Apple TV was a thing before Apple TV was a thing
- Apple introduced a device called the ITV
- The product went through several prototype stages
- ITV was discontinued a year later
The Apple interactive television box (also known as ITV or S-TB) is a television console that Apple was developing back in 1994, before the launch of the Pippin platform.
The ITV was mostly based on a Macintosh LC 475 and was running a customized version of macOS System 7.1.1. The software included support for MPEG-1 playback for QuickTime software. Also included was a C-Cube CL450-P160 decoder. This machine included a wide range of processors from Brooktree, Motorola, Phillips, Texas Instruments, VLSI Technology, and Xilinx.
There are three different types of this computer — with all three of them being prototype models. The first one is the STB1: which was an early prototype designed by Apple in 1993. The device was assembled in Austin Texas, with the generic case containing a 25 MHz Macintosh LC 475 logic board which was connected to an audio/video board with SCART and RF ports. One hundred of these units were produced.
The second prototype is the STB2: which was the interim prototype this one did not go into mass production. Nothing much happened during this process other than a few minor changes.
Discontinued only one year later, the ITV was deemed not commercially viable, as there was pretty much no consumer demand.
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