Apple TV: vs Airport Express for music

[quigleybc]

Hi,

I want to play my music from my office on my speakers out in the living room.

Can I use an Apple TV for this? Or do I need to get the Air Port Express? I have a wireless N network right now using the AirPort Extreme

it would be great if I could get the benefit of streaming music AND Video from my office to my living room.

so couldn't I just get an Apple TV and get the best of both worlds?

thanks

 

[kolax]

Yep, course you can.

 

[mikenike192]

Yes you can do that and i think it will work better than airtunes. A huge advantage is the fact that you can visually navigate your music library on a tv so you can see album art and all that good stuff. My apple tv got here today (40gb refurb $200) and its working great streaming my movies (2000kbps) over my super g network I am very pleased with my purchase.

 

[dbwie]

also...

I have had an Airport Express and replaced it with an AppleTV. Another nice advantage of AppleTV is that you can sync your music library to the device (depending on the size of your music library). This is a backup of your music, and allows you to play the music directly from the AppleTV while your computer is off.

One advantage of the Airport Express is that you can use its USB port for a wireless printer. The USB port on the AppleTV is reportedly for "diagnostic purposes" at this time. Hopefully, that will change soon.

EDIT: oh, you have an Airport Extreme already. Then definitely get an AppleTV. You don't need the USB port on the Express,and you don't need an Express to act as a wireless router.

 

[quigleybc]

thanks

I'll be getting the apple TV

 

[Koodauw]

I think in your case, the aTV will be the better route to go.

 

[Sol]

So long as the Apple TV is turned on you can treat it as a wireless Airtunes speaker from your computer. You do not need to turn on your screen and navigate anything once the Airtunes setting is turned on in the Apple TV. The only thing that sucks about using an Apple TV like this is that you have to turn it on and off with the remote before and after using it as an Airtunes speaker. If it went to sleep automatically the process would be simpler.