Apple TV Appstore = an app for streaming networked Xvid and other video formats?

[alexjholland]

I have an iPad.

Natively, it plays very few video types. With the excellent app 'AVPlayerHD' however, I can play any movies from my collection of Xvid HD films. Excellent.

The Apple TV does many awesome things, except streaming Xvid films from my iMac using Yazsoft's excellent 'Playback software - something my XBox and PS3 do very well.

- Firstly, what's the latest on rumours/evidence for the launch of an Apple TV appstore?

- If this store does launch, surely we should expect to see a third party streaming app that supports a wide range of codecs being launched; and the Apple TV FINALLY becoming an all-in-one box for all purposes?

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by alexjholland

I have an iPad.

Natively, it plays very few video types. With the excellent app 'AVPlayerHD' however, I can play any movies from my collection of Xvid HD films. Excellent.

The Apple TV does many awesome things, except streaming Xvid films from my iMac using Yazsoft's excellent 'Playback software - something my XBox and PS3 do very well.

- Firstly, what's the latest on rumours/evidence for the launch of an Apple TV appstore?

- If this store does launch, surely we should expect to see a third party streaming app that supports a wide range of codecs being launched; and the Apple TV FINALLY becoming an all-in-one box for all purposes?

There have been some rumors before Saptember. However, no ATV-related announcements were made in the September media event of Apple. Now, there are not any rumors any more.

I personally don't think there will ever be an appstore. You can only hope the ATV3 is jailbroken and you can use XBMC and similar, third-party, jailbreak-only apps to play other, non-native formats.

[alexjholland]

Thanks, but I cannot stand XBMC.

I use Apple because everything is simple and elegant.

[testerdennis]

Originally Posted by alexjholland

Thanks, but I cannot stand XBMC.

I use Apple because everything is simple and elegant.

XBMC is very elegant on the Apple TV IMO and I find it pretty simple to use.
FireCore is working on a jailbreak for the ATV3 if they are successful they have a nice Native media player with their software download.

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by alexjholland

Thanks, but I cannot stand XBMC.

I use Apple because everything is simple and elegant.

Apple will never EVER support non-MOV / Mp4 / m4v file containers. After all, they have their iTunes Store sales to protect. This is why for example Nokia has e.g. hardware-assisted(!) MKV(!) playback in Symbian - they don't need to protect their non-existing store.

This is why, BTW, it's forbidden to use direct HW acceleration in third-party apps on iOS for non-MOV / Mp4 / m4v file containers (like MKV). Now, it's impossible to play back MKV on non-jailbroken iPads / iPhones without intermittent pauses (using the in-background splitting and remuxing needed for semi-hardware playback).

All in all, don't think Apple will try to please their customers longing for playing back other formats on the ATV. They won't.

[mattopotamus]

Originally Posted by alexjholland

I have an iPad.

Natively, it plays very few video types. With the excellent app 'AVPlayerHD' however, I can play any movies from my collection of Xvid HD films. Excellent.

The Apple TV does many awesome things, except streaming Xvid films from my iMac using Yazsoft's excellent 'Playback software - something my XBox and PS3 do very well.

- Firstly, what's the latest on rumours/evidence for the launch of an Apple TV appstore?

- If this store does launch, surely we should expect to see a third party streaming app that supports a wide range of codecs being launched; and the Apple TV FINALLY becoming an all-in-one box for all purposes?

not sure if you have tried this, but you said avplayerhd lets you play them on your ipad....have you tried airplaying that to the apple tv? Or does it just play audio with no picture?

[alexjholland]

I can stream my movies fine over my XBox, so don't need to do it from my iPad.

I just like elegance; and the Apple TV does EVERYTHING I need to, except streaming Xvid.

I wasn't aware of the issues of playing MKV on iPad, but it plays HD Xvid great; so I hoped an app on AppleTV could do the same.

[pavelbure]

Originally Posted by alexjholland

I can stream my movies fine over my XBox, so don't need to do it from my iPad.

I just like elegance; and the Apple TV does EVERYTHING I need to, except streaming Xvid.

I wasn't aware of the issues of playing MKV on iPad, but it plays HD Xvid great; so I hoped an app on AppleTV could do the same.

There is no issue playing mkv files on an iPad. I'm not sure where he heard of that.