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New iTunes Store Terms Suggest Impending Apple TV 3.0 Software Update
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Not according to people who buy TVs. I've never had a customer not be able to tell that there' a huge difference between even smaller TVs like a 32" 720 and a 32" 1080 when they're playing a Blu-ray demo. The difference is startling.
Absolutely agree here. I recently purchased a 160GB ATV with the recent price drop at $200 from Amazon. Combined with an EyeTV and Handbrake, we were able to cancel cable and save $60 a month. The only reason I pull DVDs off the shelf anymore is to rip them to the ATV. The device is perfect for me, my wife can use it no problem, and the sky is the limit for what Apple could do in the future to upstage cable TV and physical media. For me, throwing $200 to use the device right now also lets Apple know that demand for the device is there. When they update the hardware, I'll take all the cash I saved from dumping cable and buy the new one.
You could buy a new ATV every two and a half months for our old DirecTV bill!
Of course, we also spend money on the iTunes store, so it takes about 4 months to completely recoup the cost of the ATV in our household.
Personally I don't see the point in buying an HDTV over 32", or at the very most 40". Once you go from 720 to 1080, the resolution stays the same on all ascending screen sizes. And from what I've observed, a BD movie looks better played on a 32" 1080p HDTV than on a 46 or 52-incher. I suppose this is because the bigger screen size, the bigger the pixels get while the resolution stays the same, and the larger pixels on the huge models make the picture look less crisp.
Sony has a 32" 1080p Bravia that I'd like to have. I don't see the point in a larger one.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
In support of this, I hook my HD Camcorder (1080p) up to my TV and compare it to the same movie rendered at 960 x 540 or 720p on
TV and it is night and day obvious.I was hoping to eliminate the argument of using a laptop versus a full-time box by stating that I could use a Mini instead if I really had the need, but I guess I failed! Watching Hulu on my TV is really nice and ahead of my Vudu box (please don't make this an AppleTV vs Vudu argument, it is not) in terms of what else the device can do besides play movies.
I don't have a Mini, but I was just postulating that leaving a Mini connected to my TV would be my solution in lieu of purchasing an AppleTV or using my notebook whenever I want to watch something from my computer on my TV.
That's more or less what I expected. Plex is not as polished, in terms of UI, as an Apple product but it certainly provides a tremendous amount of control through that dinky little remote that came with my notebook. I don't think it's incredibly difficult to add content, nor have I had any problems with using any iTunes content, but Plex is not as Plug-n-Play as AppleTV. That's a small sacrifice for me though and obviously not worth it as others have stated.
I just wanted to see if AppleTV owners looked at anything such as Plex before making their decision to purchase.
http://forum.boxee.tv/showthread.php?t=12605
I don't know how to use my AppleTV without Boxee haha... i find it useless that it won't play my .avi's (obsolete format or not)
iPhoto to Apple TV?
Since I don't have an Apple TV, is it possible to stream iPhotos to a TV set using Apple TV? We have 16,000 photos and add 10 to 30 more each day. I would like to review the photos on the TV set. I have burned some photos to a CD but the quality was very poor and a slow process. So i would like to see the last photos say from the last few days. Apple TV??
Since I don't have an Apple TV, is it possible to stream iPhotos to a TV set using Apple TV? We have 16,000 photos and add 10 to 30 more each day. I would like to review the photos on the TV set. I have burned some photos to a CD but the quality was very poor and a slow process. So i would like to see the last photos say from the last few days. Apple TV??
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
That's where how close you sit comes into play. Eventually, someone will squeeze 1980 x 1080 pixels into an iPod size LCD screen. Those pixels would be super small, but your argument would suggest why buy anything bigger than that as the resolution would be fully maxed out and the pixels would be as compact as possible?
The analysis here is the doctrine of fair use as applied to copyrighted material. The RIAA themselves have said through counsel, "the record companies, my clients, have said, for some time now, and it's been on their website for some time now, that it's perfectly lawful to take a CD that you've purchased, upload it onto your computer, put it onto your iPod."
Like I said, DVDs are a grayer area, but again, backup is a component of fair use that I'd argue applies to DVD media. As long as one owns the DVD, owns the computer, and owns the AppleTV, I don't see a great deal of difference in format-shifting from plastic discs to your own hard drive.
Files on the AppleTV need not be on a "shared" network. My local network is quite closed and unshared.
I'm not giving legal advice on a public forum. The best place to research these issues for yourself is eff.org.
yes of course, thats one of the features
but you're going to buy an AppleTV just for that?
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
If nothing it gives people a reason to demonstrate their superiority by commenting on products they don't use and find understatedly silly in production. If only I had so much free time as those people, boy would I be a happy man!!
Personally, I love my AppleTV - I use it every single day. I watch current network television shows and don't have to suffer through the 12 minutes of psychological manipulation for every 1/2 hour show. Over a year ago I cancelled my cable and haven't missed it one moment, and have saved £100s.
I'm so glad someone has pointed out to me what a pointless product this is that I use every single day. Where would I be without such assistance in life? Thank you!
