All PVR

So Apple finally unveiled its Apple TV device, formerly known as iTV. But where’s the PVR functionality? Can you believe Apple launched it without any time shifting? Especially when days before the announcement, 64% of people voting on ZDNet.com said that PVR functions were the most important thing about the Apple TV.

Essentially, Apple TV is a yet another box that you’re going to have to connect to your TV right next to your cable/satellite box, DVR, DVD player, sound system and possibly a game system.

On the good side, Apple TV does have 802.11b/g/n wireless connectivity, USB, Ethernet card, 40GB hard drive and the ability to stream to 5 different PCs or Macs in your network. You can also download movies directly from the Apple TV or using media from your home computers. Having access to your digital music library is also nice.

Downside? No TV tuner, no PVR. And what about DRM? Will it be restrictive like the iPod? No support for Hi-Def or 1080p. It also doesn’t play Divx or WMV files, which, let’s face it, sucks. And the price ($299) is way too much money for an unnecessary piece of hardware.

I don’t need another box, I need fewer. I’d like my PVR and cable box in one. Do I need Apple TV to download movies, and access my music? My Tivo can already access Internet radio and my MP3 collection on my home network for free (or for about $12.95/month).

Overall, I think Apple TV is full of hype and false promises. Apple should be trying to lead the way, rather than making a device that is targeted to, well, nobody. Apple TV is a product whose time has come and gone.

Tip: Take a 360 view of the Apple TV.

Update: PVRWire points out that you can get the same funtionality as Apple TV with media extenders like Netgear’s EVA700 or even DIY media centers.

Update #2: Here’s my latest post on what other bloggers are saying about the Apple TV.

Apple, Apple TV, iTV

Still looking for a solution to copy shows from your DVR to a portable media player? Well, PC owners can just use the Archos 604 portable and the DVR attachment. Mac users have Elegato’s EyeTV 250. Now Streaming Networks has the iRecord video recorder, a stand-alone box that sits between your video device and transfers video directly to an iPod.

iLounge published a review of iRecord saying that it’s really easy to transfer videos with a minimum of cables. The iRecord can even recharge an iPod while it records.

On the downside, iLounge says that iRecord is pricey and lacks some output ports. Also, firmware updates are required to use it, since Apple does not support devices that record directly to an iPod.

You just hit a single record button to quickly transfer videos to your iPod. From the review:

For on-iPod viewing, iRecord’s video files are just fine. They’re encoded at 320×240 resolution and 768Kbps, which is appropriate to the 5G iPod’s 320×240 screen, but only 1/4 the resolution of today’s iTunes Store downloads, and less than optimal for viewing on a larger computer or iPod accessory display with superior resolution.

The big story is that Apple is creating these roadblocks for users that want to transfer videos directly to their iPods. Why? Probably it’s a deal with Hollywood studios, or the MPAA. But Apple is doing a great disservice to its loyal users. Apple may be working on its own solution and may not want the competition, too.

iLounge says that the iRecord appeals to the “early adopter crowd, namely people who are willing to spend a bit more cash and suffer through repeated firmware updates and incompatibility concerns for a while.�?

iRecord costs $200 (available for PC and Macs) and is compatible with the 5th-generation iPods.

Tip: Here’s CNet’s review of iRecord.

Tip #2: Here are some in-depth looks at the ports and diagrams of the iRecord.

Rumors are circulating. Blogs are all abuzz.

With the coming of Macworld in San Francisco (Jan 8-12), people are saying that Tivo is hooking up with Apple for the upcoming iTV release.

Yes, rumors of Apple and Tivo working together or even Tivo being acquired by Apple have been around for years, but it’s always fun to speculate.

I’ll be on the scene at Macworld just in case and will report something here as soon as I find out.

Tip: Check out coverage of Apple’s pre-announcement and some cool pics.

Bonus Tip: PVRWire asked readers what the name of the upcoming iTV box will be and got some funny results. I like “iCast”.

Macworld published a review of the EyeTV 250, which is a hardware MPEG encoder that allows you to watch TV on your Mac much like a PVR. Elegato sells it for $200.

You can archive shows onto DVDs or onto your video iPod. The good news is that because the EyeTV 250 is an external hardware MPEG encoder, it can run on older Macs.

Overall, Macworld says that the EyeTV 250 is a “great personal video recorder for Mac users.”

Pros: Analog tuner; strong scheduling software; remote scheduling; one-click iPod video export; option to turn off hardware encoder for zero latency video gaming.

Cons: Requires external power adapter.