HomePod - Wireless iTunes Stereo

As noted by MacMinute, MacSense will start shippingHomePod this week. The HomePod is described as a digital stereo component that allows users to take advantage of their existing wireless network to stream music files stored on their computers to HomePods located anywhere in the house.

The device presently supports MP3 files, and is compatible with iTunes, MusicMatch, WinAmp and other applications by streaming over your local WiFi network. According to the company's site:

The HomePod enhances Apple's digital hub concept, complimenting iTunes and iPod. Think of HomePod as an iPod for home distributed entertainment. The handheld device functions just like an iPod, with the ability to browse by song name, artists, album, and genre.

The $249 unit is reported to be "upgradable" to AAC, WMA, WAV and more, but gives no indication as to possible Protected AAC support -- which is the format provided by the iTunes Music Store.

There have been some unconfirmed rumors that Apple might create similar media-pc bridging devices.

What does this have to do with anything apple. Or why is it a big deal? Oh well. I wonder how well the product works.

Originally posted by TomSmithMacEd
What does this have to do with anything apple. Or why is it a big deal? Oh well. I wonder how well the product works.

For interest's sake.... potentially cool product, itunes integration. something like this is what some people have been clamoring for from apple.

arn

The device presently supports MP3 files, and is compatible with iTunes (...)
The $249 unit is reported to be "upgradable" to AAC. (...)

"The HomePod enhances Apple's digital hub concept, complimenting iTunes and iPod." (...)

There have been some unconfirmed rumors that Apple might create similar media-pc bridging devices.

Sounds Apple-related to me. :)

Upgradable to AAC? I don't see how this is going to be useful to many people running iTunes 4. At least, it won't be useful for me. It seems like a really good idea...but it's not really developed yet. Hopefully, they will provide better format support in an 'upgrade' ...or maybe Apple will beat them to it!

I didn't understand how you can use it to connect to a stereo system. My stereo system doesn't speak "iPod". So I read the spec sheet, and now I see. The HomePod has left/right and headphone audio outputs, built-in stereo speakers, and digital coaxial and optical SPDIF ports. So you hook it directly to whatever audio device you want.

other than the fact it has built in speakers (which to be honest look a bit crap), and the portable aspect of the design (which is a bit weird considering the ipod already has a better portable form factor), i think slim device's squeezebox, is a much better alternative.

So, on the one hand this is really nice. Everyone who ever used iTunes via Rendezvous will agree.
OTOH these devices need to work with MP3, WAV/AIFF AND AAC in order to make sense.
I also think there must be some seriously expensive technology used, leaving next to no money for decent case design, as all of the products I have seen yet are so incredibly ugly that I would never ever consider to put them next to my stereo, or anywhere else where I might have to endure the sight.
B & O produces a very nice answering machine of about the same form factor, maybe the designers of these wireless products should have a look.

Looks like a fantastic product. How and why 802.11b though? I use 802.11g for streaming music, and surfing, and that takes up most of the bandwidth.

If you were streaming music to more than one location a nice mp3, say 192/44100, how do you have enough bandwidth on the rest of the network to do other stuff, share internet etc?

It seems designed to use existing an existing server's wireless technology (the demonstration shows an old airport), but this seems a bit... 1999. ;)

Originally posted by adt
Looks like a fantastic product. How and why 802.11b though? I use 802.11g for streaming music, and surfing, and that takes up most of the bandwidth.

.11g is backwards/parallel compatible with .11b

You don't need more that 11mbs to stream music files (and generally 10x faster than a broadband internet connection), Having a .11g network will give you plenty of bandwidth to use for other devices while this uses very little of it. Streaming 192k mp3 is using ~2% of the total bandwith of an .11b network, but almost 20% of a 1mb DSL line. (i think I got that right)

That said: I think it's pretty ugly, at least in the picture. It seems clumsy and out of place for a home entertainment system.