Rui CarmoApple's set-top-box, which started shipping in March 2007.
Image from Gizmodo
Note the Ethernet, USB, HDMI, component video and RCA/optical audio ports. It also has Wi-Fi (802.11n) and an IR port in the front.
It is, unfortunately, a dud, for besides not playing (natively) most common formats, it has unconceivable faults as far as hardware design is concerned, for it runs extremely hot and lacks a simple hardware power switch.
- atvusb-creator - a way to automate the patching process.
- What Apple TV Costs to Make - roughly US$237 for the Gen 1 device
- One week with Apple TV
- Apple TV dissected
- Awkward TV - notes, enhancements and hacks.
- Apple TV Hacks
Add-Ons:
- Castcluster a Java "proxy" that makes online video sources visible in iTunes as podcasting sources and manages content conversion.
Resources:
- BackRow Developer's Kit
- ATV4Mac, a hack that lets you run the Apple TV software on a Mac