We wrangled ourselves an Apple TV, and have gratuitously documented the unboxing process for your entertainment pleasure -- seriously,
lots of photos. (Hey, what else you got going on to liven things up on a Thursday morning?) Obviously, the packaging and device are a sterling example of Apple minimalism, all the way down to the
complete lack of video cables, which sucks for oodles of hapless buyers who are going to discover the absence of such just in time to make a whole 'nother trip to the electronics store. Stay tuned for some interface walkthroughs and various other tomfoolery once we can find ourselves a cable or two that won't look out of place sticking out of Stevie J's latest.
posted Mar 22nd 2007 9:03AM
Apple TV doesn't have a screen. You plug it into the television you already have. Oh, and the stream of insults just makes you seem obnoxious, not right.
what does this even do?? is it just a T.V tuner/recorder...
It doesn't even do that. You plug it into your TV to play the iTunes media you have stored on your computer. You can sync to it like an iPod (it has a 40GB HD).
That's ALL it does.
"what does this even do?? is it just a T.V tuner/recorder..."
Less than that, I'm afraid... It streams your crap from iTunes. So whatever you may have bought on iTunes, plus your music, plus any videos you happen to have in the H.264 format. Streams it all to your TV. Useful? You be the judge...
Also, no AV cables in the box? You have got to be kidding me. I can't wait for all the stupid fanboys to try and justify THAT decision.
Go ahead, kids. Lower my post rating. You still know I'm right.
yep. thats what i found out when i bought the apple ipod dock. for $30, it came with a base. no av, nor power cable. nothing else except the base.
its an ipod for your tv, it works directly with g/n enabled computers (mac / pc) and doesnt need a wireless hub. it syncs or streams from your computer. it allows for watching video from the web, at the moment trailers, who knows whats intended for future software updates. it has hardware video decoding software, like that of a blueray player for h.264, for all those whining about lack of divx welcome to the superior world of h.264 and stop pirating.
Don't be a ignorant moron.
Divx support is huge, it is a lot more common than H.264 is right now. It is widely used and supported (except in devices like this it seems). People are not going to want to re-encode all of the media. Never mind the fact that re-encoding it is never a good idea as compressing and encoding an already compressed encoded format just makes the quality go down.
H.264 may be the future, but it doesn't have a big enough foot hold just yet.
On top of that, there are plenty of people that use divx for legitimate purposes. Don't make ignorant blanket statements and try to group everyone in the same group. Until the latest rounds of codecs, divx was by far the best one to use for internet video due to its high compression while maintaining quality in the video. Making download smaller and it easier to stream. Red vs Blue used it just to name one of many sources of legitimate divx usage.
Jeez, that's so small... my tv will never fit on top of that tiny box, what were they thinking?
i agree lack of an HDMI or component cable is pretty shitty on apples part.. but what can you expect.. back when i got my iPod photo they used to package an AC adapter with it.. now a days... they AC adapter isnt packaged and they charge you $30 for one.
@Aaron: To be fair, there are a lot of A/V components that do not come with cables other than run of the mill RCA composite types. But, no, there should be, at least, component cables in there. When you look at something like monoprice.com and see what prices they have on cables, it's almost criminal that there aren't cables included in the package.
One really nice thing, though, is that there is no power brick. Admit it: that's slick in a box this small.
Now, as for taking things from iTunes: If you know what you're doing, you can get quite a bit into iTunes. I've ripped the DVDs I watch quite a bit and placed them into iTunes for syncing to my iPod. The issue with that, of course, is that watching the same "Seven Samurai" file on my 51" HDTV that I use on my iPod would be insane, which means ripping a higher-quality of the movie, which means storing it twice, which means I will run out of room very quickly...
However, for the end user with an SDTV and has locked themselves into the iPod and the iTMS, then the Apple TV makes a lot of sense.
