I'm a watch once kind of guy, so purchase of a movie is rediculous to me. I really hate waiting for the new releases to go to rental on ATV.
Too right. A significant expansion of the movies available, particularly to rent, would see my ATV getting much more use in our house than any of the new features. Over time it is becoming a nice was of playing our own ripped DVDs, but I have been very disappointed by the rental content.
I'm actually referring to the cost savings I achieve by using the AppleTV (and iTunes season passes) for my television content. When I bought my HDTV I checked with Comcast and their cost for basic HD service and a HD-capable DVR was about $105/month. I regularly watch about three TV shows and can subscribe via season pass for well under $150/year. I don't have to deal with commercials and can watch shows whenever I want (and unlike the DVR can also watch shows on my iPod or iPhone). I'm saving over $1000/year this way.
Ah yes, now that I agree. I think there's a lot of people who really only religiously watch 2-3 shows (that aren't available on the free networks), and for those kinds of people it makes total sense to buy those shows on iTunes versus paying Comcast $75-100 a month for cable.
Music keeps playing now until you play a different source. You can browse the movie lists, for example, and still listen to music until you play a movie/trailer.
Audiobooks now show up as well... or were they already there? How soon one forgets.
FWIW, my WD 320 Scorpio Blue is as quiet as the original 40GB it replaced.
I'm actually referring to the cost savings I achieve by using the AppleTV (and iTunes season passes) for my television content. When I bought my HDTV I checked with Comcast and their cost for basic HD service and a HD-capable DVR was about $105/month. I regularly watch about three TV shows and can subscribe via season pass for well under $150/year. I don't have to deal with commercials and can watch shows whenever I want (and unlike the DVR can also watch shows on my iPod or iPhone). I'm saving over $1000/year this way.
I agree (to a point) about movie purchases. Until the prices drop, I'm not going to purchase any movies from iTunes when I can buy better quality versions on DVD. The extra features help, but not enough. I do rent the occasional movie however, especially when they have decent options on the 99¢ menu.
So, you don't have any cable tv at all? I can see all the savings there if you decide not to get cable tv period, but I guess you never watch the news, live sporting events, awards shows or any random television. Unfortunately I can't breakdown the cost savings like that cause I'm only looking at the few dollar jump between SD package and HD package. Plus, I do watch alot more than just 2-3 shows per season. I have kept trying to take a serious look at ATV but always find a higher pic quality solution through other means. Blu-Ray purchase(love collecting and can't top the quality), netflix(usually get to see quality blu-ray content quicker that what the iTS makes available), just set up ps3mediaserver so I can stream all my .mkv torrent files straight through my ps3, and I have a WD HD Media Player(pic quality of which is far better than anything I've seen on an aTV, and there new live model has ethernet hook ups for streaming).
And no this isn't teckstud BTW what did he end up getting banned for?
While 3.0 is much needed with freshly improved UI, I am a bit underwhelmed. I was hoping for at least one major new feature, either USB external disk support, TV subscription, Netflix streaming, Hulu, or Vimeo.
I am just guessing here, but I suspect new remote will be included with updated 3.0 Apple TV packaging.
Right. Apple is going to allow the competition access to their hardware to compete with iTunes. The AppleTV was designed for one thing and that is to display iTunes content on a TV. If you want Netflix you're just gonna have to buy their box.
I wasn't expecting Apple to ever update Apple TV again, so I guess this is a nice surprise... Too bad it's still very uninspiring and dull. No new features either, beyond a non-searchable web radio thing.
Why no streaming video Apple? Here in the UK BBC iPlayer is everywhere now, except on Apple TV of course. If Apple had any sense, they'd open Apple TV up to iPhone style App development, and slash the price by 100% too. (at least)
Actually at this point I'd even be glad of HD rentals for all titles, and day and date too. As others have commented, it's infuriating to have to wait months for a 'buy' only title to pop up (and briefly at that) as a rental.
I don't hear the drive on my AppleTV but I wish there was a sleep mode to keep the heat down. It just feels like something wrong with that thing when it is always so warm.
If you select Menu, when you actually see the menu come up you can press and hold the Play button on the remote for 5 seconds (I think) to put it to sleep. Saves power and heat dissipation drops drastically.
