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And the just purchased Roku 2 XD goes on eBay, there's no more reason to keep the crappy UI and sluggish interface just for Hulu.
 
Absolutely irrelevant news to anyone outside the US, markets which represent some 60% of Apple's revenue. Therefore, this is non-news to people living outside that territory.

Not necessarily. I just moved to Germany from the US, and don't have any problem accessing Hulu and Netflix from my TV using Unblock-US DNS service (CAD 4.99/month) without any problem.
 
This is so much better than the original Apple TV. The original one was a Tiger computer that was modified so that it could only use a modified Front Row. Basically, you could only get stuff from iTunes :(
 
YESSSSSSSSS!
Apple TV>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> any other box

It can't record shows because it has no coax input, which is really lame. Once they add a coax input onto the Apple TV (like every other box besides the terrible Google one), I will switch.

Until then, I have to deal with FiOS's box that was probably programmed in 5 minutes. They spelled "search" as "seach" on it, and the search barely works. And the iOS remote app is a gimmick that hardly ever works.
 
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If they keep adding more channels they really need to allow us to remove them from the home screen if we have no intention to use them.

In the iOS 6 Beta for the Apple TV, you can hold down on the icon and it wiggles so you can reorder them just like the iPhone. So you can at least put the ones you don't use at the very bottom. I think in the Parental Settings you can remove them from the interface as well.
 
Not necessarily. I just moved to Germany from the US, and don't have any problem accessing Hulu and Netflix from my TV using Unblock-US DNS service (CAD 4.99/month) without any problem.

Just tried it, and HuluPlus now works without a VPN on the AppleTV :)
 
Also - Hulu has commercials, Netflix doesn't. It is the price you pay for newer content.
Actually, it is the "price" you pay for almost any content on Hulu. Because it is owned by the networks, unlike Netflix. Not because they are new. ISpy has commercials on Hulu.

The "price" on Netflix is you have a moron as the CEO, who every couple years does something insane. And often MS breaks something with their Silverlight upgrades. (of course, the same happens with Flash for Hulu)
No. Who are the alternatives? DSL? For many, aren't they also in the video subscription business?
I don't think mine is. Not anywhere comparable to cable/sat. Centurylink/Qwest, $70 for 40Mbps.
It's easy to take the side against having any ads. I'd personally love to get whatever I want with no ads too. However, the other view of ads is that they represent someone else subsidizing the cost of the programming in exchange for showing us some ads.
Hulu+ gives shows late, that ought to be the price we are paying. And often, they screw up and miss an episode (or half a season), or only make it available for a short time. It's a mess. I guess it is their position that they often have fewer ads. But really, what annoys me is just the raw time. I would much rather spend ~22 minutes than 30 to watch a show, since that is the actual length of a "half hour episode". At least with a DVR, I can skip commercials and not waste as much time.
Apple's greed and quest for total control will have EVERYONE paying higher prices, even those who don't have Apple tv. But at least they'll be making a few extra billion in profit so that will help me ease the pain of higher internet service. After all, Apple is more important than the consumer.
As usual, simply an unrelated rant about Apple.
The way it seems like you have to do it is this: OTA HD via antenna for your local stations, a Mac Mini hooked up to your TV for online content from the websites, such as CBS, FOX, etc and then your ATV or Roku for all the other stuff. Obviously it would be nice to have it all consolidated on one device, but since there is greed involved, it won't ever happen.
Absolutely. To everyone: Hulu is painful. It uses Flash on computers, and their implementation is not perfect. For CBS and others, it links to those websites instead of hulu.com, and CBS' Flash implementation is FAR from perfect. It has expiration dates for shows that occasionally make no sense. It forces you into longer commercials if you use Adblock or similar. (they must have some sense of irony) It designates shows for 3 types of devices: PC, Mobile, TV. So if you don't have all 3, you will end up missing some shows here and there. (maybe many shows) On TVs/devices, you are at the mercy of the app writers, not generally as good as online access.