I, however, am passing on this one and will stick with my Series2 TiVo and TiVo Desktop for now (note: the TiVo is not on the 51" TV)...
Try setting this up with your computer up one flight of stairs and down the hall and your TV is in the basement.
LOL.
Why doesn´t it sync? Run up to computer to troubleshoot. Run back to TV to try again....repeat ad nauseum.
Hmm, since you seem to be new to computers, Apple included an ethernet port just for you. Or, if you can't run cables, Apple also has Airport Extreme and Airport Express to extend your home wireless network. Next time do your research because when you bash Apple, your ignorance shows thru.
Haha wait its a surprise that apple is skimping on something they already make like 300% profit on? Wake up.
Araon, can you list the devices that come with AV cables other than RCAs? Didn't think so.
It plays what you bought from iTunes AS WELL as what you PUT INTO iTunes. So, download some HD shows from torrents, some movies, porn, etc convert them to mpg and stream away. It's a bridge from your computer to your home theater system using iTunes.
"Araon, can you list the devices that come with AV cables other than RCAs? Didn't think so."
Xbox 360 comes with component cables in the box and does everything the AppleTV does and more.
My Oppo DV971 came with an HDMI-DVI cable.
"Araon, can you list the devices that come with AV cables other than RCAs? Didn't think so."
This thing is $300. It's also from Apple, so I assume it's fairly easy for newbies, i.e. not a super high-end technical device. It does not matter what everyone else puts in the box. This would be like not including headphones with iPods, and it's stupid.
"So, download some HD shows from torrents, some movies, porn, etc convert them to mpg and stream away"
Converting tons of other content you've downloaded is not realistic. Not only would it be an enormous waste of hard disk space, but it would literally take weeks to download a bunch of videos - especially in HD - and then transcode them all. Who really wants to do that just so they can play it on their AppleTV? As others have pointed out, the Xbox 360 already does a better job with its MCE functionality. Hell, even without Media Center, the 360 can still stream music, pictures, and WMV files from your PC.
Wow, some bitter PC fans around here. Just because Vista blows chunks and you're bitter about the real concept that M$ is declining you don't need to bash Apple to sadistically please yourselves.
I'm waiting to see some pics of actually streaming of movies, tv shows, etc from iTunes. MORE PICS!!
Watch the apple phone keynotes, that is where you see this in action...
People should stop being idiots, It's a product from apple! A lot of people "who don't pirate" buy the shows off itunes, making this perfect for siting at home with you wide screen and being a your rich selfs.
This seems OK, but it really doesn't do anything my 360 can't do. In fact, my digital cable box has music channels and ON DEMAND video purchases. So if I pair my stb and my 360, who needs this?
My word of advice is skip this thing all together and look for a modded Xbox with XBMC installed. Trust me you wont regret it.
You mean HDMI right?
Yeah, I'm surprised by the lack of accessories these days. I got a 4th gen iPod a couple years ago and it came with the AC adapter, a base, and two different data cables. It kicked the bucket 11 months later (barely covered by warranty), and the replacement 5th gen iPod came in a much smaller box with only a little sleeve thing. I didn't really care in that case, but it seems ridiculous with this product to not package in some cables, especially when you're Apple and your game is keeping it simple for the consumer.
"On top of that, there are plenty of people that use divx for legitimate purposes."
like?... lol, name one legitamate way of purchasing divx video!!! h.264 is better and there are legal ways of obtaining it plain and simple.
"like?... lol, name one legitamate way of purchasing divx video!!! h.264 is better and there are legal ways of obtaining it plain and simple."
Try choosing your wording better next time. You just said stop pirating, you never said anything about downloading. I merely pointed out that divx was used for legitimate purposes.
Why exactly do you think that H.264 is better than divx, I would like to some insight on your thinking. Could it just be that you use H.264, therefore it is better? That you don't actually know about the formats?
