Apple previews iTV set-top device

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Comments

  • Reply 61 of 343
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. Dirk


    El Gato's EyeHome isn't as mainstream as the iTV will be, simply by the scale on which Apple will produce and market them. Also, although I haven't yet watched the keynote, in the pictures it looks like it says "802.11 wireless" instead of "802.11g"... I wonder if Apple will be using 802.11n, which would make the components more expensive at this stage.



    My point was that Apple's solution looks expensive compared to EyeHome. I would assume that Apple could get a better price on components and manufacturing due to the "economy of scale". Add to that the reduced cost of some of the components that would be in common and one would expect that Apple would come closer to, if not beating the smaller company's offering.



    Apple can produce and market them in whatever ferver and quantity that they want, that doesn't mean people will buy them if Apple cannot convice them that it is a product that the need and want at a price that they can afford. Apple has had a bit of experience with that, Cube anyone? or Pipin, Newton, Quicktime camera, and I'm sure others.
  • Reply 62 of 343
    I like all things Apple, but I think a movie download service (be it from Apple, Amazon, or anyone else) is a less than necessary idea given the cost and current alternatives.



    Why go to the time and expense ($9.99, $12,99, or $14.99) to buy one near DVD quality movie when for the same money, I can get all the movies I want in a month from Netflix on DVD? If I were inclined to do so (I?m not) I could copy all those DVDs to my heart's content and/or rip them to my HD and save them on other media or share the ripped files with my two friends, or twenty friends, or 2 million friends on the internet . . .



    I love movies and I applaud the apparent elegance of Apple?s offering (Amazon and others should be taking notes) but I have no need for this service so long as DVDs are readily available on a service like Netflix.
  • Reply 63 of 343
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by baygbm


    I like all things Apple, but I think a movie download service (be it from Apple, Amazon, or anyone else) is a less than necessary idea given the cost and current alternatives.



    Why go to the time and expense ($9.99, $12,99, or $14.99) to buy one near DVD quality movie when for the same money, I can get all the movies I want in a month from Netflix on DVD? If I were inclined to do so (I?m not) I could copy all those DVDs to my heart's content and/or rip them to my HD and save them on other media or share the ripped files with my two friends, or twenty friends, or 2 million friends on the internet . . .



    I love movies and I applaud the apparent elegance of Apple?s offering (Amazon and others should be taking notes) but I have no need for this service so long as DVDs are readily available on a service like Netflix.





    Netflix takes days to deliver 3 movies. I can download the same in a few hours, granted it costs 3 times as much...



    If Apple were to offer a rental service, I'd be all over it. That way I can decide that night what movie I want to watch, and if I like it I can buy it
  • Reply 64 of 343
    If Apple is going to do anything with PVR functionality its not going to be via iTV... it will be via the Mac. This is simply a nice interface to a tv.
  • Reply 65 of 343
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by onlooker


    It's perfectly legal to make a backup. I think your associating ripping with ripping something off. Two entirely different things.



    The illegal part isn't making backups, it is circumventing copy protection mechanisms, at least in the US, because of the DMCA. Last I heard, the EU is implementing similar legislation.
  • Reply 66 of 343
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kernel_panic


    Because ITV already exists.



    and iTV software for the Mac already exists:

    http://home.versanet.de/~athiede/itv.html



    and if I remember right there used to be an Internet enabled TV that was called iTV:

    http://www.welovemacs.com/itv.html
  • Reply 67 of 343
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BRussell


    It will play anything quicktime can play, and quicktime (via flip4mac) can play wmp files.



    On your Mac sure, but I assume this box will do its own decoding of media streams/files (it certainly will have to for video). So, unless Apple supports decoding of Windows Media files on the box, I doudt you will be able to do it. Same for DiVX and other formats Apple doesn't usually support.
  • Reply 68 of 343
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by @homenow


    My point was that Apple's solution looks expensive compared to EyeHome. I would assume that Apple could get a better price on components and manufacturing due to the "economy of scale". Add to that the reduced cost of some of the components that would be in common and one would expect that Apple would come closer to, if not beating the smaller company's offering.



    EyeHome doesn't even have the same capabilities. A regular digital video out is nice to have but not there.



    From what I can tell, EyeHome will upscale video to HD, but won't plan an HD stream, 480p is the max file res that it will play. The scaling is easy, decoding high res video streams take a lot.
  • Reply 69 of 343
    I would be all over a rental service as well, but I can't see myself buying at those prices. Not with DVD prices being what they are. Hopefully a rental service will be added soon.
  • Reply 70 of 343
    Some random thoughts for your consideration:
    • HDMI is of no value over component unless you're HD.