I could go on. Whether the $8/month is worth it is up to you. It's working for me to keep my wife off my back so she can watch Bones over and over and over and over...instead of paying $100/month for sat/cable so she can watch Bones over and over and over and over on reruns. My advice is to hook a computer up to the TV, and a "TV device", so you have access to all shows.
It has pretty much every episode of every major network prime time show. It's available usually 24hours after the show airs. Netflix by comparison may or may not get a show- usually not. And it often gets them years after they are released.
It's not that good. That's what their marketing material might claim, but reality is somewhere else. Networks fight over certain shows all the time. It probably seems just fine right now, in the middle of the dead zone for TV. (summer) Check that again around Oct 1.

By definition Netflix will never get new shows. (it won't sell you groceries, either) Comparing to Hulu or cable/sat on this basis seems pointless, they never claimed that would be their business.
 
They have been offering me 75mbit service lately for $10 more, calling it their "quantum" service, and I may go ahead with that, but don't really know why I NEED 75mbit, lol.

Or you could save the $120/yr and buy the latest :apple:TV each year.
 
Also - Hulu has commercials, Netflix doesn't. It is the price you pay for newer content.

With the XBMC app on ATV you are able to skip all commercials. I haven't watched a commercial since installing it. Also I am able to watch programs that you can't watch on the iPhone app (must use computer). I am guessing I will still want the jailbreak app and the new app depending on what I want to watch.
 
AppleTV shows why an actual apple tv wouldnt really work, at least as an world wide offer. theres just too much missing, all i got is YouTube on my AppleTV ...

but i guess it makes more sense in the US anyway because cable isnt really expensive here in germany. i pay 49€ for Premium Deluxe Cable TV (complete) incl HD + 100mbit unlimited internet. therefore Netflix, Hulu Plus arent that much of a cheaper alternative

30mbit + cable tv complete is $199 in the US??? omfg :eek:

Not quite sure where you are getting your prices from. Right now, I'm spending $100 for all of the channels except movie channels, with DVR service, plus 30MB down and 5MB up. I don't know of anyone who is paying the price you are saying in the US
 
You mean OUTSIDE the US?

Yeah. I'm in Germany. You need to sign up via the AppleTV and it gets billed to your iTunes account. So if you have a fake-US account it works immediately.
There are commercials though.
Watching the Daily Show right now ;)
 
When Apple takes over the TV industry, the internet service providers will jack up our rates.

Except there will be more ISPs.

Right now, internet service availability is driven by homes wanting cable TV, with data service being a byproduct of rolling the wires out to millions of homes. Not many wanted just data service, they wanted content and purchased accordingly.

Now, with customers accelerating to data-service-only plans and sources, other players are moving in. Clear and cellular providers are trying to make wireless broadband work, Google is rolling out stupid-fast services in some areas, and others are also finding enough customers to make data-only broadband worthwhile. Having a big enough audience at last, they then have to compete by lowering rates below what already-in-place cable companies are charging.

Rates may go up for now, but the moment someone comes in with (for most practical purposes) uncapped low-ping reliable easy alternatives a whole lotta people will switch. At >$60/month for data, and no other reason to stay, the first viable alternative to Comcast that rolls up my street will have another customer.

There's chatter starting about clearing a large swath of radio spectrum for data use. As the cost of providing high-bandwidth data service plummets with cheap servers and improved wireless delivery, anyone who jacks up rates will lose customers fast.

Time for another shot at finding local alternatives to Comcast...
 
I've been waiting so long for this I'm not sure I care anymore
same here man. i have 2 apple tv's and bought 2 roku boxes JUST for hulu plus. was tired of having so many devices and having to go way out of the way to access the content i returned the roku to target and went back to Cable. sometimes apple is just too restrictive. I could care less now.

----------

Not quite sure where you are getting your prices from. Right now, I'm spending $100 for all of the channels except movie channels, with DVR service, plus 30MB down and 5MB up. I don't know of anyone who is paying the price you are saying in the US

you'd be surprised how much people pay for cable service. i know several people close to $300/month
 
Except there will be more ISPs.

