Actually, I don't think that's true. Most DVRs are supplied by cable or satellite TV companies. Comcast has licensed the TiVo software, but have only just started rolling it out in a very small area (and I believe they charge extra for it and it's not the exact same as regular TiVo...missing a few features).
So yes, most DVRs suck...with the exception of the minority that are TiVos.
I can't imagine trying to browse through the TV listings that way, being forced to always scroll through the list as opposed to a regular remote where I would just type in a channel number and jump forward in the guide. Maybe if this DVR only supports OTA content where I'd imagine most people could only expect to get at most 10-15 channels (and I think even that number would be quite generous unless they have a full-sized antenna mounted on the roof). But imagine the 300+ channels of cable or satellite and having no numeric input on the remote would be inexcusable (it would be amusing to see Jobs spin the BS as he attempted to justify only supporting OTA content).
If Apple did require you to scroll through, would you really jump through 300 channels? I'm reasonably sure that in the best of times, I wouldn't need more than 30 channels of favourites. In terms of direct channel numbers I gave up on individual channel numbers after my paytv provider changed the channel numbers again for the 3rd time.
Once we get to 5000 channels (or absolute interactivity) it won't be an issue of course. Still, for now, I agree that some people want to use a remote to change to specific channels. And if Apple doesn't significantly reinvent how they watch the TV in a way they like, those people won't buy it.
(I'm not sure how you jump from scrolling through 300+ channel, to Steve Jobs justifying only having OTA content. Are you saying that Apple would choose to just support FTA simply because their remote can't handle 300+ channels?)
Oh, sweet Jesus, please let Apple make this glorious device. Throw in a multi channel cable card (hey, my HOA "gives" me cable, so i use it) so I can record 2 HD shows at once, and gigabit ethernet so I can connect to my NAS and we're set! I've been putting off buying a TiVo HD (the DVR from my cable co sucks) hoping this very thing would come along. Apple, please don't make me wait any longer!!! I wouldn't even mind paying a monthly fee for the service/guide info.
My only thing is that the current ATV still doesn't have an optical drive. I would expect that ATV 3 would include a BluRay player with in 2 years, but if this were to be another software update, I would be surprised if they called it 3.0.
Yes, I know, BR drives are still pricy, even though the HDDVD vs. BluRay battle is over, but with in 2 years development, I would expect the prices to have fallen by then.
The only other thing is that when the first ATV was released it didn't even sport a DVD drive - something I was expecting. Even with Take 2, I was in hopes that they would've included a DVD drive for the new models, while retaining a free download for the first models.
If it's all about "Movies, Movies, Movies" then why can't we have a DVD drive? or the ability to rip DVDs into the Library? (aside from all the legal hassle)
My only thing is that the current ATV still doesn't have an optical drive. I would expect that ATV 3 would include a BluRay player with in 2 years, but if this were to be another software update, I would be surprised if they called it 3.0.
Yes, I know, BR drives are still pricy, even though the HDDVD vs. BluRay battle is over, but with in 2 years development, I would expect the prices to have fallen by then.
The only other thing is that when the first ATV was released it didn't even sport a DVD drive - something I was expecting. Even with Take 2, I was in hopes that they would've included a DVD drive for the new models, while retaining a free download for the first models.
If it's all about "Movies, Movies, Movies" then why can't we have a DVD drive? or the ability to rip DVDs into the Library? (aside from all the legal hassle)
Just my $0.02
My guess is that Apple never will put an optical drive in the AppleTV.
My guess is that Apple never will put an optical drive in the AppleTV.
My solution, buy a PS3 along with my Wii
(I don't do drugs and I don't do Microsoft)
Never say "Never."
Apple may surprise us all - I never thought that Apple would make an ultra-thin notebook, I thought that having 3 different notebook lines wouldn't play favor to Apple, but here I sit, still amazed that the MBA is 3 lbs and is less than an inch thick at it's thickest part.
Apple could just take the Mac Mini box, gut it, install a 250GB SATA, DVD SATA, and internals from the ATV.
If Apple REALLY wants to create an All-in-One-Do-Everything-Access-Point device, they'll bundle it with a Time Capsule
Apple may surprise us all - I never thought that Apple would make an ultra-thin notebook, I thought that having 3 different notebook lines wouldn't play favor to Apple, but here I sit, still amazed that the MBA is 3 lbs and is less than an inch thick at it's thickest part.
