I'm downsizing our cable bill, and recently got an AppleTV. It's connected to our kitchen TV where we had a Roku and the crappy cable box. So far, I am very impressed! Not a single technical glitch in setup or use so far, and super easy to use.
The downside is no Hulu or Pandora, which my wife uses a lot. I will be putting the Roku back along side the Apple TV, and investigating xbmc as well.
In our living room, we have an Xbox 360. Frankly, that does a fantastic job for Netflix and Hulu, and of course games. I also have to thank it for filling in the gaming gap in a Windows-less household! Unfortunately, it is clunky for other media. I use Rivet to serve content from our Mac Mini, which works well enough. Only problem is any video with 5.1 audio only comes through as stereo. (I think this is solvable, if I transcode to another format.) We also have an Airport Express for music streaming. It would be nice to simplify the system a little bit.
I actually would like another AppleTV for the living room, but can't justify one now. I'm kind of hoping Apple releases an ATV3 that supports higher-bitrate 1080p output.
A friend uses a PS3 to stream from a PC. My experience with it was pretty bad; took an hour for him to resolve technical glitches and get watching!
ATT/ VZW would drop iPhone like a bad habit, leaving Apple high and dry if they did such, -at this point-.
And their customers would drop them like a bad habit, moving to other carriers and never returning, bankrupting them in short order.
Apple has the POWER to do it NOW. The iPhone means that much to that many people. Why they haven't yet is beyond me. The product creators are the ones in charge, not the telecoms. Apple was the first to see that, and they apparently remain the only one. Apple has the power to do exactly what they did in music: take total control over distribution.
Yes, the studios still get money from the songs. Apple tells them how the songs are sold.
Yes, the telecoms would still get money from their customers' phone plans. Apple would tell them how the phones are sold.
For me the Apple TV is worth it. I don't have a Xbox 360 or a PS3 I PC game and do very little of that any more. For me the Apple TV was great, but i don't see it as a need for people that have all the capability with other devices, I don't see anything but airplay(a nifty but limited feature) as truly exclusive feature.
AppleTV sits between your components and the TV/monitor just like an A/V receiver. Your HDMi video out goes to TV/monitor and all your HDMI inputs are for your other devices. TV/monitor never moves off the HDMI, it even plugs into the AppleTV A/V receiver so it will power on when you use the ATV remote. AppleTV UI overlays all your input accessories as needed.
Lol... I understand how it plugs in. . I'm asking how it would decode like a normal av receiver does. Or is it basically a "splitter" of sorts?
AppleTV sits between your components and the TV/monitor just like an A/V receiver. Your HDMi video out goes to TV/monitor and all your HDMI inputs are for your other devices. TV/monitor never moves off the HDMI, it even plugs into the AppleTV A/V receiver so it will power on when you use the ATV remote. AppleTV UI overlays all your input accessories as needed.
There are models that have multiple inputs and an output to a TV/monitor, thus being a median device. So in that respect those models are like what I and others have described for that aspect of its functionality.
You don't have to be completely sarcastic. While it's true that Flash on iOS didn't happen, it didn't happen for some very good reasons. Matte screens are available on MacBook Pros if you really want them, most Macs have camera card slots and USB 3.0 will arrive when Ivy Bridge shows up in the spring.
Physical media was something Steve really didn't like in later years and given the licensing issues regarding Blu-Ray, Apple never considered it worth the trouble. Blu-Ray licensing required OS-level DRM at many different layers, which was something Apple didn't want to implement. They were already leading the charge away from DRM in the music business. That was the "bag of hurt" Steve was referring to.
You dont think there is a little bit of a disconnect when a company sells a high end video editing software and leaves you no way to share you're project?
I totally bought the web gallery concept and then apple killed it and left you with no alternative but to go third party to get the job done.
Doesn't make sense coming from the company that pioneered the all in one computer.
People don't want to browse the web on their TVs. Otherwise it would have taken off in 1985 when the first systems to do anything remotely close to that were first available.
Sony-Phillips-then MS's Web TV! (STILL [kind of] alive as MSN TV!)
And not a TV, but a prototype "internet appliance": Audrey!
PS: love the comment, but believe your timeline's off by a decade - we're talking mid-late 90's here, unless you had other devices in mind.
Sony-Phillips-then MS's Web TV! (STILL [kind of] alive as MSN TV!)
And not a TV, but a prototype "internet appliance": Audrey!
PS: love the comment, but believe your timeline's off by a decade - we're talking mid-late 90's here, unless you had other devices in mind.
Heh, I remember those. No, I'm pretty sure it was the mid '80s. We're talking monochrome outputs and Apple ][-level graphics here? Gosh, I just can't remember the name? It was less 'surfing' (as the concept hadn't really been invented yet) and more shopping/education?