Right now, internet service availability is driven by homes wanting cable TV, with data service being a byproduct of rolling the wires out to millions of homes. Not many wanted just data service, they wanted content and purchased accordingly.

Now, with customers accelerating to data-service-only plans and sources, other players are moving in. Clear and cellular providers are trying to make wireless broadband work, Google is rolling out stupid-fast services in some areas, and others are also finding enough customers to make data-only broadband worthwhile. Having a big enough audience at last, they then have to compete by lowering rates below what already-in-place cable companies are charging.

Rates may go up for now, but the moment someone comes in with (for most practical purposes) uncapped low-ping reliable easy alternatives a whole lotta people will switch. At >$60/month for data, and no other reason to stay, the first viable alternative to Comcast that rolls up my street will have another customer.

There's chatter starting about clearing a large swath of radio spectrum for data use. As the cost of providing high-bandwidth data service plummets with cheap servers and improved wireless delivery, anyone who jacks up rates will lose customers fast.

Time for another shot at finding local alternatives to Comcast...

I think a lot of people would love to drop cable, but Apple needs to work on getting things like the Olympics on their device in an easy to use manner.

I really wish IPTV would take off...
 
lol@ folks getting excited about another option to pay for tv and movies that are easily had fro free

OTA isn't an option in some places.

And rips & torrents & shady servers & legally debatable downloads aren't "free", they take time to prep and maintain. For 8 minutes' work a month I can get Hulu Plus and not deal with the hassle of "free".
 
If they keep adding more channels they really need to allow us to remove them from the home screen if we have no intention to use them.
The appearance of the channels on the home screen is a form of advertising. Just like how your cable box generally will not allow you to remove channels you don't subscribe to from the on-screen guide.

On other words: It aint gonna happen.
 
So, just to be clear, you ended service with your cable company, but you are still able to get reception of all of your local channels through the cable? I like that option better than having to use an antenna, if it works!
Yes. I cancelled my Comcast Service and took the cable left behind and ran it right to my tv. I get different stuff from my subscription, but all the major networks plus Discovery, NatGeo, PBS, TNT, NBATV, and more in HD. I was prepared to go the antenna route, but never needed to.

Someone has since posted that this shouldn't be happening. I don't know, but it seems equivalent to the OTA stuff folks are getting. I guess as a test you could pull your cable from the box, smack it into your tv, then do a channel scan. It can't hurt to try. Especially if you were planning on an antenna anyway.
 
But at least :apple:'ll be making a few extra billion in profit

Apple only makes that profit because customers like the product/services enough they're willing to give Apple billions for it.
I've bought enough cheap crap in my life to know that paying premium prices can be worth it.

This is capitalism, where someone makes a profit by providing goods/services others are willing to pay for; if someone doesn't want it, they're not compelled to pay.
This isn't socialism, where someone takes money from others under duress and gives them lousy goods/services, or nothing, in return.
 
Apple needs to work on getting things like the Olympics on their device

Indeed. Sometime this evening would be nice, so my wife would stop hounding me to get cable just so she can watch Olympics live.

That's the kicker: live.
No streaming service is providing anything close to viable "live" service. Breaking news? (and I mean 9/11-type "breaking" and "news") Special events? (a la Olympics) Maybe even just nice webcam service? (a live well-placed high-def view of Outer Banks beaches or Tetons mountains would make for a pleasant background) "Live" video is a huge service waiting to happen.
 
It can't record shows because it has no coax input, which is really lame. Once they add a coax input onto the Apple TV (like every other box besides the terrible Google one), I will switch.

Until then, I have to deal with FiOS's box that was probably programmed in 5 minutes. They spelled "search" as "seach" on it, and the search barely works. And the iOS remote app is a gimmick that hardly ever works.

We use a Tivo for recording antenna broadcast programming, and an Apple TV for everything else. It works great.

I'd love to have just 1 box, but I'll do this until Apple decides to buy Tivo, or make their own DVR with an interface that's as good as Tivo.
 
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