What is Digg?88 Comments
- WiseWeasel, on 05/06/2008, -3/+43As long as they only sell videos with DRM, I'll keep hoping they fail at it, and encouraging anyone I know to avoid purchasing their movies from the iTunes Store, and that's despite owning Apple stock. For rentals, DRM is one thing (and Apple's movie rentals are too expensive, and don't give you enough time to watch), but for purchases, it's completely unacceptable.
As for the AppleTV, it's a nice piece of hardware with a nice interface, but it still leaves a huge amount to be desired.
- Organizing the movies in my library into genres is completely broken, as you can't assign multiple genres to a title without creating a new category with all the listed genres. Support for multiple discreet genres is needed.
- I can't seem to select which audio track gets played on mp4/h.264 movies with multiple audio tracks. It used to auto-select the first audio track, but since a recent update, now seems to select the stereo instead of surround when available (probably because I'm using the stereo output from the AppleTV). This is a problem, as I can't get it to play the track I want anymore by making it the first audio track. Apple needs to allow users to toggle audio tracks and subtitles during playback on the AppleTV.
- There are a bunch of media formats that Apple doesn't support, but which the AppleTV is entirely capable of playing with the right software. Apple needs to allow user-installable 3rd party plugins to handle features they hesitate to support.
- There's still no freaking music visualizer. How long are we going to have to look at our album covers while music is playing? There had better be a damn good technical reason why there's still no music visualizer, because this device is just screaming for one.
- Ever since Rev 2, the main menu of the AppleTV is littered with options for content from the iTunes Store, to the detriment of my own content library. They need to re-prioritize their menu hierarchy, giving preference to my own content library.
Once they address these issues, I'll be able to recommend the AppleTV without reservations. As it is now, Apple's got their work cut out for them. - VandyB, on 05/06/2008, -2/+25As long as he pays the rent!
- ArthurSucks, on 05/06/2008, -2/+13A lot of my cohorts have begun building media PCs. They're cheap. $30 trashcan PC + $14 GeForce card + Ubuntu, Elisa, and Deluge = $45 multimedia center.
- Trilogy, on 05/06/2008, -1/+11There's no room for that DRM in my living room. That's a big NO for you, Apple.
- Startemus, on 05/06/2008, -0/+10Dugg for the Dell Pop Up Ad I got while trying to read a Mac article.
- inactive, on 05/06/2008, -1/+10I have an Apple TV box. I bought it because I've been staying with my mother during since she suffered from an illness and didn't want to miss Battlestar Galactica. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that iTunes no longer carries BG. I don't really like the box, FWIW. If it was functional as a DVR it would be cool. The interface is relatively nice, though not really any better than Tivo (although loads better than the DVR from the cable company I have in one room at home). But essentially it just sits there saying, "I serve no purpose other than as a gateway to allow you to spend more money at Apple."
- tciny, on 05/06/2008, -1/+8Why should people buy something like an Apple TV when there's little price difference to buying a PS3 (can stream from your PC via DLNA too, can play off USB media, can play DVD/Bu-ray and is very, very likely to have an online store as well) or Xbox 360 (already has an online store and can too play DivX movies and the lot). The point is that both of these do all this stuff very well while also letting you play games... and in the case of the PS3 in Europe/Austrila, also allowing people to use it as a DVR via PlayTV...
What's apples USP? Can't really be ease of use... even my mom has no trouble navigating either the XMB or blade system MS uses... - pax85, on 05/06/2008, -0/+7What I hate about Apple is the pricing and the availability of content in Europe. Also, it should be easier for me to download movies in English, even though I'm from Austria (hate translated movies).
- antdude, on 05/06/2008, -0/+6Not just Apple. Anyone!
- BenBenMan, on 05/06/2008, -6/+11Spoken like a true fanboy, you've probably never even considered how exponentially better the Xbox Media Centre is in terms of features and compatibility.
- macslut, on 05/06/2008, -0/+5Dugg for your mom, who even when sick, didn't want to miss Battlestar Galactica. You've got the coolest mom ever!
