Apple TV Unboxing and Hands on Video with Streaming and Netflix

[raltayer]

so sillyyyyyy

where's the music option????? i'm not getting rid of my old apple tv, for a dumb-ed down version... so sillyyyyyy. I cant care less for $99

 

[dtommyd]

I have that! (gen 1)

I've dusted off my gen1 ATV about a month ago. Updated everything, hacked it for Boxee and loaded my network movies and music settings. I'm even running "Playon" inside of Boxee so I'm running Netflix +++. I ordered the new ATV 5 minutes after it went on sale. Tracking info says it's in Hong King Kong. I can't help but wonder if I should put it on ebay and get one next month. I have more than what the new one will (for a few weeks?/days?). Same layout, same stuff. I do realize it's iOS but I'm just sayin'. I NEED Boxee so "Hack Away Boys!"

 

[Cleverboy]

Seeing the video really makes me want this. I wasn't sold on it but now I am. For 99 bucks this thing is a drop in the hat for what it does. I was considering a Roku box but I might lean towards this.

Exactly. Not to make this out to be something its not, but Jobs has already said that Apple will make an App Store available for the device when the time is right. We won't know what the secret sauce will be, but this is already an excellent recipe. We know it has quality ingredients.

For me, Netflix & AirPlay along with all the other standard AppleTV features is more than good enough.

I just watched the video .... it's exactly the same as the older Apple TV without the hard drive. Nothing new here except the much lower price and lack of a hard drive. Guess you could always purchase movies on your iMac and stream them to the Apple TV.

It took a little bit, but by the last sentence, I think you're getting it.

I might have to ask Santa for one this Xmas

You should buy it yourself. I heard some elves have sticky fingers...

~ CB

 

[Laird Knox]

I would think streaming speed would have everything to do with bandwidth. I am running on a 14 Mbps down cable connection. I am not sure if that is good enough to be able to stream as fast as they can, but I assume it would be adequate.

I stream 720p Netflix on the PS/3 over a 5mbps cable connection. It takes 5-10 seconds to start playing. You should be good to go. I recently switched to Clear and get 4.5-5.5M with a much longer ping time and it still starts in 10-15 seconds.

I'm looking forward to the aTV as it is much less of a power hog than PS/3. Plus the integration is pretty sweet. I'm hoping it will play directly from the iTunes server on a Buffalo NAS. If that's the case I'll be over joyed.

 

[wsmc81]

Ranting ... Please Ignore

I feel your discomfort. I'm fed up with all of these 10.5.6 or greater downloads because I'm stuck at 10.5 (very long story, but I can't upgrade).

SO. FRUSTURATING

"I thought I got an Apple, not a Lemon!"

HUGE FAIL!!! I have been an advocate of the new ATV and was really excited with the updated Apple Remote app and how it all tied together. The need for iTunes 10 just destroyed my excitement.

In my house we have a an orginal powerpc mac mini running OSX 10.4, and a Imac G5 powerpc (no exploding caps!) with osx 10.4. Both of these computers reside permanently in the house ... duh. I have a 17"MBP running Snow Leopard, which we use as a portable laptop and is a travelling computer. Coupled with this we have 3 iPhones, two AEBS running the wireless and wired network, 3 AE's for Airtunes distribution and Airdisks and a new ATV to tie it all together. Not a bad Apple customer.

The plan was to set up the G5 as a dedicated media server with control of the system through the new Apple Remote app and maybe add an Ipad for a little extra fun. Now I realize that to stream content to the new ATV I need iTunes 10 running which both the mini and G5 can't do because they are running OSX 10.4. Apple doesn't even sell OSX 10.5 anymore which I need to have as a minimum to upgrade to iTunes 10. If my MBP is not in the house a major part of the functionality of the ATV is lost.

This sucks!

The upgrade from OSX10.5 to 10.6 is dirt cheap, but I can't upgrade from 10.4 to 10.5 (in order to run itunes 10) for a simple copy of a disk that cost 2x more in the aftermarket than what the new ATV costs from the manufacturer.

Designed obsolecence is not fun when you are on the tail end. I have perfectly good computers that are performing their designed function, but I may have to mothball them. Guess no Ipad, instead a new iMac so Steve can
get a new Koi fish or something, and I can stream to the ATV if my MBP happens to be actually be travelling

 

[slffl]

Wow that video sold me on it. Are these in Apple stores this week? I hope Hulu Plus comes to it very soon because I prefer their subscription model and content to both Netflix and iTunes rentals.

 

[125037]

where's the music option????? i'm not getting rid of my old apple tv, for a dumb-ed down version... so sillyyyyyy. I cant care less for $99

All streaming. No hassle.
Everything you want to watch — movies, TV shows, photos, and more — streams wirelessly to Apple TV. That way you don’t have to worry about managing storage or syncing to your iTunes library. HD movie and TV show rentals play over the Internet to your widescreen TV, while music and photos stream from your computer. Either way, all you have to do is click and play. Since Apple TV features a powerful A4 chip, it streams everything effortlessly, without frozen screens or stutters. Video looks crisp and clear. And just like watching a DVD, you can fast-forward through opening credits, pause for a popcorn break, or replay a hilarious scene until you memorize every line.

