New Intel Canmore chip destined to hit AppleTV 2

Cleve Nettles
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January 10, 2008
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HardMac is speculating that the next generation AppleTV 2 (or 3?) might use one of the new System on a Chip (SoC) designs Intel announced this week at CES.  Currently, Apple uses a standalone  1Ghz pre-Core Intel chip for its AppleTVs.  According to Hardmac,

They plan to release in Q3 2008 the Canmore, an x86 processor-based SoC supporting audio 7.1, hardware-decoding for high-definition video up to 1080p and advanced DRM management.
In summary, all functions required to build a new and more powerful Apple TV which could then become independent of any computer to get access directly to movie catalogs available on the iTunes Store.

According to Intel, the Canmore line shouldn't be ready until mid to late 2008.  Apple, readying iTunes movie rentals won't need too much - if any- more horsepower to download and play rentals on the AppleTV.  However, if the device is to operate as a standalone device, a speed bump may be in order.

Comments (3)

Anonymous Coward (not verified) | January 10, 2008 - 4:21pm

Yay?

MacNewsOnline.com (not verified) | January 10, 2008 - 5:49pm

So, if they WERE to use this chip we wouldn't see than updated AppleTV at Macworld, given the chip wont be ready until mid 2008. Since the video rentals are all but confirmed, I believe strongly an AppleTV refresh would be 90% certain at MacWorld, I think this chip won't be making it's way into an Apple product anytime soon.

Dwight_ (not verified) | January 11, 2008 - 11:13am

Thus the "(3?)"  after the "Apple TV 2". :)