“Industry sources indicated that Inventec Appliances will be the OEM manufacturer for the recently introduced Apple TV, with the first batch being shipped to Apple Computer later this month,” Daniel Shen and Esther Lam report for DigiTimes.
Shen and Lam report, “The Apple TV is a multimedia content hub that can connect to a TV and allows connections for up to five computers, via Wi-Fi, to stream content to the TV. The device has a 40GB hard disk and is priced at US$299.”
“The sources said Inventec will ship its first batch of 100,000 Apple TVs in late January,” Shen and Lam report.
Full article here.
Related articles:
Steve Jobs moves to control the living room with Apple TV – January 10, 2007
Analyst Bajarin: Apple’s iPhone and Apple TV are industry game changers – January 09, 2007
Apple premieres Apple TV: movies, TV shows, music & photos on your big screen TV – January 09, 2007
Mine’s on freaking order….oooooh yeaaaaaaahhhh <vbg>
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wHAT DO YOU THINK – WILL THIS BE A SLEEPER HIT PRODUCT?
The story says that they will be shipped to Apple Computer later this month. Oops – they are no longer Apple Computer. They are now Apple, Inc.!
Jimbo: Good point but since we’re going after details, it’s Apple Inc sans comma.
From apple.com:
“Copyright © 2007 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.”
Um, yeah. This product is going to be a big gigantic flop.
Oops. I meant Apple Inc. with a period.
It’s all in the details.
Sweet. I have mine on order. Now all those videos I have been ripping into iPod format I can stream to my TV. This is good.
“OEM manufacturer”
is is redundant.
Awwwwwwwwww Yeah! Had mine ordered a minute after the keynote ended.
Question: I know the Apple TV will play content at 720p but where does the 720p content come from? Isn’t video content off the iTunes 480p? Will the Apple TV upscale iTunes content like some DVD players do? I’ve looked pretty deeply into the available documentation and advertising but haven’t been able to find out yet.
Any thoughts?
Apple’s ship date to consumers is estimated at Feb 28th.
apple ship date BY Feb. 28th.
Surely Apple is soon to release content in 720p – it is only logical. I seriously doubt the Apple TV would tout 720p if they only planned to upconvert content.
However, having an ‘Apple TV’ for about 6 months now (an Intel MacMini hooked up to my entertainment center) i must confess that the 480p content from iTunes upconverts nicely on my 32″ LCD …. and i’m a video producer, and quick aware of digital video formats and delivery.
I’m a little disappointed with this. I was at a friend’s house this past weekend and he had his Windows laptop wirelessly controlled by a separate wireless keyboard from the sofa – and it was displayed on his 50+inch plasma TV over his fireplace. The effect was truly stunning, and it was obviously able to show/play all content. The appleTV does less than that (since it can’t show the desktop or allow use of the computer from the couch). Too bad. Imagine PiP switching from your computer (including word processing, email, chat, etc.), to Front Row and your media, all from the couch.
This time, Windows got there first. Apple needs a way to stream the video signal and desktop interface from your computer’s monitor to the appleTV. Not to mention telephone, house appliance functions, security cams, etc. (Couch Potato Heaven)
Why the HELL didn’t they put Gbit ethernet in it? that would make it the ultimate base station for airport networks, as it is now (same with the new suck ass airport!) the ethernetports strangle the wlan traffic.
Fucking lame Apple, really fucking lame!
The solution is to buy a mac mini with Gbit when it gets 11n and use it as an airport base station.
Apple still need to add DVR capabilities to have the aTV become popular beyond the bleeding edgers.
It looks easy enough for grandma to operate but she’ll be looking for the dial to change channel or numbers on the remote.
Buy an extra remote for when the kids lose the first one and sync it to the aTV otherwise it’ll upset anyone trying to use a Mac in the same room. Maybe a wired keyboard will work in the USB port for emergencies.
P.S. Why is the USB port on it? To plug in a game controller when it morphs into a game console! Or a keyboard for online shopping. (just a guess!)
But it would be nice to have a group of channels where the content is chosen by a provider (with ads) for when you really want to veg out.
The big news is that this is the birth for the video podcasters. Your TV news, sports and RocketBoom downloads to your Mac overnight syncing with the aTV while you sleep. While eating your poptarts and black coffee for breakfast you can direct your own TV station. If you miss any, watch it on your iPhone on the train or on the TV again when you get home.
Yippeeeee.
I ordered mine within minutes of availability via apple store. Bought both the Apple TV and new Airport.
Certainly would be nice to receive both at the same time.
I am looking forward to using my new 17″ MacBook Pro with the new wireless base station.
QUESTION: WILL THE EXPRESS BE UPDATED ANYTIME SOON TO 802.11N?
To David:
The New Airport Extreme
http://www.apple.com/airportextreme/
Superfast, super-compatible.
The AirPort Extreme Base Station features 802.11n2, the next-generation high-speed wireless technology included with most shipping Mac computers and some newer PCs with compatible cards. And the AirPort Extreme is also Wi-Fi-Certified to work with the 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g wireless standards — which means the systems you’re already using will work seamlessly with the new base station.
Now surf the web, chat, send email, or exchange photos. Print or access a shared hard drive — wirelessly. Set limits for when your kids can access the Internet. Secure your network with a firewall and strong encryption. Even use AirPort Extreme as the perfect companion to the new Apple TV.
http://www.apple.com/wireless/80211/
The next great leap in wireless technology delivers on the three most important elements of networking — greater performance, more range, and improved reliability. And now Apple is continuing to lead the wireless revolution by implementing this new technology in most of the latest Mac computers, Apple TV, and AirPort Extreme Base Station.
These new products use AirPort Extreme wireless technology that’s based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification. Among its key innovations, 802.11n adds technology called multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), a signal processing and smart antenna technique for transmitting multiple data streams through multiple antennas. The result? Up to five times the performance and up to twice the range compared to the earlier 802.11g standard.1
David: Sorry, my mistake. I just realized you said Express.
Apple TV plays content that’s on your computer, or streams from up to five computers on your network. The content doesn’t have to have originated from the iTunes Store, so if that other content is 720p, Apple TV will handle it.
Just wait for Leopard…
Can’t you do that already Grrrilla?
Truth Decay:
No worries. I was puzzled initially until I read you follow-up.
David