If iTV takes content off of your computer and plays it on your TV, who is to say it can not take content off of your TV and play it on your computer?
Content doesn't come from your TV. Content comes from an antenna, or an external tuner or cable box. TVs do not usually have a signal-out option - why would they need one?
And how would such a device change the channel on your cable box?
And why would you want to hookup a device to your TV so that you could watch TV on your computer instead of on your TV?
perhaps iTV is the home NAS that we have all hoped and dreamed about.
A NAS with the ability to keep all of my music and all of my photos for easy access on my home network and also with the ability to serve my content to me wherever I am worldwide. I use my MBP almost 90% of the time. But, I don't keep my photos or my movies on the drive as my hard drive gets pretty full. A NAS with the ability to serve my music and my photos and my movies would free 75% of my hard drive. Also, with boot camp Win XP can take up valuable space on said laptop drive. The NAS wrapped up into iTV would be just the ticket.
Now, my family can share the music on my drive or, even add to it via iTMS and synch functions. Share my photos and share all of my collected movies. When I want to travel I could synch my ipod and download whatever content I wanted from the iTV server via a control panel on my laptop. Or, if I am in a far away hotel room, I could log in to the server and plunk out one of my movies or TV shows and enjoy. Sort of like a much larger idisk but the disk resides in my house. OS X server is already built into every copy of OS X so why not add a little Apple ease of use magic to it?
That would work and would be worth $300+ as long as I could add additional drives (raid?) as the storage need arises.
Note that EyeHome (and most similar devices) do not support HDTV.
And iTV is not NAS... why would you want to put the storage in a little tiny box next to your TV? That would be stupid. No, it is a device for delivering content to the TV/stereo. The Mac is the hub and it has the drive(s) connected to it, the iTV will pull content from it.
Note that EyeHome (and most similar devices) do not support HDTV.
Has the iTV been confirmed to output HD? I forget, but given the outputs, it would make sense.
Quote:
And iTV is not NAS... why would you want to put the storage in a little tiny box next to your TV? That would be stupid. No, it is a device for delivering content to the TV/stereo. The Mac is the hub and it has the drive(s) connected to it, the iTV will pull content from it.
The NAS does not need to sit next to an iTV. It could be anywhere on a network.
Yes I know that NAS doesn't have to sit next to the TV, but if you roll a NAS into the iTV it makes it that much easier. That much more functional. All of your stuff is right there... next to the TV. accessible from anywhere on the network or from outside via the network.
It makes it Apple simple. All in one.
Don't think like IT guys or power users think simple think mom and dad or aunt sally. How can Apple make a device that does something that is already available but that much easier. Remember the iPod was just an .mp3 player. There were lots of clunky .mp3 players out there. It was the design and the interface that made it.
So what your saying is that it is easier for mom and pop who have little computer experience to connect an external drive to their iTV and serve that drive to their entire network (which they are unlikely to have)? Wouldn't it be easier to just have them connect the box to their TV and leave the filesharing out of the equation? That's how Aunt Sally would think...
As cool as this idea would be, I doubt it's going to happen.
As far as I can tell the iTV just allows you to pull data from your iPhoto and iTunes applications. The issue or argument of it being pointless with a laptop is weird. Unless you live in 1 room, why would you want to have to bring your laptop into the living room and plug in or pull out all your stereo stuff. I foresee having an iTV per tv in the house being able to access any media stored on local (wired or wireless) machines to any set at any time. That's the power. The fact you can pull up a playlist of music in your den while hanging out, play a trailer on the living room tv for a friend, or watch the rest of a downloaded episode in the bedroom later that evening. Or, better yet do it all at the same time by various members of the family.
iTV is just another "network media player". When viewed as such, it makes perfect sense. We will all eventually be using networked media players as our only source in a home theaters.
(This message brought to you by a rabid anti-local-storage on networked media players activist.)
My EyeHome (and quite a few similar devices) do that already for well undr $300.
