“For the last two weeks we’ve been discussing Apple’s video download strategy and associated products, especially what Apple is calling for now its iTV video extender, which I have been calling the Video Express since I first wrote about it 18 months ago. It’s evident from its High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector (and lack of an S-Video connector) that the iTV is intended to connect primarily to high definition televisions. Yet these were never mentioned in the product announcement by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. In fact, the term HDTV was never used despite Jobs declaration that 2005 had been the ‘Year of HD,'” Robert X. Cringely writes for PBS.
Cringely writes, “So there is a lot about this product and the underlying services it will provide that Apple isn’t saying. Of course Apple will eventually sell and rent HD movies over this device. Then why aren’t they saying so?
Cringely writes, “The answer is more complex than you’d guess, and might be answered best by another question: Where are the Blu-ray high definition DVD drives in Apple’s latest computers? Sony is selling computers with Blu-ray drives, why not Apple? Apple long ago pledged allegiance to Blu-ray over the rival HD-DVD. Certainly Apple’s top-of-the-line Mac Pro, a double dual-core machine aimed straight at rich media creators, would have Blu-ray, wouldn’t it?”
“One would think so, but I’m quite certain we won’t see any Blu-ray drives in Apple computers until the iTunes Store has a deal to sell Sony films. There is a simple quid pro quo here, not just in the lack of Blu-ray drives, but also in the on-again, off-again nature of Sony camcorder sales in the Apple stores. Negotiations are continuing, sometimes in the marketplace itself,” Cringely writes,
Cringely writes, “Now what about that USB port on the back of each iTV box? Giving his tour of the gizmo last week, Jobs rushed right past the USB port. What could that port be for? It’s not for a USB hard drive, that’s for sure, because the key brain in this system is back in your Mac or PC and its very large hard drive. Nor will Apple (immediately) enable the iTV to act as a digital video recorder, because that might step on TV network toes before Apple is ready to do so. The USB port is clearly intended for an Apple iSight camera, a webcam to go with your HDTV. It’s iChat for Grandma.”
Much more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Pogo” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
The Motley Fool examines Apple’s iTV victims – September 22, 2006
Disney CEO Iger: Apple’s ‘iTV’ has ‘small hard drive on it’ – September 19, 2006
Disney sells 125,000 movie downloads via Apple’s iTunes Store in first week – September 19, 2006
The most exciting feature of Apple’s ‘iTV’ may be its USB port – September 15, 2006
Cringely: How Apple plans to own your living room – September 15, 2006
LA Times: With iTV+iTunes Movies, Steve Jobs stumbles over the last 100 feet – September 14, 2006
BusinessWeek: If anyone can make bridge the great divide, Apple can with ‘iTV’ – September 14, 2006
The Beeb asks: Would you buy the Apple iTV? – September 14, 2006
Three markets that are different today after Apple’s ‘It’s Showtime’ event – September 13, 2006
Cramer: Apple’s ‘iTV’ all about ease-of-use; Apple shares are going higher – September 13, 2006
Apple + Living Room = Logical Marriage + Boon for Stockholders – September 13, 2006
The Register: Apple event more like ‘No Show’ than ‘Showtime’ – September 13, 2006
The Telegraph: Steve Jobs’ genius making people desire gadgets for which they have absolutely no use – September 13, 2006
The Guardian: Steve Jobs needs ‘a charisma download, Apple risks being left behind’ – September 13, 2006
Mark Cuban: Things that are special about Apple’s announcements – September 13, 2006
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How will Apple’s ‘iTV’ work? – September 13, 2006
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Analyst: Apple ‘s iTunes+iPod+iTV model ‘the gold standard for the digital home of the future’ – September 12, 2006
Analyst: Apple ‘s iTunes+iPod+iTV ‘will be hard for other players to match’ – September 12, 2006
Apple gives sneak peek of ‘iTV’ set-top box to debut Q1 2007 (with images) – September 12, 2006
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I think the USB port is meant for two things – a DVR dongle and an external hard drive. Both of which are a natural companion to the iTV.
As for an iSight, who would want a camera sitting above the TV? Talk about Big Brother watching you – it could literally be your big brother watching you!
He did not pay attention to the product specs. The iTV also includes analogue TV connectors to support current non HD TV’s. So as per usual Apple tactics, support for past, present and future designed in.
The reason why this might actually be true is that I actually tried to purchase an iSight last we week and they don’t have any till October. With an announcement on Monday, I think they might bring out a new one.
The USB and Hard drive is for eyeTV.
He makes a lot of sense.
Apple is putting an iSight on just about everything it can these days.
They are obviously preparing the way for much greater use of video conferencing. I’ve already noticed more than more ‘video’ icons popping up on my iChat.
Making an isight camera available for the iTV would be brilliant.
The last piece would be to put an iSight camera on a future iPhone… the bandwidth available on some wireless networks is already good enough for that.