    • The 802.11 n standard is non-finalized, so you can't really say you're n-compliant - yet.

    • The MacPro's that contained airport were delayed (mine included) - n-ready but not n-compliant?

    • People like myself considered spending this much on the DLO HomeDock, and this thing kicks that thing around the block.

    • Steve hinted at using this as a monitor. Picture yourself with a bluetooth keyboard by the La-Z-Boy, with your MacPro in the den, surfing on the big-a$$ plasma you just bought.

    Comments?
  • Reply 71 of 343
    God bless Robert Morgan. He's got to be loving the iTV announcement.



    Anyone know whatever happened to him?
  • Reply 72 of 343
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mariofreak85


    Netflix takes days to deliver 3 movies. I can download the same in a few hours, granted it costs 3 times as much...



    If Apple were to offer a rental service, I'd be all over it. That way I can decide that night what movie I want to watch, and if I like it I can buy it



    For me, Netflix takes one day from shipping to me seeing it in my mailbox. I get better res than iTunes is offering and don't have to worry about malware or bad EULAs like what Amazon is offering.
  • Reply 73 of 343
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    Has anyone else wondered why there's no DVD player in this thing? I realize that Apple is trying to put the focus on having a computer-centric media collection, but I'm pretty sure most people have both DVDs and video files. And ripping your entire DVD collection to hard drive isn't a good option for the hard drive space challenged (and is technically illegal).



    I'm still looking for the all-in-one device: DVD player, media player via wireless network, HD video recorder. Looks like EyeTV hybrid + my MacBook Pro is still a better solution.



    And ideally I'd prefer Blu-Ray or HD-DVD -- but the players are still too expensive. Still another year or two until they hit the mainstream.
  • Reply 74 of 343
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mariofreak85


    Netflix takes days to deliver 3 movies. I can download the same in a few hours, granted it costs 3 times as much...




    Exactly. Like I said, I have no need for this service so long as I have something like Netflix. If you live near a Netflix distribution center (and I do) turn around time is literally 24 hours for new movies... and because you always have 2, 3, or 5 movies in your possession (and more in your queue) you always have something you want to watch at home or on the way.



    Everyone has a mailbox and a DVD player. Not everyone has a modern computer, with a fast internet connection, and the $299 iTV box necessary for this new service.



    I'm sure Steve and other Apple execs have T1 at home. Do you? Downloading music is quick enough with DSL or cable but a near DVD quality movie?



    Don't get me wrong, I'm glad this option of movie downloads is there. But for now I'll stick with Netflix.
  • Reply 75 of 343
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Frank777


    God bless Robert Morgan. He's got to be loving the iTV announcement.



    Anyone know whatever happened to him?



    Don't know what happened to him, but he was, what 5+ years ahead of iTV and same goes for the Intel switch. If Apple ever includes virtualization his "Red Box" predictions might come to pass as well.
  • Reply 76 of 343
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by pmjoe


    I think you missed my point. I don't care what services and video content they have on the iTunes Music Store. This hardware isn't worth $300. Apple is going to have to get the cost of this down to $179 or even $149 for people to buy it.



    My point was not whether you should or shouldn't be able to rip a DVD.. My point was that becaise ripping DVD's is illegal, Apple won't be providing software to do such a thing.
  • Reply 77 of 343
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solsun


    My point was not whether you should or shouldn't be able to rip a DVD.. My point was that becaise ripping DVD's is illegal, Apple won't be providing software to do such a thing.



    Sorry about the above post, I replied to the wrong person\
  • Reply 78 of 343
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SharkBait


    Some random thoughts for your consideration:
    • HDMI is of no value over component unless you're HD.

    • The 802.11 n standard is non-finalized, so you can't really say you're n-compliant - yet.

    • The MacPro's that contained airport were delayed (mine included) - n-ready but not n-compliant?

    • People like myself considered spending this much on the DLO HomeDock, and this thing kicks that thing around the block.

    • Steve hinted at using this as a monitor. Picture yourself with a bluetooth keyboard by the La-Z-Boy, with your MacPro in the den, surfing on the big-a$$ plasma you just bought.

    Comments?



    Plasma? ....nah, they're yesterday's news.... LCD is more like it.
  • Reply 79 of 343
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by auxio


    Has anyone else wondered why there's no DVD player in this thing?



    Because people already have DVD players?
  • Reply 80 of 343
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BRussell


    Because people already have DVD players?



    That's true but to some extent it would be nice to reduce the number of devices in the equipment rack. It would make a very slick little player, I think, though probably not as good as a player with a DCDi or HQV chip.
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