Heh, I remember those. No, I'm pretty sure it was the mid '80s. We're talking monochrome outputs and Apple ][-level graphics here? Gosh, I just can't remember the name? It was less 'surfing' (as the concept hadn't really been invented yet) and more shopping/education?
Ah yes, Teletext! I always wished for something that cool back in the day...
Heh, I remember those. No, I'm pretty sure it was the mid '80s. We're talking monochrome outputs and Apple ][-level graphics here… Gosh, I just can't remember the name… It was less 'surfing' (as the concept hadn't really been invented yet) and more shopping/education…
2. Power consumption. 360 and PS3 are energy whores.
3. The Size, ATV is tiny.
4. One format to rule them all. Encode all vides into Apple format so they play on all your Apple devices.
5. Airplay
I have 3 x xbox 360's and 1 PS3 in my home. If they were used for video playback I would have a monty power bill.
I own original AppleTv, PS3 and plasma HDTV. All are energy hogs (heh, heh). PS3 for HD - there is a reason I got an HDTV in the first place. AppleTV for DVD rips (aka SD) and they play on iDevices.
Ah yes, Teletext! I always wished for something that cool back in the day...
YES!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigpics
Compuserve? Timeline's right....
Also YES.
The stuff like that, I mean. If they (or something near them) were what people really wanted or how Internet integration with television was supposed to happen, we'd've had them a LONG time ago.
Slapping Safari on an Apple TV and calling that a solution is like pouring beer on a hamburger and calling it Chateaubriand.
I don't know why anyone would buy AppleTV when Xbox 360 and PS3 do so much more. And let's face it, the way to get content on to AppleTV is also less than ideal - where is the USB slot or the Blu Ray drive?
it only costs $99. Some people don't want a gaming device & already have a Blu-Ray player.
I can't speak for the SonyPS, but the interface on the Xbox360 is visual barf and puts me in an instant bad mood.
I just don't understand how so many companies can't make a decent U.I. that is visually pleasing. Is there only one formula and only Apple can figure it out? It perplexes me. It must be very difficult.
I don't know why anyone would buy AppleTV when Xbox 360 and PS3 do so much more.
As an owner of all three I can tell you why I use the AppleTV far more than the other two - speed, and the UI on the AppleTV beats them hands down. Finally - AirPlay. Was awesome when it was Audio only, now with video support it's becoming must have.
As more applications like Bruce (http://ericasadun.com/ftp/AirPlay/) are produced, AirPlay is going to be the differentiator. It's like DLNA - except it's useful!
Quote:
And let's face it, the way to get content on to AppleTV is also less than ideal - where is the USB slot or the Blu Ray drive?
Let's face it, as soon as you said USB you dropped into a micro-fraction of the population. The vast majority of people would rather get something for a buck or two from Apple, Amazon or Netflix than screw around with torrents, ripping DVDs or USB sticks. Your in a complete fantasy land if you think that's a mainstream feature.
As for BlueRay - big whoop - I have a PS3. BlueRay players are a dime a dozen. Why does Apple have to replicate whats there? BlueRay would be completely redundant for me since I already have the best BluRay player - said PS3.
Don't you know better that to bring up Blu Ray to this crowd? Steve (rip) said no to blu ray a while back so that makes it the enemy.
Like flash on iOS.
Like matte screens.
Like USB 3.0 and camera card slots.
Like intel chips. Well, the fan base kinda caved on that one.
According to Apple you don't need physical media. "but what about home movies.". You ask? How do you share them with you're family in hi def quality? Simple. Use the MobileMe web gallery. But you had better hurry. You only have a few months left before they kill that too.
Obama is a troll - who'd have thunk that?
I for one, however, really wanted a blu-ray drive on my MBP. Since it became obvious that Apple wasn't going to put one in, I went ahead and bought the Early 2011 model when it was available. Recently I picked up a Sony external blu-ray drive. The thing is really sweet and supports burning 3D blu-ray discs, as well as 100GB discs. I don't use it to watch movies on the MBP, but I use it to burn a few discs. I am happy with it.
Currently I burn media using Windows software via Fusion. I am still researching software for the mac. I'm not sure if I should take the plunge and buy Toast, or whether I can find an alternative.
I love my AppleTV and will be handing several out for Christmas gifts this year. The same reason geeks whine about the AppleTV are why the iPhone, iPad and eventually AppleTV will be the most popular.
It does a limited amount of things, but the things it does are what the vast majority people will want, and it will do them very, very well with a user experience second to none.
So while there will be whining and consternation in inside baseball threads like this, Apple will continue to slowly march on and rack up sales that are puzzling to their techie critics.