Your music. Your speakers.
The perfect duet.
You’ve got tons of music on your computer. But the best speakers in the house are part of your home theater system. Apple TV connects them without missing a beat. Your iTunes music library streams directly to Apple TV. So you can sit back, choose a tune, and enjoy the music.

Looks like an ipod touch without the screen.

Are you going to post this in every thread you visit?

 

[HiRez]

Well I was all set to buy a new Apple TV until I watched this video and noticed one fatal flaw. Previously I had read there was a 48 hour window once you started watching a movie, until it would disappear. But in the video at 1:14 you can see the window that pops up specifying only a 24 hour rental period. Upon further investigation I discovered the 48 hours is everywhere in the world except the U.S.. In the U.S. it's only 24 and for me that is unfortunately a deal breaker. If you have an erratic, hectic schedule, or have kids, you will know it can be difficult to finish a tv show or especially a 2-3 hour movie in one sitting.

I understand this is because of the asinine paranoia of the content holders, but it's a major faux pas and will earn a pass from me on both the hardware and the rentals. Even 30 hours would be a major improvement (allowing viewing over two nights in the same time period), I cannot understand why they don't get that, and why they are so opposed to an extra 6-24 hours in the window. Oh well, I'll continue to wait or find another solution.

 

[InfoSecmgr]

It certainly looks interesting, although I cannot justify another $100 on an ATV. I have the original model and all I do is stream video from my mini anyway. I'll look into it, though.

 

[3282868]

Well I was all set to buy a new Apple TV until I watched this video and noticed one fatal flaw. Previously I had read there was a 48 hour window once you started watching a movie, until it would disappear. But in the video at 1:14 you can see the window that pops up specifying only a 24 hour rental period. Upon further investigation I discovered the 48 hours is everywhere in the world except the U.S.. In the U.S. it's only 24 and for me that is unfortunately a deal breaker. If you have an erratic, hectic schedule, or have kids, you will know it can be difficult to finish a tv show or especially a 2-3 hour movie in one sitting. .

Forgive me for not reading the thread (had a looooong day), so if this has been answered don't hate

Is it still policy to hold a rental for 30 days, then once it's begun you have 24 hours to watch it? That is the current system. Has it changed?

 

[3282868]

I've dusted off my gen1 ATV about a month ago. Updated everything, hacked it for Boxee and loaded my network movies and music settings. I'm even running "Playon" inside of Boxee so I'm running Netflix +++. I ordered the new ATV 5 minutes after it went on sale. Tracking info says it's in Hong King Kong. I can't help but wonder if I should put it on ebay and get one next month. I have more than what the new one will (for a few weeks?/days?). Same layout, same stuff. I do realize it's iOS but I'm just sayin'. I NEED Boxee so "Hack Away Boys!"

Ok I've spent weeks trying to get my AppleTV to run Silverlight in Firefox to play netflix but could not get the permissions on the unit to allow modifications in system files. I got Boxee/Nito/Firefox/aTVFlash all installed but could not get Silverlight.

I just read your comment about PlayOn in Boxee. How did you do this? I've never heard of PlayOn and I've spent weeks reading and tinkering with this thing. Any help would be HUGELY appreciated! Thanks!

 

[NSMonkey]

You have to fire Jobs as well...

With Tim Cook going to HP, it becomes ever more obvious that Apple needs to move to the "post-Jobs" era.

Apparently he's not going anywhere.

Bloat is required....

iTunes is less than 100MB and it has more than enough functionality to justify its size. It's about 1/500 the size of an average audio/video library and about 1/2500 of an average hard drive. But, hey, don't let objective measurements stop you from saying "iTunes is bloated" as often as possible and pretending you've made a point.

Is there any IOS product that doesn't need to be jailbreaked to access basic functionality?

Yeah, all of them. And the term is "jailbroken", not "jailbreaked".

 

[sinsin07]

Hmmm.

Airplay + iPad + App store = default Apple gaming console? Before you scoff, remember no one thought the Touch was a gaming machine when set next to a DS or PSP.

Boy that's a stretch. The only people who consider the touch a gaming machine are people who are not gamers. But I agree that the ATV may be an back-end into future gaming for Apple.

 

[giosaccone]

Great! Very nice!

 

[shuffleking]

Do you need itunes10 in order to use the Apple TV? I'm still running OS X 10.4, so I can't upgrade to itunes10.

I always wondered, why some people out there still have OS X 10.4 running. Can please someone explain this to me?

 

[funlad]

Am I the only one who noticed that.....

... on the video you have to go to the 'Computers' menu, then select your computer, and then select your own videos/music to stream from your computer.

Under the old Apple TV your own content was right there on the main menu alongside the items available to buy.

