Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Why Apple just won the digital content battle for your living room with the iTV
This is good. Real good. Gizmodo leaked it this morning and it turns out their source was right. Apple plans on releasing a device that will basically allow your computer (Jobs is hoping it's a Mac but it sounds like PCs will work as well) to talk to your TV. Apple has dubbed the device the iTV for now but Jobs mentioned that as being a codeword for the device and that it's likely to change. The kicker is, no cables, not even for power. With this device you can beam high quality movies you buy from iTunes to your TV with ease. Some specifics:
Let me go back a bit. I said above you get to beam high quality movies from your Mac (or PC, I've been converted!) and while that's true that's not the whole picture.
This box gives you access to all of your iTunes content. Music, movies, movie trailers, pictures and so on and so on. I wonder how long it'll be until someone cracks it so you can stream whatever you want to your TV. All this functionality and ease of use for $299 early next year. Apple just blew by all competitors with this one. I think this picture sums it up quite nicely:
Would you want it any other way? ;)
I seriously think Apple is continuing to BLOW past all competition on this one. Microsoft's still trying to battle the iPod while Apple is thrusting forward into new markets and creating new spaces. Why couldn't anyone else come out with the iTV? Why couldn't Microsoft? The closest they got was Windows Media Center which is nice software but that's it. Just software. Apple is killing them on this. I wonder how the world will respond?
[photos and info from engadget] ¶ 11:11 AM
This is good. Real good. Gizmodo leaked it this morning and it turns out their source was right. Apple plans on releasing a device that will basically allow your computer (Jobs is hoping it's a Mac but it sounds like PCs will work as well) to talk to your TV. Apple has dubbed the device the iTV for now but Jobs mentioned that as being a codeword for the device and that it's likely to change. The kicker is, no cables, not even for power. With this device you can beam high quality movies you buy from iTunes to your TV with ease. Some specifics:
- The device connects to your PC via a USB 2 or Ethernet port.
- No power cord.
- You get an HDMI connector.
- You also get component video cables.
- you get to use a little white remote to control it.
Let me go back a bit. I said above you get to beam high quality movies from your Mac (or PC, I've been converted!) and while that's true that's not the whole picture.
This box gives you access to all of your iTunes content. Music, movies, movie trailers, pictures and so on and so on. I wonder how long it'll be until someone cracks it so you can stream whatever you want to your TV. All this functionality and ease of use for $299 early next year. Apple just blew by all competitors with this one. I think this picture sums it up quite nicely:
Would you want it any other way? ;)
I seriously think Apple is continuing to BLOW past all competition on this one. Microsoft's still trying to battle the iPod while Apple is thrusting forward into new markets and creating new spaces. Why couldn't anyone else come out with the iTV? Why couldn't Microsoft? The closest they got was Windows Media Center which is nice software but that's it. Just software. Apple is killing them on this. I wonder how the world will respond?
[photos and info from engadget] ¶ 11:11 AM
