Apple & Living Room (iPod BoomBox vs. Mac Media Center)

Jump to First Reply
icfireballicfireball
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
My vision of an Apple living room integration is in more of a mac media center that connects home entertainment equiptment such as TV, DVD player, etc you name it to Apple items like your iPod and Computer. Right now Apple's entrance in the living room realm has been suggested as a "Boom Box". This to me says that the focus is on iPod exclusivly and not on any other media or home entertainment devices.



I still think that an iPod Boom Box does not have a wide enough universal appeal to be successful where as a fairly universal home entertainment mac media center would. Such a device similar to a mac mini would serve perfectly in terms of form factor & design...just home-entertainment specific features would have to be added in. But then we come to another issue. Does Apple use its computer lines as home media centers as well seen through the front row integration, or does this front row integration just support a Mac Media Center.



I think people would really buy an Apple home entertainment device that has universal appeal because it could potentialy be a DVR (with integration with an iPod), a DVD player, a hub that connects living room to mac, a hub that connects iPod to living room, a hub that connects digital and digital video cameras to your living room, as well as possible the web through RSS, or video conferencing as shown through the iSights in new macs.



Where do you think Apple is going with it's home entertainment campaign?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 2
    @homenow@homenow Posts: 998member
    I would hope that Apple makes a truely universal "set-top" box that uses Apple audio and video technologies to connect to content stored on whatever computer is in the home using Apple software. This would be consistant with the iPod/iTMS strategy that has worked for them both in the iPod market as well as helping to expand Apple's traditional computer market share. Get people hooked on the Apple (audio) video experience and distribution channel and they will be more likely to buy more Apple products (computers) when they are ready to replace their old components.



    As to what it should be, and at what price? Video streaming is the main purpose, with audio and still images next in line. Devices like this (eyeHome) are retailing for $199, and with HD DVD and BlueRay ready to hit the market a $199 price point would be a good target, with $149 being better so that people are more likely to buy more than one of them for the home.



    DVR is nice, but integrating it might be too costly right now when Cable and Satelite companies are already providing them. I agree it would be a great selling point, but then again it might scare off broadcasters support. Since it is the broadcasters who are helping Apple with TV content on iTMS then I doubt that Apple would want to pis them off now, better to use them as leverage against the major "Holywood" content owners for digital delivery of all things audio and video.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 2
    icfireballicfireball Posts: 2,594member
    With such a Mac Media Center, I was thinking the iTunes Music Store could be expanded into an OnDemand movies/music etc stores. But would this use cable feeds or the internet? It would seem as if it would be virtualy impossible to get cable providers to agree, and not everybody has cable. By the same token, if it used that internet that would suck for me because I have a limited bandwidth at 250 MB/Day. It's faster than T1 but it dosn't go very far....
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
Sign In or Register to comment.