You can already use iPhone and iPod touch as remotes...

The possibilities of merging the mac mini with the ATV - Why not? It seems the guy was after a souped up Mini, rather than any ATV we know of - it seems that it would be less of a ump for a mini to get this dream configuration, than an ATV. Has been a year, and the mini has been taken back to the drawingboard by Apple apparently anyway, after missing being scrapped.

I think the atv should also be integrated with mobileme so that when you record a show you can then get it on your phone.

Oh please, oh please, oh please, Blue-Ray!!

That AppleTV picture is a fake. Look at how big it is! It's bigger than Steve Jobs! There is no way Jobs would ever create a device larger than himself.

This would basiacally be a DVR that could do anything!! I would buy on tonight!

This makes a lot of sense. It's very similar to a blog post I made on Sunday:
http://www.macpredictions.com/2008/09/will-tuesday-be-blu-ray-day-for-ap...

This would be absolutely awesome. ABout time this happened anyway. New Apple TV design is due, cannot wait until this event!

I've thought for a while they need an AppleTV hardware upgrade. They need to support true 1080p output to be competitive with everything else out there.

The web browsing/keyboard/etc stuff would be interesting. Very cool to some, but also loses its focus as a media device.

No chance on other video codecs - it'll always be an extension of the iPod line for that. So unless the iPods get divx or wmv (hah!), then no for that.

The AppleTV (and Mac Mini) should have always used 3.5" drives. Faster and more capacity for same cost. So hopefully that's in the cards.

Would be cool if it had a real API, like iPhone 2.0, so folks could write apps (mostly games probably). I could see that happening.

Not sure about a tuner. Would be a stretch from Apple's current intent. I mean it would be great, but I'd be surprised.

Most likely the next AppleTV (whether today or not) will be evolutionary (1080p, 3.5" drive, possibly Bluetooth) not revolutionary (blu-ray, tuner).

Take Two only came out so recently, and 2.1 even more recently. I do not believe there will be a single AppleTV announcement. I don't see why they would have one, although it would be nice.

Also, several of these features are already available on a hacked appletv, including Safari. Check http://wiki.awkwardtv.org for the info on that.

The government coupons couldn't be used for something like this.. they can only be used to purchase certain approved models of DTV tuners, NOT for advanced hardware such as HD tuners, DVD recorders, DRV's, etc. ie appleTV

Not a chance in hell. All those wants are things that are not in Apple's interests as a media company. They want to control the codecs, want people to buy online (no blu-ray), don't want the AppleTV to be a "computer" but a set top box, don't want it to be larger than it is, don't want to eat into Time Capsule sales.

None of that wants make sense.

Whatever the "one more thing" is....in a global growth environment that is getting more difficult for Apple to operate in "stealth mode", it's likely that it's something that will not ship today. It's reasonably doubtful that any new Apple product ready for the pipeline would not have some kind of leak prior to any event. I suspect that any significant news beyond what we think we know already will be something that only Steve and his inner circle are aware of. If not, I guess the Apple PR machine is going to be in dire straits drumming up interest in future events.

omg id buy this in a second, exactly what i've been wanting. Guess my time capsule will have to go on ebay though!

all hail steve!

Come on. Why put a physical media player in a AppleTV ?

The AppleTV one and only purpose it to put iTunes content on your TV.
If Apple did not bother include a DVD player with upscaling on the first version, it won't bother including a BD player.

For physical media, dedicated player are much simpler and "cheaper" (BD are not cheap but including on in an ATV won't make it cheap neither).

Now, let's review the other items :
- TimeCapsule : 200% stupid. You are already limited in size , so why put more data in the HD ? And I don't want my ATV to freeze in the middle of the movie because it does a backup. Don't mix entertainment and computing.
- Keyboard : ok, I would like such a thing but integrated in the iPhone/Touch remote : I don't want to have a full keyboard lying in my living room.
- iPhone/Touch remote : already exists. Expand it to more advanced functionalities (keyboard, ...).
- DTV tuner + DVR : only prob is that there are to many different standards and that it won't be compatible with proprietary scrambling system.
- 1TB hd : to expensive and such a HUGE size will be needed only if it also does TimeCapsule
- Safari browser : sold if the iPhone/Touch is the remote for pan/zoom.
- More codec : Apple represents more than 90% of legally distributed video. For user created content, just produce it in a standard, modern and efficient codec : H264.

