Apple TV Startup Movie

[skinnylegs]

I purchased an Apple TV the same day they hit the Apple Store.....

I don't think this device has the same general appeal as, for instance, the iPod but that doesn't mean it has no value. For a guy like me, it is an awesome addition to my exisiting a/v system. I have a substantial music collection (in iTunes) as well as digital photos (in iPhoto) and being able to stream this content to my living room a/v system really appeals to me. Quite frequently, I have family or friends come over to the house and it would be great to be able to look through pictures or listen to music while relaxing on the couch as opposed to huddling around a computer monitor.

It is precisely because of products like Apple TV that I "switched" several months ago. Now let's unleash the beast (Leopard).......

 

[williedigital]

I had the good ol' VCR-plugged-into-the-Mac-with-15-inch-monitor solution to watch movies... more than ten years ago in college. I'm not in college any more. I don't find elegance in having a computer sitting in the living room when we have technologies such as 802.11 wireless ethernet.

I can see if perhaps what you have is a Mac Mini... but I have two G4 towers and a G4 laptop. Do I want cables coming out of my laptop, strewn across the living room to the TV? No. Do I want to move my office computers into the living room? No. Do I want long stretches of cable running from my office to the living room? No. None of these are elegant, smart solutions. They're hackjobs for folks who use hacky codecs, who get their music and movies from P2P networks and use inelegant software to view their media on small displays less than optimally suited for ATSC/NTSC programming.

See, you're still thinking 20th century. Nobody wants a parlor for their house any more. Domiciles are becoming unified with no more arbitrary delineations of space. Your goal should be to cut out the "entertainment room" and make your "computing room" somewhere you want to live. Think different.

 

[TheNightPhoenix]

AirPort Express doesn't take the place of a business class router and stateful firewall for a network of four computers and an HP Laserjet network printer.

Apart from the firewall what does a business class router provide above the Express? Does it have a better range? We use an airport express at work for a next work of 8 machines and a HP laserjet. I just wondered why you think the express would not be up to the task.

 

[Avatar74]

Apart from the firewall what does a business class router provide above the Express? Does it have a better range? We use an airport express at work for a next work of 8 machines and a HP laserjet. I just wondered why you think the express would not be up to the task.

Well, the SPI firewall (which is ICSA-certified) is integrated... so that is the biggest thing. I have inbound and outbound SPI filtering... that is to say I have an implicit deny-deny all rule for both inbound and outbound traffic and I set up rulebases covering every every inbound and outbound service.

The router I already have is a four port with a fifth for uplink to the DSL router. Additionally, the firewall provides netflow and syslog. There's also detailed WLAN management options, RIP, MAC address authentication, routing tables, DoS attack mitigation, intrusion detection w/logging and alerts, e-mail alert via POP, dropped packet logging, VPN passthrough, IPSec, port forwarding, DMZ, DB-9 and RS-232 ports for ISDN/dialup backup connection, etc.

I purchased this router when Apple didn't have a comparable solution with as complex an integrated firewall (and they still don't). This cost me about what the Airport Extreme base station costs... nevermind the AirPort Express. But you might have been assuming I had wireless network cards for all my computers.

 

[Avatar74]

See, you're still thinking 20th century. Nobody wants a parlor for their house any more. Domiciles are becoming unified with no more arbitrary delineations of space. Your goal should be to cut out the "entertainment room" and make your "computing room" somewhere you want to live. Think different.

From "Family Guy":

Guy in Chicken Suit: Enjoy your chicken sandwich.
Stewie: Enjoy your studio apartment.

 

[KingofAwesome]

Yea I also don't see what the big hype is.
I have no use for one. I still have a standard, non-hd, non-flat "CRT-type" Sony TV which works great.

Do you complain when people are interested in a new wireless phone because you still have a corded rotary phone that still works?

And what's with all this fuss about broadband? The local community college's BBS works just fine with a 14.4 modem, and why would you need the connection to be on if you aren't actually using it?

Meanwhile, over here where contributors have an actual interest in the product being discussed... I'm looking forward to TV. It would seem like it's missing some features, but Apple has had a good track record with keeping a minimal interface and feature set without making the product feel like it is missing something important. I resisted the iPod at first because I thought the interface would be too limited. I resisted Macs at first because I thought the inability to get under the hood (like with the registry in Windows) would be too frustrating. Yet they both turned out to work beautifully for my needs, and have changed the way I listen to music and use computers. I hope TV can do the same (but I'm still waiting for some revisions before I get one).

