Torn, Help me switch.

[SimonLee5282]

I am hoping to buy a new computor in Feburuary. I was looking at the Windows Media Center untill my uncle told me to get a Mac. He is a computor programmer, and said he would never get a mac, untill a few months ago. Now he is a mac owner, and loves it.

Anyways, I want to make the jump, but need to know if I will be able to do a few things with my Mac, if I get one.

The setup I want is a computor in my bedroom. I would love to put the 20" iMac in there. I want a TV tuner connected to it, so I can ditch TVIO and DirecTV. I want to use the computor to record the two shows I watch a week, both broadcast tv shows. Are there third party TV tuners and TV recorders that record my tv shows on my hard drive?

My wife loves AOL. I know that AOL has a Mac version, but I tried to look to see what features they have for mac. The features worth paying for is the McAfee firewall and antivirus, Spyware remover, You've Got Pictures, Radio@AOL, and Video@AOL. Are thease features avalable on AOL for Mac?

I also want to put a network box next to my TV in the living room so I can stream media to my TV, mostly music and picutes/videos of my baby girl. I looked at the Netgear Wireless Media Player MP115 and the D-Link Wireless Media Lounge. Both of them say that Windows is required. Does that mean that they just wont give technical support to other users, or that the players are not compatable with Mac. I wonder because if they are just networking devices, and Macs have no problem networking with Windows, then maybe it is possible.

I also wonder if Apple will do video support for the iPod in the future, or if there is a player similiar to the IRiver PMC 120 that will work with the mac I would love to take videos of my baby girl and carry it with me to show off, or take my TV shows I recorded on my Mac with me so I can watch it when it is convient.

If that wont work is there any other ways to get my music and videos onto my TV into my living room? I am sick of windows because it is just to much, and I know that the Windows Media Center is just Windows XP with the media center enhancement, and I would love to ditch Windows, but dont know if a Mac will do what I want it to. I am torn between a nice, sleek, beautiful 20" iMac that I don't know if it will do what I want it to do, and an ugly, overblown, problem prone Windows Media Center that will do what I know will need.

Thanks for everyones help.

 

[Tamer Brad]

You won't need spyware remover, antivirus or firewall.

 

[iSaint]

I would suggest weaning your wife of AOL...ugh!

 

[HardcoreBanjo]

Switch

Windows is absolutely riddled with spyware and adware. With Apple computers you don't get this or the slowdown. With Windows if you lose a critical DLL, then you might as well just re-install your OS. I've been there.

 

[SimonLee5282]

so there is no threat of spyware, virus, or hackers??? That is really cool. I would love to get it. What about the other features I need?

 

[dmw007]

so there is no threat of spyware, virus, or hackers??? That is really cool. I would love to get it. What about the other features I need?

Currently no spyware or viruses for Mac OS X (for windows xp- over 70,000 viruses!).

 

[beg_ne]

Currently there are no viruses or spyware out in the wild. It could happen, but thats been a "could've" for 4 or 5 years now. OS X has it's own firewall built in so you don't need some bloated 3rd party program eating up the resources. It is turned off by default so when/if you get the Mac you should turn it on. It's one button to press in the Sharing Prefs.

Check out the EyeTV from Elgato for the TV recording stuff.

http://elgato.com/


I don't know what features AOL has for Mac, i would assume the same, but I could be wrong.

I'm not familiar to the extent of what the Radio and Video@ AOL covers. Itunes does have radio channels you can listen to, and you can find Music videos on the iTunes music store you can watch for free, but I imagine she watches news and other kind of videos on the AOL thing.

I wouldn't expect a Video iPod for a while still, I'm sure it will happen one day, but who knows when that will be. You could store the video files on the iPod, but you have to dump them back onto a PC or Mac to watch them, i'm assuming you want to view them on the Go and not at a computer though.

 

[dmw007]

Go with the 20" iMac G5, you will not regret your decision. The new iMac G5s are awesome machines!

 

[Pistol Pete]

Go with the 20" iMac G5, you will not regret your decision. The new iMac G5s are awesome machines!

amazing machines and now is a great time to buy one!!!

 

[After G]

I know a lot of what I am going to say has been said already ... but

... Are there third party TV tuners and TV recorders that record my tv shows on my hard drive?

EyeTV, like someone said earlier. But get the Firewire version, if you can shoulder the extra cost. The USB one will eat processor time on your future iMac.

I also want to put a network box next to my TV in the living room so I can stream media to my TV, mostly music and picutes/videos of my baby girl.

http://www.rokulabs.com/ - the Photobridge might be what you are looking for. Supports OS X too.

I also wonder if Apple will do video support for the iPod in the future

They just might in the future. You could always burn DVDs of your photos and music, and get a portable DVD player while you wait. Plus you can use iDVD to put your home movies on too. Portable DVD players are getting pretty cheap these days.

So, in short, get the Mac. You won't regret it.

 

[SimonLee5282]

http://www.rokulabs.com/ - the Photobridge might be what you are looking for. Supports OS X too.

