Yup, that's pretty much it, isn't it? Was hoping for more, but that'll have to wait. Maybe next time.
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Apple Announces Apple TV (Formerly 'iTV')
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Yup, that's pretty much it, isn't it? Was hoping for more, but that'll have to wait. Maybe next time.
YES but i have hundreds of movies on my mac not from itunes music store (i am from the UK). PLUS apple said at last keynote the movie store will go international in first quarter 2007
Handbrake won't produce 5.1 aac. So far the only program that does that is nero recode. Handbrake either puts the AC3 file directly into the .avi container or downmixes to a stereo aac file and puts that in the .mp4 container.
I'm hoping/thinking that at the very least you will be able to use an EyeTV Hybrid with this through the usb. If this is the case i'll buy one right away. Eventually i'd probably swap out the hardrive aswell.
Judging from the specs page.... nope.
It never explicitly says "will not work with non-widescreen TVs" but it does say that it requires a widescreen TV, not a TV with component inputs.
Andrew Beard
ok, why does handbrake allow you to select 2 ch or 5ch aac then if you can only ever hear 2 ch after an encode?
Not saying your wrong just trying to understand
It will let you select any track you want and either 1) encode to 2.0 aac in .mp4 or 2)parce the ac3 file directly into .avi
It's confusing I know. Search around on handbrake's forums and there are a few REALLY difficult ways to produce proper 5.1 aac on a mac, but by far the easiest is to use nero recode and parallels. Apparently megui can produce 5.1 aac on windows as well, but I'm not too familiar with it. Finally, the only way to properly play back 5.1 aac on a mac is to get some usb sound devices and assign channels through the midi interface thing in osx. THEN, the only player that can output 5.1 aac is VLC. Quicktime will automatically downsample 5.1 aac to 2.0 aac. Sweet huh?
subtitles
one of the things that sucks about quicktime/itunes/apple software is it's inability to display subtitles that aren't burned into the movie stream. It can't display the subtitle format that nero recode uses when it encodes video, nor .srt files. I wish they would let vlc take over the quicktime division. It's so much better.
one of the things that sucks about quicktime/itunes/apple software is it's inability to display subtitles that aren't burned into the movie stream. It can't display the subtitle format that nero recode uses when it encodes video, nor .srt files. I wish they would let vlc take over the quicktime division. It's so much better.
My main concerns surround television content, as stated in my post.
The only way you can really have hundreds of movies on your Mac are from ripped DVDs, which is pointless as you may as well use your DVD player. Why pay £200 for something that you can already do? Unless of course, you are talking about illegal content, in which case then I'm sure the device will serve you well, but most consumers aren't interested in illegal content.
Either way, you're certainly not representative of most consumers. The content needs to be on iTunes for this device to be successful. Maybe Apple will announce new UK content nearer the February launch?
I don't think anything I've said is unfair or untrue. They should feel a bit of pressure and get the content on there.
The next version of QT (QT8?) is supposed to have a bunch of new features, I guess we'll find our more when Leopard and iLife 07 are announced/previewed/released.
EDIT: Subtitle support was one of the previewed features at the Leopard preview.
B
handbrake lets you "do" all sorts of things that don't really happen.
Here's a quick bemusement I have about the aTV...Does it support AC3/DTS passthrough over optical? I'm not talking about "can you get a surround sound codec wrapped into a .MOV or .mp4 file and play it from there" I'm talking about taking a DTS-CD and importing it into iTunes with apple lossless and then streaming that digital file over to the aTV and out to a receiver for decoding, just like a mac mini currently allows? Because if so, getting any DTS or AC3 soundtrack out of the box unmolested should just be a matter of figuring out which video file format will work both with the iTV AND will allow the carry-over of DTS or AC3 audio, and then we can have our cake and listen to it, too.
I guess a lot of these questions are going to remain unresolved until we know if the aTV pulls files from a directory listing (as in your 'Movies' folder) or simply pulls your iTunes library database and if iTunes can't see it, it doesn't exist...
Here's a quick bemusement I have about the aTV...Does it support AC3/DTS passthrough over optical? I'm not talking about "can you get a surround sound codec wrapped into a .MOV or .mp4 file and play it from there" I'm talking about taking a DTS-CD and importing it into iTunes with apple lossless and then streaming that digital file over to the aTV and out to a receiver for decoding, just like a mac mini currently allows? Because if so, getting any DTS or AC3 soundtrack out of the box unmolested should just be a matter of figuring out which video file format will work both with the iTV AND will allow the carry-over of DTS or AC3 audio, and then we can have our cake and listen to it, too.
I guess a lot of these questions are going to remain unresolved until we know if the aTV pulls files from a directory listing (as in your 'Movies' folder) or simply pulls your iTunes library database and if iTunes can't see it, it doesn't exist...
It's horses for courses really - I disagree that it's useless just because it doesn't mean someone's particular requirements.
There's a lot of talk about DVR/PVR - but we already have that taken care of with Telewest's (UK cable co) PVR, which works just fine - three tuners, 80 hours storage, plus highlights from the last 7 days on demand, as well as a sizeable archive of whole series and movies - much of which is free from the BBC, ITV and channel 4.
