iPod Apple Tv seriously missing out? . . .

Well, the real issue is whether Apple will have video content available to the UK (and other countries) by the time the aTV ships. Not having the content now is irrelevant. If there is no content available when the aTV is available, then it becomes a problem.

So right now, it's more of a "wait and see, then complain" type of deal going on.

ft

ftaok said:

So right now, it's more of a "wait and see, then complain" type of deal going on.

Click to expand...

I agree with this. If appleTV is going to ship to and be available in Europe and other countries, then I'm sure the movie store will be expanded to those countries as well.

Why all the 'UK and Other Countries' above? Europe is Europe...

[OnTopic]
I agree I don't see much use for the AppleTV; I want to view my DivX and DVD's on my TV. Now I just hook up my PowerBook and it works perfectly or I stream my iTunes collection to my Airport Exptress. I don't see why I would need some AppleTV Settop box with which I can only play videos from the iTunes store? And I even need my PowerBook as well. So with AppleTV I need two devices in stead of just one I use now?
[OnTopic]

Same thought here. Why can you only stream from stupid iTunes ?!?! That means you cannot play any movies downloaded from other sources than iTunes. I thought this would be a great thing, much more stylish and with remote compared to TV out on a computer. But I guess not for me

4np said:

Why all the 'UK and Other Countries' above? Europe is Europe...

Click to expand...

Yeah right ... until the UK adopts the Euro and Europe's foreign policy, just consider us Oceana. Canada is more European than the UK right now.

I've said this before (in other threads) but I'll say it again: Perhaps Apple is not the only party involved when it comes to bringing TV Shows and Movies to other countries. Think about it.

chicagdan said:

Yeah right ... until the UK adopts the Euro and Europe's foreign policy, just consider us Oceana. Canada is more European than the UK right now.

Click to expand...

Totally OT, but the UK was part of the European Union last time i checked...

geese said:

Totally OT, but the UK was part of the European Union last time i checked...

Click to expand...

Yeah, no kidding. I was poking fun at our British friends for their arms-length relationship with Europe and made a literary allusion to 1984 in the process ... but yes, if you demand encyclopedic literalism in all of your discussions, the UK is in Europe.

What they need to add is something like Handbrake to iTunes so that the DVD's that we all own can be watched/stored on the new magical device. An upgradable HD perhaps, video in.

MongoTheGeek said:

What they need to add is something like Handbrake to iTunes so that the DVD's that we all own can be watched/stored on the new magical device. An upgradable HD perhaps, video in.

Click to expand...

This will never happen. Yeah, never is a long time, but this one is almost a certainty. Why? Well, for one, Apple is selling content on their own store, so why would they open iTunes up for competition? OK, I know you're going to say that "iTunes lets you rip CDs and the iTMS sells music, so what's the problem?"

Good point, but iTunes allowed ripping CDs to mp3's before the iTMS was set-up. But even with that, there's the second reason that we'll never see DVD rippin' on iTunes. The DMCA.

Right now, in the US, ripping a DVD is against the DMCA (note that I don't say illegal). Apple won't facilitate ripping DVDs on the Mac or iTunes.

ft

Illegal or not. It's rather easy to rip DVD's straight to MP4 or H264 format and inmport these into iTunes. Works fine for my iPod. I don't see why these movies won't work through AppleTV. I'm buying one in order to get rid of my crappy DVD player.

everhage said:

Illegal or not. It's rather easy to rip DVD's straight to MP4 or H264 format and inmport these into iTunes. Works fine for my iPod. I don't see why these movies won't work through AppleTV. I'm buying one in order to get rid of my crappy DVD player.

Click to expand...

Understood. However, if you're only interested in the movie and not the DVD extras, this will work.

Personally, I like the extras on the DVD. I also tend to use sub-titles.

For me, ripping the DVD as a Video_TS folder works much better than as an MPG4 or h264.

ftaok said:

For me, ripping the DVD as a Video_TS folder works much better than as an MPG4 or h264.

Click to expand...

It's certainly faster, especially on older processors (e.g. my wife's 1.25GHz eMac that I'm still using for most ripping). And my EyeTV 200 recordings are more convenient left as MPEG-2, which are DVD-Video compatible for archiving and can be streamed to EyeHome (though unfortunately not to Apple TV, AFAWK).

