Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Intel Mac mini To Evolve Into Digital Hub?

I want a z556 equivalent from Apple

Check out HP's entertainment center.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...er_store&subcat1=rts&product_code=EG651AA#ABA

It does everything I want except that it runs the Windows Media Center Edition. That alone has dissuaded me from getting it. Other than that, it is the perfect media center. It is built just like a home theater component and it has component video outputs to hook up to my older rear project HD-ready TV. It pauses live TV just like Tivo does. It has two analog tuners and one HD-ATSC tuner. It also has DVI output in addition to component video. It also has wired router and wireless builtin. It also has gigabit ethernet, firewire, USB, etc. It has media card reader built into the front. It has a context sensitive LCD display in the front. It also has a dual-layer DVR burner. All in all, a great product for a decent price (a little too expensive perhaps), crippled by one thing - Windows. If Apple can just port their OS to this hardware, I am sure they will sell it to me :)

I just bought a Sony HD-DVR (DHG-HDD250) for $499 from Best Buy and if this is true, I might return it back to Best Buy. I also just heard that Sony has discontinued this product even though they just introduced it a few months ago. It works great though. It gets the program guide through TVGuide hosted by one of the local analog channels.

Whoever says a no-fee DVR is not possible is mistaken. The HP media center and all PC based DVRs and the Sony, Mitsubishi, Panasonic and LG DVRs allow for free program guides because these companies get their money by selling the hardware. Tivo makes money selling the service and that will be their ultimate undoing. I don't want one more monthly subscription.
 
Multi-box solution?

Toadinthehole said:
the only way is up
Click to expand...

Actually, I think that the only way is multiple boxes. Perhaps an ultra-thin box in DVD form factor with Airport link (iHome?) to a combined Airport base-station and NAS box.

Some advantages of this topology:
* Most people don't have Ethernet available in their living room
* The base-station could stream to multiple iHome units, one for each TV (more iHome sales)
* Opportunity to offer an 'ultimate' version of the base-station with RAID and terabytes of storage at a premium price
* Opportunity to sell squeeze-box style audio-only receivers (Mac nano?) as additional revenue stream

So, this new Mac iHome wouldn't have a local hard-disk, just Flash storage.
 
vmardian said:
That sounds complicated. I bet this "DVR" functionality simply consists of a "Record Now" function that records an incoming unencrypted digital signal using real time H.264 encoding via some dedicated chip. Completely dumb like our old VCRs. Why spend time on broadcast TV when the future is video-on-demand?
Click to expand...

I agree that the future is VOD. HOWEVER, the rumour did state DVR and "tivo-killer" functionality for the new mac mini which means recording broadcast television. So if this new DVR mac mini is true, then for it to record HD television it *must* have cablecard functionality. If not, you'll be stuck with recording over-the-air HD stuff.

w00master
 
DVR Technology

I currently have dish network dvr. Its great for the sheer fact that it will search the guide and record all the programs that are shown for a preticular search query. It also allows dual input from the dish so you can watch live tv while you record from another channel. The only problem is that the HD is small. Unlike TiVo, you can skip commercials.

You can however watch in component and dolby digital. My hope is that the Mac Mini becomes an addition rather then a standalone. The ability to work with other devices should be a must.
I love having 300+ channels. So If the mini was able to have component input for recording, and output of HD plus optical audio, that would be great.
I love the iTunes service, but I know that they won't be rolling out "Apple TV" soon, so I need to keep my ESPN and FoxNews.

I think it should be an inbetween box to handle media that you have stored, plus the abliltiy to record from sorces. Cable card functionality might be good, if the right satellite/cable services are supported.

Maybe since they have a working relationship with cingular (whose parent is SBC) Sbc has a working relationship with dish network, so the ability to put dish acces card functionality could be easy.......but, I'm dreamin.
 
Something's Fishy

Why would Apple let you record TV shows... when they're already selling them for $2 a pop? I know they did this with the iTunes MS - but that's a different model. Maybe they'll say that $2 downloads were just a pilot program, and is being phased out.

As for the form factor, the new one might look good as a "slim" model: half as tall but twice as wide. Maybe tweaked design. This would look better with other stereo components/game systems.

