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NEWS

Apple's new "iTV" links TV and computer wirelessly

From Engadget's live transcript of Steve Jobs' 12 September news conference:

"...We've now got all sorts of great digital content on the iTunes store. And you can take that content and download it to your computer. It can be a Mac or a PC - I'm going to use a mac because i'm biased - and you can sync it to your ipod. But what about that big flat-panel TV you bought last weekend? Well, you need a box to drive that screen...

"But how is this box gonna talk to the computer? Do I want to string cables through the house? I'm gonna talk to it through a wireless network. That's gonna get my content from the computer to the box on the TV. Now let's talk about that missing piece.

"It looks like this... It's called iTV. That's a codeword. We need to come up with a better name.

• No power brick
• 802.11
• USB2
• Ethernet
• HDMI connector for all new big-screen flat panel TVs
• Component video (RGB)
• analog audio RCA jacks
• Optical audio
• Controlled with the familiar white remote
• Hooks directly to your screen or to your set-top box as another input, or to your receiver.

[Steve brings one out.] "This is it. More importantly I have a WORKING one plugged in right here... [he flips through iTV super-FrontRow app]... You can do movie trailers from Apple.com right from your couch. This is big screen over the internet, live as we watch.... [Album art scrolls by ... Steve chooses Dylan, than Highway 61, which plays through the home theater setup]

"A lot of us have our stereos hooked up to our new TVs, it's the best stereo in the house now.

"Let's go to podcasts... These have a wide range of professionalism [LAUGHTER], but they're fun to watch.

"The last thing i want to show you is photos. Photos are now in high definition. Cameras have so many pixels now that these photos just look gorgeous on a big screen TV. Let me go down to my photos...

"We think iTV is going to be pretty popular: Movies, TV Shows, Music, Podcasts, and Photos. So what do you think?

"iTV. Enjoy your media on big screen TV, works with PCs or Macs, coming in Q1 2007, $299.

"So, you can download all this great content online. It's now playing on a computer near you. Now playing on an iPod near you. Coming soon to a TV near you..."

[Spectrum management: 12 September 2006]