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I am finally guying to buy an Apple TV as soon as they add this feature, which I want more than anything else:
I push AirPlay on my iOS device, and in <1 second, I see that content on the tv.

I don't care if it's mirroring an app or streaming a 2GB video, it needs to be instant. Waiting 2+ minutes to so that it can buffer a 3 minute long home video from my photos app is just useless, and the primary reason I don't yet have an Apple TV.

I have no such issues on my very strong wifi network. AppleTV is connected via ethernet, and iphones/ipads/macbook pros all are wifi. Video is showing within seconds.... It is certainly not minutes.
 
...you're still cutting kinda close to a MacMini, which would be vastly superior in virtually every way.
Except that a Mac mini can't actually do the stuff an Apple TV does. It doesn't support AirPlay from iOS devices*. It doesn't have a simple, full screen "channel" list of things to start watching. You can't do much to control it using only the simple apple remote; you actually have to keep a bluetooth mouse/trackpad around or use something like HippoRemote on iOS to operate it.

No, a mini is not an Apple TV replacement. Not at all. If you actually want an Apple TV for the things that an Apple TV does, a mini is quite inferior.

I don't have an Apple TV, but I do have a mini. I originally bought it to act in lieu of an Apple TV (as well as being an alway-on file server). Now it's just sitting in a corner acting as the file server, disconnected from the TV, because it cannot in fact perform the Apple TV's role.

This isn't to say that a Mac mini isn't a fine computer. It is, I just don't care about that; I work on an iMac. My mini serves a critical role I need so no regrets getting it; it'd just have been nice if I got an Apple TV out of it too.

* Not out of the box at least. There do appear to be 3rd party AirPlay servers for OSX now. I haven't tried any since I gave up on using my mini as an Apply TV long ago, before these applications existed.

AppleTV is connected via ethernet
Maybe that's the key. And that's just not an option for me. The router is quite far from the TV, and houses wired for ethernet have become a thing of the past with aways-improving wifi technology.
 
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You can still return it now

I know. I was debating what I should do to stream Netflix to my TV. I decided to return the Apple TV, get a cheap bluray player (which I also needed) and wait for the new Apple TV.

Unless I could also get one from Apple, return it, and keep the gift card.
 
Why do a 'refrigitoaster' by combining router and ATV? Why assume that next to the TV is the best place for a router? Why tie them together at all? Combo devices (looking at you Time Capsule) assure that one dying breaks 2 services.
Do you use an Express as your primary Router or just as an Access Point. I see this as simply additional Access Points to give you a better WiFi Signal for doing Airplay or playing games. Of course it means you should have a wired connection via Ethernet for your ATV.
 
Except that a Mac mini can't actually do the stuff an Apple TV does. It doesn't support AirPlay from iOS devices*. It doesn't have a simple, full screen "channel" list of things to start watching. You can't do much to control it using only the simple apple remote; you actually have to keep a bluetooth mouse/trackpad around or use something like HippoRemote on iOS to operate it.

No, a mini is not an Apple TV replacement. Not at all. If you actually want an Apple TV for the things that an Apple TV does, a mini is quite inferior.

I don't have an Apple TV, but I do have a mini. I originally bought it to act in lieu of an Apple TV (as well as being an alway-on file server). Now it's just sitting in a corner acting as the file server, disconnected from the TV, because it cannot in fact perform the Apple TV's role.

This isn't to say that a Mac mini isn't a fine computer. It is, I just don't care about that; I work on an iMac. My mini serves a critical role I need so no regrets getting it; it'd just have been nice if I got an Apple TV out of it too.

* Not out of the box at least. There do appear to be 3rd party AirPlay servers for OSX now. I haven't tried any since I gave up on using my mini as an Apply TV long ago, before these applications existed.

Maybe that's the key. And that's just not an option for me. The router is quite far from the TV, and houses wired for ethernet have become a thing of the past with aways-improving wifi technology.

Powerline, Moca, a wifi extender with ethernet..... Seems like you are just convinced there is "nothing you can do about it"..... My house isn't wired for ethernet, but it is for coax. MOCA adapters solves that problem quite nicely.
 
