Convince me to keep my Apple TV!

I have a few questions that are probably pretty simple for someone who knows a lot about Apple TV but I'm just getting started.....bear with me!

I am an Apple person but know nothing about Apple TV. I told my family that for Christmas I'd like a cable to connect my mbp to my tv. They kindly decided to upgrade me from the cable and get me an Apple TV. Very generous of them, but I'm wondering if it makes sense for me and as I've done some research I'm a little confused about the exact functionality.

Here's what I'd like to be able to do:

-easily look at pictures & videos from a digital camera
-rent a movie online now and then
-maybe even go online using the tv as a monitor

Here's what I don't care about:
-netflix (don't have it)
-playing music through my tv
-using any of this with an ipod touch (don't currently have one)

Here's what I currently have:
-15" mbp
-720p plasma tv
-Tivo HD

If I wanted to, I could already get netflix, rent movies from amazon (I've done it and it works fine), watch youtube, and apparently even play music through Tivo. I believe I can look at pictures through it too? So I'm wondering what the Apple TV will allow me to do that I can't already do. I don't want to put every video into itunes, and I don't use iphoto. One big question I have is, can I look at photos/videos through Apple TV that are not in iphoto - say ones that are in a folder on my desktop?

Of course if Apple would do an App store for the Apple TV I think I'd be in, but for now I'm just not sure it's going to do that much more for me than what I already have. But I'm open to being convinced that I'm wrong!

Thanks.

s15119 said:

if you don't think you need it - return it. Why would we try to convince you to keep something you have no need or desire for. If I were you, i'd play with it for a week and if you don't feel you need it, take it back.

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I hear you - it's just that I'm just not sure if there are things it can do that I'm not aware of. If there are great uses I haven't thought of then I might keep it. Otherwise I may return it and wait for a more updated version that allows more.