As
promised this morning, we've been spending some quality alone time with the
Apple TV today, and we've got the gallery to prove it. We ran through most all of the options, hit a few bumps here and there, but for the most part had a good experience with the unit. Our favorite podcast, "William Hung Cooking Show" was a no-go thanks to the restrictive codec support, but otherwise our little collection of iTunes media transferred smoothly and played without a hitch on the device. In fact, sometimes it was a bit hard to tell if something had already been synced, or was just streaming off of our computer, or was in the process of both, since for the most part things "just work" with the unit. Setting up syncing was just like working an iPod, so there shouldn't be any worries for the noobs out there in getting this thing up and running. There is one huge caveat, however: TV shows and music videos don't look great after being scaled to 720p. Hopefully Apple has some HD content up its sleeve, 'cause otherwise it seems like waste of money to use this with a decent TV unless you want to look at photo galleries all day -- which look great, by the way. Actual operation and booting of the device is responsive, silent and energy efficient -- the unit is quick to fade the screen to black after going unused for a minute or so. For someone with a lot of cash invested in a collection of iTunes media, the Apple TV seems a solid -- if pricey -- buy, but for most people with more diverse media collections and saner pocketbooks, this is a hard one to recommend.
posted March 22nd 2007 4:32PM
So, once again, anything you do to put together a nice slideshow, like timing transitions, manual iconographs (oh, sorry "Ken Burns Effect"...gag), and so on is stuck only on the machine where you create the show. And you can't even export that slideshow intact to the appleTV?
Disappointing....this thing could be a nice portable presentation machine if they get that idiocy fixed.
I'm getting one. Apple Rules!
Please my Xbox Media Center has been doing that for years.
Some people just don't get it. This isn't a rival to the 360, we all know that the 360 and all of its features would blow this thing out of the water (and trust me, I'm a HUGE Apple fanboy)! The problem with the AppleTV is the name of the device. They should have named it iPodTV, because that's what it is... a headless iPod! Anything you can do with an iPod you will be able to do with an AppleTV. Get it? I won't be buying one of these, but I will recommend it to people, it's a great non-techie device, I'll stick with hooking up a mac mini to my tv, or, gulp, an MS XBox!
And please, get off endadtget's case... if you don't like what they write (and they cover A LOT for us lazy asses too "busy" to search the web for all this info), then hit the back button!
if this thing played DivX & XviD files, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
but it doesn't. lame-o
If you have all your movies on a 500GB HDD on our PC in iTunes H.264 format then you just stream them or sync them with the AppleTV. The 40GB HDD in the Apple TV is for syncing your most popular movies. It'll stream other movies from the PC.
Keep the reviews coming - the experience of using one is what I want to hear about.
Unforunately until it (and I guess iTunes) will play XViD/DiVX (and make it painless to organise) it's never going to be the solution I am looking for.
I think iTunes could do with a 'copy MUSIC files to iTunes directory but not MOVIE files' option - all my movies are on external HDD(s) but I like my music on the internal (and want it organised by iTunes).
The only other option is whether H264 files will start to replace XviD as the encoding of choice...
Next Engadget Post: Apple TV rules world, Apple owns all other companies, Sony sucks, PS3 fails, Blu-Ray fails, Apple used by 99% of population.
Same day from Fox: Apple TV sales dismal, Apple stock down 10%, Sony stock up 20%, PS3 selling well, Blu-Ray wins format war, Apple Macs used by 2% of all computer users.
Oh wow! Look, they copied Windows Media Center! But Engadget won't mention that, nooo..
Dude, you watch fox.
How boring and useless!
The Xbox360 is RIGHT THERE! and it's so much better at streaming meadia than that ugly netgear router lookalike thing. (why would you make a product based off of the look of an ugly ass router!?)
Ok, so I am waiting for someone to cover this question for me...
Can this thing play to "multiple speakers" the same way my iTunes can?
Example: From iTunes I can play to my AirPort Express in my living room, the one in my basement and my G5's attached speakers all at the same time. Is there a setting in the ATV that will allow me to select a music track and stream/play to multiple locations in my house at once? This info would be helpful for those of us trying to decide between an ATV and a MacMini.
excellent post, keep up the good work edgaget. people, alot of peeps want this info. that's y they write them. for those who get are gettimg upset with the articles., you need a hug..
Yeah, it's the only non liberal biased news channel out there. Duh. Watching CNN, NBC, ABC, or any of those makes me pissed because they are so damn liberal and biased about everything it sickens me.
Dude.. you buy Apple products is worse. You support DRM, the RIAA, MPAA, and tight jean wearing illegitimate children having CEOs that think every time he takes white shit it should be a worldwide event.
Uh you do realise Fox News is sensationalist don't you?
If you had a Liberal president hopefully Iraq wouldn't have happened in the first place! And also, it appears you don't understand what the job of the 4 estate is. The moment the 4th estate stops questioning the practise of your govt, you no longer have a real democracy. And I take it that's what you want, an even more corrupt administration for your country.
Yes, you're right, I'm obviously a Nazi because you know, I am criticising Fox News and the Bush administration for being far too left wing. For someone who is a a "studying political scientist" that knows "how stuff works" I think you really ought to think a little more carefully before you try to make these kinds of accusations.