Apple TV users report long rental wait times, HDMI issues

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 86
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by camroidv27 View Post


    Drop a Mac Pro on anything and it would cause some serious damage. That thing is a beast.

    However, I'm pretty sure if I dropped an MBP on a Quadra, the MBP would suffer much more damage. My Quadra has definitely seen its rough and tumble, and still powers up! My comment was more about the electronic parts than the casing.



    I know just teasing. Plus I think MBPs went through a bad patch with video boards. Not now TG!



    BTW. I have zillions of applications for old Macs, they are fun for a few hours.
  • Reply 42 of 86
    No issues with my 2nd gen ATV. I've only rented one movie (mostly use netflix), but didn't wait very long at all for it to start (less than a minute). Photo/video/audio streaming from iTunes has been flawless. Youtube is great (although I must say typing in search terms with the ATV remote is a bit annoying -- it would be nice to have a wireless keyboard option). All-in-all, I am very pleased. Well, well worth the $100.
  • Reply 43 of 86
    veblenveblen Posts: 201member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iLiver View Post


    Well, iTunes rentals may be doomed. If it weren't for Netflix on the new ATV I wouldn't have bought and probably many others wouldn't have either.

    For $7.99 unlimited monthly rentals, many of which are HD, it simply can't be beat. The 24 hour window/ high cost of an iTunes $5 per rental is not worth it to me.

    The Netflix HD rentals stream so smooth and look amazing.



    And I can watch them on my iPhone with the Netflix App!!!!



    I agree. $5 per rental for movies is a no go with me. I'm enjoying my AppleTV and the netflix streaming as well. For me Netflix streaming/MobileMe Photo Screensaver/AirVideo are the things I like most with the device. Being able to stream Pandora and Sirius Radio over the network from my ipad to the AppleTV hooked up to my stereo system with AirVideo has been a big win for me.
  • Reply 44 of 86
    anonymouseanonymouse Posts: 6,857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post


    ... I have one of 'em where I work. Every morning he comes in to find his work computer hosed in some way and then starts banging the mouse on the desk while cussing up a storm about the "idiots" in IT.



    Well, at this point, they probably are messing with him for the fun of it.
  • Reply 45 of 86
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tbsteph View Post


    I think it is readily apparent the ATV2 has some issues with HDMI (Some Sony and Phillips HDTV's) and extended wait times when streaming rental movies.



    It's not readily apparent at all. There is absolutely no evidence, other than anecdotal, that the ATV2 itself has issues with anything. Is it not possible that "certain" Sony and Phillips models have their own HDMI issues and are not truly HDMI compliant? Yes, a few users are blaming the ATV2 but that means nothing in itself. The HDMI specification has its own well documented, admitted issues. There are, of course, numerous factors involved in an internet connection and it all has to work flawlessly for things to proceed and for that picture to show up on that HDTV. I never understand why the finger is immediately pointed at Apple in a knee-jerk way while the user's ISP, HDTV, home network, etc. are all assumed to be just fine until proven otherwise.



    And for the record I have been using an ATV1 for a couple of years now and have experienced none of the so-called "known, admitted, well documented, pandemic, widespread" flaws that Apple has "refused" to address. Most HDTVs now have networking ports so firmware updates can be downloaded and applied online. Samsung, for example, has quite a few available right now. I have had to update the firmware in my Blu-ray player several times to get a new movie to play properly. So blaming the ATV2 is premature to say the least. It's still bullshit at this point.
  • Reply 46 of 86
    My Apple TV (before I sold it) was significantly slower connecting and downloading movies/TV shows than my Xbox 360 slim with the same Ethernet connection (same cable - just switched machines).



    While I like the layout of the Apple TV's interface, it was redundant to have two devices. The Apple TV simply wasn't compelling enough, especially with the limited TV rentals available (boo). If Apple gets those licensing problems fixed, I will reconsider buying a replacement in the future.
  • Reply 47 of 86
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post


    There is absolutely no evidence, other than anecdotal, that the ATV2 itself has issues with anything... I never understand why the finger is immediately pointed at Apple in a knee-jerk way while the user's ISP, HDTV, home network, etc. are all assumed to be just fine until proven otherwise...It's all still bullshit



    Try Googling Apple TV Error 112
  • Reply 48 of 86
    Performance has been fine on my ATV 2 - loading quickly and playing back HD rentals just fine (no huge wait time). In fact, I have found that Netflix HD movies load better on ATV 2 than on my LG blu-ray player.