I do not understand why you have this notion that divx = piracy. Divx movies are as legally obtainable as H.264 movies. Like I said, Red vs Blue used it. There are plenty of other sites that are currently using divx. One that you may have heard of, Google.
So take off your blinders and do a little research. Don't just bend over and submit to what ever Apple decides to feed you. There are other viable options out there, just because Apple doesn't use them does not mean that they are not legal, easily obtainable or not worth using.
Though I suppose for you, ignorance is bliss, right?
NOW i would be interestd if it was a media center extender, i say drop the harddrive, reduce the price, swap in MCE Extender v2.0 and sell it for 100$ and im 110% sold.
Ah silly me. With all the hoards of DVD players, HDMI switching receivers, media centers, HDTVs, etc that NONE come with HDMI cables but because your treasured Xbox does somehow this translates to an Apple shortcoming? You're comparing a game console to a media bridge and boasting it does more? Well, if it makes you feel better about yourself....
Except it costs more, has a much smaller harddrive, has a fan noisier than a jet engine (I know I own one) which makes it useless for watching movies, is way bigger then the Apple TV, isn't a sleek looking, software isn't as elegant, as easy to use or as easy to set-up, doesn't have 802.11"n" networking. Other than that it's better yeah. Oh and most adults don't play computer games, so they wont need that functionality of the 360, so for them the Apple TV is probably a better choice.
I know it does, 1 out of how many DVD players? I think the Panasonic S97 did as well, so 2 out of 30, 40 players?
I'm a big Apple fan (I was brainwashed in Nov. 2004), but I can't see myself getting one of these, even if I had a widescreen or HD TV to hook it up to. There's no videos on my iBook that I'd want to stream to my TV, nor am I interested in buying any off of iTunes.
Maybe if the iTunes TV and Movie stores got full DVD-quality instead of kinda-sorta-almost-DVD-quality I'd be a little interested, but until then Netflix and my own DVD library win the prize.
Besides, I have to save my pennies for the first MacBook Pro upgrade with Leopard installed.
My old PC with about $100 of upgrades I got off ebay and tigerdirect does the same thing as this and more.
Sony and Toshiba HDMI DVD players sold at Costco come with HDMI cables. Comcast HD cable boxes come with component and DVI cables. Who woulda thunk? Why would a Receiver or a TV come with audio or video cables? These objects are INPUT devices. OUTPUT devices should come with the cables it has OUTPUTs for! So Apple TV is outputing video at $300 a pop, but you'll have to find your own cables??? Idiots can only justify that one...
Looks like another crappy Apple product. *yawn*
LMAO @ all you bitter ruined anti-apple people crying...and clearly voting posts negative to satisfy your hatred...
Wow, all this negativity! All I can say is, since it arrived in my hands at 8:30, I can't stop playing with this little box. It makes the TiVo interface look like Windows 1.0... it is glorious.
YAWN.....
Enough of the lame pictures. How the F*&k does it work? Give us a full review already! What's the real-world functionality? How well does it stream HD content? Can it smoothly stream HD wirelessly? How many different file formats does it support? Are you locked in to iTunes software?
I hate "unboxing" galleries. Save the time it took to snap all those pics and post them, and put it toward getting on with your review of the product.
Again, you need to research. It takes me 3 minutes to convert an HD avi TV show into an iTunes playable mpg. Sorry, but to some the Xbox simply isn't an option? Maybe some already have the PS3? Maybe some hate M$? Maybe some don't play video games? I mean, yea, my mom should get the Xbox to view her iPhoto collection in her livingroom streamed from her office? Come on.
"like?... lol, name one legitamate way of purchasing divx video!!!"
I've got a stack of video tapes that I've digitized over the years and now store as divx files. Some are old home movies, some are store-bought tapes... covered by a little thing called "fair use". All of these divx files are legitimate files.
That said, it doesn't take an MS fanboy (of which I certainly am not one) to point out Apple TV's shortcomings. There are many devices out there that will stream various formats *and* play DVD's to boot. Guess what? They're cheaper too. (In fact, I just bought a used Gateway ADC-320 that'll stream divx, mpg and avi files for $50 including wireless card.)