A $499 price is an absolute must, but at $399 this would really fly off the shelves. Maybe a price drop before the year's end?

How about this launching lineup:

1.6GHz Intel X1 (aka Yonah)
64MB of Video RAM
512MB of RAM
Apple TV Tuner Card Slot, TV Tuner for your Region
AirPort Extreme
iLife 06, iWork 06, and Front Row 2.0
 
Wow, yet another rumor for MWSF - hope Steve is planning an extra-long keynote to reveal all of these rumored machines! Intel Mac mini digital hubs, Intel iBooks, Intel PowerBooks, Intel iMacs... ;) Oh, and don't forget the displays, which will be updated in the very near future as well!

I think this device would be excellent. I have been considering picking up something like an EyeTV for a little while now, but if this rumored product did in fact exist, I would probably consider it instead.

January is going to be a fun "technology month" for me - I'll be hitting the CES in Vegas the first week of January, and then will be coming home to Steve's keynote and MWSF! I may have to warm up my credit card... :cool:
 
~Shard~ said:
Wow, yet another rumor for MWSF - hope Steve is planning an extra-long keynote to reveal all of these rumored machines! Intel Mac mini digital hubs, Intel iBooks, Intel PowerBooks, Intel iMacs... ;) Oh, and don't forget the displays, which will be updated in the very near future as well!

I think this device would be excellent. I have been considering picking up something like an EyeTV for a little while now, but if this rumored product did in fact exist, I would probably consider it instead.

January is going to be a fun "technology month" for me - I'll be hitting the CES in Vegas the first week of January, and then will be coming home to Steve's keynote and MWSF! I may have to warm up my credit card... :cool:
Click to expand...

I want a 35-inch Display.

Screw Intel.
 
iGary said:
I want a 35-inch Display.
Click to expand...

Don't forget HDMI... ;) Just get 2 of them and see if that Quadro FX 4500 can drive them both at max resolution... :eek:

LCD prices are decreasing, and sizes are increasing - I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility.

Plus, we know Apple will be releasing new displays soon, since the new 20" iMac has a better display in it than the Apple 20" display itself. :cool:

iGary said:
Screw Intel.
Click to expand...

You know, I'd be worried if you didn't end your post with this. :cool:
 
Screw Intel

~Shard~ said:
You know, I'd be worried if you didn't end your post with this. :cool:
Click to expand...

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little™, too.




If they made a 35-inch display, I'd buy it day one. :cool:

Seriously.
 
I don't understand this "why would Apple let you save TV shows when they want you to buy them for 2$"?

Why does Apple let you import CDs you buy when they sell music on the iTunes store?

I think iTunes is a convenience and lots of people will still buy video from iTunes even though they may be able to record it on their own TV -- because some people may want the show now, or they may have missed recording the show, etc.

You can't stop people from wanting to record TV shows rather than buy them. People will do what they want. It seems intelligent to give customers some options for how they get their content.
 
a question of timing

there are numerous reports that the original mac mini was intended to include some of this media-center functionality, and that for various reasons several features were omitted.

does it make any sense that plans already underway before the mini's release, would only see light of day AFTER this year's holiday season, instead of before?

news articles after thanksgiving noted that electronics dominated sales on "black friday".

are there any thoeries to explain why the product would be delayed til winter announcement? how would the tivo negotiations fit into this scenario? what was apple seeking to achieve with tivo? if those negotiations have failed for good, what would apple's move(s) be to achieve its goals without tivo? and if the rumors are a ploy to bring tivo back to the table, then again--what is it exactly apple's trying to do with tivo?

for all the hardware/software rumors, are there no reports to thoroughly explore apple's objectives with tivo? understanding that seems instrumental in analyzing these current hardware rumors.

peace
terry
 
Damn it! I should have posted this as a rumor back when I thought of it when the mini was first released, though nobody have beleived me. :mad:

Oh well, hope it's true. There's been talk of Apple having a "set top" device since 1999, it's like convergence... only some six years later.
 
macbaseball said:
I would buy one the second it came out. Then I'd sell the EyeTV 500, and wireless connect it to my PowerMac for TV show storage. That would be great.
Click to expand...
If they added TV input HDTV to the iMac, that would be great.. It's like the new iMac is almost there, but not quite.. Seems like a silly oversight or cost cutting measure.