I can understand Apple wanting to use Apple TV as a way to "promote" (e.g. with iTS sales) H.264 but not having backwards compatibility for pre-existing MPEG-2 content (e.g. EyeTV recordings) content and SDTV are two deal-killers for me.

geese said:

Totally OT, but the UK was part of the European Union last time i checked...

Click to expand...

Europe is not a country. It is a political union of independent countries.

generationxwing said:

Europe is not a country. It is a political union of independent countries.

Click to expand...

Sorry, but no. That would be the EU.

everhage said:

I'm buying one in order to get rid of my crappy DVD player.

Click to expand...

I take it you're not interested in surround sound?

People are complaining that they can't rip dvd's to iTunes and then watch them on the AppleTV? Why not just pop the DVD in to your player?

Let's face it, people want to play movies they have downloaded. I know I do.

I have an old xbox that is modified with a 160 gb hard drive. I ftp to that and upload my videos to watch on my tv. It works great. If apple's device let me play my own videos in almost any format, I'd definitely buy it. But just to play iTunes movies? Nah... I don't think so.

Apple wants revenue from the iTunes music/movie store and who can blame them? I can't help but think how many people would jump all over this device if it were open to other formats though. I guess Apple's playing it safe.

ftaok said:

Well, the real issue is whether Apple will have video content available to the UK (and other countries) by the time the aTV ships. Not having the content now is irrelevant.

Click to expand...

Irrelevant?

iTunes Store in the USA started selling T.V. programmes on October 12th 2005... Today, in the UK well over a year has passed and still all we can buy are music videos and Pixar short films.

I'm bored of waiting now.

SteveJA said:

Irrelevant?

iTunes Store in the USA started selling T.V. programmes on October 12th 2005... Today, in the UK well over a year has passed and still all we can buy are music videos and Pixar short films.

I'm bored of waiting now.

Click to expand...

I'm sure Apple would love to sell music, movies, and TV shows to every country in the world, but they aren't the people holding this up.

210 said:

I take it you're not interested in surround sound?

Click to expand...

Got a point there.To be honest I'm not. I don't feel like putting a bunch of spekaers in my small living room only to see my little kid to put LEGO blocks in each of them. My subwoofer and two small speakers are doing fine. Besides, If I want to experience a movie the way it should be, I buy myself a ticket for the cinema.....superwidescreen, surround sound, and a big box of popcorn.

PS...it's only my opinion.

4np said:

Now I just hook up my PowerBook and it works perfectly or I stream my iTunes collection to my Airport Exptress. I don't see why I would need some AppleTV Settop box with which I can only play videos from the iTunes store? And I even need my PowerBook as well. So with AppleTV I need two devices in stead of just one I use now?

Click to expand...

I dont have a laptop and my Mac is in a different room to my TV, so the Atv is perfect for me. I have the EyeTV210 (or 410 I forget) with EyeConnect. Eyetv say they will support the ATV in due course so I see no reason why I should not be able to stream DBV-T over Atv.

Then there is the unprotected content on the web which can be downloaded and put on the ATV HD. I have ordered the ATV, and Airport Extreme, so its sit and wait right now.

generationxwing said:

Europe is not a country. It is a political union of independent countries.

Click to expand...

I thought "Europe" was some sort of continent to the east across some vast ocean.

Nothing really exists outside the USA anyways...

(goes back to watching "Top Gun"....)

ogee said:

I dont have a laptop and my Mac is in a different room to my TV, so the Atv is perfect for me. I have the EyeTV210 (or 410 I forget) with EyeConnect. Eyetv say they will support the ATV in due course so I see no reason why I should not be able to stream DBV-T over Atv.

Then there is the unprotected content on the web which can be downloaded and put on the ATV HD. I have ordered the ATV, and Airport Extreme, so its sit and wait right now.

Click to expand...

No, seriously, I have an aTV on order, and would like to try to get broadcast HD. I see you can get Elgato's USB hookup, would it be possible to stream it over to the aTV to my home theater from the Mini on my desk?