Reported: Apple Event Agenda?
Sounds reasonable...
macrumors.com
TUAW posts an unconfirmed agenda for the Apple event:
Let's just say I have been informed by a little reliable birdy about Tomorrow's event. The line-up will follow this similar structure:
? Welcoming of Media Members
? Discussion on iTunes software, iTMS integration into iTunes, and iTMS sales and facts.
? Announcement of iTunes version 7.0
? Announces better search feature for Music Store
? Announces Movie Store. Available Immediately will be movies from Disney and Pixar, among other studios.
? New iPod Nano Announcement (nice brushed casing, while it will have same features as first gen, only a longer battery life)
? New iPod Announcement (Widescreen, Bluetooth, and featuring virtual touchweel. Does not include Wi-Fi, or any other protocols)
? One More Thing....TubePort. A $99 2-piece set that includes a dongle that connects via USB to your mac, and another dongle that connects via included HD cables or regular Component cables to your TV. The movie is accessed on your Mac via an iDisk-like storage component hosted by Apple.
Jobs will then explain the pricing structure of the Movie Store. Movies will be available as either a smaller iPod-format (which will cost $9.99 per movie), or as a larger, streamed movie to be streamed to your TV via TubePort. This cost $14.99 per movie. To purchase an iPod-formatted movie and a streamed version of the same movie, it will cost you $19.99."
The same information was anonymously sent to this site as well. When asked to clarify the "dongle" setup the reply was:
There are 2 wireless adapters in the TubePort set. One has a USB cable coming out of it that plugs into the computer, while the other wireless adapter has removable HD cables... these HD cables can be replaces with the included analog Component cables
....
Both adapters are wireless and communicate with each other. both adapters have LED lights to indicate status
macrumors.com
TUAW posts an unconfirmed agenda for the Apple event:
Let's just say I have been informed by a little reliable birdy about Tomorrow's event. The line-up will follow this similar structure:
? Welcoming of Media Members
? Discussion on iTunes software, iTMS integration into iTunes, and iTMS sales and facts.
? Announcement of iTunes version 7.0
? Announces better search feature for Music Store
? Announces Movie Store. Available Immediately will be movies from Disney and Pixar, among other studios.
? New iPod Nano Announcement (nice brushed casing, while it will have same features as first gen, only a longer battery life)
? New iPod Announcement (Widescreen, Bluetooth, and featuring virtual touchweel. Does not include Wi-Fi, or any other protocols)
? One More Thing....TubePort. A $99 2-piece set that includes a dongle that connects via USB to your mac, and another dongle that connects via included HD cables or regular Component cables to your TV. The movie is accessed on your Mac via an iDisk-like storage component hosted by Apple.
Jobs will then explain the pricing structure of the Movie Store. Movies will be available as either a smaller iPod-format (which will cost $9.99 per movie), or as a larger, streamed movie to be streamed to your TV via TubePort. This cost $14.99 per movie. To purchase an iPod-formatted movie and a streamed version of the same movie, it will cost you $19.99."
The same information was anonymously sent to this site as well. When asked to clarify the "dongle" setup the reply was:
There are 2 wireless adapters in the TubePort set. One has a USB cable coming out of it that plugs into the computer, while the other wireless adapter has removable HD cables... these HD cables can be replaces with the included analog Component cables
....
Both adapters are wireless and communicate with each other. both adapters have LED lights to indicate status
Comments
$15 is high enough and should include an old ipod version or let you downrez to an old ipod for free using iTunes or whatever. It shouldn't be extra. Most people are complaining $15 is too high for a download anyway.
The tubeport thing, aside from being a stupid name, of course I could see how they might pick such a name with the whole youtube craze. I don't think it's all that likely. I think it's more likely Apple will release an expensive media box for your TV that lets you download without the use of a computer. Basically a Mac Media.
The whole tubeport concept isn't very simple or elegant for Apple. It's nothing more then what I used to do when DVD's first came out and I dragged my computer into the other room and hooked it up to my TV. Except it's wireless.
Does it include a remote? Or do I have to get up and go into the other room to pause?
What about if somebody else wants to use the computer while I'm watching something?
What if I want one in each room of my house? Do I need more computers? Do I need more tubeports or do i need to keep hooking and unhooking the one?
It's one computer and multiple tubeports can more then one person watch more then one thing from the same computer on different TV's in the house?
Does it work with PC or just Macs? PC's are why the iPod is so popular today.
Plus I can't imagine the quality would be very good if you're streaming the video wirelessly from one end of the house to the other over a $99 dollar device. Let alone multiple streams.
