Why I'm waiting until after Jan 8th to buy a DVD player
The way I see it there are three possibilities.
1. Apple releases a digital hub that plays DVDs, serves Mp3s and files, records TV, and maybe plays games.
2. Apple doesn't release digital hub, but releases significantly faster G4s which makes old, used G4s cheap (say ~400). Then I could buy a used G4, put it in my home theater system to play DVDs, mp3s, and serve files on home network.
3. Apple releases bubkiss, except for an LCD iMac which I wouldn't buy unless it can play DVD, do TV, and is cheap.
Basically, I'm in the unification camp and unless Apple releases a product that better unites my media and makes my life easier I'm not biting. I want faster processors just so I don't get embarassed trying to convert PC friends, but features are the most important.
1. Apple releases a digital hub that plays DVDs, serves Mp3s and files, records TV, and maybe plays games.
2. Apple doesn't release digital hub, but releases significantly faster G4s which makes old, used G4s cheap (say ~400). Then I could buy a used G4, put it in my home theater system to play DVDs, mp3s, and serve files on home network.
3. Apple releases bubkiss, except for an LCD iMac which I wouldn't buy unless it can play DVD, do TV, and is cheap.
Basically, I'm in the unification camp and unless Apple releases a product that better unites my media and makes my life easier I'm not biting. I want faster processors just so I don't get embarassed trying to convert PC friends, but features are the most important.
Comments
Why didn't Apple make the Cube, a digital hub device with airport base-station installed and the ability to connect ot TV's and stereo's and all the new devices they have planned.
Then the option for it being a "computer" with USB for keyboard and apple display ports would be the option!
Getting a DVD that is compatible with MP3's is easy. Add a hard drive like the Yamaha CDRW(Home use) would allow for networking but Networking is the problem. Go Ethernet and you have to make sure your users have Cat5 wired everywhere...go wireless and the cost is jacked up significantly...go HomePNA and now you have to have expensive HPNA adapters for everything. It's the Networking cost that keeps these convergence products at a minimum IMO.
english: <a href="http://www.matsushita.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/en010926-3/en010926-3.html" target="_blank">http://www.matsushita.co.jp/corp/news/official.data/data.dir/en010926-3/en010926-3.html</a>
Japanese (photo too) : <a href="http://prodb.matsushita.co.jp/products/t/DMR/DMR-HS1_t.html" target="_blank">http://prodb.matsushita.co.jp/products/t/DMR/DMR-HS1_t.html</a>
It costs about USD1000 here in Tokyo (about Yen140000 street). I cant see why these features couldnt be in a Hub device for about the same (or a bit more with other features like wireless hookup through airport etc)
Cheers
Adam
Fraud!
Very insightful. Perhaps the new iMacs could have built-in airport for connecting to a home theatre.
C.pres
<strong>Hey! I thought Nordstrodamus was supposed to be able to tell the future!
Fraud!
</strong><hr></blockquote>
No that's Nostradamus
but on the bright side, all predictions from Nordstro(m)damus come with a lifetime guarantee.
<strong>To give you an idea about price, Panasonic has a set top DVD recorder which has a 40g HD, records DVD-ram, DVD-r, has progressive out, firewire and tunes TV/Satellite etc......the DMR-HS1
It costs about USD1000 here in Tokyo (about Yen140000 street). I cant see why these features couldnt be in a Hub device for about the same (or a bit more with other features like wireless hookup through airport etc)</strong><hr></blockquote>
And that's with DVD-RAM! I see no reason why Apple couldn't do this cheaply, maybe even have different configs (say CD-RW, DVD, combo, & superdrive). In a low res format you might be able to squeeze an hour onto a CD-RW. Someone who already has a mac with a superdrive might just go with the DVD option and airport or ethernet files over for burning.
But the main reason i think this is totally doable is because people are already putting together units like this with cheap celery boxes and ATI AIW cards. Apple could rule supreme by simply capitalizing on their easy user interface skills.
BTW, my predictions are only good to the end of the year or maybe Jan 7th.
My cube, someday after its outlived its usefulness as my main machine, sitting on a bookcase, with a wireless keyboard and mouse, hooked into the aux inputs of my home theater. Fuck WebTV.
<strong>The way I see it there are three possibilities.
1. Apple releases a digital hub that plays DVDs, serves Mp3s and files, records TV, and maybe plays games.
. . .
</strong><hr></blockquote>
I'm really diggin' this thought. Make it play VCDs, my iMovies and DirecTV/Digital Cable and we have a winner. You could give it an ethernet port to allow you to pull and play your iTunes playlists off of the iMac in the den. Add an Airport card as an option for $99 more and he goes wireless on the network.
Call him "iCenter" 'cause he does everything. Schaweet! Order me up one of those fellas!