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Apple Set Top Box (iBox) Rumors Revived?

Originally posted by Flowbee
The Tivo interface is very simple to use.
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I had heard that too but I think that your statement is a matter of opinion. I have found the TiVo program guide far more difficult to scroll through than my Sony satellite receiver. Perhaps it is my Pioneer model that has a difficult program guide but regardless, I think the digital recording process could be far easier on my brand new 810H TiVo receiver.

That said, the TiVo menu itself (not the program guide) is pretty easy but I think it still doesn't rival Mac GUI simplicity. It still has too many levels and submenus. There is plenty of room for improvement.
 
Re: Re: TiVo is barely surviving

Originally posted by JoeRadar
Apple has always done a good job of taking concepts and making people "get it". GUI personal computers, desktop publishing, iPod, 99 cent songs, etc. Maybe Apple can help people "get it" for PVRs.

However... One major problem I see is that the cable and satellite companies want to control this market, and most of them have or plan to introduce their own set-top boxes with hard disks. Apple will have to do a delicate dance with the likes of Rupert Murdoch.
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Bingo, there is a lot of interest in creating a service that requires you to open your wallet every month and fork out $10-20. Even if Apple wanted to create a set top box that would record, they would face a great deal of resistance from companies that they partner with on numerous projects (read: iTMS) who want subscription fees.

While Apple could create a super cool box that does not require subscription, like ReplayTV on steroids with a Mac interface, I think it would raise quite a few eyebrows. I'd venture to guess that this is exactly why Steve Jobs publicly denounced this idea already. Quite a few companies would say to Apple, "keep your nose out of our business."
 
Originally posted by Phobophobia
Apple will not make this product. Not only is there not much demand, THERE IS NO PROFITABILITY!
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I'd have to disagree with you here. We're not talking about a super expensive piece off hardware to construct. It's a cheap chip with a modest amount of memory and a few big hard drives, there's plenty of room for profit.
 
Originally posted by jwtseng
Aren't we allowed to dream and vent? I personally don't believe any rumors about Apple, but I still find them especially entertaining. Too many people here get so caught up with who's right and who's wrong, that they forget that the same reason has brought us all here, naysayers and rumormongers alike. It's this curiousity and desire to be part of the unexplainable and sometimes irrational love/hate relationship that it means to be a Macintosh user.

I'll believe this buzz about the iBox when I can order one with my credit card AND it arrives at my doorstep. I remember my first Titanium PB was about 4 months in the coming. I didn't think I would ever get it.

But isn't it fun to wish and hope?
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Mmmm, warm and fuzzy
 
Originally posted by Lazzyass86
What would be neat if you could use a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and use it as a mac, or at least browse the web.

And there is a market for it, if Apple can price it right.
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IMO, there is absolutely no point to creating any sort of TV device that doesn't have a remote control. Any other interface for a TV device would be useless. TV usability 101, no one wants to use a mouse to watch TV.
 
i'd have to disagree. if you were to watch TV with it, you could have a remote, and a mouse. probably not as one, but you could do both separately. mouse and keyboard won't be the only way to use it.
 
Originally posted by bennetsaysargh
i think this should be a low end box that plugs into the TV. can't do powerful stuff like photoshop, but it can run the iLife suite, safari, iChat AV, plug in an iSight.
figure
1 Ghz G3 or maybe 1 Ghz G4.
100GB HD to start maybe
bluetooth
airport extreme
1 firewire
2 usb 2.0
tons of ports for audio and video
superdrive.

i seriously think that if you can plug in a VCR like you would a dv camcorder you can edit your old home video on VHS in iMovie and burn it to a DVD with the special version of iDVD.

piracy might be an issue, but i think it will do more good than bad. you can already do this, plug a vcr into an adapter or something and use a camcorder as a bridge to import movies onto a computer, but this would be good for my dad and his want to put some home videos on DVD, even though i probably wouldn't get an iBox:(
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I'm really not sure how what you're describing is different than an eMac.
 
Don't know if this has been mentioned of not but one of the last times there was a Settop box rumor it was called "Columbus" and would bridge the Old world with the New world....
Turns out it was a CHRP-like logic board which was the bases for powerbooks and the then new iMac.
and it used a "New World" ROM.

It wouldn't surprise me if this isn't just a cheap, headless Mac which packs more of a punch than the old Perfomas did during their time.

What better way to celebrate the 20 Anniversary of the Mac than to make it cheap and desirable enough that anyone (anyONE!) would plunk down some change to buy it.
Of course, the only catch would be that it would have to be cheaper than an iPod is now and the iPod would have to be reduced in price, also.
Right now, the most expensive iPod costs more than most headless PCs do right now.

If all this happens... cool. If only some of it is the case, alright. If none of it happens...dangit, Jim, why not?
 
i would love it if i could put the box on the tv, and transmit quicktime movies , itunes, iphoto, and record tv into my mac ....that would be perfection.
 