    With 4 Mbs, I am right about on the threshold to be able to stream Netflix in HD. On several occasions, I tried to stream an HD title on my blu-ray, and it didn't load in HD quality, but then switched over to the ATV 2, and it streamed just fine in high quality (it definitely looked HD, but one gripe I have is that ATV 2 doesn't confirm it was able to stream in HD like my blu-ray player does - but regardless it looked way better than what was streaming on my blu-ray).



    The interesting thing is that my ATV 2 is hooked up through wifi, while my blu-ray has a direct ethernet connection.



    Also, I have not had any HDMI handshake issues (have had it connected to my projector, a LG TV and a Hanspree TV).
  • Reply 49 of 86
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lkrupp View Post


    It's not readily apparent at all. There is absolutely no evidence, other than anecdotal, that the ATV2 itself has issues with anything. Is it not possible that "certain" Sony and Phillips models have their own HDMI issues and are not truly HDMI compliant? Yes, a few users are blaming the ATV2 but that means nothing in itself. The HDMI specification has its own well documented, admitted issues. There are, of course, numerous factors involved in an internet connection and it all has to work flawlessly for things to proceed and for that picture to show up on that HDTV. I never understand why the finger is immediately pointed at Apple in a knee-jerk way while the user's ISP, HDTV, home network, etc. are all assumed to be just fine until proven otherwise.



    And for the record I have been using an ATV1 for a couple of years now and have experienced none of the so-called "known, admitted, well documented, pandemic, widespread" flaws that Apple has "refused" to address. Most HDTVs now have networking ports so firmware updates can be downloaded and applied online. Samsung, for example, has quite a few available right now. I have had to update the firmware in my Blu-ray player several times to get a new movie to play properly. So blaming the ATV2 is premature to say the least. It's still bullshit at this point.



    There was definitely an issue. It had to do with streaming movies from iTunes. Netflix ran absolutely flawlessly as did Youtube and other third party apps. Every time my family would want to watch a movie or show from the other side of the menu, I would cringe. Multiple attempts at streaming from iTunes failed with loading messages saying movies would start in 150 minutes, 98 minutes, 120 minutes. I never got credits for all the failed attempts. It was very frustrating. They simply never would load. I did find that I could home stream movies from my laptop which were rented on that device but streaming from iTunes directly on the ATV2 never worked.



    I have an Airport Extreme and run a network which is regularly tested and was running at 16 MBps, so buying an AEX or upgrading your network won't solve any issues.

    I am happy to say the recent update fixed the issue for me. Resetting the device, multiple reboots, reconfiguring of devices and hardware did nothing. The ATV2 was the only device which ever had issues on my network and then only when streaming from iTunes rentals.
  • Reply 50 of 86
    c4rlobc4rlob Posts: 277member
    I have long wait times for rentals on the weekend - everything else works fine. So I just assume Apple has a separate server for the rentals and it gets hammered on late weekend nights when most people might stay in to watch TV. It's unacceptable for Apple to not dedicate enough server resources for what is supposed to be the key feature on this device!
  • Reply 51 of 86
    I have both the original AppleTV, and now a gen 2 as well.



    On the Gen 2 AppleTV I rented 2 HD movies last Friday night, and after waiting hours, was still told that each movie had hours before we could watch.



    We gave up and watched Netflix instead, which worked perfectly all evening.



    Finally, 5 days later, we returned to the movies to see if they were ready for viewing; after that many days, we still were told it would be 3+ hours.



    I have a bonded pair of T1 lines, which provide 3Mbps of bandwidth at all times; I've had almost no trouble watching non-HD movies on my original AppleTV, but this one has been useless for HD. A tech person told me to turn off the HD option, which would allow us to rent non-HD movies going forward, which is what we will do.



    Apple refunded the rental fees.
  • Reply 52 of 86
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by c4rlob View Post


    I have long wait times for rentals on the weekend - everything else works fine. So I just assume Apple has a separate server for the rentals and it gets hammered on late weekend nights when most people might stay in to watch TV. It's unacceptable for Apple to not dedicate enough server resources for what is supposed to be the key feature on this device!



    Dude, they got rid of the XServe. They are using Mac Minis to stream movies. I read it in AI (no, I made that up)
  • Reply 53 of 86
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by deuxlavabo View Post


    No issues with my 2nd gen ATV. I've only rented one movie (mostly use netflix), but didn't wait very long at all for it to start (less than a minute). Photo/video/audio streaming from iTunes has been flawless. Youtube is great (although I must say typing in search terms with the ATV remote is a bit annoying -- it would be nice to have a wireless keyboard option). All-in-all, I am very pleased. Well, well worth the $100.



