What Ultimate NEW Apple TV Feature Would You Add (other than DVR)?

[Cleverboy]

Even a DVD is already compressed, but its bit rate is quite high. Now, you want your computer to compress its own image on the fly which needs a lot more resolution than 720 by 480 and send it over. Give it up. Well, OK, give it up for the next few years.

Who said the DVD stream would need to be the full 720 x 480 when it goes over (that's what optimization tricks are for)? Reincorporating it into something that could arguably be called a re-broadcast would certainly cross some lines. Unless you're still running a G5, I don't think on-the-fly compression is going to break the CPU bank here, considering its a rather mainstream feature of iChat/Quicklook.

(Look at the forth screenshot...)
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/ichat.html

Put on a photo slideshow, click through a Keynote presentation, or play a movie — in full screen, accompanied by a video feed of you hosting — while your buddy looks on. In fact, you can show any file on your system that works with Quick Look.

If you've ever tried to screencap from Apple's DVD player instead of VLC player, you'll recognize that Apple doesn't seem to have any interest in having users do anything with the DVD playback other than view it.

~ CB

 

[err404]

My pipe dream has been to have a Wii type remote so I could just point it at the screen and select what I want. It would also need to function as a traditional remote. I don't always want to be waving my arms around to do things.

I fear that as more and more functionality is moved to the TV by competitors like sony and MS, Apple could fall behind the game in an attempt to keep the interface simple. A change in the input method could help it remain simple to use while adding functionality.

 

[smilinmonki666]

I don't think Apple would fall behind, I mean they've never really been infront of the competitors. Which I think is a good thing. There is no point in the large companies trying compete. Apple have there own market. Sony are a games machine manufacturers, MicroSoft are the closest competitor but even they are part of Apple???

Apples interface is simple and easy to use, microsoft are more for the people who can't afford an Apple so go to tescos & buy an all in one pc for £500. The best thing about is that Apple have people wanting to create software for them including MicroSoft. If apple change stuff they could make their products less desirable and more sony & MicroSoft like?