Interestingly, Elgato no longer list EyeHome at elgato.com
That's unfortunate, particularly given that the EyeHome was the most promoted device as a less expensive or existing alternative to "iTV". Given the rough edges that I've seen with the UI for the software included with EyeTV Hybrid, I think a likely better UI is going to be a selling point for at least some people. I did see some mixed reviews and negative comments on the EyeHome, particularly the UI.
After watching the presentation and reading up on it as much as possible, I am left wondering why is the functionality left to just Frontrow related applications such as iTunes and iDVD? If the system has the ability to send something as large as a movie to my flat screen tv, then why would iTV not be made so as to allow for everything else? Specifically, I would love to have my MBP with my wireless keyboard beaming a website with videos on it to my tv or an email I am writing to a friend on to my tv. This sure beats the heck out of going out an buying a mac Mini and making the proverbial hybrid MacTV we all were discussing six months ago. Think about how great this would be and what a way to further help Mac get into the corporate sector where this could be used for presentations along with a MB or MPB; or better yet, in the classroom.
Here are some idea's, even if they are off the wall. :-)
1) I would like to see iChat added to frontrow for iTV. I can hook up the iSight camera to iTV and web conference from my living room. We do a lot of web conferencing now, I would imagine we do it even more if we could from our living room.
2) Show desktop: Select from any of the Apple computers wirelessly connected to iTV (as long as hey run lepoard). Using a new iTV Multimedia Bluetooth keyboard, work from the couch as if you were at your desk.
For a truely integrated solution iTV must be able to show live TV. The rest of my family would not be too happy to have yet another box under the telly. An EyeTV dongle, together with some variant of EyeTV software interated within the Front Row UI, attached to the iTV could provide such a solution. You could even use the new EyeTV Diversity DTT receiver to play one TV channel while recording another, with iTV piping the recording back to the server. However, at the recent UK MacExpo I was told by an Elgato employee that Apple did not help them out "at all" to integrate EyeTV with Quicktime, etc, suggesting that no such collaboration is in progress (even though head of Elgato is on Apple's board).
An EyeTV dongle, together with some variant of EyeTV software interated within the Front Row UI, attached to the iTV could provide such a solution. You could even use the new EyeTV Diversity DTT receiver to play one TV channel while recording another, with iTV piping the recording back to the server.
Not that I don't understand and couldn't' make use of a device that does what you describe, but you've got to think of the size of the market. Apple's iTV will plug in and simply work, pulling data from any Mac or Windows PC running iTunes. Simple, elegant and very accessible to an existing large user base
Comments
If iTV takes content off of your computer and plays it on your TV, who is to say it can not take content off of your TV and play it on your computer?
Content doesn't come from your TV. Content comes from an antenna, or an external tuner or cable box. TVs do not usually have a signal-out option - why would they need one?
And how would such a device change the channel on your cable box?
And why would you want to hookup a device to your TV so that you could watch TV on your computer instead of on your TV?
This doesn't really make any sense, sorry.
Socrates
A NAS with the ability to keep all of my music and all of my photos for easy access on my home network and also with the ability to serve my content to me wherever I am worldwide. I use my MBP almost 90% of the time. But, I don't keep my photos or my movies on the drive as my hard drive gets pretty full. A NAS with the ability to serve my music and my photos and my movies would free 75% of my hard drive. Also, with boot camp Win XP can take up valuable space on said laptop drive. The NAS wrapped up into iTV would be just the ticket.
Now, my family can share the music on my drive or, even add to it via iTMS and synch functions. Share my photos and share all of my collected movies. When I want to travel I could synch my ipod and download whatever content I wanted from the iTV server via a control panel on my laptop. Or, if I am in a far away hotel room, I could log in to the server and plunk out one of my movies or TV shows and enjoy. Sort of like a much larger idisk but the disk resides in my house. OS X server is already built into every copy of OS X so why not add a little Apple ease of use magic to it?
That would work and would be worth $300+ as long as I could add additional drives (raid?) as the storage need arises.
