Intel Mac mini To Evolve Into Digital Hub?

[johngordon]

Sorry I didn't understand.

While your back catalog point is valid, if someone had two buttons that said "Record Lost Tonight for Free" and "Buy Lost Tomorrow for $2", then most everyone would choose to record. I don't mean to start a flamewar here, I'ts just my opinion. But I bet Apple has something up their sleeves that we don't know a bout- the pieces don't quite connect.

But surely that's the current situation? We already can hit that record button - and yet they have introduced episodes of Lost to ITMS.

If people are going to record programmes, then why not sell them the kit to record those programmes on to? Especially i it does a whole heap of other stuff too, with Apple's trademark elegance - FrontRow running on your TV, iTunes playing through your stereo.

And offers you the chance to buy current episodes you nmay have missed for whatever reason, along with a great back catalogue that is cheaper, more convenient than buying DVDs.

I'd be there like a shot! (Funds permitting)

Iain

 

[johngordon]

Everybody keeps saying: Apple can't sell a DVR, they want to sell video on demand.

???

Can we please all step back a second here...Apple doesn't want to sell videos. They don't want to sell music either. They want to sell iPods! If this HTPC stuff works, they'll also have a way to push more mac minis.

Agree completely - currently I'd have no need for a mac mini - but add in FR, and wi-fi gubbins and I'm haf way there. Add in PVR functionality, and its the PVR I've been waiting for that I know is going to do everything I want (PVR, media centre in one), and I'm there.

Iain

 

[~Shard~]

There is a big difference between downloadable online music and being a cable company. They might start selling TV shows, but that can't/won't replace cable.

I do see your point though.

I agree too, just having some fun with ya. Of course, I still say "never say never" when it comes to Apple.

 

[ja0912]

x

 

[thunderclap]

Replay has something like 200,000 customers. TiVo has 4 million customers yet people still claim the company is dying. So wait and see what Apple has planned in January (if anything) and if nothing materializes, buy the standalone HD TiVo Series3 that will be hitting the market in Q1 2006. Or, you could wait until mid-2006 and upgrade your Comcast HD capable DVR (as long as its the Motorola) with the TiVo OS when it becomes available for a fee.

Thanks for the information, Lynxpro. You've been most helpful. The Comcast DVR is really annoying me these days so I'm looking forward to seeing what Apple is going to do.

 

[finchna]

For this to work it needs to be able to drive a screen that is 1900x1080 so that it can run true HD content. Right now that's not possible--it would need a major graphic driver update--and those cards are bigger than the mini.

Think Secret claims an Intel-based Mac mini will make an appearance at MacWorld San Francisco in January. Expected to be included in the update, other than the move to Intel processor:

• Front Row 2.0
• "TiVo-Killer" DVR application
• Built-In iPod Dock
• Possible move to 3.5" hard drive

Whether the DVR capability comes standard on the mini or as an add-on module is unknown. According to Think Secret, the built-in iPod dock was expected on the first mini, but later scrapped. The inclusion of a larger 3.5" hard drive would indicate the form factor for the mini would increase in size to accomodate it.

 

[YunusEmre]

You know you are one uninformed member YunusEmre. TitanTV.com is not only FREE, it is totally integrated with eyeTV tuners and any other system you interface it with.

Well, I think you have missed my point. Explain to me how your grandmother is going to use EyeTV? Where in the living room is the EyeTV going to live? How many current Tivo users will ditch their Tivos and go buy a mac and swtich to EyeTV to kill Tivo?

 

[Cooknn]

If people are going to record programmes, then why not sell them the kit to record those programmes on to? Especially i it does a whole heap of other stuff too, with Apple's trademark elegance - FrontRow running on your TV, iTunes playing through your stereo.

320x240 won't look very good on a TV. Apple needs to pump up the pixels big time - and as another user mentioned before, the Mac Mini might not have enough room for the horsepower necessary to handle this task. It seems as though the future of TV is on the bleeding edge here though, that's for sure. Baby steps for now and someday we may just be able to watch what we want when we want and pay ala carte.

 

[Lacero]

320x240 won't look very good on a TV. Apple needs to pump up the pixels big time - and as another user mentioned before, the Mac Mini might not have enough room for the horsepower necessary to handle this task.

Going to DVD & TV resolution of 640x480 would require 4 times the storage space, processing power, bandwidth or time it takes to download. The iPod videos are definitely not for TV viewing but portable iPod video. The mac mini is capable of decoding H.264 at 640x480 resolution. It might choke on 720P H.264, but I still think Apple can further optimize H.264. It ain't where it should be, IMO.

