In the list of Mac OS X Automator Actions that shipped as part of the Apple TV software, a few new actions stand out, Carl Howe reports for SeekingAlpha.
Howe explains that the interesting thing is that the published Automator Actions for Apple TV include:
• New Audio Capture
• New Video Capture
• Start Capture
• Pause Capture
• Stop Capture
Howe writes, “Sure sounds like someone at Apple has plans for Apple TV to grow Digital Video Recorder [DVR] functions.”
Full article, with image of the Automator Actions list, here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Nathan” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Note: In the Apple TV User’s Guide, Apple currently states that the device’s USB port is “for service and diagnostics.” A simple firmware update could easily cause that portion (and others) of the Apple TV User’s Guide to be revised.
Related articles:
Ten Apple TV myths – March 28, 2007
Ars Technica in-depth review: Apple TV ‘impressed all those who touched it’ – March 27, 2007
The chips inside Apple TV – March 27, 2007
Analyst: Apple TV is a platform, not a single product – March 27, 2007
Digital Trends reviews Apple TV: 7 out of 10, ‘huge phenomenon will challenge conventional thinking’ – March 26, 2007
Automatically convert video files for Apple TV with Apple’s Automator – March 26, 2007
Apple TV, iTunes, iTunes Store: BusinessWeek’s Wildstrom blows it – March 26, 2007
iLounge gives Apple TV a ‘B’ in hands-on review: ‘recommended’ – March 24, 2007
CNET reviews Apple TV: ‘Very Good’ – 7.7 out of 10 – March 24, 2007
Video: Apple TV menu and interface walkthrough – March 23, 2007
Analyst: Apple TV will change the TV business – March 23, 2007
G4’s ‘Attack of the Show’ host Olivia Munn licks Apple TV – March 23, 2007
Xvid fully functional on Apple TV – March 23, 2007
Apple TV does not require Widescreen TV or HDTV, works with standard TVs – March 23, 2007
CBS looks at Apple TV on ‘The Early Show’ (with video) – March 23, 2007
Scoble: ‘Apple TV rocks’ – March 23, 2007
Apple TV hard drive upgrade works – March 23, 2007
Apple TV dissection photos – March 22, 2007
Apple posts Apple TV User’s Guide online – March 22, 2007
Enderle: ‘Apple’s attractive and well packaged Apple TV likely to set the pace’ – March 22, 2007
David Pogue demos Apple TV in humorous NY Times’ video – March 22, 2007
PC Magazine review gives Apple TV 4 out of 5 stars – March 22, 2007
NY Times’ Pogue: ‘Apple TV offers a gracious, elegant, effortless, delightful experience’ – March 21, 2007
Mossberg hands-on with Apple TV: ‘beautiful design, easy-to-use, classic Apple: simple and elegant’ – March 21, 2007
Apple TV projected to surpass TiVo, Netflix – March 20, 2007
Former Microsoft ‘Enthusiast Evangelist’ Gartenberg looks at impact of Apple TV – March 20, 2007
Apple TV ships – March 20, 2007
If they really mean for this to happen, they’ll have to put in a much bigger hard drive!
Or activate that USB port.
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If they really mean for this to happen, they’ll have to put in a much bigger hard drive!
Apparantly the AppleTV can access a USB external hard drive.
Oh Apple has thou foresaken Firewire?
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“And I don’t know why [Apple is] acting like it’s superior. I don’t even get it. What are they trying to say?” — Bill Gates on the Mac ads
Interesting, very interesting!
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What do you think Watson?
or open up the currently useless USB port…
…to the likes of LaCie and Freecom.
MW: develop
Yeah, WiseGuy, WTF is Apple doing with FireWire?
Adding it to TV would have been the PERFECT opportunity to push it!
Of course, they DID, foolishly, decide to drop FireWire from the iPod.
I guess Apple considers FireWire as viable only for the select, the Mac users, not the unwashed masses.
This and the Airport don’t have Firewire for a external HD. Damn.