All of this could be much better served by a set top box with an hard drive and a wi-fi/gigabit connection. While it won't be as cheap Apple has never been the type of company to let price stand in the way of easy of use. If it's easier to use but it costs more, well then it costs more, that's basically been Apple's philosophy. So why should it change now.
So yeah I call BS on this whole thing, except maybe the nano and the ipod. But I think that unfortunately the whole full screen ipod might be 6 months away. Based on recent patents it sounds like they are going to take that idea all the way beyond just video into multiple functions. So I can't see them changing the interface of the current ipod and then changing it again 6 months later. But I hope I'm wrong on that one.
The whole tubeport concept isn't very simple or elegant for Apple. It's nothing more then what I used to do when DVD's first came out and I dragged my computer into the other room and hooked it up to my TV. Except it's wireless.
So in other words, it's nothing like what you used to do with DVDs. Ever heard of a Media Center Extender? In the MS world, it is a lightweight device that connects to the main PC to do all of the processing to keep the price down. Everything is handled in the background, so someone can use the computer without even noticing anytyhing.
If TubePort is real, it is about as simple and elegant as it can be without becoming cost prohibative. And after "iPod" and "MacBook Pro", there isn't a whole lot of reason to believe that Apple wouldn't name something like that.
Why would I need a USB dongle to transmit video wirelessly when the built-in Airport could do the same?
Something ain't right.
If TubePort is real, it is about as simple and elegant as it can be without becoming cost prohibative. And after "iPod" and "MacBook Pro", there isn't a whole lot of reason to believe that Apple wouldn't name something like that.
The only way TubePort is real is if it included a dock and a processor and a connection to the internet for access to "a 'series' of tubes".
TubePort. It's made of tubes and tubes get clogged. It's not a truck!
Why would I need a USB dongle to transmit video wirelessly when the built-in Airport could do the same?
Something ain't right.
one possible reason is that they are not using the same standard that they are with Airport, though that would not be an elegant solution since it requires more cables hanging off that just released 24" AIO iMac.
Yeh, why would Apple complicate things while also taking a step backwards by forgoing the use of wi-fi, which is faster than USB, and then also incorporate 2 seperate messy dongles. This just isn't the Apple way.
USB2 can shift about 480million bits a second. Plus or minus a bit.
Wifi 802.11g runs at 54 million bits - but in real world terms, you have to halve that.
Wifi is plenty fast for sound - but for video you start to struggle. And the bigger the picture, the worse things get.
If you want to stream HD video, You'd need to stop other network users from using up the shared bandwidth. Nothing worse than having your evening's movie interrupted each time your email is collected, or someone starts a video-chat.
The recommended solution is a dedicated media wireless network. If this rumor is true, I am guessing that's precisely what ToobPort it - a special wireless link just for streaming media to your TV.
Without wires, I don't see how it could work any other way.
C.
I don't like the movie prices of this rumor.
$15 is high enough and should include an old ipod version or let you downrez to an old ipod for free using iTunes or whatever. It shouldn't be extra. Most people are complaining $15 is too high for a download anyway.
Unfortunately, Apple does not have alot of control over the greedy studios. They continuously shoot themselves in the foot and they wonder why piracy is rampant.
Apple would love to not have movies for more than $9.99 tops. Apple is not concerned by making a profit on it either. If its at least a break even proposition, its good to them. They want to drive hardware sales with the store.
USB2 can shift about 480million bits a second. Plus or minus a bit.
Minus quite a bit. Typical USB2 controllers don't even come close.
TubePort. It's made of tubes and tubes get clogged. It's not a truck!
Why would I need a USB dongle to transmit video wirelessly when the built-in Airport could do the same?
Something ain't right.
Maybe it isn't aimed just at Macs. Remember there are more Windows iPod customers.
Simpler perhaps is just a A network with some kind of proprietary compression since most folks don't have an A network. I guess pre-N is another option. The current AirPorts are B/G right?
I do agree that $15 is too high unless its HD. I can live with 720p HD for $15 though as long as there are some extras and that still leaves that $20+ for HD-DVD/BluRay at 1080p.
Vinea
Unfortunately, Apple does not have alot of control over the greedy studios. They continuously shoot themselves in the foot and they wonder why piracy is rampant.
Apple would love to not have movies for more than $9.99 tops. Apple is not concerned by making a profit on it either. If its at least a break even proposition, its good to them. They want to drive hardware sales with the store.
Jobs has a lot of control over the two greedy studios mentioned: Disney and Pixar.
If this is the pricing scheme, more expensive than Amazon, this effort will get slammed, and rightly so.