[Todd Corzett]

I have been reading all the rumors about proposed new devioces/peripherals that apple might come out with, and the one that caught my attention was a home audio device (like an iPod for your home component system). I was thinking about how something like this could be accomplished, and at what price would it cost. Most of the technology is in place (or will be with OSX10.2) just needs to be integrated into a single device…

With audio stored on an internal drive, or streamed via Airport/Rendezvous from iTunes3 on your personal computer… Bluetooth/Airport remote capability for controlling the unit from your computer (with a small LCD display on the unit for independent use)… Optical output into your receiver/analogue out to speakers (technology currently available from m-Audio’s Sonica)… It seems to me like all that needs to be done is integrate it all into one unit and write a little software…

Anyone have any comments?

-Todd…

[jtwiskowski]

I have been thinking of this for some time. I believe Rendezvous, and other things like Inkwell, are the basis for the next round of digital devices coming from Apple. I hope, and can see, everything communicating with eachother via Rendezvous over wired and wireless IP networks, or through Bluetooth, although it appears Apple is having a tough time incorporating bluetooth into their software, not to mention its hardware. Now, if we can just have Apple begin support 5.1 digital optical/coaxial outputs on its own, we will be set. I hear Sonica might have some issues working well under OS X, but we should probably wait to 10.2 final release to fully test it out on.

[MrBenn]

Id like to see a device that connects to any home stereo and communicates wirelessly with my Mac. So you can stream music from your Mac to any room in the house. That would be nice.

<small>[ 07-26-2002, 02:42 PM: Message edited by: MrBenn ]</small>

[Todd Corzett]

As of right now I can do something simmilar to a stand alone Apple device, but it requires a computer (and therefor a greater cost to me the user). I have an old B&W450 which I don't really use, and I can have it hook into my home theater (via optical out from a Sonica). If I really wanted to I could also hook up a DV converter via firewire to output video (or like with my TiBook just use s-video out, but i'm going to leave my TiBook next to my stereo all the tiem). Then using remote desktop I can bring up the B&W from my TiBook and launch music or video which will then play on my home theater system. And with Rendezvous in 10.2 I could streem my audio from my TiBook to the B&W and then to my stereo...

Overal I don't see this as a replacment for a receiver (something that I really wanted to do, but for Apple to make a high-quality device with amps and such would be difficult - and thent they'd have to compete with the audio companies that are already on the market). 5.1 out wouldn't really even matter for an iPod like device - I've never heard of an album (music) being released in 5.1, let alone a way to convert to MP3(4?) with the 5.1 and besides, if Apple wanted to make it a video device they'd wire it with a DVD drive which would take care of the 5.1, there isn't really a demand for streaming DVDs from your computer to your home theater if you have a DVD drive in your component system.

Ok, enough babbeling - back to lunch!

-Todd...