[mitchell_pgh]

I was really looking in to buying one of these, but it looks like the same old "sony sucks at user interfaces" problem.



Key Features
- Progressive-scan DVD player, compatible with DVD-RW/-R, DVD+RW/+R, SACD (Super Audio CD), and CD-R/RW discs with CD and MP3 audio
- 400-disc changer holds your entire movie and music library; find your favorites with DiscExplorer onscreen management
- Connections include component, composite, optical, and coaxial
- High-speed 108MHz/12-bit video D/A converter; Dolby Digital and DTS output

Everywhere I read, it has the same comments, "Amazing sound, Amazing video" but the GUI sucks almost to the point of interfering with the payback and it can't recognize anything.

I'm almost convinced that without the aid of a computer with internet access, it's not going to get any better.

SO, if:
1) Apple were to rebrand the device
2) Add a slick iTunes like iApp called iVideo
3) Add iTuens connectivity (in for audiophiles who want to listen to SACD... out for people that want to listen to their MP3s and AACs through their stereo)
4) Upgrade the look of the device itself (Sony does an OK job, but it could be better) and I would love to see to it and have the ability to stream (over ethernet) the movies to computers and other TVs...
5) The units are "stackable" as in you could place two on the network, and iTuens and iVideo would recognize them as being one (similar to a raid)
6) It would recognize iPhoto albums
7) It would permit connectivity to the subnet only (like iTunes)

[b]I realize it isn't going to happen... but if it would, would you consider buying it?[b]

If no, what would it take.

I'm guessing it would cost around $400 USD per box, and perhaps $100 for a satellite (interface with a remote).

I could see this going in so many directions especially in academic environments. The limitation would be that you could only have one DVD/CD/SACD etc. loaded at a time.

Just brainstorming I guess.

[lenox]

I think Apple could do something great with a set-top box idea. I mean, look how much effort's gone into the iApps and Airport. It's obvious Apple has the home user as well as the a/v user in mind. Microsoft tried, I think, with windows xp media center edition or whatever...but I think Apple could actually do it. A lot of my friends and I have been looking into projects like mythtv (http://mythtv.org) to help create a set-top linux-based 'media pc'. The problem is...it'd be ugly. Getting your standard pc parts to fit in a smallish tv-top box would be a pain in the arse unless of course the tv tuner and tv out were integrated into the mobo as opposed to being on separate cards, which is the case now. Apple could most definitely pull this off, and if all the decoding/encoding were done in hardware, the cpu would not have to be a big cache-ridden G5 or anything crazy like that.

I'm kinda going off onto a tangent here, so I'll shoosh now.