- Twinnie, on 05/06/2008, -0/+5My cable TV provider (Virgin Media) already lets me rent movies on demand via their interactive service plus there's a crap load of programs which are all free as well. There's no chance I'm buying this just cos I'm too lazy to get up and go to the shops or order something off the internet, not to mention the fact that all the TV shows on iTunes cost money. I'm used to getting shows for free, even on-demand, and it's been that way for years. Fat chance I'm suddenly going to start paying for them.
- n8to, on 05/06/2008, -0/+5I bought an Apple TV after getting tired of plugging my Mac into the TV to watch bittorrented TV shows. Ya, you have to hack it a little to allow it to play non-iTunes content, but its not too difficult to do.
As far as the actual machine goes, I think its great. It's incredibly small and quiet (vs. a media computer) and straight-forward to use.
My only complaint is that being a Canadian, I can't rent movies from iTunes. I've gotten around that by buying an iTunes gift card in the States, but in the end its still more convenient for me to use bittorrent than rent from anyone online. I don't blame Apple for this - I know they're trying to push the movie studios and tv networks to put more stuff online. What they don't realize is how easy it to get stuff online. I used to use Limewire to get music - now I use iTunes because the price is right and its instant. Until the same happens with tv shows, why would i change? Hey NBC - I can download 30 Rock in about 7 minutes, uploaded by someone out east, and watch it before it airs in my time zone. Sorry, but your old ideas no longer work. - Urkel, on 05/06/2008, -1/+5I have an AppleTV and while it seemed like a real winner, in the end it barely gets used because it's Apple cripples it from being as useful as it should be.
Reasons NOT to get an AppleTV (yet):
- Remote: You need to put in passwords or fill search fields far to much to use that insulting "consumers are confused by buttons" excuse anymore.
-Slow: Navigating, searching, menus all have a delay that you're supposed to "get used to"
-Podcasts: The ultimate gateway for new media to the livingroom just doesnt work. The available library is incomplete. You can't actually subscribe to shows. It doesn't keep up to date on latest episodes etc.
-Computer Required: Podcasts, photos, expanded storage, file management, registration all require a dedicated sync computer. And that computer is constantly churning when doing aTV sync updates.
-Media Price: $15 to buy $5 to rent? That's far too much for "near dvd" quality.
-DRM: Files that you "steal" can be played anywhere. Files that you purchase can't be played on anything but Apple software/hardware. No thanks.
-Crippled: This thing is unbelievably powerful under the hood. But Apple crippled it so much that it is a shame. We're paying for a product so why limit us on what we can do with it.
Anyway, I did love my aTV for a while. But lately I just gave up on it and went back to plugging in the Macbook to see media on the TV. It gives me the same features but also Hulu, avi/divx, a keyboard and DVD's. So if I were to buy again I'd get a Mac Mini instead of an AppleTV. - lamiaconfitor, on 05/06/2008, -1/+5Pedantic. Ever heard of rounding?
- MurphyMac, on 05/06/2008, -6/+10I'm so close to buying the Apple TV. It would be easier on my wiring if it had ALL the features of the Airport Express - can't really expect that though. Having the AirTunes is nice. Just a little more content and I won't look back...
- pengas, on 05/06/2008, -0/+41. wrong
2. wrong
3. wrong
4. right
don't be a douche ,read the specs. - inactive, on 05/06/2008, -0/+4Funny Windows has been able to so that for awhile now.
What's better is that because of blue tooth devices like Sony has on their stereo systems, there is no need to wires, we can play directly from our laptop or vista media center! I can also stream from my music library straight to my windows mobile phone as well. Also plenty of 3rd party devices to stream our Tv programing to mobile laptops, so we can watch when out of the house, as well as set things to record while we are away.
Apple has a long way to catch up! - virtualball, on 05/06/2008, -3/+7While it's true that the AppleTV is very simple to use, it is also very featureless. Currently, WMC is the best option for a Media Center application because of all of its features, such as TV recording among other things. To really think otherwise is ridiculous.
