iPod What does apple TV Do please??

[NewMacGirl]

Hello,

Everytime I use the internet for the first time on my new imac (which I absolutely love-it hasn't just stopped working for no reason or locked up yet!!) I always get the apple website.

I see this apple TV advertised but I don't know what it is suppose to do. As I love my imac so much we are thinking maybe their other products are worth a look too.

It repeatedly says watch itunes on your widescreen TV- so do we need a wide screen TV. It also mentions high definition TV-we don't have either so do we need to get one of these first to use this?

Also it says watch videos. I have itunes and have figured out how to put my cd's onto it (well you put them in and it puts them into itunes, couldn't be easier) but when I put a DVD in, I can't see the DVD disk in the itunes list or find anyway to transfer it into itunes.

So is there a DVD player on the apple TV which will let me copy in the DVD into itunes? Or do we just buy them off itunes (there isn't really anything we want though).

I quite like the idea of it but A) if we have to buy a new TV and B) have to buy video from itunes then it rather pute me off. Am I missing the point here but I don't really understand it.

 

[roland.g]

Use your Mac for a while, then think about it.
I don't think you are at the point yet in your usage to worry about it.
But down the line when you have a new tv and more photos and music, + make sure you have broadband internet, then you may want one.

 

[roland.g]

As far as what it does:

it connects wirelessly and syncs to your iMac. It connects to a HDTV and allows you to stream music and photos and movies (as well as tv shows and music videos) from your Mac to the tv as well as watch movie trailers from the internet.

It's great for showing photos, listening to music, and streaming video.
As far as DVDs and movies in general. It allows you to stream any iTunes purchased movie, tv show, music video, as well as movies you create in iMovie from your digital camera/camcorder. You cannot copy DVDs into iTunes, though some people do use software on their Macs to rip DVDs to their computer to play or put on their iPods, there is no real info on how to watch those movies with tv, though it may well be possible, which a lot of us do hope.

 

[NewMacGirl]

Thanks for the reply, I don't think this is for us. My husband thought it had must have a DVD/CD player built in, but as it doesn't we would never use it.

So that we can listen to itunes and the internet radio, wev'e plugged a cable into the microphone and this plugs into our Hifi-trouble is it stops the sound coming from the imac. So is there any way to have sound coming from both the imac and hifi as they are in differant rooms -it would be nice to have sound from both sometimes. Sorry I am totally new to imacs and can just about cope if things are simple!!

 

[roland.g]

You can get an Airport Express and use the AirTunes through iTunes to stream music to any room wirelessly. My wife and I use this to play music all over the house. It is a small power brick 3" x 3" x 1" thick. You plug a speaker set or run a minijack to rca cable to your stereo aux (or other) input. We love it because we can take it outside when we have a party or are working in the yard and plug it in outside along with speakers and stream from our Mac. They run $99 (or $89 refurbished). I don't know if you can now play them through the Mac and Airtunes simultaneously. I think you can stream to more than one so you could have it run to more than one stereo or inside and outside. But not sure about playing and streaming at the same time. Also, I know there is a program you can download called AirFoil that does something too, but not sure if it does what you are talking about. I would google it. It's 3rd party. Hope that helps.

 

[mrgreen4242]

Thanks for the reply, I don't think this is for us. My husband thought it had must have a DVD/CD player built in, but as it doesn't we would never use it.

So that we can listen to itunes and the internet radio, wev'e plugged a cable into the microphone and this plugs into our Hifi-trouble is it stops the sound coming from the imac. So is there any way to have sound coming from both the imac and hifi as they are in differant rooms -it would be nice to have sound from both sometimes. Sorry I am totally new to imacs and can just about cope if things are simple!!

The only way I can think to get sound out of both your iMac and a stereo is to use an AirPort Express with AirTunes. It's a small wireless router that you can plug your stereo into and then stream music from iTunes to the equipment connected to the AirPort. You can choose if you want the speakers, the computer, or both. It works very well and is about $80 if I recall.

Also, you're correct in that there is no DVD/CD in the Apple TV and no (easy) way to get your DVDs into it. In my opinion, at this point in the Apple TVs life if you have to ask what it's for you probably don't want it, especially for $300.

 

[roland.g]

The only way I can think to get sound out of both your iMac and a stereo is to use an AirPort Express with AirTunes. It's a small wireless router that you can plug your stereo into and then stream music from iTunes to the equipment connected to the AirPort. You can choose if you want the speakers, the computer, or both. It works very well and is about $80 if I recall.

Also, you're correct in that there is no DVD/CD in the Apple TV and no (easy) way to get your DVDs into it. In my opinion, at this point in the Apple TVs life if you have to ask what it's for you probably don't want it, especially for $300.

Can you do computer and remote speakers or just multiple remote speakers. I didn't know you could play through Mac and remote speakers at the same time. But I haven't tried to.

 

[mrgreen4242]

Can you do computer and remote speakers or just multiple remote speakers. I didn't know you could play through Mac and remote speakers at the same time. But I haven't tried to.

Yup, you can pick a combination of speakers from any AirTunes connected set and the local machine. Works well, even syncs up the playback correctly (that is it delays the local playback just slightly so there's no lag between the remote speakers).

 

[NewMacGirl]

Thanks for the tip on Airport Express-Iv'e just put this into Google and see its an Apple product. Great!! We'll be getting one. We have a party coming up soon and it would be great to be able to play our music outside. Thanks!!

 

[NewMacGirl]

Sorry, just on The Apple Store now but need to see about ordering an Airport express- do I need to get an Airport Extreme Base Station to go with it. Or does my (brand new) imac have the wireless transmitter built in? This seems just what we need

 

[roland.g]

Sorry, just on The Apple Store now but need to see about ordering an Airport express- do I need to get an Airport Extreme Base Station to go with it. Or does my (brand new) imac have the wireless transmitter built in? This seems just what we need

All you need is the Express. Enjoy.

BTW, if you have a PC laptop or something too, load iTunes on it and it can play to the Express as well.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

is anyone else under the impression that TV is a large waste of money...

 

[hegor]

is anyone else under the impression that TV is a large waste of money...

TV + iMac/large external hard drive + mac the ripper/visual hub/handbrake = vod for movies for me and no questions on how it operates from family. So no its not a rip off for me. For others I do understand if the product seems overpriced. The remote sucks too, but I've had good success in not losing remotes.

Additionally, I am of the belief that high def content will come fairly soon.

It would be really nice to see this device being a conduit for iptv, but thats streching it in my opinion.

 

[NewMacGirl]

Thanks for the advice re airport express-one will be ordered shortly!

As for the Apple TV, from what I have learnt from you it's not for us as we don't have any video in itunes and we can't put in our existing DVD's into itunes so we could beam it to the itv thingy (like you can load CD's into itunes). It doesn't have a CD/DVD player either. I saw that you can control your selections using the TV but other than that it seems to me that airport express can do all I need-which is play itunes anywhere in the house.

I have been playing with my mac and the speech recognition thing says There is nothing as powerful as an idea who's time has come (I can't make it speak anything else apaprt from notes though but Iv'e asked enough questions already!!). Maybe apples TV's time is not now but sometime in the future when we all buy our TV off itunes???