Not sure what you mean by "build on the digital hub." Do you mean make the thing run the Mac OS? If so, I would disagree. That would make it way too slow. I'd rather see something like a Microkernel-based QNX or something fast and realtime compliant.
Or use the iPod OS - it really only needs to have Quicktime support and a simple menuing UI like the iPod has already. Apple does UIs well (Jef Raskin disagrees, I don't). Do you think the iPod sells well because of looks? Heck no, it has an extraordinarily simple interface and function. Put that on the device you referenced and that would be great. I agree with MacGregor above - his points are right on. This needs to be a separate, single-purpose device, like the iPod.
No no, it doesn't matter what OS the device itself runs (I mean who cares what OS the iPod has?). What I meant was that they have declared the Mac to be the digital hub, so they should build on that notion. The devices they add should be spokes from the hub to other points in your "digital lifestyle" (gack, I can't believe I actually used that).
No no, it doesn't matter what OS the device itself runs (I mean who cares what OS the iPod has?). What I meant was that they have declared the Mac to be the digital hub, so they should build on that notion. The devices they add should be spokes from the hub to other points in your "digital lifestyle" (gack, I can't believe I actually used that).
I thought so. Funny how market-shpeel rubs off on you.
A simplistic but powerful device (a-la iPod) would be a good venture for Apple at this point. And iMS (iMovie Service) may have potential, but I think Jobs even said that no one wants to rent movies via broadband with the wait times and such. iControl and the like are already instantaneous in that regard.
I thought so. Funny how market-shpeel rubs off on you.
A simplistic but powerful device (a-la iPod) would be a good venture for Apple at this point. And iMS (iMovie Service) may have potential, but I think Jobs even said that no one wants to rent movies via broadband with the wait times and such. iControl and the like are already instantaneous in that regard.
Getting content onto the Mac/PC is a seperate problem from the presentation of content on the home entertainment system, although often there are multi-purpose devices the combine both functions. The problem with doing both in one is that they are more expensive, you need the whole device at each presentation site, it complicates using content at one site on another, and if one of the functions changes you have to replace the whole device.
I think Elgato has gone in the right direction by attaching EyeTV to the Mac, and putting EyeHome on the entertainment system. They just haven't gone far enough -- they need an HDTV EyeHome. They also haven't made the two devices talk to eachother seemlessly yet.
Jobs is probably right about broadband not being ready for that kind of content delivery yet, but with a tuner attached to the Mac you can leverage current delivery technologies right now, and they can add future ones without replacing the box sitting on your TV -- it just talks to your Mac.
* Broadband at 8mb/s - Close enough to live streaming!
* Broadband technology is developing too (alongside Apples insane ideas)
* 6 months is a long time in the world of technology and an Apple based entertainment solution is not unachievable.
Be patient...
Stable OS, Wireless communications, New codecs, faster broadband, video developers at Apple, iTunes, iPod, Airport Express, EyeTV blah de blah. They all add up and point to an exciting Apple based entertainment solution.
I think Elgato has gone in the right direction by attaching EyeTV to the Mac, and putting EyeHome on the entertainment system. They just haven't gone far enough -- they need an HDTV EyeHome. They also haven't made the two devices talk to eachother seemlessly yet.
The most significant weaknesses of the el Gato products (and I have an Eye TV and an Eye Home) are the following:
1) There's no IR blaster to change the channel on cable boxes automatically.
2) On the Eye Home, when the green light is illuminated on the front, that means the device is OFF.
What if Apple bought out El Gato and combined an EyeTV with AirPort Express and some other Apple technologies? It could make a smart PVR. OTOH, TVs in 2006 could have all sorts of things built-in. There must be some reason some TV manufacturers are putting that cell chip into future sets.
Whatever happens, Apple can benefit from MPEG-4 adoption.
I think their new H.264 Codec is exciting, that's what I said before. All of the Apple products are now ready to be combined together to make an excellent entertainment system. They have video engineers for their iPod division, the new codec, airport express, a stable OS. All it needs is the ability for all it's products to communicate with each other. Communication between all the different products with (a control of some sort).
What if Apple bought out El Gato and combined an EyeTV with AirPort Express and some other Apple technologies? It could make a smart PVR. OTOH, TVs in 2006 could have all sorts of things built-in. There must be some reason some TV manufacturers are putting that cell chip into future sets.
Whatever happens, Apple can benefit from MPEG-4 adoption.
Apple has a patent application that shows some sort of wireless iPod dock. What if AirPort Express were converged with an iPod photo dock. The iPod, inserted into this new dock, would become your media server and could also serve as a backup drive. Your stereo and TV can be connected to the dock. Pop the iPod into the dock and it mounts on your desktop, autosyncs with iTunes, iPhoto, iCal, AddressBook, and if you want to backup files to it, just use Backup. A little remote control software and/or handheld device could control the iPod so you can play music and see slide shows on your TV.
Other Macs in the household could also access the iPod for music sharing, photo sharing, and file backup.
A wireless dock like this might cost just a bit more than an AirPort Express. Maybe a future iPod or software update for existing iPod photo units could support H.264 video.
I'd sure like to see Apple make a home media server with built-in PVR, though.
Ok this would be very cool but wireless is too slow for iPod music transfers. It would take hours to add new music.
Comments
Originally posted by Rhumgod
Not sure what you mean by "build on the digital hub." Do you mean make the thing run the Mac OS? If so, I would disagree. That would make it way too slow. I'd rather see something like a Microkernel-based QNX or something fast and realtime compliant.
