Comments on: The most exciting feature of iTV may be its USB port

By: Jason’s Random Tech News » The Most Exciting feature of Apple’s iTV may be it’s USB Port

Tue, 24 Oct 2006 00:40:19 +0000

[...] the USB connector may be used to add third party TV tuners, Keyboards, etc…suddenly it all makes sense and we all get what we had been waiting for. I would be really surprised if Apple hadn’t planned that all along. Why not announce it now, then? Well, I guess that Steve Jobs is already preparing it’s One more thingÂ¦ speechread more | digg story [...]

By: zeromagik

zeromagik — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 08:52:14 +0000

i think that the usb port is designed for an external harddrive, one of the features most talked about in mac osx leopard is time machine, the use of n spec wireless around the home will allow time machine to back up your computer to this harddrive connected to the itv box, wirelessly.

now take this one step further, time machine not only backs up the files created it also backs up your operating system, allowing network boots when your computer drops dead. for me though having all your media stored in this one place will mean you wont even haveto boot your computer to access your media itll be in the itv automatically.

no cd/ dvd drive is necessary as your computer has one, to allow media to be ripped to your computer then this will be sent to your ext hd connected to itv automatically.

i like the idea of the usb port being for tv tuners, and i can see this as a possibility, but it will mean that it wont have the fluid integration if it was an apple product from start to finish, i just think that apple tv is still a way off yet.

By: Adam Lindsay

Adam Lindsay — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:21:31 +0000

iSight sure is on back order for a long time now, would make sense at this point to finally bring it over to USB. Video Conferenceing?

iPod Dock makes sense, so does a slew of a million other devices. Apple realizes it made a killing with accessories for the iPod. Don’t you think they will have a million of them for the iTV as well. Heck a kereoke/mic comes to mind here.

I don’t see external Set-Top boxes though. They aren’t required to use USB, only firewire. I have played with the firewire recording and with the right software, it would be good, but you really need a fat pipe and some drive space. 802.11(n) isn’t going to do it. Sorry, but Apple has skipped convential media distribution. This is the future. It is the promised IPTV, but here today.

Why $300 you ask, well anyone consider the amount of buffer these things will have? Stream HD via WiFi, trust me, your going to want some memory buffer in there. Stuff like that adds-up.

By: tji

tji — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 02:49:55 +0000

TV tuner (HDTV) is a good idea, but I don’t think the solution will be plugging it into the iTV. The iTV, like the airport express, will not do much on its own. It is made to work with a PC hosting the content. So, if they have support for TV, it will probably be through your PC (the Mac mini makes a great platform for this).

Also, much of the power of PC TV tuners is for DVR functions like recording or pausing. Since the iTV doesn’t have a hard drive, it wouldn’t be able to do those things.

I think the model will be more like that of MythTV, where you have a backend storing the content, hosting the tuners, etc. The frontend, where the user interaction takes place, and the display is done, can be a lightweight device.

By: Gerry Roe

Gerry Roe — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 02:38:23 +0000

I find it very hard to read your blog. The font size is too small and the sans-serif font makes it worse.

By: Pvt C

Pvt C — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 19:15:46 +0000

Even El Gato, and everyone working on this independently like Centerstage, they all present the solutions with missing pieces, even beyond the tuner and cable card conundrum. Which is why I have not bit yet for any of those solutions, because they are not solutions.

I think people want to be able to use their large Screen TV as a mac, which also happens to have the same functionality as a Tivo. An Apple set top box. However, Apple cannot suggest media being shuffled about so freely in hollywoods overprotective climate. So you get a hint at a streaming solution (I still suspect that apples iTVs will have minis, with an external drive, directly below them in many cases of actual use.

I also think the USB port can obviously be used for yet another obvious object…. an iPod.

There is also that built in hidden iPod Dock under the hood of Mac Minis, that is, a USB port in the top center under the apple logo of the top of the case.

By: mc

mc — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 15:23:57 +0000

Look, if the video feed goes one way, it can go both ways. You connect a keyboard to the iTV, boot up your actual workspace on your computer, and use the computer remotely. Word on your TV. Who the $%$# wants to do that? No idea. But it might be possible.

Same goes for those deriding the lack of HD and DVR capabilities. What’s to keep the video feed from streaming TO the computer for recording?

The USB port allows all the peripherals to make this a remote workstation. Over wireless. Crazy, but why not?

By: mcloki

mcloki — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 13:56:52 +0000

The other thing it does it it keeps Apple friendly with all the other content providers. IF Apple made a DVR it would hurt their paid downloads business and their relationship with Studios. remember the Rip.Mix.Burn problems.
And as to connecting a hard drive. It’s possible but I believe you still need a mac to process the mp4, mp3 files and convert them into music. The iTV has no processor.

By: D9

D9 — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 12:00:46 +0000

Yes, I too see it as a possible link to the media drive, in addition to the 802.11 service. If you notice the footprint, it seems similar to the Mac mini; perhaps those who were in attendance know better. If so, I could see one stacking a mini on top of this w/ a USB connection to provide the iTV w/ media content. Reports have shown that video media streaming via Airport Express is poor in comparison to hardline. Just my .02Â¢.

By: Pete

Pete — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 05:18:18 +0000

I think the iTV will serve as an 802.11 router and that the ethernet port will be for hooking to the DSL/Cable Modem and that the USB port will be for printer sharing just like in the current Airport Base Station. I’m sorry if that seems boring, but sometimes things aren’t always exciting.