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GadgetGeek407

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 26, 2009
994
61
florida
I have a brand new sealed Apple TV 160gb I just found while cleaning my closet that I misplaced a long time back....should I sell this and buy the apple tv2? or keep this? I basically want to jailbreak and take full advantage of the features and doesn't seem to be a lot online about jail breaking the old one or what content is on there? I did find that the old one cant update to 5.0.1 does that matter? can someone chime in please n give their expertise before i open it and regret it lol
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
9
I actually think that it's a great idea. They're already becoming somewhat of a collectors item. I myself is actually looking for an ATV1 but they're becoming more and more scarce and expensive on the second hand sites (at least in Western Europe).
 

roidy

macrumors 65816
Dec 30, 2008
1,027
22
Nottingham, UK
I have a brand new sealed Apple TV 160gb I just found while cleaning my closet that I misplaced a long time back

Ok, firstly how do you misplace a brand new sealed ATV:D

No, seriously, if you want to get the most out of it using a jailbreak then the ATV2 opens up far more possibilities than the ATV1. Plus most new software is now being developed for the ATV2 and development has mostly stopped for ATV1 software, with the exception of XBMC.
 

jwm2

macrumors regular
Jan 5, 2012
231
0
The atv1 imo is actually the better unit, they are just more expensive. They run a full version of the mac os not the mobile iOS that atv2 does. It has a lot more options available. XBMC is really all you need, but you can also run emulators on it and a few other cool things as well. You can't do that with atv2.
 

hafr

macrumors 68030
Sep 21, 2011
2,743
9
The atv1 imo is actually the better unit, they are just more expensive. They run a full version of the mac os not the mobile iOS that atv2 does. It has a lot more options available. XBMC is really all you need, but you can also run emulators on it and a few other cool things as well. You can't do that with atv2.

If you upgrade the graphics card, yes. If not, it's outdated.
 

wrinkster22

macrumors 68030
Jun 11, 2011
2,623
7
Toronto
I personally would use the first generation apple tv.
My internet is painfully slow and has had constant outages.
I would much prefer the physical storage.
 

GimmeSlack12

macrumors 603
Apr 29, 2005
5,403
12
San Francisco
Sell the ATV1 and get the 2nd generation or wiat for a few months to see of a new ATV is released. I inherited an ATV1 and was stoked until I realized its hardware is so slow that any hacks are sort of a waste of time.
 

maturola

macrumors 68040
Oct 29, 2007
3,863
3
Atlanta, GA
I have a brand new sealed Apple TV 160gb I just found while cleaning my closet that I misplaced a long time back....should I sell this and buy the apple tv2? or keep this? I basically want to jailbreak and take full advantage of the features and doesn't seem to be a lot online about jail breaking the old one or what content is on there? I did find that the old one cant update to 5.0.1 does that matter? can someone chime in please n give their expertise before i open it and regret it lol

Sell it for what you can, wait a couple of weeks for the ATV 3
 

marc11

macrumors 68000
Mar 30, 2011
1,618
4
NY USA
I an ATV1 and ATV2, in fact I just picked up a 160GB ATV1 for $120. There are only a few basic differences between them, Netflix, the sports (MLB, NBA) and iCloud music/Photo Stream. Once you jailbreak the ATV and throw XBMC that differences diminish a lot.

Since it has onboard storage that syncs to iTunes the lack of PhotoStream and iCloud music is not a big deal. I have an MLB add on in XBMC so that covers my only sports need and again the onboard storage is great.

The ATV2 will play slighly higher frame rates at 720P than the ATV1 but for my needs it is not a big deal. And if you really wanted you could throw a Crystal card in there for under $20 and have 1080P output. Since most of my current media is from DVD rips, it does not matter to me. It really comes down to what type of media you are playing, if it is iTunes purchased I am betting the quality is the same, if it is DVD rips, there is really no difference, if it is BR rips then the ATV2 will have slightly better video quality.

IMHO to sell an brand new ATV1 to buy an ATV2 does not really make sense, especially if your plan is to jailbreak and add external storage for media.

If you do want to sell it, please ping me, I would love to buy another brand new one.
 

KevinC867

macrumors 6502a
Jun 8, 2007
620
2
Saratoga, CA
I have an ATV1 and an ATV2. I use the ATV1 as my music player. Because it has analog audio outputs, it works much better for me than the ATV2. I can connect the ATV1 to the Zone 2 input on my receiver (analog only) and sit out on my patio and use my iphone to make selections and adjust volume. Brilliant!

The local storage on the ATV1 allows me to sync my music onto the device, and leave my computer turned off. Now that the ATV2 can access iTunes Match from iCloud, it can also play music without streaming from a computer. However, the lack of analog outputs makes it unusable for me.

For video, I definitely prefer the ATV2. Airplay is fun and the ATV2 can effortlessly play 720p at 30 Hz which the ATV1 can't quite handle.
 

dynaflash

macrumors 68020
Mar 27, 2003
2,119
8
stick a chd chip in the atv 1 and run crystalbuntu or another variant of linux install with xbmc ... if ya wanna hack it its the best setup from a performance standpoint in just about every facet.
 

obsidian1200

macrumors 6502
Jun 19, 2010
359
0
Albuquerque, NM
If I were in the OP's shoes, I'd keep the ATV1 sealed in the box and try to sell it when it's a valuable collector's item, and just buy an ATV2 for the $99. Then again, I'm in a position where I can afford to stream my content and have enough 720p content to make the ATV2 worth it over the original. If you need to use it, by all means crack that baby open and let it breath.
 

dynaflash

macrumors 68020
Mar 27, 2003
2,119
8
Airplay is fun and the ATV2 can effortlessly play 720p at 30 Hz which the ATV1 can't quite handle.

Oh, fwiw the new XBMC "Eden" which is in beta release has Airplay (video) and Airtunes (audio) both work fantastic, just like the stock apple os experience. Just worth a mention for those not aware of it.
 
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