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

 

[~Shard~]

320x240 won't look very good on a TV. Apple needs to pump up the pixels big time - and as another user mentioned before, the Mac Mini might not have enough room for the horsepower necessary to handle this task. It seems as though the future of TV is on the bleeding edge here though, that's for sure. Baby steps for now and someday we may just be able to watch what we want when we want and pay ala carte.

I agree - I think this whole thing is still in its infancy, and we're just getting started - we can't expect too much right off the bat. Patrience is required, and as you say, baby steps for now.

 

[Scarpad]

Going to DVD & TV resolution of 640x480 would require 4 times the storage space, processing power, bandwidth or time it takes to download. The iPod videos are definitely not for TV viewing but portable iPod video. The mac mini is capable of decoding H.264 at 640x480 resolution. It might choke on 720P H.264, but I still think Apple can further optimize H.264. It ain't where it should be, IMO.

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

It absolutely will choke. I've tried a few 720P HD Trailers and they become a slideshow mess. If they are to create this Digitial Hub and they are forward thinking they will need better Processing power a G4 ain't gonna Do it. They absolutely need a Better Video Chip as the 9200 in the current mini is already way out of date. BTW right now I do all my 4x3 Ipod Video encodes at 512x352 and my Widescreen encodes at 624x352 at a 1500 bitrate Mpeg4. The Ipod will scale them and they at least look decent if I want to play them out to my TV

 

[Lynxpro]

Well Tivo has what's called a poison pill. So it would not be so easy to acquire Tivo by hostile takeover. But in any case, hostile or not, if Tivo is up for sale there would have to be a bidding war, in the open, or behind closed doors otherwise the shareholders would not be so happy

You think long-suffering TiVo shareholders would bicker over the prospect of swapping their TiVo shares out for Apple shares?

 

[JW8725]

So is anyone gonna try their hand at photoshopping what this new one could look like?? Lets be having it then???

 

[viscous]

The upgrades sound nice, but wait a minute! A 3.5" hard drive? No, this is not required in my opinion. This would just make the Mac mini a larger system and I don't want that. Its size is perfect how it is. I realize it wouldn't be that much larger, but still... anyone agree with me on this? There are 7200RPM notebook drives out there; so utilize them! As for the built-in iPod dock, that sounds very nice. I don't want it to mess up the style of the mini, though. I hope Apple implements it with stealth in mind. Maybe an "eject" button of some sort reveals the Dock whenever you want it showing. That'd be pretty nice. And FrontRow 2.0 would be excellent! The Mac mini is the perfect HTPC. And with FrontRow included, that would be perfect. Oh please be true... I'm just a little concerned about increasing the size of the system.

An audio/video Mac needs to fit in with the rest of the audio video gear and be of the same form factor. Make it the same size as a DVD player with a huge hard drive for TIVOing.

 

[GFLPraxis]

Interesting but unlikely thought; what if the Mac Mini became one of the first products on the market with an onboard MPEG-4/H.264 decoder? Thus, it could still play video in HD without needing that much power.

 

[johngordon]

320x240 won't look very good on a TV. Apple needs to pump up the pixels big time - and as another user mentioned before, the Mac Mini might not have enough room for the horsepower necessary to handle this task. It seems as though the future of TV is on the bleeding edge here though, that's for sure. Baby steps for now and someday we may just be able to watch what we want when we want and pay ala carte.

fair enough - the assumption was that it would be suffiecient quality to watch on tv.

I think they've seriously dropped a ball with the videos especially - I could have seen myself buying a few, if i'd then been able to make my own compilations on DVD.

I can after all buy music and make my own compilation CDs (should I wish), so why not the same with videos/DVDs?

What I'd like really is to be able to do is have Front Row on a mac mini connected to the TV - for previewing movies or slideshows and playing music, with the remote. Even being able to call up the movie trailers from Front Row (fantastic UI) and watch them on the tv.

If the mac mini (or whatever it ended up being) could also act as a PVR with Apple's trademark slickness and eye for good design, then all the better.

But like you say, one step at a time - but surely that's the direction its all heading in?

Iain

 

[mdavey]

Interesting but unlikely thought; what if the Mac Mini became one of the first products on the market with an onboard MPEG-4/H.264 decoder? Thus, it could still play video in HD without needing that much power.

I think that is pretty likely, actually.

 

[Epicurus]

I can see the Mac mini becoming the driving purpose behind Apple selling higher resolution video content. The "video for iPod" seems nice, but the iPod will forever be a music storage device. Having Apple negotiate with all the major video media companies to get iPod content is just one step in the direction of full movie downloads. Sadly, the iPod will never the the device of choice for HD content, even with a bigger screen. A Mac mini, placed in the living room, with "DVR-type" features seems like a much better candidate.