If you want something *just like* the Apple TV - small, with built in storage - but with support for a large number of formats, do a Google search for MediaGate. These cost about the same as Apple TV but do more - they also have larger hard drives and DVI output (same as HDMI), and they will output up to 1080p.
I really don't know why anyone would buy Apple TV.
Well, how about the idiots who lust over the Sling box which doesn't include a cable? You know what they say about idiots....
Mine has arrived. I'm not sure why there is so much drama over AppleTV. While AppleTV is limited, it does its job impeccably, and I can't wait to unbox mine.
Regarding MCE and 360 comparisons, read the NY Times and WSJ AppleTV reviews. Your illusion has been revealed. Both are less than stellar. The new Netgear box is crap too.
Someone was asking for a place to obtain legitimate DIVX content online for free?
http://stage6.divx.com/tags/Movie+Trailer
That's the trailer page. There are plenty of amateur videos under other tags, too. As well as some pro tags. iTunes is AFAIK the only place to pay for downloading of television programs and movies. But there is plenty of legit DivX content out there, including movie trailers, which are the main thing people use H.264 for any way (so far).
Also, H.264 does not imply lack of piracy. Anyone can download and use an H.264 codec (or buy one) and convert all their videos to H.264, and distribute them illegally is they desire.
Clues for sale! $.25 each! Get yours now!
We don't buy much from the iTunes Store (no TV shows or movies on the Australian iTunes Store yet), but we do already have an iMac on the coffee table in the lounge with 2 EyeTV units plugged into it which we use as our main TV capable of recording 2 digital TV channels simultaneously. EyeTV already automatically uploads these recordings into iTunes for playback on-screen and synchronised with my Video iPod. We also watch live TV or any of our recorded shows from anywhere in the house (or out by the pool) streaming wirelessly (and glitch-free) from the iMac to my wife’s MacBook and my MacBook Pro via our new “N-enabled” Airport Extreme (using the free CyTV software).
When watching movies with friends, we fire up the data projector. However, if we were like the masses out there who didn’t want the iMac in the lounge, it would be a no-brainer for us to buy an Apple TV to allow us to also view all our recorded TV shows, music, music videos, movie trailers, and heaps of home movies we’ve created on an HDTV or data projector instead. The 100 million iPod/iTunes users out there represents a massive existing user-base. This is not rocket-science people.
For those guys who keep complaining that Apple TV won’t play their pirated AVI torrents of Battlestar Galactica etc – I don’t know how you can bear to watch those horribly compressed ~350MB files (are higher quality now? I gave up looking). Often these guys are the same ones who then have the cheek to complain that Apple’s iTunes movies and TV shows are not high enough resolution for TV or HDTV viewing despite the fact that they have a data rate and resolution 2 to 3 times higher than the typical pirate stream. I can’t bear up watching DivX torrents that look worse than an old VHS tape on an HDTV screen. In contrast, the EyeTV recordings which I convert to iPod Video (640x480) format to save space and to play on my Video iPod are crystal clear and indistinguishable from the high-res digital TV recordings that the EyeTV records.
Many people also harp on the iPod video format being less-than DVD quality, but considering many people’s experience of DVDs is when they are played back on an interlaced standard definition TV which is significantly inferior to the non-interlaced (progressive) 640x480 format used by the video iPod format on an iMac’s LCD or a progressive scan HDTV.
IMHO
-Mart
Ouch - well that came out a bit mangled! Hopefully you get what I meant. :-)
-Mart
again, Slingbox is an INPUT device. It OUTPUTS to TV??? Nope... and Slingbox HD does not have an HDMI input, but something that looks like it. Don't "think different", just THINK!
Can someone clear this up? Only component and HDMI outputs? What about those people still with regular TVs, they didn't think to put a S-video or Composite out? It couldn't have cost that much extra.
