[Doxxic]

I think we have been badly overlooking the missing link between the latest iMac G5 with Front Row, which I suppose is practically always sitting on people's desks instead of in their living rooms...

...and the living rooms.

The answer is an updated Airport Express with transmission of video and remote control signals.

+ Maybe built in cd/dvd player since we like to do that in your living and not have to go upstairs for it where our computer is.
+ Maybe bluetooth so we could use the same computer with a wireless keyboard + dito mouse with the tv as our monitor.

Wouldn't that be a very elegant solution?

Moreover, if *every* Mac mini is going to *include* this transmission device for the living room *by default*, they're really home media centers the most economical way since you have your computer where it belongs while you make optimal use of harddrives, memory and cpus per household.

Combine that with Apples way of implementing it stylishly and in a well integrated way and you have a nice vehicle for bringing Mac OS X into many households...

[TednDi]

you don't need a dvd player in the same room if apple is selling videos.

you just stream them from your computer to the video enabled airport.

Using a variant of Apple Remote Desktop you can then select download and play whatever you want whenever you want.

HDMI
S video
composite

optical audio out.

also acts as wireless hub/bridge 802.11 g or better

[Franz Josef]

AirPort Express with video controlled via Front Row is attractive, but you can do most of that now. If you want to stream TV (or DVDs) now using a remote, it's quite straightforward if you have 2 Macs and an Elgato EyeTV, Salling Clicker, CyTV and your mobile phone.

You simply control one of the Macs with your phone (using Salling Clicker), and CyTV streams the video from one Mac to the other (you need VLC installed). We use CyTV between a 15" and 12" PB (with AirPort Extreme) and it works comfortably between rooms.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by TednDi you don't need a dvd player in the same room if apple is selling videos.

That asumes that people want to buy movies off the net, not everyone does. I've never bought anything from the iTunes Music store.

[spotcatbug]

Originally Posted by PB PM That asumes that people want to buy movies off the net, not everyone does. I've never bought anything from the iTunes Music store.

Not to mention that the iTunes videos are much, much, much less than DVD quality (I had to catch up on Lost is how I know).

[Doxxic]

Just figure out how economic this would be.

Imagine you can rent video via iTunes, and record video with it, like TiVo.

You just buy a Mac with Airport Express with video in and out, a tv tuner a cd/dvd player and you have it all at once:
- TiVo functionality
- harddisk recorder
- tuner
- dvd player
- photo library
- music library
- video rent
- music store
- computer for internet, email, work, etc
- remote control

The Apple (iPod) way.

For a price probably comparable to a dedicated media harddisk player.

Nearly everything is there, Airport Express with video will bring it together.

It would be a massive hit, if sold well.

[World Leader Pretend]

Originally Posted by Doxxic You just buy a Mac with Airport Express with video in and out, a tv tuner a cd/dvd player and you have it all at once:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Apple has never released a product that relies on 3rd party hardware to work. (not counting internal components like graphics cards, etc..)

If someone has a poor DVD player and experiences trouble, they may come yelling to Apple for answers. Apple doesn't want a reputation of things that don't work, and if they rely on other companies for their products to function, they loose quality control.

Apple also likes things in cute packages. I can't see a cable box attached to an Airport Extreme attached to a DVD player surrounded by cables as where Apple wants to go with their next-gen products.

Not a bad idea though...

[Reid]

Originally Posted by Franz Josef ...If you want to stream TV (or DVDs) now using a remote, it's quite straightforward if you have 2 Macs and an Elgato EyeTV, Salling Clicker, CyTV and your mobile phone. You simply control one of the Macs with your phone (using Salling Clicker), and CyTV streams the video from one Mac to the other (you need VLC installed). We use CyTV between a 15" and 12" PB (with AirPort Extreme) and it works comfortably between rooms...

Yeah, that fits my definition of "straightforward" exactly. 2 Macs, EyeTV, Salling-compatible phone, CyTV (whatever that is)... what ordinary person doesn't have all that lying around?

Or, you could have one Mac or PC, and one Airport Express w/ Video, which would include a remote. Step One: Plug the Airport Express into your TV. Step Two: Press play. Step Three: There's no step three.

[FFL]

I'm going to agree with the last two posters. Any Apple solution is going to be as simple as plugging an iPod into your Mac and having it automatically sync.

[Franz Josef]

Originally Posted by Reid Yeah, that fits my definition of "straightforward" exactly.

Yeah right. Sarcasm aside, the point is simply that the technology isn't rocket science at all. All that needs to happen is to bring it together in a box.

[*Joe*]

There is actually a product out there that allows you to stream video from your mac, view your photos, listen to your iTunes, and watch recorded TV programs.
Elgato have a device called eyeHome ( http://www.elgato.com/index.php?file=products_eyehome ) which does all of the above.

[Wraven]

I just read the write-up for the EyeHome, and while nice, it does not let you view Music and Movies purchased from the iTMS. That's a dealbreaker IMO.

[sith_lord]

I've heard several reasons why this leap forward to wireless video has taken a back seat is that big movie co. are leary about the technology which can defeat the DRM. From what I can gather, why this has been ignored for too long and why 802.11g for the airport has stayed behind is that Apple is bending to the wishes from content providers .

I also heard that the adding wireless into an iPod video with severly drain the battery. It does this to a certain degree to my Powerbook when transferring big files over the air. I would buy one in an instant if they solved that problem or perhaps if Apple releases an official branding of an iPod Video as opposed to an iPod (that does video), they will have to undoubtedly use another form factor which can give more added functionality like wireless like bluetooth. A couple months ago some tech news site debuted a new bluetooth chip that can solve the current issues of powerdrain and expanding wireless coverage which is not new to most of you bluetooth phone/pda users.

