Apple iTV: Get Streaming HDTV Now for 33% Off!
It is very uncharacteristic of Apple to have announced the iTV months in advance of release. However, if you’ve been looking in the right places, you might have noticed that you can enjoy your networked HDTV media on your big screen TV today!
Your video options are nearly limitless:
• HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)
• Component Video
• Coax Digital Audio
• Optical Digital Audio
• Composite Audio and Video
• S-Video
The connectivity is fantastic:
• 802.11g Wireless
• 802.11b Wireless
• Wired LAN: 10/100Mbps Ethernet
• DHCP or Static IP Address
• UPnP AV 1.0
• USB 2.0
• WPA-PSK Encryption
• Hardware-based WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
• Up to 128-bit Encryption
As an aside, I’m particularly pleased that they added WPA-PSK into a network appliance.
The idea of putting the power supply inside a device this size was brilliant, but the best part of all is the price: You can buy it now for $199, an entire 33% off of Apple’s iTV suggested retail price!
As far as speculations on whether the iTV is going to revolutionize the way home media and electronics are purchased and enjoyed, I am doubtful. The D-Link MediaLounge DSM-520 (see listed specs above) has been available for close to a year now and it has made only a little splash in the media consuming community.
September 15th, 2006 at 9:31 am
I don’t know if it will succeed or not, but there are some differences that Apple’s device will bring:
Prettier
Easier (if the past is any indication)
Works with iTunes on Macs or PCs
Much more visibility in the market
Maybe even faster than b or g
So I don’t expect it to be a runaway hit, but it wouldn’t be the first time Apple released something for 33% more that trounced its competition.
October 2nd, 2006 at 7:42 am
I own a DSM-320. Though it’s a nice device, and not as new as the 520, you absolutely cannot play DRM’d content from your iTunes library. To me, this is only an issue because I chose to go with the iPod, but I’m sure the same difficulties would occur with DRM’d content from Windows Media stores, as well. I haven’t tried that out, so I’m not sure.
I like my DSM-320, but it needs some improvements, too. The interface is just OK, and the one thing that drives me nuts is its inability to remember where I left off while streaming content. I can’t always sit for two or three hours (sometimes a whole lot less) just watching something on my TV. Sometimes, you just get called away for more important things. Why can’t it remember where I was and let me pick up from there? Fast forwarding is a possibility, but it tends to lose sync with the audio and video (and I’m running it on a wire at 100Mbps, not wireless).
I wrote my own blog article discussing this. Maybe this is something for rousing discussion? Speculation is always good, right? ;)
January 21st, 2007 at 6:36 am
In general I like dsm-520 a lot. Still 3 major wishes:
1. d-sub or dvi output for pc monitor. Sometimes I’d like to use this equipment separately.
2. screen saver. Keeping receiver on all day long on mu plasma burs static characters in. I dont like it!
3. D-Link server software is too slow, If you have 5000+ tracks or so. In this case I recommend for example TwonkyMedia server.