Apple TV Unboxing Photos (and Video)

[dgdosen]

This may sound like gripes...

It seems to be too "single function" of a device for something I'd buy. I can already watch downloaded content using things like a Media Center PC, or XBox 360, or an Mac Mini attached to the TV. You can get a Mac Mini for cheap off of Apple's red tag clearance - not 299 but you can for 479

The need to sync and store content yet again - If I have the content at my home on some server, why do I need to move it to my iTV? I sync with my iPod because I take it with me. The iTV won't move.

Why didn't they also build in Sling functionality on the iTV?

I want to see a future where cable gets replaced by something like iTV which is more like TV over the Internet, and where everything is on demand. I think we'l be there in 5 years with iTV's third iteration.

Then I'll buy one.

 

[CoreWeb]

Weirdo...

Anyway, we don't need the TV at all. It really isn't necessary at all. Even if I did have an HD TV I wouldn't use this. I would have a HD DVD or BLuray player.

Furthermore, I would have, in my ideal world, a mac mini as my media centre. A lot more useful than this thing.

An excellent notion, to be sure. I would much prefer a Mac Mini to an AppleTV, as I can easily handle all of the extra difficulties that arise from using a real computer instead of something specialized for the task at hand. Though, I would much prefer a Mac Pro to my iMac G5, and that hasn't happened yet... I think I will eventually, in the next few months, be getting a Mac Mini or AppleTV in my house - the question really is, which can I afford?

 

[tny]

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..

Also there's the matter of the truckloads of movies you can't get on DVD and are very infrequently (if ever) transmitted, some foreign films, etc etc.. The piracy issue isn't so simple.

The whole "haha, the pirates will have to convert all their movies!" thing is judgemental and bad.

Well, my eyeTV stuff is all in MP4. As for the stuff you can't get on DVD and is infrequently transmitted - well, you just won't watch that stuff on the Apple TV. It's not going to kill you.

 

[Passante]

It seems to be too "single function" of a device for something I'd buy. I can already watch downloaded content using things like a Media Center PC, or XBox 360, or an Mac Mini attached to the TV. You can get a Mac Mini for cheap off of Apple's red tag clearance - not 299 but you can for 479

The need to sync and store content yet again - If I have the content at my home on some server, why do I need to move it to my iTV? I sync with my iPod because I take it with me. The iTV won't move.

Why didn't they also build in Sling functionality on the iTV?

I want to see a future where cable gets replaced by something like iTV which is more like TV over the Internet, and where everything is on demand. I think we'l be there in 5 years with iTV's third iteration.

Then I'll buy one.

I would agree with you if the core duo Mini was $479, but its not. So in an effort to save $399 I bought an Apple TV to play iTunes, TV shows I record on my EyeTV and the occasional iTunes TV content I buy. I'll let you know how it works after tonight

 

[Jimmdean]

The mac mini is really only an option for htpc as long as you have DVI - even then there may be some tweaking necessary and some text versus graphics discrepancies. If your tv only has component or vga, you're in a real pickle. Either way, it is most certainly not plug & play for 75% of those out there, especially the hdtv early adopters...

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Gizmodo site is a load of crap. Ive spent 30 minutes trying to reply to the AppleTV unboxing blog but there is no way to 'log in' or register.

Anyhoo I wanted to say this in reply to that blog:

This product is somewhat of an enigma. Although nothing about it is earth shatteringly new it does allow for some cool stuff.

It works like this:

I have a computer with iTunes on it. The iTunes library contains movies and TV shows I have downloaded from Apples iTunes Store as well as my entire DVD collection which I have ripped into MP4 format. Along with my entire music collection.

So I have around 120GBs worth of video content on my computer that would be best viewed on a 42" TV instead of a 20" monitor. And loads of music I can now play through my 'home theatre setup' speakers.

However the computer is upstairs and the TV is downstairs. AppleTV will wirelessly pull all that content from the computer upstairs to the TV downstairs. So you have access to 100s of movies, TV shows and music etc with the click of a button.

It has a 40GB hard drive to store stuff on as well as being able to stream movies and music etc directly from the computer. So the 40GB limit is not as limited as its sounds because being able to stream content means that you have access to the computers storage capacity as well.