And people have said they can just connect their iPod to their stereo - but you still have to get up and fiddle with it to change the music etc.I guess there are docks now that connect to the tv, but the UI looks like something from 1973, and isn't a patch on AppleTV.
So what I'd envisage using it for would be :
1. having a digital jukebox, with an elegant UI accessible on the tv screen, and controllable from a distance.
2. the same for viewing photo slideshows, without the need to connect up the laptop to the tv/stereo, or sit by the iPod to control it. People just sit around the lounge, and everything navigable onscreemn from a distance.
3. being able to watch movie trailers on the tv, using the FR UI would be good - sure you can watch then on the laptop, but if the resolution was high enough, then just watching them on the tv seems a lot easier and comfortable.
i do a fair amount of DVD slideshows, and previewing them on a tv screen without burning them first would be useful - although I suspect that if their not the finished burned DVD, then the output wouldn't be a true representation of the final burned copy anyway.
Maybe £199 is a lot for what is essentially convenience as much as anything else, but for those sorts of things I think this is way ahead of media centre PCs in bringing content into the living room. Media Centre PCs always just seemed a good way of doubling up a computer and tv in a den / bedroom - but not that many people would have one in their lounge in addition to, or in place of a tv.
This on the other hand is considerably cheaper, and perhaps whilst not satisfying the more technical savvy amoungst us, to the layman, it's an elegant, simple, relatively cheap way of doing what it says on the tin - getting media wirelessly, and easily, from your computer onto your tv screen.
There's a lot of talk about DVR/PVR - but we already have that taken care of with Telewest's (UK cable co) PVR, which works just fine - three tuners, 80 hours storage, plus highlights from the last 7 days on demand, as well as a sizeable archive of whole series and movies - much of which is free from the BBC, ITV and channel 4.
And people have said they can just connect their iPod to their stereo - but you still have to get up and fiddle with it to change the music etc.I guess there are docks now that connect to the tv, but the UI looks like something from 1973, and isn't a patch on AppleTV.
So what I'd envisage using it for would be :
1. having a digital jukebox, with an elegant UI accessible on the tv screen, and controllable from a distance.
2. the same for viewing photo slideshows, without the need to connect up the laptop to the tv/stereo, or sit by the iPod to control it. People just sit around the lounge, and everything navigable onscreemn from a distance.
3. being able to watch movie trailers on the tv, using the FR UI would be good - sure you can watch then on the laptop, but if the resolution was high enough, then just watching them on the tv seems a lot easier and comfortable.
i do a fair amount of DVD slideshows, and previewing them on a tv screen without burning them first would be useful - although I suspect that if their not the finished burned DVD, then the output wouldn't be a true representation of the final burned copy anyway.
Maybe £199 is a lot for what is essentially convenience as much as anything else, but for those sorts of things I think this is way ahead of media centre PCs in bringing content into the living room. Media Centre PCs always just seemed a good way of doubling up a computer and tv in a den / bedroom - but not that many people would have one in their lounge in addition to, or in place of a tv.
This on the other hand is considerably cheaper, and perhaps whilst not satisfying the more technical savvy amoungst us, to the layman, it's an elegant, simple, relatively cheap way of doing what it says on the tin - getting media wirelessly, and easily, from your computer onto your tv screen.
never heard of a media server? I've got 300+ DVDs that I'd just as soon not watch because I don't want to dig them out of their cases in the stack and put them in the DVD player. Do you own a stand-alone CD player that is attached to your home theater system? I bet not. Same thing, just video. Apple may not want to help us out with importing DVDs directly to iTunes, but that doesn't mean it's any less acceptable to do than putting an audio CD on iTunes...
2 cents...
Here's my 2 cents...
$300 is a good price point considering what the Apple TV does and the hard drive size. (Hold on, let me explain...)
Consider buying a $30 GB iPod for $250. It could cost you another $50-$100 in cables, docks, etc; to hook it up to your TV in order to view photo's, video's, music, etc;. Apple TV does this, plus more. (Yes, I know you can't go jogging with your Apple TV, so you've got me there...)
Also, the 40 GB size isn't the worst. Sure, bigger is better and if they'd put a 100 GB drive in it, we'd be wanting a 200 GB drive. 40 GB's is enough for most users (the one's that don't read MacRumors.) As someone mentioned, it's more or less a cache so that you can store content from your computer. I have a laptop and it wouldn't be the easiest to always have the laptop on when I'm streaming content. I can take the laptop with me to work while my wife listens to the music or looks at photos stored on the Apple TV.
My only wish, one that other's have mentioned, would be a DVR like function. The frontrow interface lends itself well to surfing through channel listings. I could see a 2nd generation that has this ability.
I'm not sure if I'll be the first in line to buy one, but I'm certainly considering it.
Here's my 2 cents...
$300 is a good price point considering what the Apple TV does and the hard drive size. (Hold on, let me explain...)
