Yesterday Apple announced that Apple TV is now available with a 160GB hard drive configuration (for $100 more than the 40GB config) and that YouTube integration is slated for this summer. While access to YouTube doesn’t do much for me, perhaps it’ll motivate a younger demographic to get onboard with Apple TV. (Wonder how that’s working out for Netgear with the EVA8000.)
However, the 160GB option is intriguing… I assume Apple is aware of what’s going on in the hacker community (and WeaKnees) and figured they could make a few extra bucks. More importantly, this foreshadows direct-to-box net downloads in addition to the current computer->ATV sync. One industry dude I respect, though often disagree with (as I do now), believes this upgrade option also sets the stage for DVR functionality.
I have the EVA8000 and love the Youtube integration, use that more than anything else and didn’t even know it had it when I bought it. There are tons of cool things on youtube, old TV shows, and music vids and clips of old bands
My understanding is they are going back and re-encoding everything in H.264 for this project. That’s why it’s starting off limited and they expanding.
John Campos…you are correct.
Apple could add a DVR capability in 25 minutes but as a major partner with major entertainment companies (not to mention its ties with WD), it cannot add a DVR without adding DRM. Look at Tivo or MS’ Media Center – ONLY a small European company like ElGato EyeTV can get away without adding DRM … now, I’m not saying we should have DRm with TV but until the studios are not so crazy about closing their hole (in more ways than one) … we should be HAPPY that there are other solutions AND stop trying to ask for something that will end with MORE restrictions. BTW, if you want to record on your mac, just fire up iMovie with a firewire out from your cable box.