Comments
The downside is no Hulu or Pandora, which my wife uses a lot. I will be putting the Roku back along side the Apple TV, and investigating xbmc as well.
In our living room, we have an Xbox 360. Frankly, that does a fantastic job for Netflix and Hulu, and of course games. I also have to thank it for filling in the gaming gap in a Windows-less household! Unfortunately, it is clunky for other media. I use Rivet to serve content from our Mac Mini, which works well enough. Only problem is any video with 5.1 audio only comes through as stereo. (I think this is solvable, if I transcode to another format.) We also have an Airport Express for music streaming. It would be nice to simplify the system a little bit.
I actually would like another AppleTV for the living room, but can't justify one now. I'm kind of hoping Apple releases an ATV3 that supports higher-bitrate 1080p output.
A friend uses a PS3 to stream from a PC. My experience with it was pretty bad; took an hour for him to resolve technical glitches and get watching!
ATT/ VZW would drop iPhone like a bad habit, leaving Apple high and dry if they did such, -at this point-.
And their customers would drop them like a bad habit, moving to other carriers and never returning, bankrupting them in short order.
Apple has the POWER to do it NOW. The iPhone means that much to that many people. Why they haven't yet is beyond me. The product creators are the ones in charge, not the telecoms. Apple was the first to see that, and they apparently remain the only one. Apple has the power to do exactly what they did in music: take total control over distribution.
Yes, the studios still get money from the songs. Apple tells them how the songs are sold.
Yes, the telecoms would still get money from their customers' phone plans. Apple would tell them how the phones are sold.
AppleTV sits between your components and the TV/monitor just like an A/V receiver. Your HDMi video out goes to TV/monitor and all your HDMI inputs are for your other devices. TV/monitor never moves off the HDMI, it even plugs into the AppleTV A/V receiver so it will power on when you use the ATV remote. AppleTV UI overlays all your input accessories as needed.
Lol... I understand how it plugs in.
AppleTV sits between your components and the TV/monitor just like an A/V receiver. Your HDMi video out goes to TV/monitor and all your HDMI inputs are for your other devices. TV/monitor never moves off the HDMI, it even plugs into the AppleTV A/V receiver so it will power on when you use the ATV remote. AppleTV UI overlays all your input accessories as needed.
Isn't that how the Google TV works?
Isn't that how the Google TV works?
There are models that have multiple inputs and an output to a TV/monitor, thus being a median device. So in that respect those models are like what I and others have described for that aspect of its functionality.
You don't have to be completely sarcastic. While it's true that Flash on iOS didn't happen, it didn't happen for some very good reasons. Matte screens are available on MacBook Pros if you really want them, most Macs have camera card slots and USB 3.0 will arrive when Ivy Bridge shows up in the spring.
Physical media was something Steve really didn't like in later years and given the licensing issues regarding Blu-Ray, Apple never considered it worth the trouble. Blu-Ray licensing required OS-level DRM at many different layers, which was something Apple didn't want to implement. They were already leading the charge away from DRM in the music business. That was the "bag of hurt" Steve was referring to.
You dont think there is a little bit of a disconnect when a company sells a high end video editing software and leaves you no way to share you're project?
I totally bought the web gallery concept and then apple killed it and left you with no alternative but to go third party to get the job done.
Doesn't make sense coming from the company that pioneered the all in one computer.
People don't want to browse the web on their TVs. Otherwise it would have taken off in 1985 when the first systems to do anything remotely close to that were first available.
Sony-Phillips-then MS's Web TV! (STILL [kind of] alive as MSN TV!)
And not a TV, but a prototype "internet appliance": Audrey!
PS: love the comment, but believe your timeline's off by a decade - we're talking mid-late 90's here, unless you had other devices in mind.
Sony-Phillips-then MS's Web TV! (STILL [kind of] alive as MSN TV!)
And not a TV, but a prototype "internet appliance": Audrey!
PS: love the comment, but believe your timeline's off by a decade - we're talking mid-late 90's here, unless you had other devices in mind.
Heh, I remember those. No, I'm pretty sure it was the mid '80s. We're talking monochrome outputs and Apple ][-level graphics here? Gosh, I just can't remember the name? It was less 'surfing' (as the concept hadn't really been invented yet) and more shopping/education?
Heh, I remember those. No, I'm pretty sure it was the mid '80s. We're talking monochrome outputs and Apple ][-level graphics here? Gosh, I just can't remember the name? It was less 'surfing' (as the concept hadn't really been invented yet) and more shopping/education?
Ah yes, Teletext! I always wished for something that cool back in the day...