 

[qrayg]

For nothing more you can re-rip your content to H.264 and mount it to the well-organized iTunes library instead of relying on the plethora of hacky, crap-ass codecs that exist out there.

Maybe it's nothing to you but for me time is money. I don't have the time to re-rip my entire DVD collection again just so I can play it through iTunes. If was smart they would make Quicktime play all formats through a simple auto codec download system. We all know the answer to that though.

Money grubbing != smart

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

This device is designed specifically to be an extension of your iTunes library. If you don't have an iTunes library then this device is pointless. But for people like me who have dozens (yes dozens) of movies ripped into H.264 or MPEG-4 format then this thing would serve you quite well. I myself will probably not get one since I have a modest flatscreen that my girlfriend would rather not part with, and it works superbly with my iPod on the dock connected with the video cable. Of course it doesn't have the nice interface like ATV does, but it works nonetheless and we're both happy with it. Thing is the ATV is really not that pricey. $300 is really not a lot of money, and I don't even make that much. If I had the proper television set I would've ordered one already, but I just bought an 80GB iPod instead

 

[TurnerMan]

I'm considering using the TV to stream DVDs encoded with handbrake to my 52" HDTV. I have over 300 DVDs and it would be extremely easy to choose the title I want to view from the TV instead of searching through my DVD collection EVERY TIME I want to view one. Also, my children tend to get their little fingers on discs that they love to watch - TV would take that away and keep them in check. I do have some questions, though:

1. Using HandBrake, what is the average resulting file size that will provide DVD-like quality for single- and dual-layer movies?
2. Will the movies remain in widescreen format?
3. Using the H.264, audio compression, will the audo suffer or sound as good as the original DVD?
4. How do you watch TV on the TV? Prerecorded shows available online or are you required to purchase subscriptions from iTunes? I saw no inputs for cable or composite cables.

This may be a cost-effective solution for me to archive all of my DVDs and get rid of the unsightly storage rack. Any information to assist me with my decision to buy would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[imacdaddy]

finally there's a reason...

I've been looking for something to justify buying the tv...and now there's one to finally convince my Wife!!!

I can endcode all her Karaoke DVD/VCD (song by song) and stream it on this thing!!! The thing she hates most is to look through all her DVD/VCD collection, chose a song, eject, replace disk, close, wait, chose song from DVD menu, wait, sing song, look through her DVD/VCD collection, chose a song... Just imagine when we have friends over. We spend most of our time passing the DVD/VCD cases around and me sitting by the DVD player getting ready to replace the next disk! Oh what fun! And the mess afterwards! Some of her disks are unplayable from all the wear and tear, and my poor DVD player getting an extensive workout.

With tv, I can encode everything and all can be viewed and arranged in FR (by Artist/Song/Playlist)! Just AWESOME!!! Like we're in a Karaoke bar. When we have company, I can control the entertainment from a single unit, from Movies, Music, Photos and now...Karaoke! Mwuahahahaha

 

[mrat93]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kATq7qD5i28&NR

Looks legit to me.

 

[elppa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kATq7qD5i28&NR

Looks legit to me.

I'm not so sure, as they cut it before the switching off effect we see in the screenshots..

My bet they just pulled the flash animation from apple.com

 

[actuality]

I'm not so sure, as they cut it before the switching off effect we see in the screenshots..

My bet they just pulled the flash animation from apple.com

Agreed - the caption on YouTube "L'intro della pagina web" is italian for "The intro from the web page"

M@t )

 

[lamina]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kATq7qD5i28&NR

Looks legit to me.

That is flippin' sweet. Imagine that in HD.

 

[iJon]

CNBC just announced that Apple is delaying the Apple TV till mid March. Don't have a link at the moment.

jon

 

[DMann]

2 Week delay

CNBC just announced that Apple is delaying the Apple TV till mid March. Don't have a link at the moment.

jon

Perhaps this will coincide with another release......

 

[JOE40]

(1) About 700mb to 2.5 gig depending on quality. Most of what I rip is 1.5 to 2gigabytes for each movie
(2) Yes
(3) Usually sound quality is fine.
(4) My understanding is there is no F-style or Yellow RCA-type composite output connector, There is no S-video output connector either. You must have either HDMI or Component (Red, Blue Green) video inputs on your TV. You cannot connect this unit to a cable box and then to your TV either.
(5) No word yet on whether it plays ripped dvd's (from the harddrive of a Mac or PC). I'm sure someone will try very soon.
(6) The Pixel Magic MB100 or MB200 Media box does have the outputs mentioned in #4 above, works directly with normal standard definition 4x3 TV's as well as High Def TV's up to 1080i. It also plays ripped dvd's for sure. Much more expensive than the AppleTV, but also available with up to a 750gig hard drive and "supports all the most popular formats including MPEG 1/2/4, WMV9, DivX™ and XviD, as well as DVD .ISO and .VOB files" as well. When adding a hard drive to the box you have to configure it from a Windows PC with NTFS. This box also supports hard drives connected via it's two USB ports. You can also plug it directy into a PC to transfer files to it like a regular USB external hard drive.