- cthellis, on 05/06/2008, -0/+4Well, you can always transcode to your heart's content, but it's only quasi-legal to burn your own DVD's--certainly the movie studios consider it so, since you're breaking their copy protection to do so--so there's no CD-like "...but you release ALL your content without protection anyway" to fall back on.
Unless the movie studios take a purge of their current thinging--and Eru knows entities like them rarely do that, and when they do they only do it when their backs are against the wall--SOME form of DRM will always be there. So for "device interoperability" you can only hope they opt for one common form and force EVERYONE to use it for TV/movie purchases and THEY maintain it, because otherwise it will simply be the same splintered mess between all the electronic distribution companies and their individual desires and negotiations with the MPAA, etc. - seltaeb4, on 05/06/2008, -1/+5If Apple can liberate us from today's hell of a half-dozen dueling remotes from, each from a different vendor on a different standard, and of course the ever-present Gordian knot of wires always tucked just out of sight, why begrudge them the success?
I know people who have spent thousands running Ethernet cables and speaker wires all over their houses. If Apple has found a way to make all your music, movies and tv shows accessible anywhere in your home, great; and wirelessly, even better.
I don't care whom/what company gets the credit, as long as it works -- all I know is that this is the solution I've been looking for for decades. - ATLien74, on 05/06/2008, -1/+4I use my PS3 to stream media from my MacBook Pro... It plays all my MP3's, MP4's and Divx files just fine with Medialink.
- flashback99, on 05/06/2008, -4/+7Here we ***** go again. For *****'s sake if you like Apple, be happy, if you like Windows, be ***** happy and STFU. The OS is only as good as the person (or dumbass) using it. Grow up fanboys.
- Urkel, on 05/06/2008, -0/+3I have no idea why I'm wasting time on responding since you probably are another one of those angry "drive by" guys who shoots his mouth off then runs from the scene. But I've got some time on my hands...
Typing: The fact that it saves passwords doesn't make it any easier to type on a directional pad. And passwords aside, how about flickr/podcast/itunes searches where you need to type?
Transcoding: Hardware that is limited to a single file format is bad for consumers. Sure, if you've got an h.264/mov library that lives in iTunes then it's great. But most people have mixed media. I have about 500GB of transcoded media and it literally took months to get my library "standardized".
Computer Required: So first you yell about how you can just transcode and build a library off your AppleTV. Then you come back and yell about "no computer required"? Also, with limited internal space then how exactly do you store 40/160+GB of data without a seperate computer?
Crippled Power: (The biggest problem)
Anyway, I'm glad you love your AppleTV. But let's not be silly here and pretend that the limitations put on this device have anything to do with hardware. Those of us who've hacked it know that this thing can do EVERYTHING I complained about here. Any media formats, external HDD, web browser, flash etc. The only problem is that Apple won't let it be what it should be. There's nothing wrong with pointing that out. - inactive, on 05/06/2008, -0/+3Vista media center runs circles around Apple TV.
All the TV vendors use Vista media center... they simply laugh at Apple TV !! - TiceHH, on 05/06/2008, -5/+8Apple allready IS in my living room. As a reduce-to-the-max person I just have my PowerBook, the Boombox and the Airport Express (connected to the net and the printer). Watching DVDs and listening to music works in the kitchen, living room, ... well everywhere. No additional gizmos necessary.
- althe3rduww, on 05/07/2008, -0/+3I have an airport express and apple tv. It does have the same features. It gives you the ability to use airtunes as you did on the airport express. Best of all, when you change songs on the computer the tv will update with the new information. I love my Apple TV.
- punkcat, on 05/06/2008, -1/+3he added a $1 for shipping and handling.
- WiseWeasel, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2My problem is that the stereo track is the Director's Commentary... I need the downmixed 5.1 track to play.