I have bought in every product category Apple has ever made except the boom box and AppleTV. While waiting for Apple to do the right thing and make a DVR I kept adding to and upgrading my TiVo collection. I am so far up TiVo's butt that anything else is redundant. To date, Apple isn't offering anything more or better than I already have and use. I can look at my iPhoto albums and listen to iTunes though our wireless network with TiVo. I can stream movies through our existing Netflix account on TiVo. I keep waiting for Apple to consolidate all those functions and a DVR with a killer UI that tops what I have. As soon as that happens and one of my Tivos die, I'll replace it with Apple.
I'm puzzled that Apple hasn't bothered to update FrontRow to match the Apple TV features. Once upon a time they were almost identical but since then Apple TV got 2 major updates and 0 for FrontRow. I don't mind using Plex but I would like iTunes Store integration.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
Apple dropped updating FrontRow long ago. With the Snow Leopard release, they made QuickTime X which helps with their iTunes Store video collection, but did not update DVD Player or FrontRow. They are just old stagnant pieces of software like Sherlock was for so long.
As an aside, they didn?t update Dashboard, either. If I a conspiracist I?d say they since can?t make extra money off the widgets they don?t care about them.
I agree with both of you.
However, the number of people who use a Mac mini AS a super Apple TV and/or basis of a home theater system is pretty high, perhaps even accounting for a large proportion of mini sales (given that it hasn't turned out to be a very successful BYO monitor and keyboard switcher machine, as was originally intended).
This means there are likely to be a large number of people who might buy the mini if it was just a little better in its home theater support, that is, if Front Row was updated.
Now, if it comes to making a profit, the Apple TV is $229, and a mini starts at $599 plus desirable extras to bump it up to full home theater worthiness.
These could be additional Mac sales - Mac sales that will later result in more OS upgrade purchases, Apple accessories, new remotes, overpriced cable dongles, etc, etc. (All of which I've happily bought for my home theater mini - I'd even pay for an updated Front Row with new AppleTV features.)
By not updating Front Row, I think they're missing an opportunity.
Comments
Finally, my stuff at the top of menus - my music, my movies, my photos. And search is there now for my music, not just the iTunes store.
Are you teckstud?
I'm a watch once kind of guy, so purchase of a movie is rediculous to me.
Too right. A significant expansion of the movies available, particularly to rent, would see my ATV getting much more use in our house than any of the new features. Over time it is becoming a nice was of playing our own ripped DVDs, but I have been very disappointed by the rental content.
I'm actually referring to the cost savings I achieve by using the AppleTV (and iTunes season passes) for my television content. When I bought my HDTV I checked with Comcast and their cost for basic HD service and a HD-capable DVR was about $105/month. I regularly watch about three TV shows and can subscribe via season pass for well under $150/year. I don't have to deal with commercials and can watch shows whenever I want (and unlike the DVR can also watch shows on my iPod or iPhone). I'm saving over $1000/year this way.
Ah yes, now that I agree. I think there's a lot of people who really only religiously watch 2-3 shows (that aren't available on the free networks), and for those kinds of people it makes total sense to buy those shows on iTunes versus paying Comcast $75-100 a month for cable.
I am probably am...... I hear ya, but I just wish they gave you the best experience right off the bat.
You're not the only one, I don't cough up the extra buck either. Apple charges way too much for their HD content.
Who is teckstud?
OK, OK... I get it. Moving right along (and with apologies to readers who might be wondering what the heck is going on)....
UBut the original 40 was pretty noisy too. Which one do you have, the 40 or 160?
Maury
I have the original 40, and it is totally silent.
Audiobooks now show up as well... or were they already there? How soon one forgets.
FWIW, my WD 320 Scorpio Blue is as quiet as the original 40GB it replaced.
I have the original 40, and it is totally silent.
160GB, totally quiet. Maybe he needs to re-glue it to the top of the case.
Music keeps playing now until you play a different source.
That is a nice little tweak.
160GB, totally quiet. Maybe he needs to re-glue it to the top of the case.
maybe he used wrong kind of oil to fry.
