Yeah, they probably do the opposite of what people here want. If anyone thinks geeks like us who post to rumour forums is even slightly representative of Apple's overall market, they are kidding themselves.
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Apple TV Shipping in February as Promised?
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Yeah, they probably do the opposite of what people here want. If anyone thinks geeks like us who post to rumour forums is even slightly representative of Apple's overall market, they are kidding themselves.
If enough people want Apple to build airplanes and for Jobs to adopt Howard Hughes' mannerisms, we may just see a new fruit-branded airline, and the weirdest most noteworthy WWDC's ever.
Hmm...
- Joe Consumer sees XBox360 and thinks "I don't want a game machine."
- Joe Consumer sees AppleTV and thinks "Just what I want. Wait, will this work with my PC? Yes? Sold!"
The average consumer has no idea that an XBox360 can stream media from a computer.
The other question that remains is how easy it is to set up an XBox360 to stream media vs. an AppleTV. The interface to actually use it is also a factor.
Then go buy an XBox instead of complaining all the time.Unless you just like to argue.Let people make up their own minds eh ?
Amen to that
Is there any way to stream from a Mac and not require WMV content and still stream to the 360? Some of us would rather not have the Vista PC...
B
This is exactly what I mean. The XBox isn't a bad purchase so long as you know how to use it, but for all intents and purposes the ATV provides a more practical choice for those who simply want to stream media from their computers, not have extra hardware capability that goes unused.
Why do you own 3 different gaming platforms because in other topics you say you own a Wii and a PS3? Must have been expensive.
However you are correct.This is a discussion forum.
Discuss away!
Yeah it was expensive.
Well i first owned the xbox 360 since it was the first gen to come out
then i purchased the ps3 for the blu-ray drive
and third i bought the wii because it was priced right
.
Yeah it was expensive.
Well i first owned the xbox 360 since it was the first gen to come out
then i purchased the ps3 for the blu-ray drive
and third i bought the wii because it was priced right
GREAT!!
Instead of spending approx. $900 like you did I'm just gonna get the
TV for $299 My iMac plays games great and Blue-Ray can come later
GREAT!!
Instead of spending approx. $900 like you did I'm just gonna get the
My iMac plays games great and Blue-Ray can come later
299.99?
Your not counting the purchases you will make /made on the itunes store.
What about the computer you need? Either mac or windows im guessing you spent 800-900 bucks for it.
So no 299.99 is not the only thing you will spend on. Either way anyway you look at it YOU WILL SPEND MORE THEN 299.99
The Xbox 360 does sound better than the Apple TV. However, does it work with a non-Microsoft machine?
I have an iMac in another room. It has lots of videos on it - some H.264, many DivX, MPEG-2 transport streams from EyeTV, ripped DVDs, say. I also have all my music in iTunes on the iMac.
If I have an airport Extreme (the new one with 802.11n), can I stream these items wirelessly to my TV with the XBox 360.
I realise that of those formats, only the H.264 can be streamed using Apple TV, but all the iTunes music can be streamed.
So if I get an XBox 360, can it connect to my iMac and bring me all the movies and music I want from that machine?
[I am being serious here. I want a solution to get my stuff to my TV, but I don't want a Windows PC in the equation]
Uh, the price of the computer is not in this equation because a computer is a stand alone multipurpose piece of equipment that is not dependant on ATV. Who in their right mind would get a computer just go get a streaming media player? And as for iTunes, no, you don't need to purchase ANY iTunes content. I've said this already. You can purchase or rent DVD's and rip them yourself, and use CD's or mp3's that you can get from whatever source you please. Any way you slice it, the XBox actually demands a more substantial investment than the ATV does, regardless of the worth of its return.
With a bit of help from Google, I believe I've answered my own questions.
If you don't have a Windows machine, you need to purchase Connect360 to run on your Mac (US$20). This will let you stream your music and videos, and view your photos.
The limitations on your music is that music bought from the iTunes music store can't be played.
The limitation on your video is that it must be WMV+WMA format.
So the XBox 360 as an alternative to Apple TV is pretty poor if you are a Mac user. No Mac user is going to convert all their videos to WMV!
It would also appear that the XBox 360 does not include wireless 802.11. Not even g, let alone n. So there is an extra expense there if you want WiFi.
I'm not saying the Xbox 360 isn't good value. It probably is better value that Apple TV if you run Windows at home. But as a Mac user at home it is pretty poor.
Apple TV doesn't fit my needs either though because of it's poor codec selection.
ATV is dead, Long live ATV Extreme!
It's interesting hearing the discussion for and against the ATV. I think the concept behind the ATV is spot on, but I also agree that 720p is pretty lame. I'd like to see 1080p video. If 802.11n can't support that in real-time, the ATV should just buffer the video and let you know when it's ready to play. I'd also like to see the ability to visit the iTMS and purchase product. Safari capabilities and at least some basic Mail integration would be nice. Last, I'd like to see that USB port specifically used for off-board storage. If Apple gave me all that for $299, I'd be sold. Otherwise, I'm tempted, but I'll hold off till the thing matures.
