View Full Version : Apple to Introduce a Home Entertainment Server?
Ioman
12-01-2004, 10:10 AM
Found this at eHomeupgrade (http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/entry/376/apple_to_introduce):
"PCs will lose the war of the family room to video game consoles or entertainment servers, Merrill Lynch said in a research report released Monday. "It's premature to know which (if any) device will become the centerpiece of the digital family room of the future," the firm said. "Still, we doubt that PCs (even Media Center PCs) will win because they are too complex and unstable. It strikes us as more likely that either (1) the game console will move up market to become the leading device or (2) a new system we dub the entertainment server will be created." Merrill Lynch pointed out that Apple seems a likely candidate to build the winning entertainment server based on iPod, iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, and AirPort Express. "A 200GB Apple server at a reasonable price and possibly with PVR technology could be Apple's next category killer," the firm said."
If this is true, I am sure they would make a killer product. Sonos would have to watch out for sure.
You can read more at Mac Minute (http://www.macminute.com/2004/11/29/entertainmentserver/)
even if they did make it, it wouldnt be cheap. It wouldnt be at a price point where many homes would get it.
The last one posted here was $4000 and it was Intel, and we Burned the article.
Until they go to Parrallel processing, and an OS that IS... It wont be worth it..
the CPU tasking is to intencive.
I could see it with a RISC processor, and independant video/audio processing..BUT NOT while the CPU does all the work.
Watching 1 movie, WHILE recording another would be horrendous...
Ioman
12-10-2004, 08:46 AM
I would buy it! Apple products are COOL. :D
is this like saying "Sony is ACE, numero uno"
Until Apple and INTEL/MS goto a mutiprocessed machine, and parrallel processing, and independant vidoe and audio processing, I really dont think so.
they would use all there power just to do, 1 thing at a time(very well) but adding other tasks would be totally BAD.
if only i could drop a tvtuner into my xbox... the team behind xbmc is far ahead of any major corp for creating the perfect media box. the only thing missing is video input.
REALLY??
What would you think of a system that would take Video input, could insert overlays, record to HD, Digitally change the video and render it anyway you wished.
Or would let you Cut, edit, insert, audio/video at the same time....
I'd call it the AMIGA, with the Video Flyer and video toaster... you are 15 years to LATE.
hehehe video toasters were cool. it's odd that it's taken the industry almost 20yrs to get to where people that are fimiliar with the tech want it to be. i had my first 'htpc' 10yrs ago, although remotes weren't really an option back then... the media hub box existed.
YEP,
I keep pointing this stuff out... IT WAS already out there... and no-one wanted it.
And they want JUST as much money NOW as then, and FOR LESS..
So what the computers are faster, it ALL still goes thru 1 chip, and the AMIGA didnt do that, it sent it to the Video/audio processor to DEAL with it.
and to think, we have monitors at 120HZ res, and we want to go BACK to 15/30 of the TV.
720p's damn sexy .. 1080i works great as long as you don't want to use it as a desktop.
Ioman
12-20-2004, 09:50 PM
I don't care how much this costs. If its super cool, I might buy one. At least with Apple you know it will be super polished.
POLISHED??
Like your CAR, on the OUTSIDE ONLY...
Buy one, and give us a REAL evaluation..
spankers
03-02-2005, 07:11 AM
The last one posted here was $4000 and it was Intel, and we Burned the article.
Until they go to Parrallel processing, and an OS that IS... It wont be worth it..
the CPU tasking is to intencive.
I could see it with a RISC processor, and independant video/audio processing..BUT NOT while the CPU does all the work.
Watching 1 movie, WHILE recording another would be horrendous...
Dual core chips are on the horizon... and then there are CELL processors based around the PPC. I want a CELL based system! Eight DSP's with a PPC core.
http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/cpu/cell-1.ars
Very nice..
But why not a Multi CPU system... Iv seen them up to 16 PER computer.. Who needs a video card...Let 4 of the CPU do the work..
I would love the Cards, video and Audio to have there OWN controllers, built in..Why should the system RUn the drivers to CHANGE the data...when the Video card could do it.. SAMe with audio..and your mouse.. Place the driver on a chip and the CHIP run the interface...Never need a mouse driver again.. These changes ALONE would accelerate the system 3-10 times..
spankers
03-02-2005, 01:15 PM
But why not a Multi CPU system... Iv seen them up to 16 PER computer..
16-way SMP systems are still very very expensive... unless you're Bill Gates.
I would love the Cards, video and Audio to have there OWN controllers
Most video and some audio do. For example, my laptop uses a NVidia GeForce4 420 Go GPU (graphics processing unit). It is a special purpose CPU. The driver tells your OS how to interact with the other processor (GPU) and to provide a software interface for application programs.
I think that CELL technology will provide much better price/performance ratio than current SMP technologies, particularly for multimedia applications, but don't expect CELL to supplant video cards.
ya, true, but you can get a 4 CPU system now under $200...
4x2.8ghz, is faster then whats out there..and 2.8ghz cPU is CHEAP...
YEs, and that is a RARE card...Most rely on DX, which is run under windows and controls the audio/video.. Whats even funnier, is that is OLD tech.. I think there is 1 NEW card that is using this now..
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