Mac as Entertainment Center?

[kgarner]

I have been hearing a lot of lamenting after the release of the iMac G5 about the lack of a TV Tuner Card. I have been thinking a lot lately about the convergence of technology and have come to the personal conclusion that I don't want my computer ot be everything in my home.

I want my TV to be my TV and my computer ot be my computer. I would like to see some communication between the two. Stream music (a la Airport Express) and movies and pictures from the computer ot the TV. That functionality would be welcome I think. I don't want my computer ot be my DVD player/Surround Sound/TV/Tuner/PVR however. It doesn't really seem to be catching on too well in the PC world. Most Media Center PCs I sold to customers at CompUSA were just going to be computers (they bought them for video editing and other things, not to run their entertainment center).

I am not opposed to the Media Center idea. I just think that its current implementation lacks a real utility. I wouldn't mind watching TV while I work sometimes. But I would mind someone checking their email/working on their project while I am trying to watch TV. I think Apple understands this and that's why they left these things out. Leave them as add ons for those who want them I say.

What does everyone else think? Do you think the Media Center PC idea is the wave of the future, or do you think that a more moderate approach is best?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I have been hearing a lot of lamenting after the release of the iMac G5 about the lack of a TV Tuner Card. I have been thinking a lot lately about the convergence of technology and have come to the personal conclusion that I don't want my computer ot be everything in my home.

I want my TV to be my TV and my computer ot be my computer. I would like to see some communication between the two. Stream music (a la Airport Express) and movies and pictures from the computer ot the TV. That functionality would be welcome I think. I don't want my computer ot be my DVD player/Surround Sound/TV/Tuner/PVR however. It doesn't really seem to be catching on too well in the PC world. Most Media Center PCs I sold to customers at CompUSA were just going to be computers (they bought them for video editing and other things, not to run their entertainment center).

I am not opposed to the Media Center idea. I just think that its current implementation lacks a real utility. I wouldn't mind watching TV while I work sometimes. But I would mind someone checking their email/working on their project while I am trying to watch TV. I think Apple understands this and that's why they left these things out. Leave them as add ons for those who want them I say.

What does everyone else think? Do you think the Media Center PC idea is the wave of the future, or do you think that a more moderate approach is best?

kgarner -

I agree with your point of view. The whole Media Center PC idea is ahead of its time - that's why it isn't catching on...yet. The biggest problem with the current implementation is the lack of (or lack of standards for) suitable connectivity technologies like Wireless FireWire.

 

[DJY]

I also agree
I have a great home theatre system, including a very nice widescreen German TV, and I don't want to watch tellie on my computer!

why would I want to watch tellie on a smaller screen - where I'd be sitting at a desk instead of on my couch?

 

[jimsowden]

TV looks crappy on computers, and it hoggs processing power. I suppose an upconvergence could be helpful, but to be honest dvds don't look perfect.

 

[freiheit]

Computer as TV

I also agree
I have a great home theatre system, including a very nice widescreen German TV, and I don't want to watch tellie on my computer!

That's what 30" Apple displays are for!

I do also wholeheartedly agree, though, that having the computer be able to send audio/video to my stereo/TV would be great, but that having the computer be all of those things is not quite right. AirTunes is a nice idea but it can and should go further. I do not, however, mind using my computer as my PVR and DVD Player and Recorder -- I just don't want to only be able to watch my recorded videos on the computer.

The truly biggest problem with using a PC (or a Mac PC) as such a device is the remote control -- every review I've ever read about any form of media center PC says "you can do this with the remote, but not that" and "in order to access some features, you have to use the mouse". And I think the #1 reason for that is the remote doesn't affect the OS, it just works with one or two selected programs running on the OS. Until the OS is able to be completely diminished so that the program(s) you want to run become the primary focus, this will not change.

 

[MisterMe]

That's what 30" Apple displays are for!

....

No.

For ideal video display on a fixed-pixel monitor, you want one content pixel per each display pixel. For a 1080i HD video, this works out to an image that is just under 22" diagonal measure on the 30" Cinema Display. The big Apple display is wasted on HD video.