I'm considering using the TV to stream DVDs encoded with handbrake to my 52" HDTV. I have over 300 DVDs and it would be extremely easy to choose the title I want to view from the TV instead of searching through my DVD collection EVERY TIME I want to view one. Also, my children tend to get their little fingers on discs that they love to watch - TV would take that away and keep them in check. I do have some questions, though:

1. Using HandBrake, what is the average resulting file size that will provide DVD-like quality for single- and dual-layer movies?
2. Will the movies remain in widescreen format?
3. Using the H.264, audio compression, will the audo suffer or sound as good as the original DVD?
4. How do you watch TV on the TV? Prerecorded shows available online or are you required to purchase subscriptions from iTunes? I saw no inputs for cable or composite cables.

This may be a cost-effective solution for me to archive all of my DVDs and get rid of the unsightly storage rack. Any information to assist me with my decision to buy would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Cintos]

OK for those of you with laptops you're gonna have to plug it in to your tv every time you want to do this and put it where? On the floor? Or next to the TV? Whatever. I don't want a laptop plugged into my tv all the time or the inconvenience of unplugging and plugging in all the time. ?tv is a nice inexpensive alternative and its small enough to sit right on top of my dvd player out of sight(allmost) By the way my wife wouldn't be too happy if I take her Macbook Pro away from her everytime I want to watch a movie or look at photos on the tv.

Exactly.

I installed my new Apple TV last night, and everything positive said about that experience is true. Configuration: Home Office MMD G4 "always on" server hardwired to New Airport Extreme. Internet via Cable modem on Airport (another fantastic product, btw). Apple TV via Extreme "n", one floor down. Wife's Macbook transportable as 2nd iTunes source - n connected. TV is RCA direct view (Tube) 42" HD set, with built in DirectTV tuner.

To the point of the "options" route, I have experience there. Previously I used a KDS KD-VTCA3 converter to get my Powerbook connected to the HDTV via Component Video. (I will be putting that device on eBay shortly ) Connecting as a "monitor" presents many inconveniences - overscan, positioning windows where you want them, everthing izzie22 mentioned about placing that Powerbook. Even if you have a good place, it has to be powered up and open with the screen on. I had done this to present iPhoto slideshows, and it did work well and offered georgeous views of photos. But compared to the accessibility offed by Apple TV, it was not user friendly at all.

From what i have seen in the lst 12 hours, I predict the Apple TV will be a huge positive for Apple and iTunes.

Tech hint number one: If you have hardwire or n networking, don't bother synching with audi content, same for video. Save the storage for iPhoto content. My first attempt with all synching turned on filled the drive with movies, TV shows, then topped up with most of the audio. Photos did not synch at all, as the box was out of room by then. I reset my TV shows to "last 5 not viewed", and selected a handful of audio playlists for chuckles. When the synch nominations are changed, iTunes and Apple TV converse and "erase" the unwanted content from the hard drive immediately. Once space was opened up, iPhoto synching began. Again, I had selected a subset of the photo library by selecting "from selected albums" and checked a significant number of my alubms. Now the capacity graph bar reads 5.19 GB Video, 3.60GB Audio and 1.67GB Photos. Free space listed at 22.41.

Tech Tip # 2: I read that HDMI connect is automatic, but when connecting via Component Video, it was necessary in my case to command the unit to cycle among available scan rates untill my TV found one it could synch to. That process is documentd in the manual: Press and hold pause/play and + for six seconds. When a viewable picture is press pause/play. I am running at 1080i.

Surprise: Access to Apple-maintained list of Movie Trailers right from the menu. They are displayed, annotated and lauched with no fuss. Streeming directly from the internet, they ran flawlesly in wide screen HD.

Summary: the graphics and interfaces are georgeous. iTunes TV shows and movies present with the clarity I have been getting with DVDs or Direct TV HD shows.

And my wife can navigate it without me fussing for 15 min getting the laptop set up.