And iTV is not NAS... why would you want to put the storage in a little tiny box next to your TV? That would be stupid. No, it is a device for delivering content to the TV/stereo. The Mac is the hub and it has the drive(s) connected to it, the iTV will pull content from it.
Note that EyeHome (and most similar devices) do not support HDTV.
Has the iTV been confirmed to output HD? I forget, but given the outputs, it would make sense.
And iTV is not NAS... why would you want to put the storage in a little tiny box next to your TV? That would be stupid. No, it is a device for delivering content to the TV/stereo. The Mac is the hub and it has the drive(s) connected to it, the iTV will pull content from it.
The NAS does not need to sit next to an iTV. It could be anywhere on a network.
It makes it Apple simple. All in one.
Don't think like IT guys or power users think simple think mom and dad or aunt sally. How can Apple make a device that does something that is already available but that much easier. Remember the iPod was just an .mp3 player. There were lots of clunky .mp3 players out there. It was the design and the interface that made it.
As cool as this idea would be, I doubt it's going to happen.
But dang would I love to have it!
Welcome to iTV configurator
Would you like to have all of your photos and music stored on your iTV?
you can still access them perfectly from here later:
yes/ no
The entire network would then be the iTV and the MBP/iMac connection via next gen airport (802.11n?)
It makes it Apple simple. All in one.
Yes, Airport Express simple. iPod simple. Mac + device. Simple.
will 802.11n be ready/available at the release of iTV?
No, not officially, but it seems that all wireless chip companies are putting it in their chips anyway.
Yes, Airport Express simple. iPod simple. Mac + device. Simple.
Thank you.
...or something like that...
all you guys are wicked smart, is this about right?
but if I've done my research right...802.11n will be "officially" released with the release of santa rosa in April?
...or something like that...
all you guys are wicked smart, is this about right?
leopard first quarter of 2007.
iTV demoed at MWSF shipping??? April???
too much coincidence!!
(This message brought to you by a rabid anti-local-storage on networked media players activist.)
(This message brought to you by a rabid anti-local-storage on networked media players activist.)
Why does that matter to you again?
My EyeHome (and quite a few similar devices) do that already for well undr $300.
Interestingly, Elgato no longer list EyeHome at elgato.com
That's unfortunate, particularly given that the EyeHome was the most promoted device as a less expensive or existing alternative to "iTV". Given the rough edges that I've seen with the UI for the software included with EyeTV Hybrid, I think a likely better UI is going to be a selling point for at least some people. I did see some mixed reviews and negative comments on the EyeHome, particularly the UI.
After watching the presentation and reading up on it as much as possible, I am left wondering why is the functionality left to just Frontrow related applications such as iTunes and iDVD? If the system has the ability to send something as large as a movie to my flat screen tv, then why would iTV not be made so as to allow for everything else? Specifically, I would love to have my MBP with my wireless keyboard beaming a website with videos on it to my tv or an email I am writing to a friend on to my tv. This sure beats the heck out of going out an buying a mac Mini and making the proverbial hybrid MacTV we all were discussing six months ago. Think about how great this would be and what a way to further help Mac get into the corporate sector where this could be used for presentations along with a MB or MPB; or better yet, in the classroom.
Here are some idea's, even if they are off the wall. :-)
1) I would like to see iChat added to frontrow for iTV. I can hook up the iSight camera to iTV and web conference from my living room. We do a lot of web conferencing now, I would imagine we do it even more if we could from our living room.
2) Show desktop: Select from any of the Apple computers wirelessly connected to iTV (as long as hey run lepoard). Using a new iTV Multimedia Bluetooth keyboard, work from the couch as if you were at your desk.
An EyeTV dongle, together with some variant of EyeTV software interated within the Front Row UI, attached to the iTV could provide such a solution. You could even use the new EyeTV Diversity DTT receiver to play one TV channel while recording another, with iTV piping the recording back to the server.
Not that I don't understand and couldn't' make use of a device that does what you describe, but you've got to think of the size of the market. Apple's iTV will plug in and simply work, pulling data from any Mac or Windows PC running iTunes. Simple, elegant and very accessible to an existing large user base