Apple could just take the Mac Mini box, gut it, install a 250GB SATA, DVD SATA, and internals from the ATV.
If Apple REALLY wants to create an All-in-One-Do-Everything-Access-Point device, they'll bundle it with a Time Capsule
"All-in-One-Do-Everything-Access-Point device"
That's the key. Apple is NOT trying to have that. They are trying to have an access point for THEIR PRODUCT REVENUE.
They are not interested in a DVD or BlueRay player in AppleTV because they do not sell DVDs or BlueRay discs.
While it looks great for cable customers, I just don't see this ever working with DirectTV. Although my current DirectTV HD-DVR does have an EtherNet port and a USB port. So maybe something could be done...
DirectTV is going with TIVO with a new tivo box and / or tivo software on there boxes.
True. I wonder if one could hook up the external MBAs SuperDrive to the ATV...
Since we've found out that the MBA SuperDrive does not require any special power requirements beyond what USB specs can offer, it is possible. All we need to do is add the appropriate drives, frameworks (perhaps) and the DVD app to make it work. This may also require a change to BackRow so it functions more like FrontRow, but Boxee has shown us that it's not an impossibility to make this work... at least n theory.
SInce the MBA's Suprdrive is external, making it a thicker drive that is tray loading would reduce costs considerably over the the foolishly desired 12.7mm slot-loading BRDs in $1000 Mac notebooks, much less the eemingly impossible 9.5mm drives that at least one AI poster here claims can be had for as low as $150 despite it's lack of existence.
Too bad we there isn't a CD/DVD or CD/DVD/BRD player that would compliment the AppleTV's look and footprint exactly by sitting underneath it. Despite my complete lack of optical media usage I can see how this would benefit many users and increase the AppleTV sales.
An external drive that worked with the AppleTV, even if it was a hack would help spur more AppleTV sales, garnish more iTS video sales from the 'good enough"-bitrate convenience of Apple's 720p content and keep other HW vendors from selling their Blu-ray products. But can the AppleTV's CPU, GPU and RAM handle the load? Can the officially speced 720p be made to output high-profile 1080p with a SW update?
PS: As for a DVR, that is a completely different issue that would be a bad idea, IMO, even as a 3rd-party option considering the power of the AppleTV when in use by its other functions. Using a tried and true option like EyeTV on your Mac seems to be a a much better soltuion in that respect.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sc54321
If you stream recorded dvr between Apple TV units or to your iphone / itouch... that would be even better.
Straming is not the most viable option for shows your DVRed, in most cased. I think the AppleTV would compress it as H.264 first and then copy it to your iDevice via iTunes.
But there are still many issues with Apple supplying a DVR to your AppleTV that would ruin the iTS video business model and piss off most, if not all, of their content rpoviders. What I hope happens is that Hulu et al. take a note from YouTube and offer H.264 options for playing their video on internet capable iDevices that don't have Flash (or a decent version of Flash, which is all phones). The embedded commercials appear to be making Hulu a success, and aren't that big of a deal to get the content you want when you want it.
I know use it for many shows I miss instead of using [I]other means[/I[ for shows such as "Daily Show" and "Colbert Report" which are usually posted well before I wake up in the morning and before by other methods would have finished downloaded the files.
PS: With so many US TV shows being available for streaming via sites like Hulu, South Park, Daily Show, and Colbert Report, a change to make streams QT(H.264)-compliant would pretty eradicate the need for moving to the archaic-seeming TV-capable smartphones the Japanese market seems so found of. All Hulu would have to do is offer what it did last week with the presidential election and offer more realtime streaming of video. This method seems to be more reliable, more future-forward as HSPA+ can achieve theoretical bandwidth speeds of 42Mbps, all while using current cell technology already in phones while not needed to include additional HW that is more prone to interference of it's outdated system requirements.*
Note: The talk of the Japanese having TV access on their devices led me to believe that they access UHF/VHF-type singles and are not using UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA to get streaming TV via their carrier. If this is incorrect, plese ignore my last paragraph and explain me how it works. Thanks.
Comments
It is nice to dream though. If this were to happen and the low-end version could be had for $149, I'd buy a couple of them.
That's true! Keep the dream alive!! If it does happen, I hope we get the programming guide in Canada too!! Then I will jump all over it!