Actually, AppleTV3.0 already exists (except for BD) : this is a MacMini with an USB 1TB HD and an USB DigitalTV Tuner.

Some of these are interesting but rest assured that Apple will NOT turn the ATV into a computer and that it will remain more of an iPod than a Mini. That said moving to 3.5" drives (for both the ATV and the Mini) makes alot of economic sense .... BUT I cannot see much business rationale for abandoning their iTunes Store TV revenue by adding DVR functionality.

"DTV tuner + DVR : [...] there are too many different standards"
Broadcast TV :
- EU+Asia+Oceany : DVB-T
- US : ATSC
- JP+Brazil : ISDB-T
- China : DMB-T/H
The problem is that many people are not receiving TV using an good old antenna but thru cable or IPTV. And there is much less standardization in those domain.

Apple TV 3.0 - a simple list. Not gonna happen.
- Blu-Ray support: This format is so old from the beginning. Streaming is the word, Bluray dies in 5 years.
- Time Capsule functionality: Apple is not gonna cannibalize their Time Capsule sales. According to this, using AppleTV as a backuo devices may weaken the AppleTV performance in it`s main purpose as a movie streamer.
- Keyboard support: iPhone/iPod Touch are the keyboards already.
- Support for iPod touch and iPhone as remotes: iPhone/iPod Touch are the remotes already.
- Digital TV tuner: No ATSC, Analog, DVB-T, DVB-C or DVB-S/S2. IPTV is possible in a way where people can buy/subscribe live shows (like sport events).
- Up to 1TB hard drive: No real need for this so far. You can stream.
- Built-in Safari browser: There are a lot more confident ways of surfing than via big screen which can be seen by all the other people in the same room.
- More video codec support...: Nope. They already have a really good one which is going to be used more and more in new products.

The dream of this kind of AppleTV is bit old fashioned IMO. No, it`s very old fashioned.

games games games... Apart from everything else on the list, turning ATV into a gaming console with its own app store... Xbox, wii, PS, they are all going in the other direction, invading ATV's territory, what are you waiting for Steve?

A networked touch or iphone used as a remote with apple tv could stream your games, the keyboard, safari, mail etc... Another thought was that a dtv tuner would allow the use of a new cinema display as opposed to a TV. Adding a camera to the touch today could allow it and the iphone to be used as a webcam for ichat through the apple tv too.

HD content on itunes and surround sound.

hence itunes 8

Ever since the TV appeared I thought it would make sense to make a version that merges the Mac mini and TV.

As it stands, both devices are limited, especially the TV.

I don't really see an internal Blu-ray drive, but adding DVD upsampling Faroudja circuitry (that can also play SACDs!) into the optical drive and adding an HDMI port would make perfect sense. Add a full-sized 3 1/2" hard drive, with a serious graphics card for gaming, too. Of course, it would have to be larger, but why not?

I'd strap one of these puppies onto the back of my HDTV!

Dream on, eh?

You can not use those government handed out coupons on anything other than a simple digital tv antenna. You cant even buy an hd tuner with it... so there is no way you can use one of those coupons for a ATV.

Don't hold your breath for Blu-ray in Apple TV. Apple has absolutely zero interest in promoting BD, or optical discs of any kind. They would prefer that you buy or rent TV shows and movies from the iTunes Store. Isn't that glaringly obvious?

I doubt Apple will upgrade Apple TV hardware until at least MWSF09. Their next product rollout should be the redesigned MB and MBP, which are painfully overdue.

There is absolutely no pressure on Apple to keep revving Apple TV. It's still just a "hobby" for them.

They should put the guts of the current AppleTV into a 40-42" Apple LCD/LED TV, introduce the new product as the real, Apple TV and be done with the existing ATV box. iTunes, etc. in your TV. Limit the computer resemblance and reduce hacking. Who hacks their TV?

Then, a intoduce a Media Center MacMini option with the current ATV box features added to the MacMini (upscaling DVD but no Blu-Ray).

After what Sony and Toshiba have gone through, I think Apple will embrace Blu-Ray through third party add-ons only.