AppleTV - Please Explain
I recently bought a 42" HD Philips TV. This is a big deal in my household since our last TV was purchased in '98. With it I also had my cable company install a DVR. Our package has always included HBO and CineMax and of course we have access to oodles of movies on-demand. My question is why would I need an AppleTV box if I can now record most movies and shows that I get with my current package? What would I be missing outside the ability to watch my Podcasts and movie trailers in my family room? Can AppleTV be easily used to watch and store movies that I've downloaded elsewhere? Please fill me in on what I'm missing here? I'm really not up on what it's capabilities are.
The reason I ask is that a friend, who runs a store, can sell me one at half price (new) and want to know if it would even be worth it for me. I'm really not looking for something to up my monthly bills (rentals included) and we don't purchase movies very often and we never purchase TV programs. I guess it would be an impressive show piece for my living room.
Thanks,
Tony
The reason I ask is that a friend, who runs a store, can sell me one at half price (new) and want to know if it would even be worth it for me. I'm really not looking for something to up my monthly bills (rentals included) and we don't purchase movies very often and we never purchase TV programs. I guess it would be an impressive show piece for my living room.
Thanks,
Tony
Comments
- Convenience of renting/purchasing movies directly (slightly expensive imho).
- Moving your existing movies to one device (no swapping out DVDs or getting off the couch). Though no closed captioning.
- Share Photos/Music over your TV/Stereo Receiver
- Small, noiseless, HDTV resolutions, low cost.
The home media center is still relatively new and no one product does it all well. You've got XBox, PS3, MS Media Center, Vudu, Netflix Roku, etc. You can even use an Apple Mini has a home media center with FrontRow or XBMC.Each of these has its own pros/cons regarding pricing, content availability, recording live tv, storage, and media formats. Given the flux of things, I don't think you'll find any fault in sticking with your DVR, OnDemand, and a DVD Player.
You can rip your existing DVD collection, and view it on the tv.
But you can't rip your DVDs in an integrated fashion using iTunes or AppleTV. Besides, why rip a DVD if you're only going to watch it on AppleTV? Just pop the DVD in your DVD player and keep the computer and AppleTV off.
Just pop the DVD in your DVD player and keep the computer and AppleTV off.
Exactly why I said the Apple TV needs this:
I have about 60+ DVD's, and I certainly ain't ripping them or buying them again.
Jobs is missing the point if he never adds this. I have a CD slot in my iMac but I don't buy CD's anymore because it's more convenient buying from iTunes. And I ripped my existing music collection because it was a very quick process. Adding a (standard) DVD slot in Apple TV would simply make the product better, and if the video they wanted to buy was available on the store folks would buy it there. The slot would simply give people the ability to play their existing movie collection on the Apple device. It would sell units. And it would clean up entertainment spaces under TV's. Add a iTunes TV Show subscription service and the whole thing would snowball for Apple.
How close could one get a Mini to act like an Apple TV box?
Tony
Great replies, thanks.
How close could one get a Mini to act like an Apple TV box?
Tony
It (Mini) will do everything except movie rentals through iTunes. (Though you can BUY movies.) And the FrontRow interface is slightly different than the aTV interface.
It (Mini) will do everything except movie rentals through iTunes. (Though you can BUY movies.) And the FrontRow interface is slightly different than the aTV interface.
Thanks. Not too interested in rentals anyhoo. Seems a bit more versatile going the Mini route, now if it were only Blue-Ray.
Tony
Haven't tried the movie rental/buying thing yet - why wouldn't that work on a Mini?
Cheers,
Martin.
HD movies are only available on the aTV... sorry.
Even as a purchase?
Even as a purchase?
Yep. HD movies are not synced back to the host Mac. There's been speculation about this, but no one knows for sure the reasoning. Could size of the movies, studio rights, etc.
I was confused.... Rentals WILL work through iTunes and a Mini.... but HD movies are only available on the aTV... sorry.
Perfect - that's what I thought. I'm not mad and all is well - excellent.
Cheers,
Martin.
But you can't rip your DVDs in an integrated fashion using iTunes or AppleTV. Besides, why rip a DVD if you're only going to watch it on AppleTV? Just pop the DVD in your DVD player and keep the computer and AppleTV off.
You rip DVDs to iTunes for the same reason you rip CDs to iTunes - it's so much more convenient to have a copy on the hard drive that you can play anywhere at any time, rather than storing and dealing with discs.
But for the original poster, I personally wouldn't spend all the money you're spending on TV and then also get an AppleTV. Part of my reasoning for getting one was to use the TV in a completely different way than I had been - to dump cable completely and stop paying that $50/ month.
For me it was a choice between:
TV + Cable, vs.
TV + over-the-air + AppleTV (youtube + video podcasts + rentals + home movies/photos etc.)
And the hi-def rentals have also allowed me to put off buying a hi-def DVD player until the prices come down more.
But I'm sure it depends on your viewing habits. If you watch a lot of cable TV, then obviously you're not going to want to drop it. Or, if you've got money that you really don't want anymore, get both.
If that makes sence