Imagine a Mac mini with 2-4 massive hard drives (probably losing its "brick" shape to look more like a thin Sony DVD player, but with the added benefit of up to 2TB of memory), TV out (either as DVI or HDMI since I can't see Apple moving away from digital signals), hardware driven H.264 encoding, and a nice remote (they might even get away with the current IR one if they add one or two more buttons and possibly Bluetooth). Such a mini would be capable of dominating the DVR market. To get Apple a slightly bigger piece of the pie, they could sell movies online in a dual-format: HD for the Mac mini and "iPod-sized" for the video-capable iPods. Someone at Apple has to be thinking of a way to use one content delivery service (like movies) to drive two hardware purchases (mini and iPod). Then the "halo" effect kicks in. You've already got one Mac in your house, and an iPod, so why not get a iBook too. If AirPort gets a much needed upgrade and can stream H.264 content from the mini to any other Macs in the house, all the better. This would even enforce the concept of the mini as a movie storage device just like the iPod is for music.

 

[Multimedia]

What Is Your Point?

Well, I think you have missed my point. Explain to me how your grandmother is going to use EyeTV? Where in the living room is the EyeTV going to live? How many current Tivo users will ditch their Tivos and go buy a mac and swtich to EyeTV to kill Tivo?

1. Grandmother is not going to use EyeTV
2. It's not in the living room, it's attached to where your Mac is and you watch on your Mac.
3. None.

I thought you were saying there is no such thing as a free web based programming service. I guess I did miss your point. Which is what?

 

[minimax]

I think everybody needs a reality check here.
The mac mini just isnt suited for a PVR like function at the moment. Not only does it miss the room for the necessary connections on the back, is the HD too small, but a lot of people will want a mini without these PVR like functions that will add at least $100 to the price.
Also, a PVR like device need not be so small as a desktop system.
my advice: check ars a bit more

 

[cr2sh]

I think everybody needs a reality check here.
The mac mini just isnt suited for a PVR like function at the moment. Not only does it miss the room for the necessary connections on the back, is the HD too small, but a lot of people will want a mini without these PVR like functions that will add at least $100 to the price.
Also, a PVR like device need not be so small as a desktop system.
my advice: check ars a bit more

Just when this thread, I thought, had reached the brink of wastelandedness ... someone demands a reality check. Maybe we could start a web-poll urging Apple to release a DVR mini.

Those really work you know.

The mac mini, with a terrabyte of storage... you do realize that 13 times the storage it currently has?

I'm ashamed to be subscribed to this thread.

 

[minimax]

I wouldnt say a DVR Mac is out of the question, but a Mac mini DVR really is.
Personally I wouldnt mind the mini growing a bit to accommodate a larger HD and more USB ports, but I don't need DVR functions on my desktop.
If Apple *would* create such a device, an entirely new product just makes more sense

 

[YunusEmre]

1. Grandmother is not going to use EyeTV
2. It's not in the living room, it's attached to where your Mac is and you watch on your Mac.
3. None.

I thought you were saying there is no such thing as a free web based programming service. I guess I did miss your point. Which is what?

There may be free TV guide on the net, used by consumers directly. But as soon as you make it part of a product you have to pay someone for it. In case you have not followed it, my beef is with "Tivo-killer" part of the story. Apple is not in the business of TV, not like Tivo is (at least not yet), Apple likes to charge you $1.99 for a downloadable TV show that you probably already get as part of your Cable/Sat subscription. I am saying whatever Apple comes out with aint gonna kill Tivo. I hope this makes it clearer for you to understand my point. My earlier posts explains other factors why I think the way I do.

 

[YunusEmre]

You think long-suffering TiVo shareholders would bicker over the prospect of swapping their TiVo shares out for Apple shares?

Perhaps not the ordinary shareholder, but those who hold the poison pill might

 

[ddrueckhammer]

I think everybody needs a reality check here.
The mac mini just isnt suited for a PVR like function at the moment. Not only does it miss the room for the necessary connections on the back, is the HD too small, but a lot of people will want a mini without these PVR like functions that will add at least $100 to the price.
Also, a PVR like device need not be so small as a desktop system.
my advice: check ars a bit more

I think you are right...The new mac mini isn't going to be a DVR it is going to be a set-top box with DVI-out that can play streaming video content purchased via an ITunes Media Store using the front row interface and the apple remote. Check out the trailers on FrontRow if you doubt that high quality video can be streamed over the internet...My friend has a 3Mbps download speed and the trailers look VERY good and play instantaneously (probably about 720i or p if I was guessing). Another option (as pointed out many time before) would be to dump the Mini out of the equation and use 802.11n to stream the content directly from a computer.