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What computer resources does (or will) the old (or new) Apple TV "hog"?

D

Dan--

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 30, 2008
237
23
I'm considering using an Apple TV with some or all of: a Macbook (10.4, probably 10.6 soon), a PC desktop (XP SP3), and an AEBS with an attached disk. I plan for this to be the primary access to my music library, but it also needs to do video etc.

I'm trying to figure out what is used on the computer end while the Apple TV is streaming music or movies (and if it is different for different OS's).

For example, does the computer have to be logged in to a particular account?
If so, can anyone else be logged in simulaneously?
Can anyone else use iTunes to say mananage an iPod while it is streaming from a different account to an ATV?
Can the ATV wake up the Macbook on demand if I have 10.6?

Does any of this change if I hack it and install one of the additional 3rd party layers?

Is there anything else I should be concerned about in trying to use this in a family situation?

I'm trying to figure out if I'll need to get an old one, which although it suffers a number of issues, seems to be more capable in just about every way that matters.

Thanks for your input,

Dan
 
steve-p

steve-p

macrumors 68000
Oct 14, 2008
1,740
42
Newbury, UK
In order to stream from iTunes running on a computer, you need to have iTunes running, and have the appropriate iTunes library opened. I could be wrong but I assume this means you can't do much else on that computer in terms of different accounts logged in, or different libraries opened. I believe wake on demand may work but I haven't tried it.

Alternatively you could perhaps get a NAS with built in iTunes server which would be independent of anything else you want to use the computer for. Or you could get the first generation Apple TV with 160GB storage. This works like an iPod in that you can sync whatever you want to it. You can then play anything that's synced without the computer on, and you still have the option to stream other content that you didn't sync, or even content from other iTunes libraries/computers.

If the Apple TVs had come out in the opposite order, I suspect that everyone would now be raving about how much more flexible the addition of local storage made it :)
 
P

potatis

macrumors 6502a
Dec 9, 2006
839
291
steve-p said:
Alternatively you could perhaps get a NAS with built in iTunes server which would be independent of anything else you want to use the computer for.
Click to expand...

This does not work, just shares the library across several computers (I think), but for the AppleTV, a computer with iTunes must still be running.
 
D

Dan--

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 30, 2008
237
23
Thanks for the responses.

And again, sigh.

Anyone else willing to chime in before I start looking for a decent sample of one of the old ones?

Thanks,

Dan
 
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