Apple HDTV Tuner?

Wait, so the LCD would have a tuner in it? why not just use zoomed video (i think that's right) and have a PCI card that supports HDTV in, then you can use your computer as a tuner... i mean, i doubt Apple is going to compete in the way of actual HDTV sets...

forgive me if i sound like an idiot, i have a very limited knowledge of this sort of thing...

pnw

Originally posted by paulwhannel
Wait, so the LCD would have a tuner in it? why not just use zoomed video (i think that's right) and have a PCI card that supports HDTV in, then you can use your computer as a tuner... i mean, i doubt Apple is going to compete in the way of actual HDTV sets...

There are about four different HDTV tuner cards for the PC, but none avalible for the Mac.

Unfortunately, since the PCI buses of most PCs can't handle the full uncompressed HDTV sugnal, it has to output it through the card, using the video card as a pass through and the output is only VGA so you have to buy a $400 adapter to get it to work with an Apple display.

On a lighter note, the HDTV cards for the PC compress the signal using hardware down tp 19.2MB/s so it fits nicely into the bandwith of FW400 with plenty of room to spare in FW800.

i would love for apple to come out with a tv tuner. plain and simple. it would be a great idea.
even though micro$oft would eventually do the same thing

Originally posted by bennetsaysargh
i would love for apple to come out with a tv tuner. plain and simple. it would be a great idea.
even though micro$oft would eventually do the same thing

Why would Apple moving into that market be such a great thing?

Reminds me of the late 80's early 90's when Apple lost their focus... they really did suffer back then. I hope they don't do that again.

Originally posted by yzedf


Why would Apple moving into that market be such a great thing?

Reminds me of the late 80's early 90's when Apple lost their focus... they really did suffer back then. I hope they don't do that again.

I agree with yzedf, and I'm not convinced that television needs (or will be) part of the digital hub, Jobs hates TV anyways. I own a TV and that is what I generally watch DVDs and videos on, maybe down the road a few years a TV and computer will be two in the same, but I dont think that is plausible right now, not that it cant be done, but for lack of a market.

Originally posted by paulwhannel
Wait, so the LCD would have a tuner in it? why not just use zoomed video (i think that's right) and have a PCI card that supports HDTV in, then you can use your computer as a tuner... i mean, i doubt Apple is going to compete in the way of actual HDTV sets...

It would be nice for me, with a powerbook, having the tuner built into the moniter is very helpful.

And when I'm not using the computer, it can standalone and be a TV for me to watch HDTV...I would love it.

Ah. So it could be a box with ADC in and out, and use a USB interface to control the tuner, making it very few cables. You don't get the TVR functionality that way, though.

Nah, it makes no sense. Nobody is going to buy a 23" LCD because they want to watch TV.

Maybe a physically bigger, but lower-resolution panel which hangs on the wall, and attaches to a headless iMac with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse?

Gateway tried this market and failed, but presumably because Windows made it too klutzy and geeky. Apple could possibly do it, but I still find it pretty doubtful. Video games have only invaded the living room by heavily suppressing their computer lineage.

Microsoft has already stepped into this market with WindowsXP Media Edition. Apple has already tried this The Macintosh T.V and the Quadra AVs, Performa's, the 20th Anv.Mac Etc... all had built in tuners.

I can see why this made page 2...

I've been advocating HDTV in Macs for quite some time right now. Given the general convergence of the TV and the computer, the success of recording programs like TiVo, the new waves of HDTV machines hitting the market with increasing demand, the beautiful Mac LCDs, and the fact that Apple always tries to stay on top of the newest things, I think a Mac + HDTV solution would be incredible. Personally I've been hoping for a PowerBook 15" with an HDTV tuner built-in (perhaps the coax connector can be through FW800). I watch most of my movies on my PC anyway--might as well bring in high-quality HDTV.

My only question is can the powerbooks fit an HDTV tuner? How big are those things nowadays?