AppleTV and MLB.tv

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
I originally planned on building a small PC to put into my entertainment center that I can watch MLB.tv (check out The Official Site of Major League Baseball: Subscriptions: Subscriptions) ostensibly I cannot play it via XBMC (xbox media center) or XBOX 360, so I'd need a separate computer for this.



Then I thought that AppleTV might be a solution - however I don't know know how good of a choice that would be - also anyone know if it can run mosaic?



the requirements say:



1Ghz pwoer PC

512MB Ram

64 MB of video RAM

100MB of hard drive

Software: java 1.5 release 5 flip4mac 2.1, OS 10.4.5

broadband connection





Anyone know? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member
    I don't think you understand what the @tv is all about.
  • Reply 2 of 6
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by John.B View Post


    I don't think you understand what the @tv is all about.



    pray tell
  • Reply 3 of 6
    areseearesee Posts: 776member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by matstars View Post


    pray tell



    From your original post I deduct that MLB is streaming WMV to their own player. The AppleTV doesn't do internet streaming, it doesn't do WMV and unhacked, it doesn't allow for third party players.



    The AppleTV Take 1 was a video iPod that made your TV an extension to iTunes on your computer. AppleTV Take 2 is still an extension to iTunes but it now a front end to the iTunes Store. You can buy or rent movies, buy music and TV shows, and browse podcasts, photos and YouTube. What you can't do is stream non-Apple content to it from the internet. It would be great if Apple provided the capability to display streamed video from all sites.
  • Reply 4 of 6
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member
    There are @tv issues and there are mlb.tv issues.



    For the @tv issues, everything aresee said is 100% on the mark (thanks aresee!). The easiest way to get MLB content on your @tv would be if MLB had a contract with the iTunes store, which is not gonna happen. Another way to get content to your @tv would be if you could get the video in an Apple compatible video format unencumbered by DRM into your iTunes library, but that won't work because the content will be in the Microsoft proprietary (i.e. non-Apple, non-Linux) WMV format including DRM-protection for your viewing pleasure. You could use something like Flip4Mac to transcode the WMV files to something more Apple-friendly like MOV (i.e. QuickTime) except for that whole pesky DRM thing. And with MLB.tv, that DRM thing turns on a dime. People who bought content from MLB.tv a few years back found that their purchased, downloaded content stopped working one day when MLB.tv switched DRM formats on them. Not a nice way to treat your paying subscribers, but hey this is MLB we are talking about here...



    Here's what is boils down to: MLB.tv is about watching baseball on your computer. Period. Not some external device/iPod/media center thing MLB doesn't approve of (or didn't charge extra for). MLB just isn't that forward thinking. They make the NFL seem downright progressive but what else would you expect from the former "national past time". If you want to watch baseball on your TV, they sell the MLB Extra Innings package via cable or satellite and maybe a DVR or two.



    Good luck and enjoy spring training. Me, I've given up on those bozos...
  • Reply 5 of 6
    galleygalley Posts: 971member
    MLB.TV Mosaic is a Java-based app, and even supports the Apple Remote. Could MLB develop a version of the app that ran on tv? Absolutely, but it's not gonna happen this season.
  • Reply 6 of 6
    neubyneuby Posts: 3member
    one day hopefully soon we'll see an easy way to use an external usb hard drive so we can get apple tv to run full mac osx and then open safari log in to your mlb.tv account and enjoy your baseball on your plasma.
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