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Also, I hope the rumor that Leopard will display your desktop to the Apple TV comes true.

sounds cool!!! i'll buy immediately if it is the case.
but please.....make it support at least 1080i...
1280 x 720 desktop isnt enough for use...
 
I'm not saying Apple TV will be a flop - just that it would have been a bigger hit if Apple weren't being so stubborn. It is ok to support legacy codecs.
And I'm not saying I don't agree about the point that the AppleTV would be much nicer if it did support other codecs, but I think the point that Apple may not have included them in order to win the business of the studios is probably more likely than they didn't include them just to be so stubborn.

IMO, Apple has way more potential money to make by being able to offer DVDs from all of the major studios to the average American that doesn't know what a codec is (but knows how to download from iTunes) than they stand to loose from geeks like us that have already encoded everything we own in something other than what the AppleTV plays.
 
We are all adults...can't we just say "it doesn't support enough of the video I've stolen"?

Or maybe people are actually just encoding their home movies and DVDs that they already own in six or seven different formats.:rolleyes:
Alright, let's talk about the white elephant in the room. PORN!!

We all have it (those of us who will admit it) and we'd all like to watch it somewhere more comfortable and romantic than the desk chair. Sometimes I have a guest or two over and I'd like to be able to throw some PORN on my TV. (Don't you have any new videos, they ask? Why yes, but they're all on my computer these days cause I got tired of paying $80 for a dvd.) I'd like to be able to play all of my PORN videos on AppleTV, just like Steve does when he's alone, and that includes the zillions of wacky codecs these things seem to be encoded with. This isn't an unreasonable request. I've been playing them for years on my computer just fine. These are as legally obtained as jpg's.

Is it too much to ask it to just handle the codecs Quicktime seems to handle on the regular OS? Sure, I can sit and export all of these (hundreds of) videos to another codec, but that would be an event.
 
And I'm not saying I don't agree about the point that the AppleTV would be much nicer if it did support other codecs, but I think the point that Apple may not have included them in order to win the business of the studios is probably more likely than they didn't include them just to be so stubborn.

IMO, Apple has way more potential money to make by being able to offer DVDs from all of the major studios to the average American that doesn't know what a codec is (but knows how to download from iTunes) than they stand to loose from geeks like us that have already encoded everything we own in something other than what the AppleTV plays.

Yes, I agree - and stand corrected. :)

It is frustrating though sometimes being a geek who loves Apple stuff - when Apple release things that are close to being perfect, but just missing some geek feature you'd really like.

Also frustrating when you see all these other media server type devices that support all the things you'd like as a geek, but suck in terms of the user interface and style.

Alright, let's talk about the white elephant in the room. PORN!!

We all have it (those of us who will admit it) and we'd all like to watch it somewhere more comfortable and romantic than the desk chair. Sometimes I have a guest or two over and I'd like to be able to throw some PORN on my TV...

I must say, I've never considered showing porn to my guests when they visit. I've never quite considered porn to be "romantic" either. :) :)
 
I'm not saying Apple TV will be a flop - just that it would have been a bigger hit if Apple weren't being so stubborn. It is ok to support legacy codecs.

same here...no iTS (even i buy pre-paid card, movie without caption is still a problem....) encode and re-encode is tooooooo resources consuming...
in this case i better buy an extra Mac Mini instead of apple tv..
 
It is frustrating though sometimes being a geek who loves Apple stuff - when Apple release things that are close to being perfect, but just missing some geek feature you'd really like.
Amen brother. I think you just summed up 75% of the posts in this thread. :)
 
Yes, I agree - and stand corrected. :)

It is frustrating though sometimes being a geek who loves Apple stuff - when Apple release things that are close to being perfect, but just missing some geek feature you'd really like.

Also frustrating when you see all these other media server type devices that support all the things you'd like as a geek, but suck in terms of the user interface and style.

That's when you attempt to create your own, and have a 1 in 100 chance of succeeding. I tried to make my own operating system once (back when the only operating system I knew existed was Windows), and I actually did make something which booted up and showed something on the screen, and took keyboard and mouse input, and (almost) read from a floppy... this was four years ago, perhaps. But, as it became too difficult to create a working memory manager, and virtual memory, and figure out how to read properly from the floppy, I kind of gave up.

But, when it comes to other things, I've fared better. And, due to my experience, I know a TON more about computers, operating systems, and programming in general than I once did - something which made my skill increase greatly.
 
I must say, I've never considered showing porn to my guests when they visit. I've never quite considered porn to be "romantic" either. :) :)
To each his own...

My suggestion would be to get better porn (or wilder guests). Haha.
 
The real question is why are people encoding stuff in crap like divx? Or avi for that matter.
Because many dvd players support it.. So it makes sense to encode to it.. Most dvd players don't support h264.. if they did I'm sure people would've been encoding to that instead. :/

What about all the stuff we've (supposedly) legally recorded off TV with devices like eyeTV? Don't be so quick to just lump everyone in some big pirate camp..
Napster tried that argument. The court didn't buy it.
My "argument" ... Currently i have 200GB of legit eyeTV stuff recorded.. as i run out of space i burn them to CDs in xvid/divX, so they'll play in the DVD player and won't hog my hd space. ... did you quote the wrong bit of my text? (im not sure what napster has to do with that)

I agree completely about apple trying to keep the studios on side.. If it wasn't for that reason I'd think this was a much worse deal. As it is it makes reasonable business sense.. I think.
 
IMO, Apple has way more potential money to make by being able to offer DVDs from all of the major studios to the average American that doesn't know what a codec is (but knows how to download from iTunes) than they stand to loose from geeks like us that have already encoded everything we own in something other than what the AppleTV plays.