While I certainly enjoy reading Cringley’s articles, and I definitely raises some interesting possibilities, I believe he’s off base on this one.
The iTV is basically just a video Airport Express. And like the Airport Express, I expect that the USB port will be for nothing more exciting than a USB printer.
Personally, I don’t see what’s in it for Apple to push the whole iChat video conference thing via iTV. Where’s the revenue stream? The iTunes store exists to sell more iPods. Same with iTV. Selling movies via the iTunes store will sell more iTVs and more iPods, and likely have a halo effect with the Macintosh. Will adding videoconferencing to the iTV sell more iTVs and/or iPods? I doubt it.
Hey. Maybe an iSight that could be panned around and zoomed via an Apple Remote as well as perhaps controllable by the remote user/viewer, too? That Via TV thing I mentioned earlier could do those things, albeit in a kind of clunky manner. It would sell. I’m certain of it. Everybody everywhere can work a TV and a remote, eh? As a result there would probably be none of the inherent fear factor surrounding TV to TV conferencing like there seems to be for so many, many people regarding computer to computer conferencing.
The built-in isights are connected by USB. See your System Profiler
1) While currently sold iSights are FireWire, the ones built in to MacBooks and MacBook Pros are connected internally via USB. So you *could* potentially see a USB iSight soon.
2) In addition to all the other suggestions for what the USB port is for, I’d like to remind everyone that the AirPort Express has a USB port for connecting a printer. The iTV (or whatever final name they choose) should also act to be an upgraded alternative to the AirPort Express and should therefore also use the USB port for connecting a printer and possibly many other devices.
You’re all wrong and all right.
USB is for anything you want. It’s a hub. Connect a camera, still or video, hard drive, computer, iPod, DVD player, cable box, Tivo, eyeTV etc, etc.
Anything that can communicate with USB will be able to communicate with the iTV and your HD.
All that is needed is that the connecting device allow access and uses the appropriate protocol. Apple will slowly evolve the USB connectivity to allow multitude of devices to interact.
You don’t know the history of the USB in iTV. I do.
Can’t wait to put that smart looking laser jet next to the flat screen.
Forget the USB stuff.. Notice that jobs said 802.11 wireless? Not b, not g. I’m betting a new airport using 11n.
Whatever happened to the Ultra Wide Band stuff anyway?
I don’t know if this has been said, but has anyone actually taken apart any of the new intel imacs with the built in isights? those isights are usb’s. So for apple to ‘redo’ the standalone isight from firewire to usb would be no problem, they’ve been doing it since Jan. Slap a nice shiny metallic case on it and BAM, usb isight for your itv to do what you want with it. (yes even do that). So I wouldn’t be too surprised if this guy is onto something. So next time think before you start screaming and ripping him apart. Built in isights have been usb for the past 9 months. Surely i’m not the only one out there that has taken apart his MBP to apply the proper amount of thermal glue to his processor/gpu to decrease the heat (which i must say did dramatically drop in temperature.)
iSight 2.0 USB
Why does anyone need an Isight in there living room??
I mean really?
I think the usb is for furture expansion, like xbox is offering an addon that allows you to play HD DVD’s. This keeps it updatable.
What do you guys think about this idea, what if apple starts streaming live tv?
They do like a 5-10 minute buffer?
Blueray right now is to expensive and would raise the cost by nearly $1000.00 so it’s not practical to install them on a packaged system. Better to wait for the price of manufacturing to go down and then offer blueray.
friggin’ TELEPORTATION
Like Neil said, you can plug almost USB device into a USB port.
Including one obvious device that no one has mentioned. (Unless I missed it. If so, I apologise.)
A keyboard.
Would a keyboard plugged into an iTV allow one to access and control their Mac (or PC) from their living room and therefore email, surf the web, and do all that neato convergence stuff that every techno dweeb and digital commentator claims is just around the corner and will revolutionize everything we do?
Dang! I may have seriously misjudged Jobs. I kept assuming that, because he kept saying he thought most people do not want a computer in their living room, that convergence wasn’t going to happen.
No, he was only saying most people don’t want a computer in their living room.
Having access to one is a different matter. Enter iTV.
Maybe.
Listen, it’s important for Apple to deliver more than just music and movies to the TV. Sitting on your arse in the living room checking email, videoconferencing with family, and some Web surfing seem to me to be great bells and whistles for this new device. I, for one, absolutely hope iChat is a part of this. It would be fantastic!!!!!
i´m with Jay on this one. iTV is just a video airport express, with a USB printer.
The USB port is for a printer? Sorry guys, wrong, wrong, wrong. The iTV is clearly for wirelessly hooking up all the media that’s on your mac to your TV in your livingroom. Who has a printer in the livingroom? Once you people graduate and get out of the dorm you’ll realize people in the real world don’t live like you. Broaden your perspective.