Interesting, TV-tuner was my first though as soon as I saw this machine. accomodating the various TV signals is not difficult as the graphics hardware is already up to the task and it's just a matter of supplying the right decoders -- it could all go on a chip, but probably less than that -- firmware, software, and some inputs (with a A-D converters)
I'd love to use an iMac as a digital TV/timeshifting DVD-burning PVR! That would be an impressive feature for the iMac. VCR's are so passe. iCal is just waiting for a killer app. What could be easier than calling up a TV listing that overlays onto an iCal calendar and you just click the shows you want to record this day, week, month ???
Applenut and Pscates, rest assured it's a very good idea that would help upsell a lot of people that wouldn't otherwise go for an iMac.
Amorph is also right, that the networks and cable/satellite providers would have a fit about people playing with their stuff in iMovie/iDVD and QT. And with record companies tied so closely to cable/TV execs, it may not be good for iTMS (or Apple) to piss them off. HDTV/DVI however will NOT provide any significant means of locking down programming and usage that isn't already beaten. When they chose DVI over firewire it wass largely to overwhelm the hackers with sheer bandwidth, but we know from experience that this is a loosing battle. By 2006/7 the power for direct capture will be there anyway, and any encoding schemes will be beaten as soon as bored netizen hackers can have a look at it.
Still, for any Apple friendly companies, there's a great opportunity to make a 10.5 round base that slips under the iMac and provides all the features we're talking about here.
I don't really see the space issue complaints.. I live in a 10x12 room with my roommate, which is smaller by atleast 2 feet due to a chimney. I have a large 19 inch LCD with a large tower computer. I also have in here an old school big box stereo with large 3 foot high speakers, plus a 27 inch flat crt Sony Wega, ontop of a futon, not even counting my freinds desk and his Bass Amp. We have no lack of space what so ever in this dorm room. Aside from this LCD TV isn't all that great. I'll take my Sony over it any day, and when I get a new HDTV, I might just dump my VGA moniter for DVI inputs. No offence to apple, but why give someone an inferior quality TV picture for the cost of probably 200 dollars more, in apples largely overly priced products.
I think that a TV tuner would be a good idea for some people.
You could basically make a TIVO like appliance out of the Mac. Make the Mac the real digital hub. It could work out and would be an interesting option for people. Everything you need is already there, so no big added equipment costs for Apple. I think that this simply adds value to an iMac.
I wouldn't buy it thought. First of all, my tv is 55 inches in size. A 20 inch LCD is neat, but not as nice as what I have. Secondarily, I don't watch TV so TIVO is really wasted on me.
He thinks it's a place for you to turn your brain off, which is different. He does it himself according to the last analyst call.
He just doesn't see any convergence there. The standards issue is a big one, too. You can basically get there with a third-party product, which isn't bad. I do see where applenut is coming from, but I'm not sure if Apple can do it on their scale, especially with the standards changing.
Now, if there was any indication that the broadcasters and producers were happy with people not only timeshifting, but loading TV shows up into iMovie and playing editor, and borrowing scenes for their own nefarious purposes, then maybe there'd be something. But what are the odds of that? The main reason the industry's switching to digital TV seems to be because there are ways to lock down and control content unilaterally and absolutely.
Yea, I for one have absolutely no desire to see any convergence with computers and TV. I work in my home office, and watch TV in my home theater/family room. I have no use for a mac in my living room, I have high end audio/video equipment for that.
I would, however, like to watch TV on my mac while working sometimes, mostly sports.
a tv tuner in the 20" would be a killer option. Hey how about an auto retractable antenna to catch off the air stations? they could come out like marvin the martians antenna. As you turn on the app, the antennae would come out from behind the LCD. Cool Huh!
Just joking.
You could marry sherlock or iCal with the app. these would retrieve the schedules, double click on something and the viewer app pops open, takes to the specific channel. Or use ical to schedule a recording session for the show you want to watch.