As I plan to use my new Apple TV almost entirely for streaming content from my computer and not renting, I'd rather have it by default show my own content rather than have this all hidden away under a sub-menu. I wonder if there will be a setting to allow this? Probably not

 

[kntgsp]

The SD files stream at about 1.5-2.5 Kbps

Check your math.

 

[saving107]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask this question, but hopefully someone might have a response.

is possible to convert an HDMI signal to a component (y pb pr) signal?

The new Apple TV only has an option for HDMI output, but our Family Room tv only has component/composite/s-video connection.

Backstory: I have a 42" Flat Panel TV in my bedroom and I currently have the original Apple TV hooked up to it, this tv used to be downstairs in our Family Room, but last year we had a family friend who was moving from a large house to a much smaller one and decided to give us his 65" projection tv (free). it does HDTV 1080i, but its missing an HDMI input port, and since the Apple TV only does 720p, I figured a component connection will be good enough.

but is it possible?

I'm going to buy the new Apple TV regardless, but if its not possible I am just going to put the original Apple TV downstairs. I would like to put the new Apple TV downstairs because my family would like to have the option to use AirPlay to stream videos from our iDevices.

 

[OllyW]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask this question, but hopefully someone might have a response.

is possible to convert an HDMI signal to a component (y pb pr) signal?

The new Apple TV only has an option for HDMI output, but our Family Room tv only has component/composite/s-video connection.

Backstory: I have a 42" Flat Panel TV in my bedroom and I currently have the original Apple TV hooked up to it, this tv used to be downstairs in our Family Room, but last year we had a family friend who was moving from a large house to a much smaller one and decided to give us his 65" projection tv (free). it does HDTV 1080i, but its missing an HDMI input port, and since the Apple TV only does 720p, I figured a component connection will be good enough.

but is it possible?

I'm going to buy the new Apple TV regardless, but if its not possible I am just going to put the original Apple TV downstairs. I would like to put the new Apple TV downstairs because my family would like to have the option to use AirPlay to stream videos from our iDevices.

It's possible but not cheap.

 

[saving107]

It's possible but not cheap.

Thanks for the reply.

I had already seen that website before, and I was trying to go a much cheaper route. I guess I was hoping for something like PlayStation 3 Component AV Cable that sells for $20 on amazon. I don't think this would work on the Apple TV and I can't find anything else similar to this that is sold for the purpose of converting the signal properly.

 

[kyjaotkb]

hdmi to component adapter

http://www.hdtvsupply.com/hdmi-to-rgb.html
You might keep the good'ol Apple TV in the living room or get a new one + an adapter for roughly the same price as the old model. $150 is quite a lot...

 

[Cougarcat]

HUGE FAIL

!

The upgrade from OSX10.5 to 10.6 is dirt cheap, but I can't upgrade from 10.4 to 10.5 (in order to run itunes 10) for a simple copy of a disk that cost 2x more in the aftermarket than what the new ATV costs from the manufacturer.

So download a torrent of 10.5 and be done with it. Apple doesn't care. Send them a check for $29 if you feel guilty.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask this question, but hopefully someone might have a response.

is possible to convert an HDMI signal to a component (y pb pr) signal?

The new Apple TV only has an option for HDMI output, but our Family Room tv only has component/composite/s-video connection.

It's possible but not cheap.

Its cheaper on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...nent+converter&x=0&y=0&sprefix=hdmi+to+compon

 

[kyjaotkb]

Thanks for the reply.

I had already seen that website before, and I was trying to go a much cheaper route. I guess I was hoping for something like PlayStation 3 Component AV Cable that sells for $20 on amazon. I don't think this would work on the Apple TV and I can't find anything else similar to this that is sold for the purpose of converting the signal.

PS3 must use proprietary technologies... The adapter you're looking for must cope with HDCP and digital-to-analogue conversion for both video and audio. Not an easy task for a dumb copper wire. Need electronics... you'd better use an AV amp or even buy an old used one for this...

 

[FreeState]

Well I was all set to buy a new Apple TV until I watched this video and noticed one fatal flaw. Previously I had read there was a 48 hour window once you started watching a movie, until it would disappear. But in the video at 1:14 you can see the window that pops up specifying only a 24 hour rental period. Upon further investigation I discovered the 48 hours is everywhere in the world except the U.S.. In the U.S. it's only 24 and for me that is unfortunately a deal breaker. If you have an erratic, hectic schedule, or have kids, you will know it can be difficult to finish a tv show or especially a 2-3 hour movie in one sitting.

I understand this is because of the asinine paranoia of the content holders, but it's a major faux pas and will earn a pass from me on both the hardware and the rentals. Even 30 hours would be a major improvement (allowing viewing over two nights in the same time period), I cannot understand why they don't get that, and why they are so opposed to an extra 6-24 hours in the window. Oh well, I'll continue to wait or find another solution.

48 hours is for TV show rentals. 24 hour is movies which is set for all on demand service, not just Apple TV - it's an industry standard.