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New Tablet = appleTV?

A

AkronElliott

macrumors member
Original poster
Since AppleTV is a category of an iPod/iTunes extender.

Would the new tablet, iPod/iTunes extender be a possible
competitor and/or replacement for the AppleTV?

Multiple HDMI Out? Then use the tablet as a remote for each output?
Just don't see a group of people huddled around a single tablet to watch the favorite movie.

Use of Expose on the tablet pc to control the external video ouputs?
Use of the Apple remote or iPhone to control the Tablet functionality?

Holding the purchasing of the AppleTv in case the Tablet can cover that area and more.

On Second thought:

Only the 7 - 10" viewing would not be the best substitute for a computer monitor or a TV.

The screen may be a way that you would not want to watch video on it. Similar to the Kindle's screen.

The cost most likely will be more the current mini.
 
As a direct replacement? No.

However, it would certainly function as current iPhones/iPods do, which means that you could output the video to a TV.
 
I would hope not (tablet is the next-gen :apple:TV) for the same reasons I wouldn't want an iPhone or iPod Touch to be the next gen: a mobile device could do both tasks well only for a single person household. If you grab the tablet to go on the road, anyone else in the family would be locked out of using the "new" :apple:TV until you get back.

OR, the base station (dock) would need to have :apple:TV functionality built in enhanced somehow by a tablet being docked with it, but still pretty functional when the tablet has left the building. Why (should Apple) bother with this kind of setup? I just don't see the point of docking a "big" handheld screen so that it can output content to a bigger (HDTV) screen, when a dedicated box can be the better (and less costly) partner with that HDTV. A tablet could always wirelessly send it's video content to such a box (no docking required).

Of course, I also don't see the tablet being a primary use remote, as remotes generally take a beating (dropped on the floor, accidentally sat on, etc). I'm guessing it will be priced too high to be someone's primary remote (even though it would likely have rich functionality as such). After all, how many times has your current remote accidentally hit the floor and similar? Do you really want a $500-$1000 device acting as your primary remote?

So, I hope for a seperate device to be the next-gen :apple:TV, something much closer to "as is" rather than something more like a beefed up iPhone/iPod touch. I just don't see the natural application for anyone except maybe singles living alone.
 
AkronElliott said:
Since AppleTV is a category of an iPod/iTunes extender.

Would the new tablet, iPod/iTunes extender be a possible
competitor and/or replacement for the AppleTV?

Multiple HDMI Out? Then use the tablet as a remote for each output?
Just don't see a group of people huddled around a single tablet to watch the favorite movie.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why anyone really would want this tablet to replace the ATV. It's a mobile device, whereas the ATV is TV-side device, which is small enough to be moved to another TV.

Sure, I can see having an output capability with the tablet, but it will be:
  • if you have a TV plugged into it via HDMI, how are you going to make use of the screen when you're on the couch?
  • too costly ($700 vs <$250)
  • too large, not enough storage
  • too fragile
  • too portable
to really be a "replacement" for the ATV. Though perhaps desirable, using it as a remote seems problematic as well, for similar reasons.
 
Dan-- said:
I'm not sure why anyone really would want this tablet to replace the ATV. It's a mobile device, whereas the ATV is TV-side device, which is small enough to be moved to another TV.

Sure, I can see having an output capability with the tablet, but it will be:
  • if you have a TV plugged into it via HDMI, how are you going to make use of the screen when you're on the couch?
  • too costly ($700 vs <$250)
  • too large, not enough storage
  • too fragile
  • too portable
to really be a "replacement" for the ATV. Though perhaps desirable, using it as a remote seems problematic as well, for similar reasons.
Click to expand...

To the first point, I think the answer lies here: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/amimons-whdi-wireless-hd-modules-coming-to-netbooks-and-laptops/

I think when you look at it as a new interface to your media content that you can "project" to the TV via wireless, it makes a lot more sense: It's not just a universal remote to control a UI on the screen, it IS the interface.
 
Dan-- said:
I'm not sure why anyone really would want this tablet to replace the ATV. It's a mobile device, whereas the ATV is TV-side device, which is small enough to be moved to another TV.

Sure, I can see having an output capability with the tablet, but it will be:
  • if you have a TV plugged into it via HDMI, how are you going to make use of the screen when you're on the couch?
  • too costly ($700 vs <$250)
  • too large, not enough storage
  • too fragile
  • too portable
to really be a "replacement" for the ATV. Though perhaps desirable, using it as a remote seems problematic as well, for similar reasons.
Click to expand...

Exactly, it just makes little sense.

I wouldn't mind the iPhone/iPod Touch-Apple TV-Desktop Running iTunes-tablet to all work with one another, but the Apple TV is a stationary, set-top box that's purpose is to stream media from your computer to your TV. It makes no sense for a tablet or laptop to replace the ATV. If it has ATV-like features, or allows you to connect to a TV for output, great, but I don't see it replacing an ATV.

I suppose a docking station would help the ease of use and make it possible, but it just doesn't seem like Apple's style.
 
ilkhan4 said:
To the first point, I think the answer lies here: http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/amimons-whdi-wireless-hd-modules-coming-to-netbooks-and-laptops/
Click to expand...

Streaming uncompressed HD - that's pretty neat. I like it, though I don't think that makes it a suitable replacement for an ATV. Definitely a nice addition though. Would be cool if the receiver for it were built in to an ATV.

I think I'd like to see Apple turn the ATV into 2 devices - a capable server (ATV Server), and a dumbed down satellite (ATV Satellite).

The ATV Server would be more of a low-power stand alone media center capable of storing and serving media, not just to a connected TV, but to satellites about the house. The server would be able to easily add capacity and functionality (I'm thinking external Newer Tech Mini style external add-ons that could support hard drives, BD players, etc.) and the ATV Satellites would be just for streaming to, much like the 40GB ATV, or perhaps with small SSD style disks (16GB?), and could consume streams either from a base computer, as now, or from the ATV Server.

(Come onnnnn PA Semi.)
 
I wonder if we'll see a new ATV when the tablet is revealed at the media event in January. I just can't see the point of new ATV hardware until the new content delivery systems are in place and all the agreements are done.

It would be nice to see some kind of home server - perhaps even adapting the TC/AEBS by partitioning the disk to media/backups. After all, if you discount media (photos/music/videos), most people would probably use under 100 GB of disk space maximum. A 1 TB capsule could therefore use 250 GB to backup three Macs and the other 750 GB as a media server. With an airdisk you could use any size disk you had to hand. This would mean having an iTunes server edition running on the router allowing airtunes and would allow the ATV to be properly turned off.

The new ATV could then simply come with a 32 GB SSD to cache files/downloads and if you didn't have the router, just stream from a Mac/iTunes as we do now. Could even be deals on ATV/router/tablet/ipod touch bundles.
 
I wouldn't say that anytime two products from the same company can do the same thing that they compete with each other. I don't think the iPod shuffle competes with the nano or the iPod touch. I think the Mac Mini and the Apple TV is a similar situation.
 
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