Originally posted by Frisco
I will definately be one the first in line for an iBox. Not that I really need one, but to have the Apple Logo on top of my TV would be so cool!
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No offense but people like you scare me on multiple levels.
icon_neutral.gif
 
If the iBox works with windows, I can make one prediction:

iPhoto for Windows

If the iBox streams pictures via iPhoto, I think apple will release iPhoto for windows.

also, I got one more prediction:

This is the iPod of media players, top of the line, and if it could be affordable, it will sell. But if it has a Superdrive, I dont think we will see it for under $1000 judging by the cost of the Pioneer Tivo DVD recorder.
 
Originally posted by bennetsaysargh
i think this should be a low end box that plugs into the TV. can't do powerful stuff like photoshop, but it can run the iLife suite, safari, iChat AV, plug in an iSight.
figure
1 Ghz G3 or maybe 1 Ghz G4.
100GB HD to start maybe
bluetooth
airport extreme
1 firewire
2 usb 2.0
tons of ports for audio and video
superdrive.
Click to expand...
]

That is not a low end box, that is a eMac with a TV as a monitor
 
I don't think Apple could sell enough of these to make a profit... but I guess as a temporary Anniversary thing maybe.
Make them for 6th Months, then stop. Instant collectables.
--
My greatest wish is that this is just the rumors of the G5 cube spun way off to keep the Rumor mongers on a wild goose chase.
 
Originally posted by jwtseng
Actually with good caching and compression algorithms, it is possible to have streaming video over 802.11g. I am doing this very thing right now with my two ReplayTV boxes. Each RTV can watch shows from the other over 802.11g at the same time. I can even be streaming video to my PowerBook using DVarchive at the same time.
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Interesting. And there aren't any noticable compression artifacts introduced? Last I heard, 802.11a/g (~30Mbps usable real-life bandwidth, but little to no QOS) wasn't able to provide enough low-latency bandwidth for a DVD-quality MPEG2 stream (~6Mbps). Moreover, if you actually use your network for anything else, there is no prioritizing of the video bandwidth, which can quite quickly dip far below that required for reasonable-quality video. Granted, though, it's been a while since I've seen anyone trying to stream video over 802.11a/g networks.

But, all theory aside, if it works, it works! :)
 
Re: Form factor

Originally posted by gotohamish
Just to add a thought on the iBox and the form factor of it - why would it be pizza box?

Firstly, more and more people are going flat screen with their tvs, and even though they're not for the masses yet, they will be within two years - so why not design a peripheral for your tv that fits the slim design of a TV?

I saw wall mounted DVD players in Tokyo - that could be an interesting hub point for Apple.
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Hmmm. Well, IMHO, doing a "wall mount" box would seriously diminish Apple's target audience. Yes, there are more and more folks with thin screens (15" rear-projections with no ledge on top for stuff to sit on or 5" plasma/LCD screens that mount on a stand or a wall), but even so the majority of these folks have their really expensive monitors hooked into some sort of multi-speaker surround sound system. Which means, even if the TV is thin, you've got a "rack" or at least a Dolby/DTS converter box sitting nearby somewhere ... which is where the iBox can sit.

Require a vertical mount, and you end up either perching that iBox on its side atop a stack of horizontal components (a guaranteed failure of a design ... ask Gateway ...), or forcing your customers to sacrifice wall space which very well may not be available.

It would be cool to be able to mount the box either way, but the optical drive makes that kind of design hard ... not many optical drives do just as well vertically as horizontally ...
 
Originally posted by xtremdav45
If the iBox works with windows, I can make one prediction:

iPhoto for Windows

If the iBox streams pictures via iPhoto, I think apple will release iPhoto for windows.
Click to expand...

i think the whole iLife suite is coming to windows. it has to be. they had to have another reason to start selling the boxes.
iTunes is just the first part of the puzzle. next will probably be iPhoto. not to mention the belkin media reader. if you could use it on windows like you could on a mac (with iPhoto), that'd be great.
 
Originally posted by bennetsaysargh
i think the whole iLife suite is coming to windows. it has to be.
Click to expand...
Apple has to find ways to derive revenue from the Applications. iTunes for free helps promote iPod and iTMS revenue.

I am not so certain about iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD.

I like the iBox idea. Spooling my iTunes to my living room stereo, turning on a iPhoto slideshow on my new HD TV (yet to be purchased), and pulling, on demand, movies I have created with iMovie and sitting on my Mac sounds like a great idea.

But I am concerned that moving these applications over to Windows will hurt Mac sales.
 
Originally posted by JoeRadar
I like the iBox idea. Spooling my iTunes to my living room stereo, turning on a iPhoto slideshow on my new HD TV (yet to be purchased), and pulling, on demand, movies I have created with iMovie and sitting on my Mac sounds like a great idea.

But I am concerned that moving these applications over to Windows will hurt Mac sales.
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There are alternatives of course. Like sell the windows versions for $50 but only to iBox owners. That kind of thing. (The same could be possible with iSight+iChatAV for Windows.) Then at least anyone who likes iPhoto has to have a Mac or an iBox.

