The Offical iTV Speculation Thread

[carfac]

>>> For the record, this was running an updated version of Front Row. Can't really call it mediocre without seeing the update.

For the record, I was refering to iTunes, not Front Row. Even with the update (ver 7), it is a piss-poor media manager. It is not even a good music manager. Sure, it is free, but that is about all nice one can say about it.

 

[somabc]

I can't really see the point of iTV, I mean you can already use XBMC on an xbox which you could buy for less than $100, its opensource and plays virtually any video format, no transcoding. I personally see bittorrent/ripped DVDs on a central server/NAS combined with a few XBMC in each room as the ideal (cheap) solution for your video needs.

The only new use I see is for HD which an xbox might have trouble with, but if you can afford an HDTV and are technical enough to understand and setup properly you can probably afford a windows media centre pc & xbox 360 (god forbid) or why not use a older mac mini for video? Or any old PC and MythTV? I just can't see this being a big seller.

 

[appleman64]

apple did exactly what they wanted to today....got everyone talking and speculation on their "iTV" box. Truth is Steve only showed us about a fourth of what this will really do.
As Cnbc put it, Apple wants to set the bar that they have one of the first devices capable of streaming video wirelessly from a mac to tv. That’s all they wanted to prove and show. They want to intimidate the competition. The price point is even a scare tactic...they will set the price high so other companies will come out with a "cheaper" type of device and then apple will market theirs accordingly.
When this does come out in 07 apple will get it right. They have studied the flawed Windows Media Center crap and will make a product that is user friendly and convenient to use...

well thats my 2cents on it...take it or leave it....

 

[DrFrankTM]

I can't really see the point of iTV, I mean you can already use XBMC on an xbox which you could buy for less than $100, its opensource and plays virtually any video format, no transcoding. I personally see bittorrent/ripped DVDs on a central server/NAS combined with a few XBMC in each room as the ideal (cheap) solution for your video needs.

The only new use I see is for HD which an xbox might have trouble with, but if you can afford an HDTV and are technical enough to understand and setup properly you can probably afford a windows media centre pc & xbox 360 (god forbid) or why not use a older mac mini for video? Or any old PC and MythTV? I just can't see this being a big seller.

I was going to write a long rant dismissing the XBox idea, but I have to admit that I haven't heard much about it, so it'd be dumb of me. If the iTV does HD through 802.11n wireless, can any XBox solution truely best that? I honestly have no clue as to when 802.11n is supposed to be finalized, so I was surprised by the "Q1 2007" shipping for the iTV, but I assume no XBox will have 802.11n until the console's next generation. (Maybe available as an add-on?)

Anyways, personally, I have no use for a TV tuner as my ethernet port brings me all the TV I care to watch, so I think the iTV is something I might buy. Others will buy it to show their pictures to guests on the living room TV, or to bring their music to the living room. And yes, I think it will sell well, because not everyone will consider installing Windows MC on an XBox a "solution". It will certainly *not* be the end-all, do-all solution-to-everything that some people are wishing for (me included), but it will be "good enough" for many (me included, once again).

P.S. I don't buy everything Apple just for the sake of it. I still don't have an iPod!!! But I like movies and anime, and the iTV will bring those to one more TV nicely. I think it will be worth the money.