Apple patent looks towards DVRs with portability

Hot on the heels of that Apple TV patent which included broadcast viewing functions, we're getting a peek at a new application which suggests a possible DVR future for the folks from Cupertino. The concept breaks from standard TiVo-like solutions by making extensive use of a handheld component, which would be used to program and control the recordings, and could periodically download batches of shows for iPod-esque portability. On the set-top side, the box would function largely the way most DVRs do now, though Apple seems to be interested in infusing the process with its typical gloss, and part of the application is concerned with the possibility of gesture-based control for the unit (no surprise there). Of course, this isn't the freshest patent filing in the world, and it's possible Steve has already moved on to a more intuitive, telepathically controlled system by now.

[Via AppleInsider]

[jakem @ Mar 13th 2008 3:35PM]

Sounds like an Archos to me. They've been doing this for years now.

[OneLove @ Mar 13th 2008 5:07PM]

you mean the koreans.

[maveric101 @ Mar 13th 2008 9:22PM]

ah. beat me to it.

[DESTOS @ Mar 13th 2008 3:37PM]

Didn't expect drawings to be such big fans of 'King of Queens'

[phanbouy @ Mar 13th 2008 3:40PM]

easily the Worst Sitcom Ever. i'm sure it gets the Oprah stamp of approval though.

[chopper @ Mar 13th 2008 6:10PM]

Worst sitcom ever? You're nuckin futz!

Lemme guess... your a big "Everybody Loves Raymond" fan.

[xiln @ Mar 13th 2008 3:40PM]

Nice drawings of technology already abundant in Asia...

[Chris @ Mar 13th 2008 3:48PM]

What part of this is patentable?

Remember when patents used to mean something? yeah, me neither.

[Zak @ Mar 13th 2008 3:53PM]

If you're looking at those pictures and seriously asking what part is patentable, I suggest you look harder. Maybe look at the bits with the numbers and pointy arrows to indicate what could possibly be different about those patents compared to similar things that are out now. I'm sure you can figure it out if you look hard enough.

[Joe @ Mar 14th 2008 2:58PM]

You miss the point Zak, patents aren't supposed to be obvious to anyone in the field. If you were to challenge several teams of engineers to come up with a portable DVR, many of those teams would come up with what Apple is trying to patent.

The patent system is a joke; it's essentially a lawsuit licensing department. The real tragedy is that genuine patents are lost in the madness of all these idiot ones.

[bob sakamano @ Mar 13th 2008 3:49PM]

topol.... bold move stepping into nilay country with a post about a patent

better watch out

he might sue!

[phanbouy @ Mar 13th 2008 3:50PM]

lol.. and i thought _I_ was a regular

[Tony @ Mar 13th 2008 3:50PM]

Apple TV + Slingbox pro + iPhone = new toy?

[wootman @ Mar 13th 2008 3:50PM]

why would someone need to record lost on 2 different channels?

[Joe @ Mar 13th 2008 3:57PM]

Because the Office is in repeats and you already bought Ratatouille?

[hansson @ Mar 13th 2008 3:51PM]

great!

[kyle @ Mar 13th 2008 3:56PM]

CSI: NY on HBO?

[phanbouy @ Mar 13th 2008 3:58PM]

Dwight, Fact: just because a broadcast show can say "shit" doesn't mean it's HBO-grade material. =)

[Brandon @ Mar 13th 2008 3:57PM]

The OC?? How long ago did they come up with this idea? lol

[rp @ Mar 13th 2008 4:07PM]

Can't be THAT old... it has a reflective dock

[jamie @ Mar 13th 2008 4:01PM]

You know you can do this with Vista...... ????

A couple of tuner cards in your HTPC, and you just d/l onto your Zune if you want to take it with, granted you might have to use an old fashioned remote, but I'm sure it'll save you a couple of grand and you might actually be able to get it in another colour rather than white....

[wootman @ Mar 13th 2008 4:10PM]

screw a computer, just buy an archos 605 with a TV dock for 300$ and directly record it.

[ReggieXuk @ Mar 13th 2008 4:06PM]

£50 says apple will make the previous Apple TV "The old version".

[Zach Weisman @ Mar 13th 2008 4:24PM]

Gesture based? Hmmm perhaps gestures received by web cam...Perhaps video iChat on AppleTV?

FINALLY!

[R @ Mar 13th 2008 4:30PM]

It's from 2006. And like most of Apple's patents, it's likely that only a small part of it is critical to some product they intend to produce. There's something in there that's important, but the dvr functionality is meant to throw readers off.

[bobartig @ Mar 13th 2008 6:09PM]

Yeah, they'll turn around and reveal a device with all these features, but only works with iTunes bought content!