If apple does not come out with it, it would be a nice feature if it can be added to the UFO base.
This is why the Performa 6400 is still great (my parent still us the TV tuner in theirs).
I had two 6400s, one that I still have, and another that is long gone (bad logic board) The one that is gone had ethenet and a tuner, the one I still have doesn't
Aren't Tivo like technologies under fire from the RIAA and those other copyright corps?
The RIAA is pissed at everyone right now. They have been walking around with a big ole' pole up their butts for a few years now, and sort of with good reason too. They just need someone to be pissed at, and Tivo and other digital recording companies are it right now. Expect lawsuits, and soon.
The RIAA is pissed at everyone right now. They have been walking around with a big ole' pole up their butts for a few years now, and sort of with good reason too. They just need someone to be pissed at, and Tivo and other digital recording companies are it right now. Expect lawsuits, and soon.
They seem to be against every form of digital recording medium. If it is copy protection, what copy protection was there for tapes or analog medium other than being wrapped in cellophane?
What is their issue with digital medium, is it really copy protection or the fact that it can be altered easily? You can alter tapes as well, though you need more sophisticated equipment.
What is their issue with digital medium, is it really copy protection or the fact that it can be altered easily? You can alter tapes as well, though you need more sophisticated equipment.
The RIAA's position (at least as far as I understand it) is that since analog recording results in a degraded sound, it is inherenly self-limiting. By the time you've made a tape of a tape of a tape, the sound quality is poor enough that it has no real value. Digital, on the other hand, allows for perfect copies ad infinitum. If miniature vinyl-pressing machines had existed 20 years ago, this would have been an issue then. Today, everyone owns their own CD burner (now in direct competition with the RIAA's factories), so digital copying is a much more serious (and qualitatively different) problem than before.
There already is such a device for the mac and it seems really cool. It isn't only a TV tuner, but a PVR as well! And you can burn shows to VideoCD. I would copy them to my iPod and watch them on the road.
Comments
I'd love to use an iMac as a digital TV/timeshifting DVD-burning PVR! That would be an impressive feature for the iMac. VCR's are so passe. iCal is just waiting for a killer app. What could be easier than calling up a TV listing that overlays onto an iCal calendar and you just click the shows you want to record this day, week, month ???
Applenut and Pscates, rest assured it's a very good idea that would help upsell a lot of people that wouldn't otherwise go for an iMac.
Amorph is also right, that the networks and cable/satellite providers would have a fit about people playing with their stuff in iMovie/iDVD and QT. And with record companies tied so closely to cable/TV execs, it may not be good for iTMS (or Apple) to piss them off. HDTV/DVI however will NOT provide any significant means of locking down programming and usage that isn't already beaten. When they chose DVI over firewire it wass largely to overwhelm the hackers with sheer bandwidth, but we know from experience that this is a loosing battle. By 2006/7 the power for direct capture will be there anyway, and any encoding schemes will be beaten as soon as bored netizen hackers can have a look at it.
Still, for any Apple friendly companies, there's a great opportunity to make a 10.5 round base that slips under the iMac and provides all the features we're talking about here.
I don't really see the space issue complaints.. I live in a 10x12 room with my roommate, which is smaller by atleast 2 feet due to a chimney. I have a large 19 inch LCD with a large tower computer. I also have in here an old school big box stereo with large 3 foot high speakers, plus a 27 inch flat crt Sony Wega, ontop of a futon, not even counting my freinds desk and his Bass Amp. We have no lack of space what so ever in this dorm room. Aside from this LCD TV isn't all that great. I'll take my Sony over it any day, and when I get a new HDTV, I might just dump my VGA moniter for DVI inputs. No offence to apple, but why give someone an inferior quality TV picture for the cost of probably 200 dollars more, in apples largely overly priced products.