That roku media player is awesome. No software, no nothing. It said that it plays MPEG 2 video. Is that a specific file format? What is MPEG 2? Is video like quicktime an MPEG video file? What limits will I have with that?

SOrry bout all the questions. Thank you for the suggestion. I will probably reward myself to my iMac when I get home in Feburuary from Iraq.

Thanks

 

[Mechcozmo]

That roku media player is awesome. No software, no nothing. It said that it plays MPEG 2 video. Is that a specific file format? What is MPEG 2? Is video like quicktime an MPEG video file? What limits will I have with that?

SOrry bout all the questions. Thank you for the suggestion. I will probably reward myself to my iMac when I get home in Feburuary from Iraq.

MPEG is the type. MP3 is MPEG-1, layer 3. MPEG-2 is the standard for video on DVDs. Fairly common. Quicktime will play it.

 

[SimonLee5282]

I have another questin. Thanks for the help everyone. When I plug my digital camecorder (DV tape) into my iMac, and edit it using iMovie, what file format does it make? I think this is the last question. Thanks again.

 

[rareflares]

I have another questin. Thanks for the help everyone. When I plug my digital camecorder (DV tape) into my iMac, and edit it using iMovie, what file format does it make? I think this is the last question. Thanks again.

i believe you can export all your edited video to .mov, .mpeg, VCD, back to the camcorder and an assortment of other options. I haven't used iMovie in a couple years but last I remember you could do these things (and only more options would have been added).

 

[redAPPLE]

so there is no threat of spyware, virus, or hackers??? That is really cool. I would love to get it. What about the other features I need?

unless Apple starts using intel chips, that is.

 

[Mechcozmo]

I have another questin. Thanks for the help everyone. When I plug my digital camecorder (DV tape) into my iMac, and edit it using iMovie, what file format does it make? I think this is the last question. Thanks again.

iMovie edits in .dv file format. That's raw digital video. It sucks your disk space but you can't get any better quality. And the iMac has a lot of disk space, so you don't need to worry that much.

 

[mac-er]

My wife loves AOL. I know that AOL has a Mac version, but I tried to look to see what features they have for mac. The features worth paying for is the McAfee firewall and antivirus, Spyware remover, You've Got Pictures, Radio@AOL, and Video@AOL. Are thease features avalable on AOL for Mac?

The security features on AOL are not available for Mac, but you really don't need them (like the other posters said).

Radio@AOL is not available for AOL for Mac. Don't know about Video@AOL.

You've Got Pictures does work for the Mac.

 

[Pistol Pete]

stop using dial up!!!!! ahhh so slow!!


macs are better looking....so sexy

 

[dotdotdot]

I am an AOL user for windows and would love to ditch it but my filing cabinet of emails and my main email address is at aol... and I don't wanna loose ALL my email! Plus, my dad uses it for work-related stuff.

AOL for Mac is million times better. 1) It uses the Netscape GECKO engine, same engine as Firefox, the safest browser (or was, anyway). 2) It looks a LOT better. 3) It can't install all the crap it does for Windows. AOL installs the You've Got Pictures engine, AOL Screensaver, AOL Engine, all this crap no one needs.

When I get a Mac, however, I doubt AOL will enter the machine.

Just ditch AOL and dial up and get DSL or Cable!

 

[UTB_Avid]

Dotx3 get a gmail account and move all your aol mail over and forward all new messages.

 

[davedrivesamini]

I switched in December. I bought a 20" iMac G5. I use Airport Express to wirelessly stream music to my hifi in my lounge.

I have AOL, but don't use the AOL software - with my wireless network I seem to be always connected so I just use Safari to browse the internet.

Today I made a movie for my year 9 students about the London Docklands - I shot it yesterday and spent a few hours this afternoon editing it.

I love my iMac!

 

[SimonLee5282]

stop using dial up!!!!! ahhh so slow!!


macs are better looking....so sexy

I gave up on dial up a long time ago. I use the ten dollar AOL add on plan for the features that my wife and I like. It comes with ten hours of dialup a month that I never use. I can never go back to dialup.

 

[SimonLee5282]

iMovie edits in .dv file format. That's raw digital video. It sucks your disk space but you can't get any better quality. And the iMac has a lot of disk space, so you don't need to worry that much.

can i save it in an uncompressed format? I am sure I can, but not sure cuz ive never played with the software.

 

[MacFan25863]

can i save it in an uncompressed format? I am sure I can, but not sure cuz ive never played with the software.

DV is raw off the camcorder, so it is the best quality you can get. You also have options for web use, email use, export to DVD, etc.

Also, with the Radio and Video @aol, you can do the same with Roadrunner Cable (its what I use). You are given a CNN Newspass (or whatever its called) with Roadrunner, so you got your video covered. iTunes has radio, and there are also thousands of free radio stations you can listen to on the net.

 

[SimonLee5282]

::does a dumb dance aound the room and sings::

"YAY!!!
Im gonna get an iMac,
when i get back from Iraq!!!"

Thanks for all your help everyone!!!