(I'm still all for Apple software everywhere - by using Cocoa internally to minimise the development costs. Run it on multiple platforms (start with Windows & Linux), and charge an amount necessary to make a profit.
 
i really hope apple does announce the ibox. i was planing to build my own out of parts scavenged from a blue and white G3 and making my own aluminum enclosure for it. i will definatly buy one when(please, please!!) they are announced.

im wondering about what kind of copyright protections apple will build into this thing? because if im thinking about this correctly, you could theoretically record anything onto the hard drive, including imput from say a dvd player. so if you wanted to, you could hook up your dvd player to it, rent a dvd, watch it(while recording it) then burn it onto another dvd via the superdrive and have it forever. sure it wont be dvd quality, but neither is divx. so this could be a numnuts way of pirating dvd's, cause i sure dont know how to do it on my powerbook.

also, will the ibox be able to be registered as a "computer" to play your iTMS purchaces?

what do you think about being able to edit the recorded streams? if i want to say, cut out the commercials from a southpark episode or something, will i have to send it to my poweerbook, edit, send back and burn? (i have a 800mhz powerbook, only a combo drive)

but like i said, id want one either way
 
i really hope apple does announce the ibox. i was planing to build my own out of parts scavenged from a blue and white G3 and making my own aluminum enclosure for it. i will definatly buy one when(please, please!!) they are announced.

im wondering about what kind of copyright protections apple will build into this thing? because if im thinking about this correctly, you could theoretically record anything onto the hard drive, including imput from say a dvd player. so if you wanted to, you could hook up your dvd player to it, rent a dvd, watch it(while recording it) then burn it onto another dvd via the superdrive and have it forever. sure it wont be dvd quality, but neither is divx. so this could be a numnuts way of pirating dvd's, cause i sure dont know how to do it on my powerbook.

also, will the ibox be able to be registered as a "computer" to play your iTMS purchaces?

what do you think about being able to edit the recorded streams? if i want to say, cut out the commercials from a southpark episode or something, will i have to send it to my poweerbook, edit, send back and burn? (i have a 800mhz powerbook, only a combo drive)

but like i said, id want one either way
 
Originally posted by Dstreelm
i really hope apple does announce the ibox. i was planing to build my own out of parts scavenged from a blue and white G3 and making my own aluminum enclosure for it. i will definatly buy one when(please, please!!) they are announced.

im wondering about what kind of copyright protections apple will build into this thing? because if im thinking about this correctly, you could theoretically record anything onto the hard drive, including imput from say a dvd player. so if you wanted to, you could hook up your dvd player to it, rent a dvd, watch it(while recording it) then burn it onto another dvd via the superdrive and have it forever. sure it wont be dvd quality, but neither is divx. so this could be a numnuts way of pirating dvd's, cause i sure dont know how to do it on my powerbook.

also, will the ibox be able to be registered as a "computer" to play your iTMS purchaces?

what do you think about being able to edit the recorded streams? if i want to say, cut out the commercials from a southpark episode or something, will i have to send it to my poweerbook, edit, send back and burn? (i have a 800mhz powerbook, only a combo drive)

but like i said, id want one either way
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http://home.comcast.net/~appleguru/dvdrip.html
 
digital AV i/o

The neat thing that an "iBox" could have is digital audio and video outputs and inputs, both coaxial and optical. If you could plug it into a satellite or a digital cable box, the iBox would not have to "do TV". It would also be great to have a compressed file standard that includes true 5.1 or 6 channel sound like DVD audio delivers.
 
ibox

My dream is for Apple to release this ibox with full airport capabilities, but have it work like TIVO.
It would be great to replace my TIVO and DVD player with a Pretty ibox that works with my Powerbook.
 
It seems to me that the iBox that MacOSX.com mentioned is less like a TiVos and more like a Windows Media Center PC. If Apple was able to release a Media Center PC for a lot less than a Wintel based machine they would have a winner.

As someone that would like to in the near future buy a media system that would allow me to play DVDs, play MP3s, watch personal videos and pictures, I would be very interested in purchasing something like the iBox.

I do believe there is a future in Media Center PCs just based on what the average user does with a computer involves mostly viewing the internet and personal videos and photos, play music, burning CDs and DVDs. All witch can be done with something with like the iBox. What I don't like about current Media Center PCs (for the exception of the Gateway FMC-901) is that the enclosure of the devise is to much like a computer and the price. If I was going to spend money on a Media Center PC I would prefer not to spend well over $1000 and look like a PC.

Now if the MacOSX.com specs are close to what an iBox would be the iBox would kill the competition based on price and packaging (let alone a far better interface). But as a longtime Mac user (as many of you are) Mac has never been know for being a cheap alternative rather well package, different and easy to use.

That said the iBox would still be cheaper than the windows competition just based on the specs of it. Windows Media Center PCs seem to be poorly spec'd and it seems to me that Microsoft is charging an arm and a leg for the Windows Media Center OS. Just based on the specs given by MacOSX.com and the specs and price of the current eMac I would say that the Superdrive based iBox would be no cheaper than $800 which would still be way cheaper than any Wintel based Media Center.

All that said I really don't see the iBox being released on Tuesday but if it does there would be a nice new home for one at my place.

Scott
 
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