    Ditto on all that. I use the Remote app on our iPad or iPhone for typing in search--much better experience. But the app is a little inelegant. Confusing sometimes about where you are and where to go to get the function you need next. A serious re-design is in order. Still, better than hunt and peck with the remote.
  • Reply 54 of 86
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by c4rlob View Post


    I have long wait times for rentals on the weekend - everything else works fine. So I just assume Apple has a separate server for the rentals and it gets hammered on late weekend nights when most people might stay in to watch TV. It's unacceptable for Apple to not dedicate enough server resources for what is supposed to be the key feature on this device!



    Let's hope the NC farm is going to have some of its resources devoted to this. I've never rented a movie yet on my ATV2 since I have Netflix for that already.
  • Reply 55 of 86
    mpxmpx Posts: 1member
    Hi,



    Changing my DNS from Google to OpenDNS fixed this issue for me.



    Using Google DNS everything worked but there were long wait times for rented movies. After changing to OpenDNS it has worked flawlessly. It also helped with Hulu Plus streaming.



    I'm using a Time capsule and AT&T 6MB DSL.
  • Reply 56 of 86
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lamewing View Post


    Try Googling Apple TV Error 112



    Then why aren't all ATV2 users experiencing this "issue"? If it's some flaw in the firmware explain why the majority posting here say they have no issues with their ATV2. Googling ATV error 112 means absolutely nothing. Counting Google hits is a ridiculous way to assess the prevalence of some problem. Same goes for counting thread reads at Apple discussion forums like this article does. Because a lot of people look at a thread does not mean they have the issue. And most of these threads consist of the same few people posting again and again as they circle jerk each other into a frenzied lather.



    Are some ATV2 users experiencing problems? Yes, absolutely, they are. Can the problems be experimentally confirmed and pinpointed? NO! Visit any, and I mean ANY, forum dedicated to any device. Be it the ATV2, any brand of HDTV, a radio, an AVR, smart phones, tablets, toasters, alarm clocks, and you will find a forum where dozens of people are ranting away at the device, accusing it of causing the apocalypse and ruining their lives. I used to research these forums before buying. No more. Of all the devices I have purchased which have been deemed fatally flawed, rife with problems, not fit to own, I have yet to see these "issues" myself. Same goes for so-called user reviews on sites like Cnet. When the iPhone was originally announced in 2007 Cnet's user reviews of the device literally exploded with negative "user" reviews... of a device no one had seen or used yet. And we all found out how accurate those reviews were didn't we.
  • Reply 57 of 86
    almaalma Posts: 31member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by StuffOfInterest View Post




    I'd really recommend against using wireless networking for streaming video applications. The bandwidth is too variable for many streaming systems to cope with. I.










    Does that include using an AirPort Express in close proximity to an iTV? That should just work.
  • Reply 58 of 86
    almaalma Posts: 31member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by screamingfist View Post


    eh, i have a Roku and it flakes out if the hdmi cable is over 6 foot (had a 9). if you look hard enough you can find something 'wrong' with everything....



    Q. Does HDMI accommodate long cable lengths?



    Yes. HDMI technology has been designed to use standard copper cable construction at long lengths. In order to allow cable manufacturers to improve their products through the use of new technologies, HDMI specifies the required performance of a cable but does not specify a maximum cable length. We have seen cables pass "Standard Cable" HDMI compliance testing at lengths of up to a maximum of 10 meters without the use of a repeater.



    With any long run of an HDMI cable, quality manufactured cables can play a significant role in successfully running HDMI over such longer distances.



    Return to top





    Q. How do I run HDMI cables longer than 10 meters?

    There are many HDMI Adopters working on HDMI solutions that extend a cable’s effective distance from the typical 10 meter range to much longer lengths. These companies manufacture a variety of solutions that include active cables (active electronics built into cables that boost and extend the cable’s signal), repeaters, amplifiers as well as CAT5/6 and fiber solutions.



    Return to top





    Q. How can I tell if a cable is an HDMI certified cable?

    All HDMI products are required to be certified by the manufacturer as part of the HDMI Compliance Test Specification. However, there may be instances where cables bearing the HDMI logo are available but have not been properly tested. HDMI Licensing, LLC actively investigates these instances to ensure that the HDMI trademark is properly used in the market. We recommend that consumers buy their cables from a reputable source and a company that is trusted.





    www.hdmi.org
  • Reply 59 of 86
    Here's another extensive Apple Support discussion thread on the streaming delays that wasn't mentioned in the article.



    http://discussions.apple.com/thread....art=0&tstart=0
  • Reply 60 of 86
    almaalma Posts: 31member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lamewing View Post


    Try Googling Apple TV Error 112



    Only 143,000 hits. That's not so many.
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