You have a remote, but you can do everthing except watch TV. WTF c'mon Apple..
 
All I know is when it is first released I'll tell myself that it's unnecessary but the more I think about it the more I'll want it... damn you Apple
 
ezekielrage_99 said:
New Mac Mini..... cool, I think

Kind of getting tired of the speculation and rumors though.....

But then again I heard it on the internet so it must be true :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

So why spend time on macrumors?;)
 
~Shard~ said:
...may have to warm up my credit card... :cool:
Click to expand...
I'd warm mine up but, I think it's been frozen by the bank! ;) I guess I'll start saving up now, this'll be one nice machine when/if it comes out :)

Chupa Chupa said:
All HDMI is is DVI + digital audio. It is not superior to DVI, just more convenient. It's ideal for TVs, but not computers which have separate sound cards.
Click to expand...
Yeah I know this and was scratching my head why everyone was up in arms about HDMI on a Mac Mini. Just have the standard DVI to S-Video/Composite (Maybe componenet eventually) and everyone will be happy. No need for HDMI yet, ok so it's one cable with audio and video in a neat package but, a lot of people don't have HDMI, let alone DVI on their TV sets...I know I certainly don't! S-Video or composite with an optional component adapter for HDTVs would be fine :D
 
I need to buy Apple stock.
With the amount of cool stuff they are releasing it's sure bet it will only go up.
If this mac mini is true, this will be the last 12 months I spent the most money buying their hardware in my entire life. I really hope it's true. For someboby who has a good entertainment center set up it would be a dream come true.
 
Fine tune this to a little more clear plastic, a little more white and change the guts. I'd buy one day one.
 

Attachments

  • g4cube.gif
    g4cube.gif
    10.2 KB · Views: 617
Would rather have an add-on to do HTPC stuff

While I'll probably be first in line to buy this, I like my idea of having a HTPC add-on to the mini better than cramming it all in to the Mini.

1.) I think it'll probably increase size. I like the size of the Mini as it is now if I were to use it strictly as a computer.

2.) I think it'll probably increase the cost. Kinda defeats the purpose of having and entry-level Mac computer if the price goes much over $699.

3.) I think it'll end up being a bit of a compromise. Will they be able to add HD recording, 5.1/7.1 audio, etc. and still keep it in the Mini's overall formfactor?

I think they'll probably go with a 250GB 2.5" drive and add TV-in/out... just like adding an EyeTV into the Mini. That'll definitely be nice, but not exactly what I'd want.

I think for a HTPC to be really useful it'd need:

1.) Fat HDD... 250GB is nice, but 500GB is much better
2.) HD recording capability (probably necessitating a 500GB internal drive)
3.) 5.1/7.1 audio-out
4.) 2-way cable card (optional)
5.) HD DVD burner (probably won't happen til there's a standard)
6.) Extra USB2 and Firewire ports compared to the Mini
7.) An IR or bluetooth receiver + remote
8.) Front Row on steroids
9.) Easy way to compress HD, DVDs, etc. for the iPod and other portable players
10.) A faster CPU that can handle #9

I'd like to see maybe 1 or 2 different models come out that stack under the Mini like the MiniMate or LaCie Mini Companion. This would allow the Mini to stay the Mini and have a faster CPU, larger drive, etc. without compromising the formfactor. And it doesn't force the HTPC options and cost on you if you just want a small, entry-level Mac.

I think the add-on could then have one model with the TV-in/out, 5.1/7.1 audio, IR, more ports, second HDD, and a software bundle. The higher-end model could maybe include a BluRay/HD-DVD burner and the cable-card.

That higher-end model would then allow someone who has the $$$ to replace ALL of their home entertainment components including their cable box. Pair with with a LCD/Plasma wall mount, and you could really have an awesome home theater system that has a negligible footprint (and probably be a little easier on the electricity).
 
Interesting tidbit about elgato..I'm under the NDA but don't think this breaks it.

I'm running the Dev kit..

Emailed elgato about certain drivers for their systems and he told me they would have drivers ready to go as soon as the Intels shipped.

I dont see Apple buying elgato based on this..

But...speculation is fun ain't it? :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back