Or use the iPod OS - it really only needs to have Quicktime support and a simple menuing UI like the iPod has already. Apple does UIs well (Jef Raskin disagrees, I don't). Do you think the iPod sells well because of looks? Heck no, it has an extraordinarily simple interface and function. Put that on the device you referenced and that would be great. I agree with MacGregor above - his points are right on. This needs to be a separate, single-purpose device, like the iPod.
No no, it doesn't matter what OS the device itself runs (I mean who cares what OS the iPod has?). What I meant was that they have declared the Mac to be the digital hub, so they should build on that notion. The devices they add should be spokes from the hub to other points in your "digital lifestyle" (gack, I can't believe I actually used that).
Originally posted by Rolo
OK, let's forget about the media server doohickey for the moment. The next killer product could be a movie download service similar to the iTMS.
One big problem. Star owns most digital download rights to most of the major studios. (someone correct me on the company if I'm mistaken)
That's why movie choices on sites like MovieLink and others are relatively slim. That business could have otherwise picked up sooner than it has.
Originally posted by Programmer
No no, it doesn't matter what OS the device itself runs (I mean who cares what OS the iPod has?). What I meant was that they have declared the Mac to be the digital hub, so they should build on that notion. The devices they add should be spokes from the hub to other points in your "digital lifestyle" (gack, I can't believe I actually used that).
I thought so. Funny how market-shpeel rubs off on you.
A simplistic but powerful device (a-la iPod) would be a good venture for Apple at this point. And iMS (iMovie Service) may have potential, but I think Jobs even said that no one wants to rent movies via broadband with the wait times and such. iControl and the like are already instantaneous in that regard.
Originally posted by Rhumgod
I thought so. Funny how market-shpeel rubs off on you.
A simplistic but powerful device (a-la iPod) would be a good venture for Apple at this point. And iMS (iMovie Service) may have potential, but I think Jobs even said that no one wants to rent movies via broadband with the wait times and such. iControl and the like are already instantaneous in that regard.
Getting content onto the Mac/PC is a seperate problem from the presentation of content on the home entertainment system, although often there are multi-purpose devices the combine both functions. The problem with doing both in one is that they are more expensive, you need the whole device at each presentation site, it complicates using content at one site on another, and if one of the functions changes you have to replace the whole device.
I think Elgato has gone in the right direction by attaching EyeTV to the Mac, and putting EyeHome on the entertainment system. They just haven't gone far enough -- they need an HDTV EyeHome. They also haven't made the two devices talk to eachother seemlessly yet.
Jobs is probably right about broadband not being ready for that kind of content delivery yet, but with a tuner attached to the Mac you can leverage current delivery technologies right now, and they can add future ones without replacing the box sitting on your TV -- it just talks to your Mac.
Apple know what they are doing
* Broadband at 8mb/s - Close enough to live streaming!
* Broadband technology is developing too (alongside Apples insane ideas)
* 6 months is a long time in the world of technology and an Apple based entertainment solution is not unachievable.
Be patient...
Stable OS, Wireless communications, New codecs, faster broadband, video developers at Apple, iTunes, iPod, Airport Express, EyeTV blah de blah. They all add up and point to an exciting Apple based entertainment solution.
Originally posted by Programmer
I think Elgato has gone in the right direction by attaching EyeTV to the Mac, and putting EyeHome on the entertainment system. They just haven't gone far enough -- they need an HDTV EyeHome. They also haven't made the two devices talk to eachother seemlessly yet.
The most significant weaknesses of the el Gato products (and I have an Eye TV and an Eye Home) are the following:
1) There's no IR blaster to change the channel on cable boxes automatically.
2) On the Eye Home, when the green light is illuminated on the front, that means the device is OFF.
Originally posted by midwinter
The most significant weaknesses of the el Gato products (and I have an Eye TV and an Eye Home) are the following:
1) There's no IR blaster to change the channel on cable boxes automatically.
2) On the Eye Home, when the green light is illuminated on the front, that means the device is OFF.
Right -- the problems are in the details of their execution. Which is why I want Apple to do these products. Bad news for Elgato, good news for us.
Originally posted by midwinter
The most significant weaknesses of the el Gato products (and I have an Eye TV and an Eye Home) are the following:
1) There's no IR blaster to change the channel on cable boxes automatically.
2) On the Eye Home, when the green light is illuminated on the front, that means the device is OFF.
They're working on #1 though!
Whatever happens, Apple can benefit from MPEG-4 adoption.
Originally posted by slughead
They're working on #1 though!
They've been working on #1 for, I believe, something like 2 years. How long does it take to make an IR blaster?
Originally posted by Rolo
What if Apple bought out El Gato and combined an EyeTV with AirPort Express and some other Apple technologies? It could make a smart PVR. OTOH, TVs in 2006 could have all sorts of things built-in. There must be some reason some TV manufacturers are putting that cell chip into future sets.
Whatever happens, Apple can benefit from MPEG-4 adoption.
Apple would be better off buying Tivo.
Originally posted by Rolo
Apple has a patent application that shows some sort of wireless iPod dock. What if AirPort Express were converged with an iPod photo dock. The iPod, inserted into this new dock, would become your media server and could also serve as a backup drive. Your stereo and TV can be connected to the dock. Pop the iPod into the dock and it mounts on your desktop, autosyncs with iTunes, iPhoto, iCal, AddressBook, and if you want to backup files to it, just use Backup. A little remote control software and/or handheld device could control the iPod so you can play music and see slide shows on your TV.
Other Macs in the household could also access the iPod for music sharing, photo sharing, and file backup.
A wireless dock like this might cost just a bit more than an AirPort Express. Maybe a future iPod or software update for existing iPod photo units could support H.264 video.
I'd sure like to see Apple make a home media server with built-in PVR, though.
Ok this would be very cool but wireless is too slow for iPod music transfers. It would take hours to add new music.