hh,
All good thoughts. A few notes. You can get the DVR functionality you seek (even a 2 HDTV tuner) with Elgato's great hardware/software solutions.
Understood; my PM G5 is using the AlchemyTV PCI-X card. My general point here is that there's going to be an NTSC-->ATSC transition market and cheap ATSC tuners haven't yet hit the market (despite the Government's promises). As such, doing the bit extra to have the device qualify for the Federal rebate ($40) becomes simply another small incentive.
The only general problem with this approach is that the consumer base isn't the price-insensitive 'early adopters' that Apple likes (since they've already purchased HDTVs), plus there's probably some DRM issues the Studios which is why Apple restricted their output ports.
Ripping DVDs is a agonizingly slow process. But it too can be done (faster) by the much more powerful processor in the central Mac vs. trying to get the ripping done in the dedicated (weaker) processor of the Apple TV.
Agreed. I was unclear, for which I apologize. My intent here was that the DVDs would be ripped on the host computer (not the aTV), which would also be the master storage location too.
However, the main thing is that this DVD-ripping needs to be brought into the very friendly UI of Apple supported "iTunes(next)", instead of it being a 3rd party (Handbrake) that can be intimidating for the average user...it needs to be as intuitive and easy-to-understand as importing CDs for songs has been for advocating the iPod.
I can grasp why Apple didn't build it with 1080p capabilities right out of the gate (the potential movie files sizes to download (and store if you are buying them) are HUGE). Even at higher-speed bandwith, there would probably not be immediate gratification of choosing a 1080p movie via a rental/buy list on Apple TV, so that you could start watching it just a few seconds later.
Agreed. This appears to predominantly be a "current state of bandwidth" issue.
But, I'm with you on the point that the hardware should be 1080p capable, letting the user decide...Apparently, Apple wanted to choose for us by trying to strike some kind of arbitrary balance between max possible resolution and file size. However, they shouldn't be in the business of choosing for us with something like this.
IMO, an underlying theme (subconciously or not) of 'think different' is 'freedom of choice'. As such, there's nothing wrong with specifying a certain default, but with options.
BTW, something that would be quite clever to do would be to download the on-demand movie in 1080i, and then have the system to replace the 1080i version with 1080p during idle bandwidth time (eg, overnight). My main point is that smart people can figure out ways to make this work for 2007-2010.
I think your "fifth" factor {how is this product really going to change my viewing habits?} is well within reach, if Apple could just convince the content owners to play ball. Instead, it is looking like Apple is digging in, trying to force them to adhere to what Apple thinks is best. I begrudgingly think Apple should be the one to play ball, creating options for those that own the content to price it as they see fit (it is their content after all).
While I agree, I also have to disagree: a mainstay of Apple's consumer strength comes from making stuff simple, and complex pricing schemes utterly turns consumers off. To that end, I think that Apple's message to the content owners of "Agree to a Pay one Price struture, or go do it yourself" has merit. Plus, Apple understands the concept of the "long tail" business model, including that it is more profitable, where the content owners do not...they're still stuck in the pre-digital age.
If the content providers are foolish enough to price themselves out of the market, iTunes buyers won't buy. If they can't make money at high prices, prices will come down.
Unfortunately, the reality with US Copyright laws is such that they have a legislated content Monopoly and until that changes, they have no incentive to change ... including to run their businesses more efficiently. The stark reality is that they will continue to be illogically greedy and short term, and would rather kill their own Golden Goose than to sell its eggs ... and of course, they will then blame everyone but themselves for their own self-created problems.
Demand will make for a better policing mechanism than Apple digging in its heels. I'm as big an Apple fan as anyone, but if I was one of these content houses, I wouldn't want Apple (or Best Buy or Walmart, etc.) dictating prices to me either.
Demand only works in a competitive market. Copyright law creates monopolies, which are non-competitive in nature. The only way for the consumer to regain any leverage would be through a massive (and successful), boycot on purchases of content, which would also have to be sustained until Congress stops accepting lobbying dollars from big business. The problem today is in timing: based on the 1998 revision, the next time that a copyright extension will be lobbied for probably won't happen until around 2017...yeah, ten years from now.
We are more likely to have it all struck down as unconstitutional, based on the "120 year" periods now allowed being in violation of the original contitutional intent (back in 1790, a copyright lasted only 28 years total).
Indeed. Sorry about my copyright rant, but I do see it as a linchpin to the problems that the consumer is having today with his freedom to use his purchased content (fair use), both for near term and far term. It is amazing to realize that some pop songs from World War I (Irving Berlin) aren't even yet public domain.
...Could it be better. Absolutely. 1080p and 5.1 are at the top of my own list. But, with the help of other tools (elgato, handbrake, metaX, HDV camcorder, digital camera, etc)- all working with the central Mac, Apple TV- as is- can be much better than some in this thread make it out to be.
With all things regarding technological change, the question invariably becomes "Now - or Wait?". While the aTV does represent a huge improvement over years ago, everything has moved up: I still have a 64MB thumb drive that cost $200 when I got my current laptop, but today, a 2GB thumb drive can be had for $25...that represents 16-fold improvement in capability while simultanously dropping to ~1/10th the cost. In only five years.
-hh
TV sends (in 480i, 480p and 1080i).
apple:TV, DVD player or whatever) that outputs in two modes. As an example, the Xbox 360 can be set for either 4:3 or 16:9 if you choose 480p, it only forces 16:9 for 720p and above.