Three minutes? I don't see how that could be, but whatever, there are a lot of factors there. Also, when I said weeks, I was considering download time as well.
If you have a PS3, then play your shit on that.
Irrational hatred for Microsoft is not a good reason to reject a good product.
The 360 does a lot more than play games, that's kind of the point here.
I'm not in a position to tell you what your mother should be doing, but the low-end 360 is the same price as the AppleTV. Keep that in mind. And if your mom is really willing to drop $300 for the ability to look at pictures on the TV, then, uh, AppleTV all the way. The point is for everyone else, the Xbox is quite likely a better choice, as it does quite a bit more. And it comes with a goddamn cable.
FIne, then list the OUTPUT devices that come with HDMI cables? Tivo? Cable company DVRs? PS3? Wii? DVD players are output devices and a tiny percentage include cables beyond RCAs. Of every component in my HT, 1 device of 8 came with HDMI cables, none with component.
Really I can see this a rally cry for anti-Apple sheep to use as ammo. Especially knowing that the price of ANY AV cable at monoprice.com is beyond cheap really renders this bash fruitless.
yawn! Another crap product from apple that is again, completely useless. What else is new? I can't wait for my lowest rating, I'm excited.
Yes three minutes using Divx Doctor which converts avi to mpg which iTunes plays. Download would be the same time for use on the Xbox or the AppleTV, I was simply pointing out there is no 'huge inconvenience' to make the files ready for the AppleTV.
I have the PS3, but that won't stream everything from my mac. I can download stuff to it directly, but that's work I don't want to deal with.
My hatred for M$ isn't irrational, it's a normal byproduct of being a mac user.
THe Xbox is a gaming console, the AppleTV isn't. So to compare the two or label the AppleTV as under featured isn't the point because it isn't relevant to compare an iTunes bridge to a gaming console.
Yes, the Apple TV would be the logical way to watch TV Shows downloaded from the music store, watch your photo collection and listen to your music on your TV/HT system quickly and painlessly.
Everyone else? You mean Xbox owners I guess. Because the target audience for the AppleTV is folks like my mom, myself who want seamless bridging, plug and play, don't need a video game, want to buy movies, music, TV Shows from iTunes and watch it on something other than a computer. Simply because you are not the targeted group for whom Apple designed this product doesn't give you empowerment to bash. It doesn't suit your specific needs, then move along. It will suit more MAC USERS' needs then PC users I'm sure. It will fit more NOVICE computer users then pros and gamers. It will make people have an easier time getting content from their mac to their HT system and I don't think having to buy a $10 HDMI cable from monoprice.com is a big deal or deal breaker as you sound off.
Something you should know, if your like alot of mac or ipod users, you buy some or all of your music on itunes, its easy and quick. When you hook up you ipod to a xbox, you can only play non copy-righted songs. You can't play videos off it, you cant do a lot. Apple tv is for people like me, who have an xbox, AND and ipod/mac. So video games are nice, but so is not opting for a "hd-rom" and having to worry about what movies are coming out on blu-ray instead.
Its called making things simply thats all.
This device isn't intended to be used by people who are serious gadgeteers, nor by people who would have video game consoles and could therefore repurpose an xbox. These are for HDTVs only, thus why there is no s-video or composite - it's not about cost, it's about experience. If you want sub-par connections, there are other options. If you want games, there are other options. Even I'm not a good candidate for this, as my MBP can connect via DVI to HDMI and use digital audio, so all this would do is enable me to have the laptop closer to me. Plus my video iPod connects to my receiver, so I could just sync stuff up that way. This product is more akin to a modern day version of those TVPlus VCR things that were made for people that couldn't bother to figure out how to set their clocks on a VCR. I don't see why it's a bad thing that a company makes products that aren't for me; there are a lot more non-geeks in the world, or don't you all remember high school?
