I believe the EyeTV can also record unencrypted-QAM channels from your cable provider. These are usually just the locals, but it's something.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
There is still hope for the Apple TV
- Thread starter R.Youden
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I believe the EyeTV can also record unencrypted-QAM channels from your cable provider. These are usually just the locals, but it's something.
I think it's too expensive for what it does. 'Itunes Extender' is an apt description.
My soft-modded XBox can do the same sorta stuff for much less money, and can play DVD's. It can also output in HD, and play more types of files (including over a network.)
I understand that's a different product, but I think $299 is too much. $199 would have be the sweet spot IMO, but that might not be doable for Apple. Mayhe if they cut down the HD to only 20GB, so that it was mainly a streaming buffer (since content can be streamed from your computers anyway.)
My soft-modded XBox can do the same sorta stuff for much less money, and can play DVD's. It can also output in HD, and play more types of files (including over a network.)
I understand that's a different product, but I think $299 is too much. $199 would have be the sweet spot IMO, but that might not be doable for Apple. Mayhe if they cut down the HD to only 20GB, so that it was mainly a streaming buffer (since content can be streamed from your computers anyway.)
Yea , for all your TVs that have the Apple TV hooked to it. at $299 a pop thats not going to be every TV in the house. No way.
My take on the AppleTV is that the USB port on the back could be for a DVD drive in the same format as the AppleTV that would plug in via usb and sit underneath or ontop of the AppleTV, that way you can watch DVD's using it.
Also, the DVD drive could have a USB hub in it.
I reallly can't see apple using the USB port for firmware upgrades, apple usually put interfaces for firmware upgrades inside the actual unit, not on the outside.
That said, Its basically a REALLY small mac mini without an optical drive, so I'm betting on a third party linux replacement to come out for it.
I really dont like the idea of it talking to iTunes though, it would be much much better if it used Bonjour or Redezvous (Whatever its called..) to grab content and let you use QT components.
Also, the DVD drive could have a USB hub in it.
I reallly can't see apple using the USB port for firmware upgrades, apple usually put interfaces for firmware upgrades inside the actual unit, not on the outside.
That said, Its basically a REALLY small mac mini without an optical drive, so I'm betting on a third party linux replacement to come out for it.
I really dont like the idea of it talking to iTunes though, it would be much much better if it used Bonjour or Redezvous (Whatever its called..) to grab content and let you use QT components.
If Steve's right and 10 million people really do know how to use iTunes well enough to sync their iPod, and the aTV is no harder than an iPod to sync, why reinvent the wheel?
I think it's awesome being able to control/sync my Apple TV, iPhone and whatever digital device I have through iTunes.
There is another point I'd like to make.....
Apple TV is an Apple product and there are many people like myself who don't mind paying a bit more for the form and function that only Apple (IMHO) offers. The way these products work seamlessly together is worth the price as far as I'm concerned. I mean, how cool is that to be able to sync/manipulate Apple TV, iPods and eventually the iPhone via iTunes? I understand there are other products that probably do exactly the same thing but they lack that "X" factor or "Pizaz" (as that dude in Scarface said) that is the hallmark of Apple products.
Huh? Even a "bare-bones" Xbox 360 is $299 which is exactly the same price as an Apple TV.
There is another point I'd like to make.....
Apple TV is an Apple product and there are many people like myself who don't mind paying a bit more for the form and function that only Apple (IMHO) offers. The way these products work seamlessly together is worth the price as far as I'm concerned. I mean, how cool is that to be able to sync/manipulate Apple TV, iPods and eventually the iPhone via iTunes? I understand there are other products that probably do exactly the same thing but they lack that "X" factor or "Pizaz" (as that dude in Scarface said) that is the hallmark of Apple products.
like to see a little more
I have been waiting Atv for awhile,and was some what disappointed.
I can understand wireless-n for video streaming,but why didn't they include gigabit ethernet.
For those of us who have up graded older macs there doesn't seem to be many good choices for up grading to wireless-n,internaly.