My computer has a 160GB internal drive, which also has a 250GB external drive attached and will soon be complimented by 40GBs worth of AppleTV storage capacity. That is a hell of a lot of space to store video content and access all of it within seconds.

~

Most of us know that but it took me ages to write and thought I needed to post it and not waste it.

 

[rockstarjoe]

I believe all Gawker sites require your comments to be approved before they will appear when you post them. Technically only "invited" people can post on sites like Gizmodo. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[localoid]

My guess is it's on both. The core OS is probably in Flash, but why use any more flash than absolutely necessary if you already have a 40GB drive there. (Unlike the iPod, I doubt 512K or 1M of flash would be sufficient for the whole OS).

I'm also more interested in the file system (is it just HFS+) and how the database is structured (similar to iPod?).

B

Don't think many manufacturers would have a reason to use only 1M these days... The new cheap Linksys routers, relatively simple devices, use 2M worth of flash, for example. The price difference between 1M and 512MB isn't great.

Re: file system -- iTunes has basically become a "platform" for Apple, so I doubt they've implemented any radically new methods of dealing with io, the database, etc. from what's currently used.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Apple TV manual posted as a PDF

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/AppleTV_UserGuide.pdf

Maybe it will have some of the answers to seemingly endless speculation

 

[sishaw]

i think one of the most beautiful things about the mac (and appletv) (and ipod) are their limitations. they have a focus and clarity to their use and design that is in clear and relieving in contrast to the scattergun approach of competitors.
the ability to play every bastardised video codec out there would not be a benefit to me, or 95% of the people out here in the real world, whereas the limitting of the codecs allows apple to provide a consistent, trouble free environment to enjoy my movies/music/tv shows. and i think, that is the aim of apple with this product.

(and you can of course, transcode any dodgey divx/avi material easily and for free with a product like iSquint)

That's all well and good, but Apple TV is too expensive for its beautifully limited use. It's more than the much more versatile Slingbox. Still, if I watched a lot of iTunes movies and TV shows, I'd probably get one--I'm sure it will sell well.

 

[williedigital]

I would agree with you if the core duo Mini was $479, but its not. So in an effort to save $399 I bought an Apple TV to play iTunes, TV shows I record on my EyeTV and the occasional iTunes TV content I buy. I'll let you know how it works after tonight

a refurbished core solo mini is $479.You can get core solo mini's cheaper than that on ebay (paid about $430 for mine).

Of course, core solo mini's don't have built in component output ($10 adapter), rca outputs ($2 adapter), or 802.11n ($75 upgrade). In pretty much every other way it's an upgrade.

 

[kirk26]

no support for avi, divx, mpeg2, ogg vorbis, etc. etc. jobs is determined to lock us all into his own little codec kingdom. plus, getting stingy on cables now too? this is exactly the attitude that made me switch from ms to apple. maybe its time to move on again... (ubuntu, hello?)...

You've already downgraded to Mac OS, why go even worse with Linux?

 

[Jim Campbell]

I user Divx and Xvid because I trade off a little bit of Quality over H264 for Time, on the Mini it takes about 5 Hours to convert one 50 min show.

Genuine curiosity, not having a go, but from what source to what format is taking 5 hours for 50 minutes?

Handbrake gets DVDs from source in about 0.5 - 0.75 of running time dependent upon bitrate. TV content in uncompressed MPEG-4 comes in in real-time via the TV tuner. I can re-encode DivX/Xvid into H264 via iSquint at about 10 minutes per 40-50 minute show.

 

[Clive At Five]

Let the hacking begin.

Wake me up when it can run Linux.

-Clive

 

[csimmons]

Who are the REAL lemmings?

OK! all apple lemings now stand in a row and march off the cliff! we lame pc switchers (we must be real stupid) will stand by and watch!

You use (still, I presume) an OS used by 95% of the computing world (Windows), yet you call Mac users lemmings? THAT makes sense...

 

[Clive At Five]

I'm well aware EyeTV/quicktime etc can encode to MPEG/h264 - a lot of people encode to other formats so their copies will play on a DVD player they already own, while saving space. My 200GB library is a pretty small one - as I said, I have more than that in divX/xvid on discs already.

