Remote and FrontRow - I'm Confused!

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
FrontRow and the Remote looks quality, however it doesn't seem to be very clear how it actually works?



Is it BT or IR, if it is BT thats great we can all get it but IR we cannot. It doesn't seem to say anywhere how it works. Surely it can't just work by IR, that means that only people who buy new imacs can use it, which makes no sense!!



Does anyone out there actually know for a fact what this uses. Everyone seems to be speculating but I watched the presentation and he never mentions it and it doesn't say on the website.



I want to buy it!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    They have changed the website now to say:



    "Compatible with Apple products introduced in 2005 or later that have a built-in Infrared (IR) receiver."



    A little bit weak I think! I wonder could you buy the dock and use that as an IR for the iMac itself rather then just the iPod?



  • Reply 2 of 9
    nevermind.
  • Reply 3 of 9
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    The whole setup seems a bit odd to me. I'd be interesting in trying it in the store. I don't see how the remote would be able to choose which iMovie you care to watch, what photo album you care to watch a slideshow of, etc.



    It kind of seems like the remote on a car stereo to me. I have to ask myself, "what's the point?" Maybe as the future pans out we'll get more answers.
  • Reply 4 of 9
    lundylundy Posts: 4,466member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by CosmoNut

    The whole setup seems a bit odd to me. I'd be interesting in trying it in the store. I don't see how the remote would be able to choose which iMovie you care to watch, what photo album you care to watch a slideshow of, etc.



    It kind of seems like the remote on a car stereo to me. I have to ask myself, "what's the point?" Maybe as the future pans out we'll get more answers.




    You have to watch Steve demo it; all your questions will be answered: http://stream.apple.akadns.net/



    It has only 6 buttons.
  • Reply 5 of 9
    well, i kinda don't get it either, I mean it is cool that you can pick up your remote and direct access common programs, itunes etc but my initial thoughts were that this was so you could run a video out to your tv and sit on your couch and access all of this stuff....this is obviously not what it is, even if you could run a cable to your tv you would have to have an ir blaster/repeater on your tv to make it work.



    maybe in the future...but thats wohat I would like, I think when you can wirelessly stream content, both audio and video from your computer to your stereo and tv and have a remote to control it all would be a fantastic thing.



    so seriously...in the meantime could you run s-video from the imac and use an ir blaster, and would it still be in sync with the audio since the audio would be going to your stereo via airport express hmmmmmm
  • Reply 6 of 9
    "Compatible with Apple products introduced in 2005 or later that have a built-in Infrared (IR) receiver."



    What a pain as I got 3 Macs (iBook, iMac and PB) in 2004! I don't think it will take long for Apple to come up with an adapter for us older customers - maybe something that will fit between our iSight adapter and the camera.
  • Reply 7 of 9
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by mercury7

    [B]well, i kinda don't get it either, I mean it is cool that you can pick up your remote and direct access common programs, itunes etc but my initial thoughts were that this was so you could run a video out to your tv and sit on your couch and access all of this stuff....this is obviously not what it is, even if you could run a cable to your tv you would have to have an ir blaster/repeater on your tv to make it work.



    Eh? Why? I run video to my TV all the time, and never use the TV remote.
  • Reply 8 of 9
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    So I have 2 external IR receivers on my G5. One USB and one Firewire. Is it al all possible those would work?



    Probably not, but my fingers are crossed.
  • Reply 9 of 9
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,415member
    Front Row is just the beginnings of a future Multimedia system from Apple. It should be limited right now so that Apple can sweeten it before branching out with custom hardware.



    I'd hope to eventually move to RF for whole house access.
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