will be done through wireless "n", all of apple's current computers wouldn't work. This sounds like a deal stopper to me.
It has an ethernet jack and "n" adapters will still be compatible with a/b/g most likely.
 
iTV has a hard drive!

From IPOD OBSERVER ON 9/19/06
CEO Bob Iger revealed that he has seen Apple's upcoming iTV device in action and that it has a hard drive, a feature that many assumed would be missing. He said: "It can also stream it live through the box to the TV or it has a small hard drive on it so they can download what you put on the device on your computer, on your iTunes, through the television set."

Describing the device in response to an analyst's question, Mr. Iger noted: "It's a small box about the size of a novel, and not War and Peace, by the way. It plugs into the television like any other peripheral would, like a DVD device. It's wireless. It detects the presence of computers in your home; in a very simple way you designate the computer you want to feed it and it wirelessly feeds whatever you downloaded on iTunes which include videos, TV, music videos, movies or your entire iTunes music library to your television set."

In the transcript obtained by iPodObserver.com, Mr. Iger continued: "So it is relatively easy to use, simple kind of plug and play, relatively easy. Actually extremely easy remote control device, DVD quality, not HD quality at this point. I find it to be pretty compelling. I saw it in a living room setting. It felt like a game changer to me in many respects, and as a content provider we are, that was very exciting."

He concluded: "What I like about it, by the way, it may be an opportunity to actually charge people for a TVR experience. In that if they've forgotten to set their TiVo device or their TVR or they just have no plan to do it but they want to watch an episode that they missed, they can go to iTunes, buy it for $1.99, [send it] to the set-top box source wirelessly and watch it on the television."

http://www.ipodobserver.com/story/28489
 
Neat that it has a harddrive makes it a compelling standalone device, sorta amazing at $299.
But where goes Iger come off as the spokesman for Apple revealing product secrets? Is this an intentional leak or is Iger trying to have a bigger role in Apple. I've got to admit, I'm skeptical of Iger's motives since they broadcast "Path to 9/11".
 
Just seen an ad here in the UK for Sky Plus. It seems now you can record programmes via your mobile phone if you're not at home.

Apple's offering is fast becoming less appealing...
 
exactjack said:
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.


i like your post :) and it is true.

my parents only have a dvd player recently because my brother got one from his work for them. they don't even know why there's an apple on my computer and what the difference is with a dell from the supermarket.'it looks expensive ' that's what they tell.

all those early adopters and geeks may excel in their wisdom with gadgettery, tho they have limited empathy to live in the role of joe everyman, and can't leave their own view on something to see what this is made for. i sometimes wonder why they aren't more frustrated and left apple to do some linux. but then again, apple is hip and has a 'standing', especially for early adopters.

i would love to buy one, it looks so easy.
 
So a couple of questions.
Will the "iTV" only play video from your Itunes liberary? What about your other videos....:rolleyes:
Will you be able to use a device like WinTV-USB2 with it?
 
kristoffer4 said:
So a couple of questions.
Will the "iTV" only play video from your Itunes liberary? What about your other videos....:rolleyes:
Will you be able to use a device like WinTV-USB2 with it?

It seems pretty obvious from the presentation that it will act much like FrontRow - which let's you access anything in your movies folder too - and then again, how much programming would it take to offer this extra? - 5 minutes by some XCode Geek and it's done. Relax & enjoy :)
I'm buying one unseen. :)

Oh, and "jeez, how much I just agree with what exactjack said above!!"
 
I hope to see the iTV and iTunes able to play more formats, such as AVI, DIVX, WMV etc

Then no matter what format you downloaded a video clip in you could watch it on iTV, i dont even mind if iTunes Converted it like it does with WMAs

It would be nice to do a deal with Google video and or You Tube to get those videos on iTV, iTunes and iPod
 
I hope to see an european launch as soon as possible, mainly because the market is totally different than in America, to Apple's advantage. Let me say some things about TV in Belgium:

Digital televsion was launched this year, but a lot of families don't have that yet. Now you can choose for a normal analog line (one provider) or digital (two providers who offer premium services, too)

SD is standard, HD is non existent. This will change soon for digital television, but for now HD is very very rare, even though quite some people have HD capable tv's. Because no one has ever seen HD, they underestimate the difference between HD and SD (they are happy the way it is now)

When most people hear "Tivo", they think it's some kind exotic disease. Most people use VHS casettes to record stuff, a minority use DVD or hard drive DVD players. Most of the things recorded end up unwatched in a box or something.

Blu Ray and HD DVD is seen as science fiction

A lot of people use iTunes+iPod

The introduction of videos on iTS along with the introduction of the iTV could boost sales/ media coverage for both. We are still awaiting TV shows and Music Videos

My $ 0,02: If Apple releases the iTV+iTS video/movies in Europe within the next half year, they could become a serious competitor with other distribution channels, and rule the living room for the next decennium
 
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