[Doxxic]

Originally Posted by s_i_t_h_l_o_r_d I've heard several reasons why this leap forward to wireless video has taken a back seat is that big movie co. are leary about the technology which can defeat the DRM. From what I can gather, why this has been ignored for too long and why 802.11g for the airport has stayed behind is that Apple is bending to the wishes from content providers . I also heard that the adding wireless into an iPod video with severly drain the battery. It does this to a certain degree to my Powerbook when transferring big files over the air. I would buy one in an instant if they solved that problem or perhaps if Apple releases an official branding of an iPod Video as opposed to an iPod (that does video), they will have to undoubtedly use another form factor which can give more added functionality like wireless like bluetooth. A couple months ago some tech news site debuted a new bluetooth chip that can solve the current issues of powerdrain and expanding wireless coverage which is not new to most of you bluetooth phone/pda users.

Why would you play your video from your iPod if you can play it from your computer upstairs and still control it with your remote downstairs?

[JCG]

Originally Posted by Doxxic Why would you play your video from your iPod if you can play it from your computer upstairs and still control it with your remote downstairs?

Becouse he likes draining the batteries in the iPod?

[Ug Ug]

Originally Posted by *Joe* There is actually a product out there that allows you to stream video from your mac, view your photos, listen to your iTunes, and watch recorded TV programs. Elgato have a device called eyeHome ( http://www.elgato.com/index.php?file=products_eyehome ) which does all of the above.

Over the Christmas holidays I attempted setting up streaming video from my iMac (G5 2gig RAM, 10.4.3) to my TV using Eyehome. Only 1 in 10 dvd recordings was skip/stutter free. Recordings were made with either EyeTV200 or Miglia USB FTA STB.

In conversation with Elgato they accept that some wireless broadcasts will not be error free.....my experience was MOST were not error free. They blamed it on video, except I was getting skipping playing music on my TV via EyeHome, which I have NEVER had playing iTunes via airport express.

Eyehome is not yet robust enough, I am banking on Apple releasing AE with a video channel.

[Ug Ug]

Originally Posted by s_i_t_h_l_o_r_d I've heard several reasons why this leap forward to wireless video has taken a back seat is that big movie co. are leary about the technology which can defeat the DRM. From what I can gather, why this has been ignored for too long and why 802.11g for the airport has stayed behind is that Apple is bending to the wishes from content providers . I also heard that the adding wireless into an iPod video with severly drain the battery. It does this to a certain degree to my Powerbook when transferring big files over the air. I would buy one in an instant if they solved that problem or perhaps if Apple releases an official branding of an iPod Video as opposed to an iPod (that does video), they will have to undoubtedly use another form factor which can give more added functionality like wireless like bluetooth. A couple months ago some tech news site debuted a new bluetooth chip that can solve the current issues of powerdrain and expanding wireless coverage which is not new to most of you bluetooth phone/pda users.

I may have stumbled on a way around DRM's, or I may have just been lucky.

I have recorded TV shows and films using EYETV of digital TV to my Mac. Files are saved as DVD format. If I use Toast 7 to burn the DVD some of the DVD's of films will not play especially if the TV station is digital only and has no anologue equivalent. However, if using Toast 7 I export the EYETV recording to DIVX format, then use Toast 7 to create a DVD from the DIVX format, hey presto the DVD plays on the TV. Yes, its long winded, but it works.

I did try ripping using handbrake of a Toast created DVD and then re-burning, however handbrake creates a huge file and it takes an incedible amount of time compared to my in and out of DIVX route. Hope this helps.

[Reid]

If they EyeHome is stuttering on your video, then clearly the thing isn't all it's cracked up to be... There's no reason why video shouldn't be able to stream nicely across an 802.11 (AirPort) connection.

54Mbps is the theoretical peak of AirPort Extreme. 768kbps is the maximum bitrate for iPod/iTunes H.264 video, which is presumably the format Apple would push with such a device. So all this theoretical AirPort AV would need (in addition to what AirPort Express already has) would be a hardware MPEG decoder and a video out jack.

[Enki]

Originally Posted by PB PM That asumes that people want to buy movies off the net, not everyone does. I've never bought anything from the iTunes Music store.

There is almost no difference between this and buying pay per view off the DirecTV if you Tivo the purchase. I and hundreds of thousands of DTivo users do the same thing already. So yes, there is a market for this.

[monkeyandy]

TiVo Uncharacteristically Quiet at CES

Look at this link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...0901288_2.html

I think TIVO are quiet because they have struck a deal with Apple.

"It's always been my opinion that DVR is sort of a stepping-stone technology, more of a feature than an actual product," he said. "Really, the future is Internet delivered content _ not recording it and watching it later."

A feature as part of a Mac Mini with FrontRow 2. They mention selling movies over the net for $3.99. Apple will do this. They will also release a Airport Extreme TV card that plugs into your TV so u can contol your Mac with a remote which could be located in a different room. Mac Mini ViiV with FrontRow 2.0 will be DVR, Movies, Music, Photos, etc in your frontroom. the whole media experience and also function as your family MAC!

Thats my thoughts! What do u think? U rekon Mac & Tivo could be conhorts. This could mean if your have iMac G5, all you do is buy iLife'06 and Airport Express TV thing. You have DVR, etc accessible in your Living Room. Even if the Mac is in a different room! Could usse this new WI-MAX standard for delivery!

[Doxxic]

ok the other side of the coin

lets not forget that most people have pcs at home.

What if apple brings out this product, working only with macs, and some pc guy thinks hell yea

and makes the same thing for people with a pc upstairs?

Wouldn't that force apple to bring out Front Row for pc, if they want to sell this device?
Just like they have made iTunes for pc?

Well why not actually...