- William
I tend to agree from an ethical standpoint and for myself, I'm content that what I'm doing is reasonable use of the DVDs I own, and importantly keeps them safe and protected from scratches, smudges, and loss. I never have and never will share these files with anybody directly or via P2P.
However, it seems clear from a legal angle that cracking the CSS protection scheme is a violation of the DMCA as per the FBI warning seen at start of any commercial DVD, even for personal use. I think this is an area where the law has simply not kept pace with technology, and is inconsistent across media types and delivery schemes. I can TiVo many of the same shows and movies when broadcast over the air for free, then convert them with legitimate software (Roxio TiVoToGo) into digital files for my
TV...same end result, so why can't I convert the same program off the DVD that I bought?These days some DVDs are coming with a DRM'd (Fairplay) digital copy included for iPods and
TVs. How about releasing some MPAA-sanctioned Handbrakish software that creates mp4 files from older DVDs with the same DRM wrapper to legitimize the process? They could even charge a buck or 2 each time a conversion is made.Content is not generally produced by NBC, CBS, etc. Or rather, not by what you think of as "the network". The network purchases content from content creators (the production company) for distribution. They generally buy first-distribution rights, allowing the content producer to shop around "reruns" wherever they'd like. Where a network's content arm produces a show, it is fairly common that that show will actually get sold to a different network entirely for distribution - it's the exception, but far from rare.
The model is similar to but not entirely analogous to record labels' deals with artists. The distributor has some say (varies by show, but generally is significant) about where the show goes plot-wise, but in the end is not responsible for having "created" the content at all.
Examples:
* Heroes, airs on NBC, is produced by Universal Media Studios (same parent as NBC) and Tailwind Productions (unaffiliated).
* Lost, airs on ABC, is produced by ABC Productions (same parent as ABC), Bad Robot (unaffiliated), and Grass Skirt Productions (unaffiliated).
* Buffy the Vampire Slayer, aired on WB, was produced by Mutant Enemy Productions (unaffiliated).
In just about ALL cases, the shows' premises were dreamed up outside the context of the production company (there are exceptions, especially in the drivel-shows, but not many amongst headline shows). They were then shopped around to various networks for distribution, one network bit and gave money to produce a pilot, the pilot was made, then that network decided to buy one or more seasons (or half a season in many cases).
Again, if you think of "ABC" as "ABC Productions", then your statement borders on truth. Obviously the two are related. However, ABC that most of us identify with could whither and die tomorrow, and ABC Productions would still be churning out new episodes of Lost.
Right, a mini would be nice, but it is three times as expensive as ATV. I didn't realize that Plex claims to seamlessly integrate with your shared itunes library. Plex actually seems really great, and I like that their focus seems centered on your local media, unlike boxee which has this whole social networking side to it that I could do without. But plex doesn't have an ATV version like Boxee. It would be nice if apple could realize that the Plex model is much better than its own, and try something like it.
That said, The ATV's biggest issue is the hardware. If it were better it could run Plex, and run Boxee much better. Hopefully we'll see a hardware update soon to coincide with 3.0 coming out.
But those differences have nothing to do with resolution unless you are standing fairly close to the TV. It is physically impossible for you to see the full 1080p resolution on an HDTV unless you are viewing the TV from a distance that is not much more than 3X the height of the TV image itself. For example, on my 46 inch HDTV that "optimum" viewing distance is 6 feet. On my 32 inch HDTV this distance is only 4 feet. Furthermore, this limit for 1080p content is for high contrast viewing in a darkened room with no contrast-reducing reflections on the surface of the TV. In any case, note that these "optimum," full-resolution values allow for a range of greater viewing distances where you would be getting some benefit from HDTV resolutions.In support of this, I hook my HD Camcorder (1080p) up to my TV and compare it to the same movie rendered at 960 x 540 or 720p on
On the opposite end (perhaps more interesting), when viewing from 9 feet your eye probably can't detect any resolution difference between standard definition content and HD content unless your HDTV is larger than 42 inches (under "good" viewing conditions). Under absolutely optimum conditions the HDTV would have to be larger than 31 inches in order for you to resolve anything better than even standard definition content (from 9 feet, which has been found to be the typical TV viewing distance for most people).
In any case, as I said before:
Everyone who responded to my previous post ignored that stipulation.fpnc said:
All of the above values were taken from "The Schubin Report" which is a really excellent technical podcast series:
http://schubincafe.com/
This is true in many ways. AppleTV is an unsuccessful small niche product.
Many current users claim it's great but still ultimately hack it to make it useful. If it were great right out of the box as claimed, why would there be so many recommending third party software?
Perhaps being a media conduit isn't a compelling device, or apple needs to partner with a HULU, or add more capable hardware. Whatever it is, these software updates aren't enough. At the moment it's too much work to rip a DVD collection and digital video downloads isn't growing as fast as BD.
I have no hacks and think it is a fantastic product. I have over 300GB's worth of TV shows and movies on it.
For a lot of people, maybe they have no use for it. For me, I use it daily - new tv shows, I encode and pop them on it ready to watch. I really don't know how I'd live with out it..
I was buying a song and the store force-flashed the new terms on the screen at me before I could complete my purchase. The line about
TV 3.0 was right at the top. Bought the song and came to MR to see if there was any news about the update.