Consider buying a $30 GB iPod for $250. It could cost you another $50-$100 in cables, docks, etc; to hook it up to your TV in order to view photo's, video's, music, etc;. Apple TV does this, plus more. (Yes, I know you can't go jogging with your Apple TV, so you've got me there...)
Also, the 40 GB size isn't the worst. Sure, bigger is better and if they'd put a 100 GB drive in it, we'd be wanting a 200 GB drive. 40 GB's is enough for most users (the one's that don't read MacRumors.) As someone mentioned, it's more or less a cache so that you can store content from your computer. I have a laptop and it wouldn't be the easiest to always have the laptop on when I'm streaming content. I can take the laptop with me to work while my wife listens to the music or looks at photos stored on the Apple TV.
My only wish, one that other's have mentioned, would be a DVR like function. The frontrow interface lends itself well to surfing through channel listings. I could see a 2nd generation that has this ability.
I'm not sure if I'll be the first in line to buy one, but I'm certainly considering it.
That certainly makes sense, and sounds like a good solution, but you are lucky you have built such a resource. The majority of consumers will not, which is why the content on iTunes UK is necessary.
Remember, many people believe the success of the iPod is the fact iTunes made it easy to buy content - music. The same needs to be said for Apple tv, it will only be successful if there is content, television programming and feature length movies. I don't think people will pay £200 ($388) to listen to music and look at pictures on their television in their masses.
Improve the quality of shows on iTMS some, add in a better subscription or ad-supported sales model and the Apple TV could become a great gateway for Apple to be an IPTV provider.
I'd rather pay Apple $30-40 a month for all I can watch TV shows, even with it's limited selection and some limited ads slipped in (especially if they were targeted ads) than pay Comcast $33 and TiVo $10 a month for what amounts to the same service. Toss in a discount on movies for subscribers, or one or two free PPV movies a month and you have yourself a deal!
I'd rather pay Apple $30-40 a month for all I can watch TV shows, even with it's limited selection and some limited ads slipped in (especially if they were targeted ads) than pay Comcast $33 and TiVo $10 a month for what amounts to the same service. Toss in a discount on movies for subscribers, or one or two free PPV movies a month and you have yourself a deal!
I'm bummed. I was hoping to be able to record as well- like a DVR. Let's hope that comes next. As is, it just doesn't do enough to justify the price.
I think Apple Tv is a great device. I can use it to watch movies, photos, play music and all these without the need to convert my media files in a format recognizable by a DVD player (for example)...
I have an Elgato EyeTV 310 so I record many movies. Now I can easily watch them on my tv screen whenever I want without first burning the movie to a dvd.
The ability to playback photos is also great. I believe that the AppleTV is a welcomed member of the Digital Entertainment family...
I have already preordered it...
I have an Elgato EyeTV 310 so I record many movies. Now I can easily watch them on my tv screen whenever I want without first burning the movie to a dvd.
The ability to playback photos is also great. I believe that the AppleTV is a welcomed member of the Digital Entertainment family...
I have already preordered it...
That's called a Mac mini and it is about double the price without component connections.
Considering a good external 500GB hard disk is $200, how much money do you suppose Apple should lose for each one of your boxes?
I didn't hear about the subtitles thing. Do you know what formats they support? knowing apple, I bet it's something proprietary rather than any other the half dozen formats currently in use. There are just so many little things you can do with vlc that you cant with quicktime that it amazes me that people use quicktime at all.
I was hoping for base station functionality as well, to justify the expense to myself, but Apple would probably bring it up on its webpage if it had that functionality.
That, and ability to hook up USB hard drives for NAS... However, if it is running a compact version of OSX, somebody might be come up with some software to enable these kinds of features. I guess I'll have to wait until March or April before we know for sure. Still, it does not look like it will have be able to do any of these out of the box.
ok, do some math and get back to me. # of ipods sold of each generation*# number of gigs of storage on said device. sum for each generation. subtract Storage requirement of average song on itunes*total # of itunes downloads. calculate average # of cds owned per person (there is a figure out there I promise). Figure the space required to convert this number of cds to mp3 and multiply by number of ipods sold. Include some sort of discount rate to cover for people "rebuying" ipods. Assume 75% of capacity used in all ipods all generations. That will give you a rough estimate of the amount of amount of "illeagal" music on ipods worldwide, and I would wager a huge chunk of change that it's enormous.
I can't see myself buying one until it also functions as a DVR. I already pay monthly for Cable TV and don't have to pay $1.99 x 13 extra to watch an entire season. If I were to use aTV regularly then that would mean that my entertainment budget has gone through the roof buying TV and movies. I doubt that I fit the profile of the consumer who would buy this.
i don't get the comments about having a small hd. isn't it meant to 'stream' content? therefore, why need a larger hd?
i was just about to buy a pvr, but now i'll just record to my mac, and then stream it.
wait, i need a widescreen tv ...which i don't have ! to me, this sucks, but i understand it they can't accomodate everything. bummer...my fingers were about to place an order.
i was just about to buy a pvr, but now i'll just record to my mac, and then stream it.
wait, i need a widescreen tv ...which i don't have ! to me, this sucks, but i understand it they can't accomodate everything. bummer...my fingers were about to place an order.