From what I understand streaming video over wireless-g or 100base is not good very choppy.I have tried this at home not good results.
The music and picts will do well not video.
I guess you can sync video to hd that should do well.but 40gig is not that much for video.hope the usb is for external hd.
If this product is to allow us to stream content from our machines I feel it comes up short on connections to the network.
I hope Apple has some soultions in the works or this product might have limited appeal.
I for one will buy it,just hope it doesn't end up in the trash.
I have been waiting Atv for awhile,and was some what disappointed.
I can understand wireless-n for video streaming,but why didn't they include gigabit ethernet.
For those of us who have up graded older macs there doesn't seem to be many good choices for up grading to wireless-n,internaly.
From what I understand streaming video over wireless-g or 100base is not good very choppy.I have tried this at home not good results.
The music and picts will do well not video.
I guess you can sync video to hd that should do well.but 40gig is not that much for video.hope the usb is for external hd.
If this product is to allow us to stream content from our machines I feel it comes up short on connections to the network.
I hope Apple has some soultions in the works or this product might have limited appeal.
I for one will buy it,just hope it doesn't end up in the trash.
I don't think it really matters, as long as you're not streaming too high resolution video.
The problem with streaming is not absolute throughput, it's latency and hiccups. But if ATV uses its hard drive to cache data, streaming should be no problem at all even over 802.11g.
I don't know if it can, but it should with that 40GB hard drive...If only a couple of GB is dedicated to buffering data (and even that's overkill), then streaming shouldn't be a problem I think.
The problem with streaming is not absolute throughput, it's latency and hiccups. But if ATV uses its hard drive to cache data, streaming should be no problem at all even over 802.11g.
I don't know if it can, but it should with that 40GB hard drive...If only a couple of GB is dedicated to buffering data (and even that's overkill), then streaming shouldn't be a problem I think.
I was answering another poster's question- a first-gen XBox can be modded to install your own programs. One of which is called XBox Media Center, which does photos, music, videos, DVD's, etc. at up to 1080i. I don't think it's powerful enough to play native HD content though, so most videos would be upsampled.
Yeah, obviously the ATV is not competing with modded XBoxes. Actually, having used a modded XBox for that kind of stuff excites me more about the ATV. I just wish it was a bit cheaper. If it can reliably stream video from my Mac, I will want one nonetheless. I'd get a 500GB external HD, rip all my DVD's, and then just ATV almost exclusively for home entertainment.
The basic XBox 360 is a good comparison- it may not be able to do all of what ATV does (I don't know the exact feature set), but it does a great job of playing games, which ATV doesn't do at all.
But even that comparison gets complicated, because the cost of XBox 360 is heavily subsidized by software sales, ATV isn't. They make some money off iTunes purchases, but not a lot.
Yeah, obviously the ATV is not competing with modded XBoxes. Actually, having used a modded XBox for that kind of stuff excites me more about the ATV. I just wish it was a bit cheaper. If it can reliably stream video from my Mac, I will want one nonetheless. I'd get a 500GB external HD, rip all my DVD's, and then just ATV almost exclusively for home entertainment.
The basic XBox 360 is a good comparison- it may not be able to do all of what ATV does (I don't know the exact feature set), but it does a great job of playing games, which ATV doesn't do at all.
But even that comparison gets complicated, because the cost of XBox 360 is heavily subsidized by software sales, ATV isn't. They make some money off iTunes purchases, but not a lot.
you have a good point
I hope that is how it works for video files.love the product concept.
I trust apple will quickly fix any real world problems they havn't thought about.they seem to be very responsive nowadays.
I have a dual 1.6ghz g4 machine this shoudn't be the choke point for me.
looking forward to getting my hands on this to play with.
thanks for your thoughts mc1home
I hope that is how it works for video files.love the product concept.
I trust apple will quickly fix any real world problems they havn't thought about.they seem to be very responsive nowadays.
I have a dual 1.6ghz g4 machine this shoudn't be the choke point for me.
looking forward to getting my hands on this to play with.
thanks for your thoughts mc1home