Are we still talking about the DivX/XviD Shiite?

Okay let me ask you eyeTV users and pirates something:

Why would Apple support a codec that would encourage using a system that isn't the iTS for video content?

Exactly.

Now shut up.

DivX/XviD support will come once the unit is hacked and is running Linux, which is inevitable. So just be patient and soon enough you'll be able to watch your recorded/stolen content.

-Clive

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Lots of answers to some popular questions appear to be in (new content?) now posted here...

http://search.info.apple.com/?q=katv&search=Search&lr=lang_en&search=Go&type=ktech+OR+klearn

Unfortunately I'm not finding a single reference to 5.1 surround (pro or con), but I'm still hoping for a "it just works" experience through the optical audio cable. It is hard for me to picture Apple leaving that feature out of this "DVD killer" product at launch.

I didn't see any mention of 5.1 in the newly-posted manual either.

 

[whatever]

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..

Also there's the matter of the truckloads of movies you can't get on DVD and are very infrequently (if ever) transmitted, some foreign films, etc etc.. The piracy issue isn't so simple.

The whole "haha, the pirates will have to convert all their movies!" thing is judgemental and bad.

Expecting Apple to come up with solutions for other products like eyeTV is like asking them to provide a solution for people still using VCRs. It's not their responsibility. However, if eyeTV was to come up with a solution, then that would set them apart in the market place. So it's actually more in there best interest to figure this out.

Imagine the complaints if Apple had built in to Apple TV an eyeTV like device. People would claim that they're trying to put the little guy out of business (which is what would happen almost over night and then all of the eyeTV folks would be totality screwed).

 

[oogje]

picture

It's here...

 

[esaleris]

The mac mini is really only an option for htpc as long as you have DVI - even then there may be some tweaking necessary and some text versus graphics discrepancies. If your tv only has component or vga, you're in a real pickle. Either way, it is most certainly not plug & play for 75% of those out there, especially the hdtv early adopters...

DVI = HDMI except plug form-factor and the HDCP requirements on HD material. Just get a converter. VGA can be outputted via the adapter that comes with the Mac mini.

 

[reubs]

I'm still kind of confused, or maybe I refuse to understand what is happening with this.

With Windows MC you just set it up to record shows and stuff with no subscription, correct? But with this you're paying for a box that will record shows you've already paid for, but I can't set it up to record The Office or Earl because I haven't paid for it?

Lame.

 

[williedigital]

Why would Apple support a codec that would encourage using a system that isn't the iTS for video content?

-Clive

They want to make the device useful to consumers? They can do what they want, but it makes the device a lot more marketable when you open up to other formats. The Chinese promote their own video disc formats, and they have every right to do so, but you wouldn't expect a player that played only that format to take off very quickly.

Think about Sony and Atrac. You guys insult them for not supporting mp3 right away like the ipod did, but are giving apple a pass for doing the same thing with iTV. There is absolutely nothing illicit or illegal about including support for xvid/divx.

 

[Clive At Five]

I'm still kind of confused, or maybe I refuse to understand what is happening with this.

With Windows MC you just set it up to record shows and stuff with no subscription, correct? But with this you're paying for a box that will record shows you've already paid for, but I can't set it up to record The Office or Earl because I haven't paid for it?

Lame.

Note that WMC is going to cost you much more than tv. Paying an extra $2/show is hardly anything.

If you want a DVR, buy a DVR and stop complaining.

-Clive

 

[morespce54]

Just like any other iProduct. The unboxing is getting old, Apple needs to spice things up. Maybe they could throw a ferret in there and when you prep for the unboxing sequence the ferret jumps out and latches itself to your face and you're freaking out screaming, omg omg, there's a ferret on my face.

LOL...

Now, THAT would be someting new...

 

[reubs]

Note that WMC is going to cost you much more than tv. Paying an extra $2/show is hardly anything.

If you want a DVR, buy a DVR and stop complaining.

-Clive

And this is the problem with lots of Apple folks...everyone thinks that everything Apple does OMG!!!11!!! aw3some. when in reality I'm sure they could put together a software package that would integrate SEAMLESSLY into the Macmini that would do the same job. Or am I just way off base with this? And does ANYONE out there think this is possible?