Since most DVR's are TiVo units...
Actually, I don't think that's true. Most DVRs are supplied by cable or satellite TV companies. Comcast has licensed the TiVo software, but have only just started rolling it out in a very small area (and I believe they charge extra for it and it's not the exact same as regular TiVo...missing a few features).
So yes, most DVRs suck...with the exception of the minority that are TiVos.
DVR would be NICE!
I can't imagine trying to browse through the TV listings that way, being forced to always scroll through the list as opposed to a regular remote where I would just type in a channel number and jump forward in the guide. Maybe if this DVR only supports OTA content where I'd imagine most people could only expect to get at most 10-15 channels (and I think even that number would be quite generous unless they have a full-sized antenna mounted on the roof). But imagine the 300+ channels of cable or satellite and having no numeric input on the remote would be inexcusable (it would be amusing to see Jobs spin the BS as he attempted to justify only supporting OTA content).
If Apple did require you to scroll through, would you really jump through 300 channels? I'm reasonably sure that in the best of times, I wouldn't need more than 30 channels of favourites. In terms of direct channel numbers I gave up on individual channel numbers after my paytv provider changed the channel numbers again for the 3rd time.
Once we get to 5000 channels (or absolute interactivity) it won't be an issue of course. Still, for now, I agree that some people want to use a remote to change to specific channels. And if Apple doesn't significantly reinvent how they watch the TV in a way they like, those people won't buy it.
(I'm not sure how you jump from scrolling through 300+ channel, to Steve Jobs justifying only having OTA content. Are you saying that Apple would choose to just support FTA simply because their remote can't handle 300+ channels?)
I sense a Apple TV 3.0 coming up in 2 years time
My only thing is that the current ATV still doesn't have an optical drive. I would expect that ATV 3 would include a BluRay player with in 2 years, but if this were to be another software update, I would be surprised if they called it 3.0.
Yes, I know, BR drives are still pricy, even though the HDDVD vs. BluRay battle is over, but with in 2 years development, I would expect the prices to have fallen by then.
The only other thing is that when the first ATV was released it didn't even sport a DVD drive - something I was expecting. Even with Take 2, I was in hopes that they would've included a DVD drive for the new models, while retaining a free download for the first models.
If it's all about "Movies, Movies, Movies" then why can't we have a DVD drive? or the ability to rip DVDs into the Library? (aside from all the legal hassle)
Just my $0.02
My only thing is that the current ATV still doesn't have an optical drive. I would expect that ATV 3 would include a BluRay player with in 2 years, but if this were to be another software update, I would be surprised if they called it 3.0.
Yes, I know, BR drives are still pricy, even though the HDDVD vs. BluRay battle is over, but with in 2 years development, I would expect the prices to have fallen by then.
The only other thing is that when the first ATV was released it didn't even sport a DVD drive - something I was expecting. Even with Take 2, I was in hopes that they would've included a DVD drive for the new models, while retaining a free download for the first models.
If it's all about "Movies, Movies, Movies" then why can't we have a DVD drive? or the ability to rip DVDs into the Library? (aside from all the legal hassle)
Just my $0.02
My guess is that Apple never will put an optical drive in the AppleTV.
My solution, buy a PS3 along with my Wii
(I don't do drugs and I don't do Microsoft)
My guess is that Apple never will put an optical drive in the AppleTV.
My solution, buy a PS3 along with my Wii
(I don't do drugs and I don't do Microsoft)
Never say "Never."
Apple may surprise us all - I never thought that Apple would make an ultra-thin notebook, I thought that having 3 different notebook lines wouldn't play favor to Apple, but here I sit, still amazed that the MBA is 3 lbs and is less than an inch thick at it's thickest part.
Apple could just take the Mac Mini box, gut it, install a 250GB SATA, DVD SATA, and internals from the ATV.
If Apple REALLY wants to create an All-in-One-Do-Everything-Access-Point device, they'll bundle it with a Time Capsule
Never say "Never."
Apple may surprise us all - I never thought that Apple would make an ultra-thin notebook, I thought that having 3 different notebook lines wouldn't play favor to Apple, but here I sit, still amazed that the MBA is 3 lbs and is less than an inch thick at it's thickest part.
Apple could just take the Mac Mini box, gut it, install a 250GB SATA, DVD SATA, and internals from the ATV.