-exactly, thank you

>80% of the orders will likely be placed by those who didn't even realize that Apple had survived the 80's until shortly after thread 500, and who have been on the iTunes bandwagon for the last two years purchasing legal content with no format issues and could care less about codecs. Many of the rest of us have arlready created appleTV's out of G4's and 3rd party hardware and thus format is not that big of an issue.
 
Wireless Security?

Does the AppleTV support WPA2-Enterprise (RADIUS etc.) or is it limited to pre-shared passwords?

I'm paranoid. My network is locked down to within an inch of death. If I need to undermine my wireless security to use this, I'm not going to even bother.

Can someone who already has one give me an answer? Most appreciated.
 
Does the AppleTV support WPA2-Enterprise (RADIUS etc.) or is it limited to pre-shared passwords?

I'm paranoid. My network is locked down to within an inch of death. If I need to undermine my wireless security to use this, I'm not going to even bother.

Can someone who already has one give me an answer? Most appreciated.

nope. only wep.
 
So far this doesn't seem worth the price tag to me yet I have been converting all of my DVD's to H.264 with Handbrake. Can anyone confirm what the USB port is going to be used for? I would think maybe firmware updates right now but could there be something up the sleeve with Apple?
 
OK! So when do we get to see pictures of the insides, looking for some true geek porn.

It'll be very interesting to see whats on the HDD itself, when it is removed and connected to a Mac.

B

If you're looking for the operating system the box is using, you'd probably need to look in firmware rather than on its disk drive. :)
 
Mac OS X and OS X

No, the AppleTV is most likely NOT running Leopard. It COULD be running a very stripped-down OSX that includes Leopard components. But, not likely that it is running Leopard itself. Most likely, it includes basic input/output components (for remote), ethernet components, bonjour frameworks, graphics frameworks, and CoreAnimation.



I agree entirely.

true.

Also, just to clear things up (I see ppl using it interchangeably) mac os x and os x are "different" os. mac os x is for computers and os x (according to SJ keynote) is for iphone and maybe atv.

i'm hoping to see os x on the mac slate in 2008. iphone is the sandbox for multi-touch and atv is the sandbox for testing streaming media (apple-ip-tv)
 
I'm so sick of complaints about the lack of cables. My modems, my routers and other assorted doodads that I've purchased came with cables, only to become pointless electrospaghetti shoved in a drawer or shelf because they were just too short.

Just imagine:

"I got my :apple: TV today, but it only came with an HDMI cable :( freaking Apple, my TV is only component!"

As mentioned before, these unsupported codecs are getting similar treatment from the studios. Xvid and the like are poorer quality. Boohoo torrentites.
 
No, Apple would probably still need to pay that $30. Maybe not quite so much, maybe only $20, or even $15.

WRONG. Apparently someone isn't familiar with the outrageous markup on cables. Cable prices are one of the greatest scams ever perpetrated on consumers. Long ago when I worked at CompUSA, I'd feel like a jerk telling a customer they needed a $30 cable to go with their new printer, when the computer told me our cost on the cable was $2. Shameful. Electronics retail profits are driven by cable sales and extended warrantees.

Apple could easily have thrown in a component and an HDMI cable, kept the price at $299, and still made plenty of money. Trust me.
 
Um, so where can i find a "xvid/divx to mp4" converter?

if there aren't any, how would i use quicktime to convert to h.264

thx much (already purchased :apple: tv so i gotta deal with this.)
 
I'm so sick of complaints about the lack of cables. My modems, my routers and other assorted doodads that I've purchased came with cables, only to become pointless electrospaghetti shoved in a drawer or shelf because they were just too short.

Just imagine:

"I got my :apple: TV today, but it only came with an HDMI cable :( freaking Apple, my TV is only component!"

As mentioned before, these unsupported codecs are getting similar treatment from the studios. Xvid and the like are poorer quality. Boohoo torrentites.

They are not smart buyers anyway. They are Apple's guinea pigs.
 
true.

Also, just to clear things up (I see ppl using it interchangeably) mac os x and os x are "different" os. mac os x is for computers and os x (according to SJ keynote) is for iphone and maybe atv. ...

Even the cheapest iPod needs an OS to be able to do anyone. A collection of hardware components doesn't just simply "doing things" by magic. :) The Airport Extreme Basestation is another example of a device that would (also) need an OS...

It's a safe bet that Apple didn't reinvent the wheel when developing such systems. It would only be logical for them to develop (small) systems based on OS X, in much the same fashion that many hardware manufacturers of various devices have used Linux as a starting point. For example, most/many of the inexpensive routers these days are actually running a flavor of Linux.
 
480i in Gizmodo video?

Am I seeing an available resolution of 480i in the Gizmodo video? Isn't this contrary to Apple's posted specs? Am I missing something? They say it only works with HD TVs, but it looks like it says 480i ...
 
Even the cheapest iPod needs an OS to be able to do anyone. A collection of hardware components doesn't just simply "doing things" by magic. :) The Airport Extreme Basestation is another example of a device that would (also) need an OS...

It's a safe bet that Apple didn't reinvent the wheel when developing such systems. It would only be logical for them to develop (small) systems based on OS X, in much the same fashion that many hardware manufacturers of various devices have used Linux as a starting point. For example, most/many of the inexpensive routers these days are actually running a flavor of Linux.

...based on Mac OS X. OS X is the lite version of Mac OS X. that was my point
 
So how long before we can expect a hack or add-on that will allow Xvid, Divx type formats?

I have experimented with XBMC (Xbox Media Center) and am amazed how advanced it is, Apple is making the right moves to provide a legal way to get that type of experience and it's great, but they have a ways to go yet before they can surpass XBMC's abilities.
 
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