I really am tired of switching inputs numerous times on the tv. I think that the Apple TV should find a more elegant way to handle this. If only it had a built in TV tuner.
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Should the Apple TV have an optional TV tuner?
- Thread starter dontwalkhand
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i dont think the cable companies would be on board as im sure they only allow certain manufacture recievers on their system, probably a partnership they have with them
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
IMO, best way to do this is for Apple to normalize that USB port and roll out an app store so that someone like Elgato to bring their solutions to the 
TV. Why? Anything engineered inside will have all kinds of issues (most notably those referenced by takeshi74). There is also a widespread belief that Apple doesn't want TV to become a DVR as the goal is for us to consume all of our content via iTunes rentals/purchases.
Another possibility would be HDMI passthrough. Add an HDMI port and then route your existing source of television throughTV HDMI in to HDMI out to HDTV. But that's new hardware. And it's only going to be a solution for a single source of video.
An available (now) option to solve most of the switching problems is to add a Receiver to your setup. Run however many video signals you have to the Receiver video inputs and then push them to the HDTV via a single HDMI cable. That reduces the signal setting to a single button press (to put the Receiver in the right input mode). The TV would always receive video through the same (single HDMI cable) input.
Another existing solution if you don't have a receiver and don't like having to click various settings to swap video sources is to buy a universal learn remote control with macro functionality and then assign macros to your various devices. Macros will execute a number of remote commands with a single button push. I own the Universal Remote MX850 and it does this very well (it's "one remote to rule them all"). I dedicate a single button via it's LCD screen as a "setup" button and then click that button to manage the switch from one source of video or audio to another. It executes a macro that does all of the switching in a single (button) push.
These latter 2 options are "right now" solutions that don't require Apple to do anything. Thus, you could get these solutions in place today.
TV. Why? Anything engineered inside will have all kinds of issues (most notably those referenced by takeshi74). There is also a widespread belief that Apple doesn't want TV to become a DVR as the goal is for us to consume all of our content via iTunes rentals/purchases. Another possibility would be HDMI passthrough. Add an HDMI port and then route your existing source of television through
TV HDMI in to HDMI out to HDTV. But that's new hardware. And it's only going to be a solution for a single source of video.An available (now) option to solve most of the switching problems is to add a Receiver to your setup. Run however many video signals you have to the Receiver video inputs and then push them to the HDTV via a single HDMI cable. That reduces the signal setting to a single button press (to put the Receiver in the right input mode). The TV would always receive video through the same (single HDMI cable) input.
Another existing solution if you don't have a receiver and don't like having to click various settings to swap video sources is to buy a universal learn remote control with macro functionality and then assign macros to your various devices. Macros will execute a number of remote commands with a single button push. I own the Universal Remote MX850 and it does this very well (it's "one remote to rule them all"). I dedicate a single button via it's LCD screen as a "setup" button and then click that button to manage the switch from one source of video or audio to another. It executes a macro that does all of the switching in a single (button) push.
These latter 2 options are "right now" solutions that don't require Apple to do anything. Thus, you could get these solutions in place today.
Best solution I can think of would be an HD HomeRun and an App that can access it directly, similar to Elgato EyeTV.
You can already do this in a very round-about way.
HD Homerun -> EyeTV running on a Mac -> iPad or iPhone using EyeTV Connect -> AirPlay -> AppleTV
There is a version of HD Homerun that uses CableCard and another that does Over the Air.
You can already do this in a very round-about way.
HD Homerun -> EyeTV running on a Mac -> iPad or iPhone using EyeTV Connect -> AirPlay -> AppleTV
There is a version of HD Homerun that uses CableCard and another that does Over the Air.
The deal? Shuffling remotes, or wanting a pretty consistent UI. I tried UnityRemote which is helping my HT experience but still crave more.
the idea is changing the tradion of watching tv moving to new trend video on demand.