But I’d pay $149 if they made it a more “open” model like iOS with just enough memory (say 8GB) to have some good a/v content and tv-intended-interface apps. Then I could use the device to replace all the various media widgets that my Blu-Ray and TV already provide. And with the Apple’s processor it would be more sprightly than the current and various TV widgets platforms. EyeTV, for example, could modify its app, available for other iOS devices, to make DVR content conveniently accessible on the TV as well. As it is, like the usual Apple formula is they took two steps forward and one step back.

Or maybe they’re trying to nerf it enough to get Apple-inclined streaming content/platform fans to pony up for the Mini as a HTPC.

Streaming over my home network has been the most turdly experience since making the switch to converting our well-watched DVDs to M4Vs. The streaming experience with Netflix is quite good. But with EyeTV’s and several other Mac uPnP software I have had to give up functionality — pause/ff/rew/etc. for content I’ve converted to digital. A major pain. (Only the EyeTV DVR’d content has streamed well but only if I use EyeConnect, Elgato’s “solution” for home network content sharing.) Content I’ve bought thru iTunes or got as licensed digital downloads won’t stream at all with any software I’ve tried.

Apple TV has had a decent interface, but I don’t want to store my content local to it, which has made it too costly to buy a small hard drive I’m not gonna be using, especially with DVR functionality being absent.

So I’ll switch to the new AppleTV if it fixes my home network streaming needs without making my EyeTV DVR unfunctional.

Some feedback on the Ping thing: It sounds underwhelming to me. While I have a microgram of hope it could improve the iTunes experience past the hardly-useful love it/hate it reality of iTunes user ratings, I just expect it to fall so far below the community that Lala built and Apple killed. I think a user-driven music and movie enjoyment community thrives more around the pay-for-access model like Netflix than the pay-per-use-or-for-ownership model of iTunes. I’ll put my contribution efforts to helping to build up MOG — that has become a much more promising and cost-effective service since Lala disappeared — and Netflix.

Cody Krieger (gfxCardStatus)