If Apple REALLY wants to create an All-in-One-Do-Everything-Access-Point device, they'll bundle it with a Time Capsule
"All-in-One-Do-Everything-Access-Point device"
That's the key. Apple is NOT trying to have that. They are trying to have an access point for THEIR PRODUCT REVENUE.
They are not interested in a DVD or BlueRay player in AppleTV because they do not sell DVDs or BlueRay discs.
"All-in-One-Do-Everything-Access-Point device"
That's the key. Apple is NOT trying to have that. They are trying to have an access point for THEIR PRODUCT REVENUE.
They are not interested in a DVD or BlueRay player in AppleTV because they do not sell DVDs or BlueRay discs.
True. I wonder if one could hook up the external MBAs SuperDrive to the ATV...
If you stream recorded dvr between Apple TV units or to your iphone / itouch... that would be even better.
While it looks great for cable customers, I just don't see this ever working with DirectTV. Although my current DirectTV HD-DVR does have an EtherNet port and a USB port. So maybe something could be done...
DirectTV is going with TIVO with a new tivo box and / or tivo software on there boxes.
True. I wonder if one could hook up the external MBAs SuperDrive to the ATV...
Since we've found out that the MBA SuperDrive does not require any special power requirements beyond what USB specs can offer, it is possible. All we need to do is add the appropriate drives, frameworks (perhaps) and the DVD app to make it work. This may also require a change to BackRow so it functions more like FrontRow, but Boxee has shown us that it's not an impossibility to make this work... at least n theory.
SInce the MBA's Suprdrive is external, making it a thicker drive that is tray loading would reduce costs considerably over the the foolishly desired 12.7mm slot-loading BRDs in $1000 Mac notebooks, much less the eemingly impossible 9.5mm drives that at least one AI poster here claims can be had for as low as $150 despite it's lack of existence.
Too bad we there isn't a CD/DVD or CD/DVD/BRD player that would compliment the AppleTV's look and footprint exactly by sitting underneath it. Despite my complete lack of optical media usage I can see how this would benefit many users and increase the AppleTV sales.
An external drive that worked with the AppleTV, even if it was a hack would help spur more AppleTV sales, garnish more iTS video sales from the 'good enough"-bitrate convenience of Apple's 720p content and keep other HW vendors from selling their Blu-ray products. But can the AppleTV's CPU, GPU and RAM handle the load? Can the officially speced 720p be made to output high-profile 1080p with a SW update?
PS: As for a DVR, that is a completely different issue that would be a bad idea, IMO, even as a 3rd-party option considering the power of the AppleTV when in use by its other functions. Using a tried and true option like EyeTV on your Mac seems to be a a much better soltuion in that respect.
If you stream recorded dvr between Apple TV units or to your iphone / itouch... that would be even better.
Straming is not the most viable option for shows your DVRed, in most cased. I think the AppleTV would compress it as H.264 first and then copy it to your iDevice via iTunes.
But there are still many issues with Apple supplying a DVR to your AppleTV that would ruin the iTS video business model and piss off most, if not all, of their content rpoviders. What I hope happens is that Hulu et al. take a note from YouTube and offer H.264 options for playing their video on internet capable iDevices that don't have Flash (or a decent version of Flash, which is all phones). The embedded commercials appear to be making Hulu a success, and aren't that big of a deal to get the content you want when you want it.
I know use it for many shows I miss instead of using [I]other means[/I[ for shows such as "Daily Show" and "Colbert Report" which are usually posted well before I wake up in the morning and before by other methods would have finished downloaded the files.
PS: With so many US TV shows being available for streaming via sites like Hulu, South Park, Daily Show, and Colbert Report, a change to make streams QT(H.264)-compliant would pretty eradicate the need for moving to the archaic-seeming TV-capable smartphones the Japanese market seems so found of. All Hulu would have to do is offer what it did last week with the presidential election and offer more realtime streaming of video. This method seems to be more reliable, more future-forward as HSPA+ can achieve theoretical bandwidth speeds of 42Mbps, all while using current cell technology already in phones while not needed to include additional HW that is more prone to interference of it's outdated system requirements.*
Note: The talk of the Japanese having TV access on their devices led me to believe that they access UHF/VHF-type singles and are not using UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA to get streaming TV via their carrier. If this is incorrect, plese ignore my last paragraph and explain me how it works. Thanks.