Apple TV now shipping
by Bruce Elgort
Is an Apple TV in your future?
Comments
Does that come with DRM?
I sure hope so. Is one in yours?
I still did not get the idea behind. As a real 'old-hand' I'd like to have a DVD drive inside...
That would be the Mac mini then.
I like it. But i currently don't see the need to replace a good and working Pinnacle ShowCenter which does probably the same. Only difference: The SC doesn't have a harddisk on board for remote caching.
So i'll have to answer this with a definitely maybe!
Dirk, I've got the need for you: MacOS X compatibility
I sold my ShowCenter because there are almost no uPnP-Server (Elgato and twonky) for the Mac or rather all of them are too expensive for the way they work with the ShowCenter (simple folders and lists to choose from).
But I don't know if the Apple TV works with all my video files, so I'll wait for the first tests.
no, I will not buy it since it's pretty limited. I only can play stuff from iTunes from it. That's nonsense. I want to play movies / DVDs. I want to watch TV with timeshift. I want to record TV. I want to have a pretty EPG.
I'm running a Mac Mini under Windows XP with MediaPortal, that provides me with with all stuff mentioned above.
I'm sure Apple has all the technology to build the perfect media center system with TV support, and I don't get why they don't do it. They could use a Mac Mini with a TV card, then extend FrontRow to support watching and recording TV. Should be easy for Apple...
I understand the concept in the US, with movies and TV Series available in iTunes, but what will it do for me in germany?
I only can play stuff from iTunes from it.To clarify for anyone confused by this statement: content has to be in iTunes for Front Row to pick it up and do its stuff. This does NOT mean that you can only play content purchased in the iTunes Store. Whilst DVD and TV support would be cool, I think appletv is a nice first cut. And you can always rip your DVDs of course (in fact, I would encourage this. The damn things are so fragile…)
I would take one if prices drop to $150 - $199.
Ben, for sure it's nice to have backups of your DVDs and then it's nice from iTunes that I can play them in AppleTV. But what if you have hundreds of DVDs? Do you have the storage to have backup of them all? Do you have the time to create all those backups?
Enough storage for this will cost several hundreds Euros/Dollars. Do you want to spend them only because Apple does not deliver a simple DVD drive with AppleTV?
I'm sure there will be lot's of geeks buying it just because it's Apple and it's cool somewhat. But nevertheless it's very, very limited.
There is still hope that the USB connector will allow one to plug in some DVD drive.
Yep, point taken Julian. Personally, I won’t be buying one, but it has an attraction for sure. I guess the value proposition is that you’re streaming audio / video over your wireless network, and so you’re freeing up the stuff on your hard drive for consumption in the living room.
If I wanted DVD support, to be honest, I’d just switch on my ¢30 DVD player, although yes, a seamless user experience would be nicer :o)
For now I'm happy with my Roku Soundbridge + Dreambox (which has a harddisk and can stream to my Mac via WLAN if I want to burn DVDs). I'll be waiting for reports on Apple TV first, and guess if I upgrade, it'll be to replace the Roku with a Mac Mini for MP3 streaming to the HiFi and get a more powerfull and flexible solution than the Apple TV seems to offer.
Not for me, I am very happy with my Tivo and Slingbox.
@Ben - Rip your DVD's?
Did I hear you right?
Is it not a violation of the DMCA to defeat the copy protection on your DVD?
And when did you last see a DVD that was not copy protected, at least by CSS if not also using broken sectors and like skullduggery in the on-disc structure?
Is it not a violation of the DMCA to defeat the copy protection on your DVD?Dunno. Quite possibly. But then of course the DMCA has very little to do with me—Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003 is more up my alley ;o)
In any case, for the purposes of watching a movie I bought, in my own home, I’d cry “fair dealing”!
What I do know is that I am heartily sick of sitting through piracy messages, trailers, and all the other crap that DVDs come with that you cannot skip. ANd then of course there are those discs who get a tiny bit of rough handling and are thereafter unplayable. Well, sod all that: rip the disks, and rip them well. Then you can actually—gasp—watch the movie you paid for!
Bah… ;o)
If we didn't have a PS3 it might be interesting..so the answer to your question would be no :).
@Ben - sorry. Forgot you were one of us. But it is said to be a technical breach of some bit of British legislation (which one, I am quite sure I don't know) to defeat copy protection on DVDs too :-(
Well, now I've got the idea: A MOX capable machine for just 300 bucks...