[Blaktornado @ Mar 13th 2008 4:44PM]

The artist really needs to work on drawing the Apple logo, assuming that's what it's meant to be on the left hand side of the first picture.

[Erik @ Mar 13th 2008 4:48PM]

...And the guy's legs in the second picture don't look anatomically correct. He should quit being an artist!

Seriously, though, it's a sketch. A perfect Apple logo is unnecessary.

[Blaktornado @ Mar 13th 2008 4:51PM]

It should be a work of art, dammit!

[atomicmatt @ Mar 13th 2008 4:51PM]

Looks like Robin Williams with David Letterman.

[PDubNYC @ Mar 13th 2008 6:22PM]

perfect time to bomb the show. Get that annoying-as-all-hell crack head and lame-ass letterman at once. I swear NBC must have kept his funny parts when he moved to CBS

[Stevo @ Mar 13th 2008 8:45PM]

I thought it was reggie fils aimes acctually

[sikantis @ Mar 13th 2008 5:00PM]

I think, it's sweet. Let's wait a bit then it's not only apple ...! I like it when I have more to choose.
http://www.sikantis.net/blog

[OneLove @ Mar 13th 2008 5:07PM]

i'd hit that remini chick.

[JunaD @ Mar 13th 2008 5:43PM]

I want my A-TV.

[Harley3k @ Mar 13th 2008 6:42PM]

Notice the references to "HD" content in the guide.

I don't see a cable-card slot for my AppleTV to eanble me to do this.
I could use an elgato EyeTV in the USB port potentially for OTA viewing.

The guide also shows "HBO" though, so either this will do non-HD recording (Tivo2 style), or they're experimenting with a comlete IPTV solution with Apple as the provider.

Which kind of makes giving the "Download" and "Record" options mixed in on some of the menus.

[Evan @ Mar 13th 2008 6:50PM]

The iRecord, iDVR, iBox ?

[ReggieXuk @ Mar 13th 2008 7:02PM]

Apple iTape

[snitch @ Mar 13th 2008 7:53PM]

This looks more like IP TV, maybe to compete with Fios tv or something. Remember apple tv is real powerful, they can make anything out of that box, you can even turn it to a computer if you know what your doing

[snitch @ Mar 13th 2008 8:06PM]

Subscribe & only pay for the channels you do watch & f**K the rest, Makes sense.

[Apple_sucko @ Mar 13th 2008 8:16PM]

is this worth posting? i mean you dont get all the patents of other products here dontcha. but ofcourse engadget's mac bigotry would always surface. there's nothing new with this POS. but ofcourse the drone fanboys would always say this is groundbreaking.

[Abe Burnett @ Mar 14th 2008 1:33AM]

Um, Apple, I hate to break it to you, but we--the consumers--won't be going with the DVR solution. Too many of us have cable and satellite DVR boxes that are less and less used as the studios start giving us what we've always wanted: on-demand TV and movies over the internet. We're starting to realize that it's not that hard to plug in our Macbooks and Dells into our spiffy new HDTVs--especially when there's tons of "free" legitimate content available and more and more on the way. No more issues with the DVR missing our show, or one of our roommates skipping the show we want to record because the box doesn't have enough tuners or intelligence or space to handle the tasks we need it to. Oh, and it's so much cheaper than paying for cable or satellite that goes unused.

The future is FREE, Apple, I hope you're listening.

I have a Dish DVR but for various reasons have taken to streaming TV from Hulu or ABC through my laptop and onto my HDTV. Works like a charm, and I never miss a show, and I can watch them whenever I want to, and more of them are offered in HD resolution than Dish provides locally. As soon as someone makes this whole internet-TV thing really intuitive and easy to use, Dish and DirectTV and Apple and everyone else is deep doo doo.

[Jeff @ Mar 14th 2008 4:08AM]

Introducing the Apple Airport Chaos, now with a TV tuner!

[benjasmine @ Mar 14th 2008 8:03AM]

can anyone recommend a good DVR? I don't want to become a cable/satellite subscriber, HD Antenna is enough for me, plus the DVR these company give you might not be good...

[Igpajo @ Mar 16th 2008 7:11PM]

Comcast's CEO announced a couple months ago that they'd teamed up with Panasonic to offer customers a Portable DVR. It'll work like a normal DVR but you'll be able to detach part of it that will have a 7 inch screen and take it with you. Sounds like you'll even be able to plug it into another TV and view your recordings.

Probably won't be as slick as anything Apple will design, but it sounds like they're hoping to hit certain Comcast markets as soon as first quarter 2009.


Here's a link with more info: http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?site=cdn&doc_id=142393