I think that's exactly why everyone is somewhat pissed off, though. You're right, the idea is to make something for the masses. But the file formats are very limited, so expect to do some converting, if you know how. And it doesn't even come with any kind of AV cable, so it's back to the store to find the right one. Good luck if you happen to be one of those tech-illiterate people, you know? I think Apple screwed up here, and once again made something for their devotees and no one else.
I thought this was going to be a killer product when it was first announced. However, when I found out it does nothing more than Front Row, which can be used on a $500 mac mini, I was very disappointed. More to that disappoint was it was going to cost $300 and will not have "DVR" ability. I just can't seem to justify the cost of an Apple TV, when for about $200 more I can get a fully functional Mac I can still hook up to a HDTV(dvi to hdmi), and be able to record TV. I think if it had DVR ability with a built in dual ATSC, I would probably buy one. But to have the ability to stream wireless my iTunes library for $300 just seems.....like Apple has released a product that completely falls into the stereotype that Apple products are overpriced. I can't believe I am saying this, but I would say the Xbox 360 is a better solution to this "problem" I have a 360 and a program that "on-the-fly" converts video to the "xbox" format. A 360 is $400 and is also a HD game system and a dvd player. If you don't have a MCE or Vista PC, and only Macs, then buy a Front Row enabled Mac Mini used for like $400, and still are better off.
I am also 'miffed' at the lack of cables? Component cables are cheap now and an HDMI cable is like $30. That to me seem like a greedy move on their part.
I have tried to find a way I could use this or justify the price. I don't know, but this Apple fan is going to have to pass on this product.
BTW, I am a huge Apple fan (bought 3 ipod over the years, i have a G5 workstation, my wife has an iMac, and I have a MacBook Pro). The only time I use PCs for my MCE PC hooked up to my TV (which I use to play my video on tv) and at work. So this is a truely disappointing product.
You can get an HDMI cable at monoprice.com for $10. I don't see that as a major issue.
The Mac Mini lacks wifi, HDMI, and Front Row isn't as seamless as AppleTV. I don't want a computer in my HT, so the mini is overboard and more expensive. Why spend more to get more than I need?
If the Xbox is a better solution, then you aren't the target audience for this device and should go pick up a gaming console today.
You make some good points there. No power brick is a neat trick, and I would like to see some more of that in other devices. And yeah, getting stuff to look good on a big TV may mean some duplicate copies, which doesn't bode well for your hard drive. As far as getting stuff into iTunes, yes you can, but the question is will the AppleTV play them, even though they are indeed in iTunes? For example, the Xbox360 will not play all the formats that its big brother Media Center will, even though it functions as an extender. And the word is that the AppleTV only plays H.264 movies, so will it work the same way and only play a fraction of what iTunes really can?
Anyway, here's the bigger problem: You're absolutely right that this makes sense for the average user who's invested a bit into iTunes and has a reasonably sized SDTV; I think the same thing. But no composite output? OK, so lots of SDTVs have component as well, but... no 4:3 support, only widescreen! I keep wondering, who the hell is this for? Who has the perfect setup for this? iTunes downloads probably won't look too hot on the bigger HD sets, but they sort of made sure SDTVs will be screwed too.
Even so, I'm sure it does what it does pretty well, meaning everything could be forgiven if not for that stupidly hefty pricetag. I have no use for it and thus would never buy one, but I'd be willing to give it a nod of approval if they gave it a price drop. Wonder if they will...?
The target audience is your mom? With her widescreen HDTV and her expertise on file conversion / AV cables and her money to burn? Ooookay, if that truly is the case, then go ahead and inform your mom to have fun. Be sure not to help her, k? She is the target audience, after all.
I have no problem with a product that isn't for me, but stop trying to justify this silly thing.
Also, I was pondering a simple definition of 'irrational' but you already nailed it:
"My hatred for M$ isn't irrational, it's a normal byproduct of being a mac user."
