The Macintosh TV is a personal computer with integrated television capabilities released by Apple Computer in 1993. It was Apple's first attempt at computer-television integration. It shares the external appearance of the Macintosh LC 500 series, but in black.[10] The Macintosh TV is essentially a Performa 520 that can switch its built-in 14" Sony Trinitron CRT from being a computer display to a cable-ready television. It is incapable of showing television in a desktop window, although it can capture still frames to PICT files.
Also known as | Mac TV LD50 Peter Pan[1] |
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Type | All-in-one |
Release date | October 25, 1993[2][3][4][5] |
Introductory price | US$2,097 (equivalent to $4,423 in 2023)[6] |
Discontinued | February 1, 1994[7] |
Units shipped | 10,000[8][9] |
Operating system | System 7.1 - Mac OS 7.6.1 With 68040 upgrade, Mac OS 8.1, or with PowerPC upgrade, Mac OS 9.1 |
CPU | Motorola 68030 @ 32 MHz |
Memory | 5 MB RAM (80 ns 72-pin SIMM), expandable to 8 MB, 1 MB ROM |
Storage | 160 MB HDD, 1.44 MB SuperDrive |
Display | Built-in 14" Sony Trinitron CRT |
Graphics | Video: 512 KB VRAM; supports 640 × 480 at 8-bits |
Dimensions | 17.9" × 13.5" × 16.5" |
Mass | 40.5 lb. |
Successor | Power Macintosh G3 All-in-One |
Website | support |
It comes with a small credit card-sized remote control that is also compatible with Sony televisions. It was the first Macintosh to be made in black and comes with a matching black keyboard and mouse. Later Apple would issue a custom black Performa 5420 in markets outside the United States with many of the features of the Mac TV. Apple's similar TV tuner card was a popular option for later LC, Performa series, and select models of Power Macintosh G3 beige computers.
Only 10,000 were made in the model's short time on the market.[8]
Source:[11]
Although there was no official upgrade path provided by Apple, the Macintosh TV chassis is essentially that of the LC 520, and as such supports the same motherboard upgrades. Although the built-in tuner capabilities are lost, installing an LC 575 motherboard is a common method to step up to the significantly faster 68040 processor.[12]
Timeline of Macintosh Centris, LC, Performa, and Quadra models, colored by CPU type |
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