It's interesting hearing the discussion for and against the ATV. I think the concept behind the ATV is spot on, but I also agree that 720p is pretty lame. I'd like to see 1080p video. If 802.11n can't support that in real-time, the ATV should just buffer the video and let you know when it's ready to play. I'd also like to see the ability to visit the iTMS and purchase product. Safari capabilities and at least some basic Mail integration would be nice. Last, I'd like to see that USB port specifically used for off-board storage. If Apple gave me all that for $299, I'd be sold. Otherwise, I'm tempted, but I'll hold off till the thing matures.
I'd rather not use a USB port for external storage. If Apple had designed this thing with the ability to support an external HD you'd think they would install their trademark Firewire 400/800 port for much faster data transfers. Large GB-sized files take forever over even the fastest USB, thus is not desireable to me. I don't really see the big deal at this point for a lack of 1080p support. I'm almost certain that the majority of iTunes derived content that will actually make it to the ATV on a regular basis will be television shows. Movies are usually a now and then type of thing. TV shows, being only 20-40 minutes long are watched much more often. How many people care to watch The Office or 24 in 1080p?
[sigh]
1) The storage on the Apple TV is largely irrelevant. Add an external hard drive to your main computer. Apple TV is built for streaming, the hard drive is pretty much a cache/failsafe for slower wireless connections. What's the point of storing everything on the Apple TV redundantly (please tell me you are already backing up...)?
As for the Xbox 360:
2) Since when does the Xbox 360 come with wireless? Add $100 to your cost right there.
3) Raise your hand if you have wirelessly streamed anything at 720p or above to your Xbox 360 from your computer in realtime. Nobody is raising their hands. Draft N is an important piece of the wireless high-def puzzle and quite frankly the tech just isn't there yet for 1080. Apple TV will test these waters and really push it with 1080p by the time the next wireless standard rolls around. For realtime streaming, 720p is an accomplishment.
4) In mass market John Q Public land, DivX might as well be an alien planet. h264 aka iPod/PSP/PS3/AppleTV compatibility is much more important and forward thinking. How the hell does anybody get legal DivX content? In comparison, there are plenty of sites with iPod/PSP compatible videos around these days.
5) iTunes is free for both Mac and Windows. Media center is decidedly not free and is Windows only. Add that to your cost as well.
6) Xbox 360s break if you sneeze (as someone who has seen two separate units get replaced 3(!) times each can attest). Worst console build quality ever.
Not saying the Apple TV is perfect, but saying the Xbox 360 trumps it in every way is naive. Better in some ways yes, in many other ways no. And yes, most of you sound like the iPod naysayers from back in the day.*
1) The storage on the Apple TV is largely irrelevant. Add an external hard drive to your main computer. Apple TV is built for streaming, the hard drive is pretty much a cache/failsafe for slower wireless connections. What's the point of storing everything on the Apple TV redundantly (please tell me you are already backing up...)?
As for the Xbox 360:
2) Since when does the Xbox 360 come with wireless? Add $100 to your cost right there.
3) Raise your hand if you have wirelessly streamed anything at 720p or above to your Xbox 360 from your computer in realtime. Nobody is raising their hands. Draft N is an important piece of the wireless high-def puzzle and quite frankly the tech just isn't there yet for 1080. Apple TV will test these waters and really push it with 1080p by the time the next wireless standard rolls around. For realtime streaming, 720p is an accomplishment.
4) In mass market John Q Public land, DivX might as well be an alien planet. h264 aka iPod/PSP/PS3/AppleTV compatibility is much more important and forward thinking. How the hell does anybody get legal DivX content? In comparison, there are plenty of sites with iPod/PSP compatible videos around these days.
5) iTunes is free for both Mac and Windows. Media center is decidedly not free and is Windows only. Add that to your cost as well.
6) Xbox 360s break if you sneeze (as someone who has seen two separate units get replaced 3(!) times each can attest). Worst console build quality ever.
Not saying the Apple TV is perfect, but saying the Xbox 360 trumps it in every way is naive. Better in some ways yes, in many other ways no. And yes, most of you sound like the iPod naysayers from back in the day.*
Anyone else with a preorder in get an odd charge on their account in the past couple days? It is the only thing I have on order from the Apple Store, and I just noticed a ~$12 charge (from them, not the iTunes store) on my card. I have no idea what it could be for.
After being transferred to another department, I was told that it was a pre-authorization for my AppleTV order. The person could not tell me why it is showing up on my actual paper statement, but told me that it should resolve itself once the unit itself ships, and if not to call back. She said that since it was on the same order at the Airport Extreme, it could simply be a shipping charge as well.
So who knows...
So who knows...
My apple TV shipped
I got an email from Apple on Friday saying my TV has shipped. I get it tomorrow apparently. I guess it isn't delayed until March. Anyone else?
EDIT: My apologies. It seems that I was mistaken...something else I ordered is being shipped...not sure how I misread that email.
I got an email from Apple on Friday saying my
TV has shipped. I get it tomorrow apparently. I guess it isn't delayed until March. Anyone else?EDIT: My apologies. It seems that I was mistaken...something else I ordered is being shipped...not sure how I misread that email.
You'd be the first I have seen anywhere...I got an email from Apple on Friday saying my
Oops. I misread the email I got from apple. Something else I ordered at the same time is being shipped, not the apple TV. Apologies if I got anyone excited.