Apple TV 3: Could it be revolutionary?

Nah..

Easy

1. Beefier processor for 1080p support.
2. More codecs supported
3. Networking options for setting up Zones (Bonjour based).
4. 3 Models

A- ATV Premium- Built in DVD player and larger form factor.
B- ATV - standard ATV as we know it today
C.-ATV Node- driveless. Mainly caches streaming files to RAM for playback

5. Better Remote control
6. Gaming ability
7. FW port for external drive support.

Unless it has a Blu-Ray drive built into it, what's the point of 1080p? The iTunes videos are pretty low resolution, they'd look even worse scaled up to 1080.

I assume he means 1080p downloads with it (or in the future)

I don't think so unless you think Fox, ABC, and ESPN all look bad on a 1080P TV. Each broadcast in 720P and look great to me. In fact, the worst looking broadcasts, IMHO, are NBC and they broadcast in 1080i. CBS does the same and they look great so I think broadcast format is hardly the final determining factor in picture quality.

Agreed.
Specially the external drive support. That's the biggest thing for me. With large DVD libraries and many people using it locally without the need to turn the Mac on, this is huge.

As for DVD or Blu-ray drives on it, would be nice but I think Apple will not go that avenue just because is their intention to drive iTunes sales.

The only thing I would like it to have but I think it is not happening at all is DVR. Too bad, that would indeed make AppleTV great.

It'll just be rev 3 of the software on the same hardware with a slightly lower price

The big new feature will be the ability to play games from the iTS

Ok, maybe that's just sour grapes. I was one of the people who would've bought one if it had a simple DVD player built in so I could get rid of a device and put this in its place rather than just adding a new device. To be honest though, I'm interested to know how well it's taken off since it's initial stillborn launch.

Playing Blu-Ray hosted on a server elsewhere on your network and served to the Mini via NFS, Samba, or iSCSI, just like you can with VIDEO_TS files from regular DVDs.

add support for external iSight camera, so you could have a video conference system from your livinigroom.

Add support for multiple wireless iSight cameras, you could have a home video surveillance system…

Apple may adopt Canmore to lower the price, in which case 1080p would come for free.

That's what I'm talking about.

The cameras should stream to Time Capsule, then you'd use Apple TV to watch the footage. If you're going to fantasize, get it right.

Bring on the Apple Television with aTV built-in then.

ATV Node is likely an update to the Airport Express to include video.

I'd like to see the ATV Premium be a Mini grade computer with Blu-Ray, BT gamepads and dedicated graphics (low end Wii level is fine). Integration with the iPodTouch and iPhone as touch game pads plus traditional game pads.

2Ghz Core 2 Duo
1GB RAM
120GB HDD
BluRay Drive
Apple BT Gamepad
1 x HDMI, 1 x FW400, 2 x USB, Component Out, Optical Digital Audio out/headphones and in.

$599.

Same system with Superdrive $499.

Pippin 2008. There's an assload more ObjectiveC coders out there that can write games for OSX now with the interest in the iPhone SDK. Wii level games are more than possible and they could easily be played across the entire Mac line.

Hi,

I also think that Take 3 will be a software update.

My wishlist (in order):

1. iTunes, to make a stand-alone home media station
2. Safari, to surf the web
3. External HD via USB
4. TV tuner via USB
5. NAS
6. AirPort

That would make the Apple TV a very attractive and competitive product. Perhaps too good, as it may cut into Mac sales. On the other hand, the competition is launching similar products.

Applications and games via AppStore will more likely be Take 4.

/Daniel

Apple needs to merge the Mac mini, Time Capsule, AppleTV & the spirit of the Pippin into the new digital hub/home server…

I see this as the consumer 'server', and (future) Mac Touch tablets as the consumer 'terminals'; the next wave of general consumer computer usage.

Power users will still have a desktop unit to sit down at, only because having a 30" Cinema Display (with multi-touch AND stylus support) in your lap on the back porch doesn't really work out for anyone. But the 'desktop' they sit down at may be nothing more than a terminal being fed by a more powerful version of the home 'server'.

Traditional laptop users will slowly be weaned from their origami fetishes while nerds & geeks will be first to tote the tablets; but there will be a HUGE rush on those roll-up keyboards to stuff away in the hacker bag of tricks…

It could happen!

Its got a lot of potential, but its being held back by restrictions from both Apple and the movie industries.

1. copy protection is far too restrictive. It is loosening up on the DVD side with digital copies, but its still a major problem. When you buy an album from iTunes you have the option of buring a CD with that music. If you buy a CD from the store, itunes can import as mp3 or ACC files. In other words which ever one you buy you have the option to both a physical and digital copy and have pretty much your choice of devices.

With movies, unless you get a DVD with a digital copy, you get your movie in the format you bought it in and that's that. Without a program like handbrake, you cannot import your DVD library to your computer/ AppleTV. With a iTunes movie you are limited to your Mac, iPod or AppleTV. Apple should be working an agreement that allows iTunes to import DVDs (with DRM protection) and also allows your itunes movies to be burned to DVD 3-5 times.

2. Single trick pony, For a company who loves multi-function devices, this is an oddity. If you wave iTunes movies, you need the AppleTV. For DVDs you need a DVD player. For recording shows or LIVE EVENTS you need a DVR (or VCR). Give me one device that can do all three. Better yet, also build a line of TVs that that kind of functionality. You have a chance to innovate here Apple, look past the biases of Jobs here and actually innovate.

3. Video file technology needs to evolve. Without any music you can hold a maximum of 6-8 movies on an 8GB Nano, touch, or Iphone. And that's standard quality. Movie files need to get smaller and of better quality.

A DVR will be nice but with the cable card mess apple needs to stay away and wait for 2 way cable cards / tru2way to come out and work be for they come out with one. and what will they do for people who have sat tv?

Direct tv is working on a new tivo box or maybe tivo software on there drvs.

I buy into this. AppleTV should be the whole widget. A Macintosh (like a Mac mini) + HDTV = AppleTV. Say a 32" 720p HDTV and 46" 1080p HDTV with 2 GHz Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB HD, WiFi, Bluetooth, HD tuner, Component/Coaxial/audio in, audio out, nice speakers.

This would be a nice way to watch internet movie content (iTunes, flash content (Youtube, et al), and any compatible Internet movie content in a living room setting. It would be $2000 expensive, but the usage model is much better than AppleTV.

This is a huge issue for me. I know I'm not downloading another video/movie from iTunes unless and until I have at least the freedom to burn that file to a DVD the same way I can make CDs from iTunes music.

I'm not young but I don't see any use for hard medium. I rent movies all the time from AppleTV. And like any movie (or TV show), once I've watched it I have no use for watching it ever again. Boring. So rent and watch once is fine, I don't need artifacts.

(political burning bag of poo, ignite now) - And for those parents that buy DVDs for their kids and let them watch them over and over and over, shame on you. Get them some legos or paint.