iTunes 7.6.1 Released

[Numptymac]

two questions:

1) does this improve the problem where itunes would 'lose' the appleTV? Mine used to pop up and then disappear so quickly I'd sometimes not even have time to change a sync setting. as the notes specifically mention appleTV I have my fingers crossed

Well it has for me..soooooo far, I sold my old 40G ATV a month or so ago, Then purchased a new 160G at the same time as updating to iTunes 7.6. I have had the same problem. For me re booting the ATV would mean it would be found again in iTunes but very soon it would remove itself from iTunes.

Updated iTunes yesterday and now.. ( about 19 hrs later ) it is still connected and working.

 

[caffeinejoe]

Assassination of Jesse James just came out in HD on my ATV,
downloading it now.
That doesn't come out until next week on Netflix!

Better stock up some No-Doz

 

[Tara Davis]

Like I said beofe, you do realize that relatively speaking hardly anybody has this setup, and Apple already has more of your money from your mini purchase than if you rented movies?

Also, it is not just monitor. You need a recent PC to handle HD content. I use an iMac G5 that isn't very good at HD and then what about the tons of PC users with ancient PCs that would complain that Apple is ripping them off by renting them something they cannot watch? You are the exception, not the rule. And Apple has to cater to the masses.

Anybody who spends the kind of money a serious home theater set-up costs will not balk at the difference in price between an TV and a mini. The mini, hands-down, is the better solution.

Anybody not willing to spend the kind of money a serious home theater set-up costs... Doesn't really need HD.

So again, if you have a MEDIA COMPUTER (and, trust me, A LOT of home theater enthusiasts do), then Apple's HD rentals should be available for it. Having to buy an extra box which adds zero new functionality just to get at those rentals and Apple's better media software is stupid.

 

[bbyrdhouse]

No problems with the download. This is a very welcome update from Apple.

 

[megfilmworks]

I have downloaded and watched in HD:
Michael Clayton, Jesse James, Valley of Elah, Evan Almighty, The Brave One, 2010 and Abandon.
All the downloads (on standard cable broadband) took between
90-100 mins each and all were ready to play within 1-2 mins.
Great quality, bye bye Netflix.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

bla bla bla, 1080p, bla bla bla. And then when UHDTV comes out, you'll think 1080p is useless and the cycle continues...

I don't understand why so many people have to shoot down other people's opinions about what *they* WANT (be it HDTV on Macs or Mid-range towers from Apple). I mean what makes YOUR opinion so important that you get to tell other people their opinions stink? Fine, give your own OPINION, but don't shoot down other people for saying they want HDTV quality, not pre-DVD quality from the 1980's. And if you can't see the difference between SDTV and HDTV (assuming you even have it connected correctly in the case of something like Blue-ray) you are either in need of new corrective lenses, blind or have a REALLY REALLY REALLY bad monitor/tv because it's NIGHT and DAY. I've got a 93" screen with a 720P LCD projector from Panasonic and good HDTV material is like looking out a window. SDTV is like well, watching old fashioned TV only bigger.

If Apple allowed HDTV rentals from a Mac, I could get a MUCH more capable Mac-Mini instead of an AppleTV for use as a media center. AppleTV simply doesn't have enough functionality for me to want one instead of something like a Playstation3, which is a blu-ray player, media streamer and HDTV gaming machine all-in-one. Apple didn't even include a media reader on AppleTV (to easily and quickly view your digital camera pictures on your big screen). Given I can buy a USB one for around $10-20 for a single retail unit, how much would that have added to the cost of AppleTV? $5? Apple seems a bit short-sighted in that regard for a supposed 'innovator'. If a lowly Nintendo Wii (in terms of horsepower and SDTV gaming) can have a full-fledged WWW browser (Opera) on it, why doesn't AppleTV include Safari and a better remote controller so I can browse the Internet from my big screen? THAT would be a REALLY NICE extra function that would make me think, hey, that thing has some functionality to it other than just being a box you buy so you can rent/buy MORE stuff from Apple for it to do anything. In essence, you pay Apple for the privilege to buy more stuff from Apple. Not such a hot draw to me other than the convenience factor for HDTV movie rentals.

I do like that it at least has Airtunes functionality now. That means I could take an iPhone or iPod Touch and "remote control" software for them to control my Mac in my den over the Wifi network and basically have the equivalent of the next generation Squeezebox music system in place (i.e. it's a whole house capable music system with ipod like control access remotes). The only down side is I'd have to have my mac in the den turned on all the time as a music server whereas the squeezebox can be made to work with a reprogrammed NAS device running Linux (like Netgear, Linksys, etc. make) and keep my computers freed up and/or turned off. The advantage is the iPod Touch is a lot more useful than just as a remote control for your Mac. In fact, it was never designed to do any such thing in the first place.

 

[megfilmworks]

I love my PS3, but I love my Apple TV even more. There are things the PS3 does better and a lot that Apple TV does better. Different equipment for different missions.
And I would never use the PS3 to surf the web. It has a clumsy and frustrating browser.
But at least it has one.
I would love to see Safari on Apple TV as well as the ability to monitor my laptop on screen.

 

[randyharris]

I would love to see Safari on Apple TV as well as the ability to monitor my laptop on screen.

Hello!

http://www.appletvhacks.net/2008/02/17/safari-hd-is-now-available/

 

[megfilmworks]

Thanks!

 

[slu]

Anybody who spends the kind of money a serious home theater set-up costs will not balk at the difference in price between an TV and a mini. The mini, hands-down, is the better solution.

Anybody not willing to spend the kind of money a serious home theater set-up costs... Doesn't really need HD.

So again, if you have a MEDIA COMPUTER (and, trust me, A LOT of home theater enthusiasts do), then Apple's HD rentals should be available for it. Having to buy an extra box which adds zero new functionality just to get at those rentals and Apple's better media software is stupid.

I don't disagree that a mini is a better solution and that stinks for you. But A LOT of people do not have a computer hooked up to their TV. Hardly anyone does, including Media Center PCs. It is even more rare if you are just talking Mac.

 

[rogerm]

Radio Playlists no longer syncing to Apple TV

The coolest thing (for me at least) was that Apple TV Take 2 had a way to play internet radio by means of creating a playlist and dragging radio stations to it. After syncing, the radio stations could be selected on the Apple TV just like songs. I loved that! However, since upgrading to 7.6.1, my radio playlist on the Apple TV is empty. Has anybody else noticed this?

On the upside, the Apple TV GUI feels smoother (not as 'choppy' anymore) since the upgrade.