Heh, I remember those. No, I'm pretty sure it was the mid '80s. We're talking monochrome outputs and Apple ][-level graphics here… Gosh, I just can't remember the name… It was less 'surfing' (as the concept hadn't really been invented yet) and more shopping/education…
Compuserve? Timeline's right....
1. The noise, both Xbox 360 and PS3 are noisy.
2. Power consumption. 360 and PS3 are energy whores.
3. The Size, ATV is tiny.
4. One format to rule them all. Encode all vides into Apple format so they play on all your Apple devices.
5. Airplay
I have 3 x xbox 360's and 1 PS3 in my home. If they were used for video playback I would have a monty power bill.
I own original AppleTv, PS3 and plasma HDTV. All are energy hogs (heh, heh). PS3 for HD - there is a reason I got an HDTV in the first place. AppleTV for DVD rips (aka SD) and they play on iDevices.
Ah yes, Teletext! I always wished for something that cool back in the day...
YES!
Compuserve? Timeline's right....
Also YES.
The stuff like that, I mean. If they (or something near them) were what people really wanted or how Internet integration with television was supposed to happen, we'd've had them a LONG time ago.
Slapping Safari on an Apple TV and calling that a solution is like pouring beer on a hamburger and calling it Chateaubriand.
Downgrade to a PS3? It is still the best featured blu-ray player there is
Oppo BDP-95 rips a PS3 to shreds even before ModWright gets ahold of it.
I don't know why anyone would buy AppleTV when Xbox 360 and PS3 do so much more. And let's face it, the way to get content on to AppleTV is also less than ideal - where is the USB slot or the Blu Ray drive?
it only costs $99. Some people don't want a gaming device & already have a Blu-Ray player.
I was going to read it until I found out I could buy 20 AppleTVs for the same cost.
I know, I didn't read it either
2) Xbox requires "Live" subscription
2) $99
and finally
3) User Interface
I can't speak for the SonyPS, but the interface on the Xbox360 is visual barf and puts me in an instant bad mood.
I just don't understand how so many companies can't make a decent U.I. that is visually pleasing. Is there only one formula and only Apple can figure it out? It perplexes me. It must be very difficult.
- I AM IQ 78
I don't know why anyone would buy AppleTV when Xbox 360 and PS3 do so much more.
As an owner of all three I can tell you why I use the AppleTV far more than the other two - speed, and the UI on the AppleTV beats them hands down. Finally - AirPlay. Was awesome when it was Audio only, now with video support it's becoming must have.
As more applications like Bruce (http://ericasadun.com/ftp/AirPlay/) are produced, AirPlay is going to be the differentiator. It's like DLNA - except it's useful!
And let's face it, the way to get content on to AppleTV is also less than ideal - where is the USB slot or the Blu Ray drive?
Let's face it, as soon as you said USB you dropped into a micro-fraction of the population. The vast majority of people would rather get something for a buck or two from Apple, Amazon or Netflix than screw around with torrents, ripping DVDs or USB sticks. Your in a complete fantasy land if you think that's a mainstream feature.
As for BlueRay - big whoop - I have a PS3. BlueRay players are a dime a dozen. Why does Apple have to replicate whats there? BlueRay would be completely redundant for me since I already have the best BluRay player - said PS3.
Don't you know better that to bring up Blu Ray to this crowd? Steve (rip) said no to blu ray a while back so that makes it the enemy.
Like flash on iOS.
Like matte screens.
Like USB 3.0 and camera card slots.
Like intel chips. Well, the fan base kinda caved on that one.
According to Apple you don't need physical media. "but what about home movies.". You ask? How do you share them with you're family in hi def quality? Simple. Use the MobileMe web gallery. But you had better hurry. You only have a few months left before they kill that too.
Obama is a troll - who'd have thunk that?
I for one, however, really wanted a blu-ray drive on my MBP. Since it became obvious that Apple wasn't going to put one in, I went ahead and bought the Early 2011 model when it was available. Recently I picked up a Sony external blu-ray drive. The thing is really sweet and supports burning 3D blu-ray discs, as well as 100GB discs. I don't use it to watch movies on the MBP, but I use it to burn a few discs. I am happy with it.
Currently I burn media using Windows software via Fusion. I am still researching software for the mac. I'm not sure if I should take the plunge and buy Toast, or whether I can find an alternative.
Looks like $99 buys a lot of whining.
Only if you buy it
I love my AppleTV and will be handing several out for Christmas gifts this year. The same reason geeks whine about the AppleTV are why the iPhone, iPad and eventually AppleTV will be the most popular.
It does a limited amount of things, but the things it does are what the vast majority people will want, and it will do them very, very well with a user experience second to none.
So while there will be whining and consternation in inside baseball threads like this, Apple will continue to slowly march on and rack up sales that are puzzling to their techie critics.