Perfect Home Automation on Hacked Apple TV?

[Pigumon]

I was thinking, supposing you can hack the new $229 AppleTV like you could the original, put a stripped down OSX on it...

This would make the perfect device to run a home automation system!!!
I'm talking about turning on and off/dimming lights, setting up music & movies to play automatically..

You can set up "scenes" like 5:30 PM Dec 1-31, dim main lights to 30%, turn on Christmas decoration lighting, turn on Christmas tree, turn on tv (hooked up to hacked appleTV) to play fireplace screensaver (ok nvm.. tacky), turn on receiver, play itunes Christmas playlist, turn heater up to 68º, oh! turn on electric fireplace? etc. etc.

All this with an interface you can adjust right on your big HDTV!!!

Wow... AppleTV may be a purchase in my near future...

 

[wyatt23]

how?

 

[dogtanian]

You're living in a dream.... a great dream but a dream all the same. There are a few mac home-automation systems out there but they look pretty cheapo to me. I'll be sorting out a home media server with a mac mini and a couple of apple TV's at some point. The Mac Mini would utilise a Samsung White 19" wall mounted LCD and a touch-screen kit from ebay. Would need a 802.11n adapter too. Home automation looks too difficult for me.

 

[edesignuk]

If you were going to attempt something like this you'd just get a Mini, hacking the Apple TV is pointless for this