Macworld Forums: Apple previews iTV home theater playback box - Macworld Forums

The set-top box code-named iTV -- which won't ship until early 2007 -- allows iTunes customers to view movie and TV shows flat-screen TVs. more

ITV is a major television network in the UK. I wonder if they will ask Apple to change its name?

I would also think they would want to avoid confusion with EyeTV.

Apple has already said that's not the real name. They don't know what it's going to be yet.
So is there any info yet if this thing streams real HD?

has anyone seen a picture of this thing?
just curious (i know the description says short Mac Mini)

this is a brilliant bait to draw the other studios to participate on the itunes movie sales.
atta boy steve!

One thing I don't see mentioned directly, other than album art, is that music will be able to be streamed to this new device. I'd call it iTunesTV or (from taken from Ren and Stimpy) iLog.

There is a photo of Steve Jobs holding one... from the Macworld coverage: photo
There is also a photo of the back of one on PC World's Techlog: Click here and then scroll to the bottom.

iTV. Nobody will ask Apple to change the name, they will sue Apple to change the name. Ever notice how so few companies ask someone to do something, rather than sending cease & desist letters, or sue under IP law? Then again, Apple should be smarter than to pick a name that conflicts with an established brand.
There is one major missing feature with this product - no DVR. It seems that no matter how much time goes by Apple is still ignoring the full scope of the digital device market that they could cater to with the digital hub concept. Things such as:
- A digital camcorder, iPod-style.
- A digital camera, iPod-style.
- A Mac media-center PC.
Here Apple has introduced an interesting, but crippled product. Without even just an Apple DVR, let alone working with Tivo to add Tivo functionality, Apple caters only to the pay-for-content market. The product would be immensely more appealing if it had a Tivo DVR in it, not to mention that Apple could instantly market the device to Tivo customers. Heck, for just under $700 million, Apple could buy Tivo and give all new Tivo customers the new capabilities of iTV.
But alas, Apple has iPod-blindness, it seems to ignore all market opportunities, but for those that make iTMS and the iPod succeed, when Apple's "iPod treatment" would make so many other digital appliances so much easier and more enjoyable to use, not to mention open up so many new people to the Mac and how much better it is than a PC.

thanks for the photo links .. that helps
I think that I'm going to want one

It needs a DVD player (Blu-Ray?) and DVR features. After I bought a new player to accommodate new DVDs (hardware was fine, but they seem to be using newer encoding standards than my player supports), I am really interested in software-upgradable DVD players.
Is it really going to stream video over 802.11g? I thought that would require UWB.
Just to be nit-picky, you don't need a flat-screen TV, any TV with the right inputs should work.

If you want a DVR, you can get the iTV mega package for $748 or the iTV mega HD for $848.. The package includes: $599 mac mini + eyeTV hybrid, or Miglia Micro TV HD (or whatever it's called). It's more expensive than a Tivo, but you don't have to pay for a subscription, and it's more flexible.
I personally think the iTV "thing" was the best announcement. Maybe it will be "MacTV" and possibly followed--or preceded--by MacTV Pro"? Anyway, it was the best because even though there were other disappointing aspects to the movie sales, it wouldn't have mattered how awesome the downloadables were (they could have been full-rez, uncompressed studio masters) if you could only watch them on your computer, or on a video iPod. Providing a way to watch all the stuff people buy on their TV is huge.
Of course, you can hook directly up to the TV and use Front Row (if you have it), or hook your video ipod up to the TV..but the iTV would be a smoother solution. Much more convenient, and also a better connection than the iPod does.
As for only catering to the pay-to-watch crowd, I think it's fine. Sure a DVR would be nice. But it would also be nice if EVERY SHOW was available for download. That way I wouldn't even need to think in advance about what I want. I could just go "hmm, I missed (such and such)" I will just buy the episode for a few bucks. Over time, it would be more than a DVR (not including subscription fees) but I think it would be a lot more convenient. It's certainly a service that SOMEONE should offer. Why not Apple?

It would seem to me that this would require some sort of updated transmitter attached to the computer (internal or external) to send such a high bandwidth signal. Couldn't these 2 pieces of hardware both transmit and receive? Ultimately turning the computer into a DVR?

I wonder if it will include an RF remote control so that you can have your computer in one room and tv in another and still control it...
hmm...