Where do you live?
i'm getting a sharp 17" widescreen lcd.
it's got a tv tuner and does 1280x768.
it's $799 at best buy.
anyone wanna buy a 15" apple lcd?
You could basically make a TIVO like appliance out of the Mac. Make the Mac the real digital hub. It could work out and would be an interesting option for people. Everything you need is already there, so no big added equipment costs for Apple. I think that this simply adds value to an iMac.
I wouldn't buy it thought. First of all, my tv is 55 inches in size. A 20 inch LCD is neat, but not as nice as what I have. Secondarily, I don't watch TV so TIVO is really wasted on me.
Originally posted by Amorph
He thinks it's a place for you to turn your brain off, which is different. He does it himself according to the last analyst call.
He just doesn't see any convergence there. The standards issue is a big one, too. You can basically get there with a third-party product, which isn't bad. I do see where applenut is coming from, but I'm not sure if Apple can do it on their scale, especially with the standards changing.
Now, if there was any indication that the broadcasters and producers were happy with people not only timeshifting, but loading TV shows up into iMovie and playing editor, and borrowing scenes for their own nefarious purposes, then maybe there'd be something. But what are the odds of that? The main reason the industry's switching to digital TV seems to be because there are ways to lock down and control content unilaterally and absolutely.
Yea, I for one have absolutely no desire to see any convergence with computers and TV. I work in my home office, and watch TV in my home theater/family room. I have no use for a mac in my living room, I have high end audio/video equipment for that.
I would, however, like to watch TV on my mac while working sometimes, mostly sports.
a tv tuner in the 20" would be a killer option. Hey how about an auto retractable antenna to catch off the air stations? they could come out like marvin the martians antenna. As you turn on the app, the antennae would come out from behind the LCD. Cool Huh!
Just joking.
You could marry sherlock or iCal with the app. these would retrieve the schedules, double click on something and the viewer app pops open, takes to the specific channel. Or use ical to schedule a recording session for the show you want to watch.
If apple does not come out with it, it would be a nice feature if it can be added to the UFO base.
Jamil
Originally posted by Stoo
This is why the Performa 6400 is still great
I had two 6400s, one that I still have, and another that is long gone (bad logic board) The one that is gone had ethenet and a tuner, the one I still have doesn't
Originally posted by scavanger
Aren't Tivo like technologies under fire from the RIAA and those other copyright corps?
The RIAA is pissed at everyone right now. They have been walking around with a big ole' pole up their butts for a few years now, and sort of with good reason too. They just need someone to be pissed at, and Tivo and other digital recording companies are it right now. Expect lawsuits, and soon.
Originally posted by DMBand0026
The RIAA is pissed at everyone right now. They have been walking around with a big ole' pole up their butts for a few years now, and sort of with good reason too. They just need someone to be pissed at, and Tivo and other digital recording companies are it right now. Expect lawsuits, and soon.
They seem to be against every form of digital recording medium. If it is copy protection, what copy protection was there for tapes or analog medium other than being wrapped in cellophane?
What is their issue with digital medium, is it really copy protection or the fact that it can be altered easily? You can alter tapes as well, though you need more sophisticated equipment.
Originally posted by Jamil
What is their issue with digital medium, is it really copy protection or the fact that it can be altered easily? You can alter tapes as well, though you need more sophisticated equipment.
The RIAA's position (at least as far as I understand it) is that since analog recording results in a degraded sound, it is inherenly self-limiting. By the time you've made a tape of a tape of a tape, the sound quality is poor enough that it has no real value. Digital, on the other hand, allows for perfect copies ad infinitum. If miniature vinyl-pressing machines had existed 20 years ago, this would have been an issue then. Today, everyone owns their own CD burner (now in direct competition with the RIAA's factories), so digital copying is a much more serious (and qualitatively different) problem than before.
http://www.macintoshdigitalhub.com/reviews/eyetv/
You can also buy it from the Apple Store, just search on EyeTV and it will come right up.