If that isn't stupid and irrational, I don't know what is. At least the "anti-Apple sheep", as you put it, have the capacity to be, you know, fair.
I'm done replying, I have better things to do with my day. But here's the bottom line: if it's for "novices" with normal TV sets and average computer skills, then they should have made it that way. They didn't. Not only did they miss the target, but then they overpriced it. What they did do yet again (and I'm always thankful Apple is there to do this) is open the door for someone else to take what they did and do it better. And that's how it is.
Something worth noting: that loud noise on the 360 is the DVD drive, meaning it only gets loud while playing a game or a DVD. You can still watch movies via Media Center, if you have it. And the AppleTV can't play DVDs at all, so does that make it even more worthless for playing movies...? I would agree it might be a better choice for some, however at that price I would say just pass on it entirely...
Yea my mom would have a hard time hitting the 'buy' button in iTunes and then hitting play on the AppleTV? Wow, I'm not sure how to explain why that's pretty easy, k?
Why would I need to justify something to a close minded individual. You don't like it, I do, it works for what I need and what others may be after but you don't We get it. Move on, go play Xbox games.
Stupid and irrational? No. Sarcastic? Said in jest? Over your head? Yes.
As for overpricing? No. DLO just released an iPod dock which does what the AppleTV does for JSUT MUSIC and it runs $150. So, for $150 more, you get iTunes video, photos, movies and anything else you fit into iTunes.
720p is HD, so, ah, it's for HDTV owners as well. Average computer skills? Sure. Advanced compute skills? Absolutely. Other ways to do the same thing? Of course. Any other option as seamless or easy? Nope.
Sorry but I have yet to see anyone take Apple's idea and do it better. You actually have that backwards.
My TV has a port for a monitor plug-in, so Apple TV isn't even necessary. Why is this such a big deal? You can do this with almost every new TV out there, without the pricetag.
Because for most people, there tv isn't near there computer, and they don't want to deal with the hassle of hooking up to cables, this is so they can watch off a hard drive of 50 gigs, and stream from there computer as well.
Interesting...waste a ton of time downloading movies or ripping DVD's to your computer, wasting HD space, then converting the files to iTunes so that you can play it back on a TV thru Apple TV...or just press PLAY on your DVD Player...no brainer to me. Since most honest people BUY there movies on DVD and have a DVD Player.
That's a pretty dumb comment; why can't someone make their own movies on a camcorder, edit them, and then want to watch them on their TV? Yeah, you could transfer the edited movie back to the camcorder and hook it up, or burn it to DVD, but you could use this too. What about photo slideshows? Why sit around and burn them onto a DVD in the first place when someone can use this? I don't get why anyone would only think that this would be used for physical DVDs you already own. Besides, HD space is cheap; it'd only be a 'waste' if you ran out of room and for some bizarre reason couldn't back stuff up somewhere else and remove things. As for converting stuff to iTunes, seems like Apple would sure like people to buy stuff from them; no conversion needed. Imagine, a business trying to get people to buy stuff, hmm.
You're right people should stop being idiots, but then M$ would go out of business.
btw- I'm not rich, I work hard for a living and it ain't a bed of roses. No wine or caviar here. What I spend my money on better be quality, well designed and thought of, and HOLD IT's VAULE. Go check ebay and compare PCs to Apples and you'll see where the dollar has better value. Has nothing to do with being rich as your Xbox costs more than the ATV. So, what were you saying about idiots.....
Everyone may hate on aTV right now, but you all sure are caught up talking about it. Like it, get it. Don't like, don't get it, don't complain about it.
Apple TV is apple's answer to the Media Center/ Xbox 360.
same way as..
Zune is Microsoft's answer at the iPod.
Both 6 years late.
This device would make a nice step ladder. Stack 5 of them up to get to your top shelf!
I've got 2000Gb of storage space on mine.
oh did i mention mine's vista MCE?