Apple recently filed a patent on what could be some kind of total home entertainment system that will read music and video from just about every medium from iPods, computers or stand-alone DVD players.

The device may be an enhancement to the already-released Apple TV or may also be an entirely different device in itself. It was also speculated that the device may record media or stream data similar to a Slingbox.

The patent says that this Apple concept is segmented - divided into different modules - and has a central hub coordinating the exchanges. Of course, the user will be able to call the shots in a multitude of ways. Theories that a mouse and keyboard, a remote control or the iPhone can be used to direct everything have surfaced, although no confirmations have been made.

If Apple follows its innovative tradition of allowing third parties to create products that will enhance the system, firms will be likely to get in a rush to capitalize on this market opportunity. Still, everything's still just a patent at this point and a lot of modifications may still be made. We'll keep you posted for new developments. If you want to read more about this new Apple brainchild, follow the read URL.

Reports of Sling Media working on making their Slingbox placeshifting device compatible with Apple's new Apple TV have been confirmed according to The Unofficial Apple Weblog. The confirmation was reportedly made by Dave Zatz, an employee at Sling Media.

For those who have yet to encounter it, the Slingbox is a TV streaming device that lets users stream and view video from their AV sources (DVD player, TiVo, etc.) remotely on their Internet-capable PCs. It also has an IR blaster that lets users control their AV source as if they were in their living rooms and using a standard remote control.

The report from The Unofficial Apple Weblog says that the Slingbox Pro will apparently connect to the Apple TV via the component outputs. It will give users access not only to their videos but also to their entire iTunes library. Users can also reduce bandwidth by choosing audio only mode on the SlingPlayer software.

Gizmodo writer Eric Lam gave a reaction and correction post to CNET's Erica Ogg for her article discussing how iTunes may be streamed to a mobile phone in the future. The CNET write-up got a lot of fans excited until Lam burst the bubble.

Lam explained that the article does hold some water in terms of feasibility, but there's a lot more to it than just having your phone synced with a computer or iPod.

"What they're talking about is using the excellent, yet non-specific ability of a Slingbox to stream iTunes to an Apple TV," says Lam, "using a HD equipped Slingbox Pro to stream Apple TV to your Sling Client-equipped Palm, or Windows Mobile phone."

Lam also said that there's a fat chance that iPhone wouldn't support Sling videos. Audio should be a non-issue, but unless there's a drastic change in the last stages of the iPhone, that would be a smart prediction.

"The article speaks of future support, but isn't this possible with the mere addition of a few IR codes?" asks the Gizmodo scribe.