Maybe that's the key. And that's just not an option for me. The router is quite far from the TV, and houses wired for ethernet have become a thing of the past with aways-improving wifi technology.
I have felt that Wifi should replace Ethernet for most things for some time. I started to feel that way with 802.11N. However, I found with trial and error you can not beat the physical wire. Even if you can put an Access Point in the same room you still need to run a wire to that Access Point to get the performance. Of course for portable devices Wifi is the way to go. Regarding your statement "router is quite far from the TV". I hear this a lot from family members that value a "clean look" over performance and I except that. But I would not use the "it's too far" as the reason. My mother-in-law had a wifi camera installed outside the front door. But the wifi connection was way too slow. So the installer came back and ran an Ethernet cable around the outside of the house and then into the room where the router was. I think if you want it bad enough you can find a way to get a wired connection to your TV. If that fails look at MOCA.

----------

Powerline, Moca, a wifi extender with ethernet..... Seems like you are just convinced there is "nothing you can do about it"..... My house isn't wired for ethernet, but it is for coax. MOCA adapters solves that problem quite nicely.
Funny, your reply came in while I was writing mine. I use MOCA for a couple of rooms where running Ethernet was not a "clean" or "easy" solution.
 
My tv and router are in separate rooms on separate floors of a rental house. Wiring Ethernet to the tv truly isn't going to happen. Nor should it be required? If Apple TV just doesn't work quickly enough over wifi, it's not a product I'm going to buy yet. And I'll continue to look forward to a faster version.
 
I'm sick of this apologist "hobby" product discussion

It's a MASS market product !!!!

It doesn't sell well so accept it!

"Hobby" is a ridiculous cop out

apparently anything selling poorly is a "hobby"

Doesn't sell well?

BhlL1W8IIAA5QgF.png


Just to put things in perspective, the Apple TV is by far the top-selling set-top box and is selling almost as much as major gaming consoles at this point, which sold around 13-14M in 2013. If the trend continues it's going to be the best-selling gadget that isn't a computer/phone/tablet.

Considering it's a pretty limited device that hasn't been updated in a while and opening an app store alone would push sales significantly, I think sales are simply phenomenal right now.
 
To me this sounds like a push to get a larger number of people using AppleTV so they can justify the AppleTV Store on it. Think, if they currently have 30 million AppleTVs being used but can increase that number to 50 million in the next few months - they can use that as leverage to persuade developers to create apps for it. ;-)

And maybe make the TV station holdouts/won't deal with anybody guys to come around too. 'Don't have any place to sell your shows? Huh. We got 50,000,000 customers ready to go for the right price, Ugarte, for a price.'
 
...

Also if I connected it to my iTunes account there was no way of making it ask for my password before purchases. A big issue with kids in the house.

...

You can go to Settings > General > Restrictions and at the top turn on restrictions, then go down a couple rows and for the Purchases and Rentals setting choose Ask.

When you turn on restrictions you'll be asked to create a 4 digit numeric password, and then whenever someone tries to make a purchase they'll have to enter that password. Make sure none of the apps listed below are set (by default) to Ask though, because if they are you'll have to enter the password to get into those apps as well. You can switch them back to Hide or Show.
 
Doesn't sell well?

Image

Just to put things in perspective, the Apple TV is by far the top-selling set-top box and is selling almost as much as major gaming consoles at this point, which sold around 13-14M in 2013. If the trend continues it's going to be the best-selling gadget that isn't a computer/phone/tablet.

Considering it's a pretty limited device that hasn't been updated in a while and opening an app store alone would push sales significantly, I think sales are simply phenomenal right now.

would u agree calling it a "hobby" is silly then?
 
oh. dam i bought my Apple TV too early :p and even worse, i'm not even in the right location
 
Do you use an Express as your primary Router or just as an Access Point. I see this as simply additional Access Points to give you a better WiFi Signal for doing Airplay or playing games. Of course it means you should have a wired connection via Ethernet for your ATV.

This is what I do. I use an airport extreme as my primary router. Next to a few TVs I have airport express' set up that I connect to the TVs via Ethernet cables from the airport.
 
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