I like the name, “FireWire”, it sounds fast and furious. Much better than ‘USB’ is so Micro$oft-like.
Apple doesn’t usually add options on old equipment. Next year they’ll offer new hardware with DVR functions and all the people with apple TV will have to buy a new units.
Firewire will be around for a while, but it’s going away. USB2 is cheaper and nearly as good, so it will continue to grow and dominate.
What is “Firewire” ? Do I need to take some action ?
…what about “Firewire” for future AppleTVs as the HD phenomenon becomes a widley accepted standard? Comments, anyone?
Waiting for 3rd generation of Apple TV…
I don’t understand how the apple tv could capture video or audio without any input jacks. Could someone explain?
“‘USB’ is so Micro$oft-like”
Nah, Micro$lut’d call it the “MicroSoft Windows Universal Super-Duper Connection Innovation” or sumthin’…
And it’d only work with Vista, i.e. not at all.
Waiting for one huge group shower with the unwashed masses. Pass the loofah.
TV is the most hackable computer out there. The word is getting out. People are going to do amazing things with this, and come out with amazing add-ons. Its a PLATFORM- just like the iPod. Apple itself will never come out with a DVR.
Why do you want to connect external harddrive to TV ??
You simply buy a Airport Extreme and hook up an external harddrive to it.
That simple.
Apple didn’t take the time to develop FireWire just so it could let it “go away” due to crappy USB from Intel.
“TV is the most hackable computer out there. The word is getting out.”
Yeah, that’s exactly how Skynet started.
Apple blew it early on with Firewire.
They had the chance to push it as the de facto standard when they changed all the rules with the original iMac — no floppy, no serial, no parallel — USB (1.0), Ethernet, and CD-ROM standard. But no Firewire — they reserved Firewire for the G3 tower professional set.
PC makers were being very slow to adopt USB. With the iMac, Apple was the industry force pushing USB to a standard.
At the same time, licensing fees for Firewire were high. And in addition to the chipset, if you wanted to use the term “Firewire” you had to pay an additional fee to Apple per unit shipped. While USB was growing and moving from 1.1 to 2.0, IEEE-1394, iLink, Firewire and others struggled because few knew they were the same thing, let alone far superior to USB.
Apple fought back, with the yet again superior Firewire 800, but again they reserved it for the professional set — it’s still left off the lower end modles. So the dust settled — USB 2.0 was “good enough.” The same song that Microsoft danced Windows to the top of the charts with — “Good Enough is All You Need.”
Firewire is ideal for video transfer and has been adopted by the industry. FW800 is non existent in consumer products and requires a different port to be used.
Unfortunately that cannot be said for external hard drives etc.
Apple will provide both FW and USB2 in their macs for a long time. However if FW does lose traction, expect them to drop it eventually.
Bottom line is that Apple need to be competitive. Utilizing USB2 where it makes sense is a good idea especially since a ton of peripherals use it. Sure it has some downsides but it is present in all modern PCs.
Apple didn’t take the time to develop FireWire just so it could let it “go away” due to crappy USB from Intel.
I’m afraid that’s exactly the case
Apple, since the return of Steve Jobs, has been moving in a downstream fashion to make their machines more PC like.
Remember Firewire was created because USB 1 was extremely slow and didn’t serve the video professionals need.
Supposely on Intel Mac’s USB 2 is nearly as fast as Firewire 400. Not the case on PPC Mac’s where USB 2 is hobbled.
Firewire 800 still rules the roost though.
GOD I MISS MY FIREWIRE IPOD!!!
Ever load up a iPod using USB? S-L-O-W.
Perhaps there will be a USB 3 coming out soon that will be as fast as Firewire 800 and everything will even out, peace in the universe will reign.
Sorry about the typo.
Obviously “lower end modles” should have been “lower-end moodles” — a new breed of cowdog specifically bred from cows and poodles.
“Moof!”
“Obviously “lower end modles” should have been “lower-end moodles” — a new breed of cowdog specifically bred from cows and poodles.”
Well, kirkgray, that should Clarus up.
Why? Because Susan Kare’s.