Can the new AppleTV record shows/movies downloaded from Itunes to watch later?

[thehonuohana]

I have not been able to find an answer to this. I know the new appletv has much greater storage options then the old appletv. But on the old one it seemed the memory was just for caching a download as you watched it, and to an extent, to help make up for slow internet connections.

But I can't find out if the new AppleTv will let you, say, purchase/download 3 episodes of a tv show and a movie to watch later in the week. Or rent a movie and save it to watch the next day.

My esperience with appletv was largely on cable broadband. Earlier this year when I moved somewhere where my ONLY options were sattelite internet or tethering to cellular...both of which grind to a halt in the evenings/weekends because everyone in my area likewise has these as their only options...appletv (and roku) became largely worthless.

So- will the new appleTv become my savior? Can I set it to download and record a few episodes at 5 in the morning beofre work- and have them saved to watch that night? Or is the memory only allocated for the app store/games/etc, and those of us with pathetic internet connections are still screwed?

 

[Rigby]

Unknown at this point. But you can download purchased or rented iTunes content on any iOS device or computer with iTunes and stream it to the Apple TV.

 

[fieldsphotos]

Unknown at this point. But you can download purchased or rented iTunes content on any iOS device or computer with iTunes and stream it to the Apple TV.

THIS. We do this all the time with iTunes stuff. Download it to the PC via iTunes, then just play via Home sharing on the Apple TV. However, that will only work with iTunes content, not Netfix or any of the other apps on the current Apple TV.

 

[thehonuohana]

Thanks. and yes, I know. Doesn't solve my problem of having an internet connection that is horribly slow in the hours I tend to be home (my phone and macbook are always with me at jobsites).

What I'm hoping for is that I can start a download early am on the new appletv before leaving for work- when my home internet is fastest, and have shows fully recorded to watch in the evenings. I think there are many americans with a similar problem- stuck on satellite, cellular or dialup and who do not have a computer to leave on at home all day (or have one incapable of streaming to the appletv).

 

[Rigby]

We'll have to wait until the Apple TV is out or some reviewer mentions it, but I doubt it will support downloads. Perhaps you can find an old computer somewhere? Doesn't have to be a Mac, any old Windows box will work as long as it can run iTunes.

 

[Boyd01]

I think there are many americans with a similar problem- stuck on satellite, cellular or dialup and who do not have a computer to leave on at home all day (or have one incapable of streaming to the appletv).

I am in a rural location with slow DSL as my only internet option. So I got a computer that I could leave on at home all day. I went with a new Mac Mini, but as @Rigby said, you could use an older computer as long as it's capable of running iTunes with home sharing.

For me it wasn't really about the ability to dowload though, I ripped my large DVD collection and now have it available whenever I want on two AppleTVs and my MacBook Air.

 

[Ray2]

I'd seriously consider a used mini. For what you need to stream video they are dirt cheap. Connect to the TV, maintain via Screen Sharing and your MacBook.

While we don't know everything about the new ATV, it looks to be a typical Apple centric approach: limited functionality and no I/O beyond communicating with iTunes. There's very little you can't throw at a mini and not have it work well.

 

[urkel]

It would be nice. Imagine replacing a car DVD player with an AppleTV loaded with 20 movies.

That was actually a project I was working on with the original AppleTV that had a hard drive. We were going to wire it into my brothers Mini Van but then Apple shifted directions and made it a streaming only box. 64GB would be enough to revisit this project because you could get movies and games for the passengers.

 

[ntegra]

It would be nice. Imagine replacing a car DVD player with an AppleTV loaded with 20 movies.

That was actually a project I was working on with the original AppleTV that had a hard drive. We were going to wire it into my brothers Mini Van but then Apple shifted directions and made it a streaming only box. 64GB would be enough to revisit this project because you could get movies and games for the passengers.

That's awesome. I might even consider that in my SUV. Imagine getting an hdmi splitter to multiple displays.