I'm actually referring to the cost savings I achieve by using the AppleTV (and iTunes season passes) for my television content. When I bought my HDTV I checked with Comcast and their cost for basic HD service and a HD-capable DVR was about $105/month. I regularly watch about three TV shows and can subscribe via season pass for well under $150/year. I don't have to deal with commercials and can watch shows whenever I want (and unlike the DVR can also watch shows on my iPod or iPhone). I'm saving over $1000/year this way.
I agree (to a point) about movie purchases. Until the prices drop, I'm not going to purchase any movies from iTunes when I can buy better quality versions on DVD. The extra features help, but not enough. I do rent the occasional movie however, especially when they have decent options on the 99¢ menu.
So, you don't have any cable tv at all? I can see all the savings there if you decide not to get cable tv period, but I guess you never watch the news, live sporting events, awards shows or any random television. Unfortunately I can't breakdown the cost savings like that cause I'm only looking at the few dollar jump between SD package and HD package. Plus, I do watch alot more than just 2-3 shows per season. I have kept trying to take a serious look at ATV but always find a higher pic quality solution through other means. Blu-Ray purchase(love collecting and can't top the quality), netflix(usually get to see quality blu-ray content quicker that what the iTS makes available), just set up ps3mediaserver so I can stream all my .mkv torrent files straight through my ps3, and I have a WD HD Media Player(pic quality of which is far better than anything I've seen on an aTV, and there new live model has ethernet hook ups for streaming).
And no this isn't teckstud
While 3.0 is much needed with freshly improved UI, I am a bit underwhelmed. I was hoping for at least one major new feature, either USB external disk support, TV subscription, Netflix streaming, Hulu, or Vimeo.
I am just guessing here, but I suspect new remote will be included with updated 3.0 Apple TV packaging.
Right. Apple is going to allow the competition access to their hardware to compete with iTunes. The AppleTV was designed for one thing and that is to display iTunes content on a TV. If you want Netflix you're just gonna have to buy their box.
Why no streaming video Apple? Here in the UK BBC iPlayer is everywhere now, except on Apple TV of course. If Apple had any sense, they'd open Apple TV up to iPhone style App development, and slash the price by 100% too. (at least)
Actually at this point I'd even be glad of HD rentals for all titles, and day and date too. As others have commented, it's infuriating to have to wait months for a 'buy' only title to pop up (and briefly at that) as a rental.
I don't hear the drive on my AppleTV but I wish there was a sleep mode to keep the heat down. It just feels like something wrong with that thing when it is always so warm.
If you select Menu, when you actually see the menu come up you can press and hold the Play button on the remote for 5 seconds (I think) to put it to sleep. Saves power and heat dissipation drops drastically.
I'm puzzled that Apple hasn't bothered to update FrontRow to match the Apple TV features. Once upon a time they were almost identical but since then Apple TV got 2 major updates and 0 for FrontRow. I don't mind using Plex but I would like iTunes Store integration.
Apple dropped updating FrontRow long ago. With the Snow Leopard release, they made QuickTime X which helps with their iTunes Store video collection, but did not update DVD Player or FrontRow. They are just old stagnant pieces of software like Sherlock was for so long.
As an aside, they didn?t update Dashboard, either. If I a conspiracist I?d say they since can?t make extra money off the widgets they don?t care about them.
I agree with both of you.
However, the number of people who use a Mac mini AS a super Apple TV and/or basis of a home theater system is pretty high, perhaps even accounting for a large proportion of mini sales (given that it hasn't turned out to be a very successful BYO monitor and keyboard switcher machine, as was originally intended).
This means there are likely to be a large number of people who might buy the mini if it was just a little better in its home theater support, that is, if Front Row was updated.
Now, if it comes to making a profit, the Apple TV is $229, and a mini starts at $599 plus desirable extras to bump it up to full home theater worthiness.
These could be additional Mac sales - Mac sales that will later result in more OS upgrade purchases, Apple accessories, new remotes, overpriced cable dongles, etc, etc. (All of which I've happily bought for my home theater mini - I'd even pay for an updated Front Row with new AppleTV features.)
By not updating Front Row, I think they're missing an opportunity.