- WiseWeasel, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2I don't give a rat's ass what's going through the studios' or Steve Jobs' heads. I'm just saying that until they sell their content DRM-free, I'll be ripping my DVDs and eventually BluRay to standard format digital files for the media server, and I'll be encouraging anyone else to do the same. Having a library of DRM'd content is worthless to me. I only make exceptions for DVDs because they're so easily cracked. If Apple's DRM was so easy to circumvent, maybe I wouldn't mind using it.
- laceration, on 05/06/2008, -5/+7Not into my living room. Apple only offers a newer better consumerist treadmill. Its still a hamster cage.
- ghinch, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2Um if you're using the stereo output you'll probably get much better quality sound from the stereo track on movies. If you think the 5.1 sounds better coming out of only two speakers, you're fooling yourself.
- ATLien74, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2I gotta agree with you there.... NO WAY I would buy digital DRM content when I could have the DVD and make a non-DRM version myself.
- bloodguard, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2Sorry Steve, Netflix sends me ~12 DVDs a month and lets me plug my big screen into my M1530's HDMI port and watch unlimited content for ~$17 a month. Your overpriced $3.99 a pop rentals can stay the feck out of my living room. I'll keep my hacked Apple TV (Xmas present) though.
- NotaFanboy87, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1No he hadn't, because that's not what he was comparing. Keywords= Ease of Use, Price and Style. I'm sure he would agree with you on features and compatibility, I would too, but I wouldn't necessary call him a fanboy for a defending a product that's not even in the same league as a Video Game system.
- ATLien74, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1DRM will lock you out of your own content after you move it 4 or 5 times. Say you upgrade computers, or reinstall your OS a few times... well your DRM media will lock you out, because it thinks you are a pirate!
Why the hell would anybody pay for that when you could buy the DVD and make a safe non-DRM version for yourself, and still have the DVD as a backup just in case your HD crashes?
Why? Because you are stupid like NotaFanboy87. - AppleMacStud, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1I just can't get enough of Steve Jobs and Apple!
- kevincannon, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1I have a PSP. It's primarily a games console and when I tried to play music on it, found that it's generally a poor cousin of a dedicated mp3 player.
I'd wager the same about the PS3 compared to Apple TV. - kevincannon, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1For buying yes, but noone's selling DRM free movies yet.
However, if you're renting something - who cares about DRM?
IMO, it's movie renting that will see things like the Apple TV really take off. - kevincannon, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Can Netflix send you a film in 45 minutes? :)
- kevincannon, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Surface isn't designed for the living room, it's design for hotel lobbies, tourist informations centers and museums.
- BrendanSheehan, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1And that's not the half of it, just when until Apple starts making slim, sexy TV's with WiFi, cool interfaces, simple remotes and large storage that connect directly to iTunes and the internet. iTunes TV, iPTV Apple-style? Sounds quite intriguing.
- The_Dude, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Next logical step: Apple Entertainment Inc. or Apple Studios LLC, or whatever. What I'm saying is Apple gets into the content business because they have hardware and channels.
- nebloof, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1My game consoles and DVDs will suffice thanks.
- Squidwalk, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1Good point man! Companies have to catch up to communities of fans in order to get them to stop taking matters into their own hands. I get Doctor Who a day after it airs in the UK, as opposed to the Sci-Fi channel showing it months later. The tech is there, why aren't the companies?
- ATLien74, on 06/24/2008, -0/+1No, its about knowing that I can watch what I payed for whenever, wherever, however and how many times I want on whatever device I want. With DRM you can only move your stuff so many times, so after you've upgraded computers 4 or 5 times or reinstalled your OS that many times, the DRM thinks you are a pirate and wont let you access your content that you paid for. ***** THAT!
- 80hd, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Microsoft has the Media center extender - which can't even be said to be better than network media players made by D-link, buffalo, or any of the other people that have little experience with mainstream user interfaces.
- Squidwalk, on 05/08/2008, -0/+1You (and macmangb) are right that Apple TVs are cheaper than 360s, it's really apples and oranges. But that aside, the 360 is really easy to set up and use for streaming media. All you do is click a few things in one menu once on your windows box and you're synced with the 360 forever. Normal looking file structure, great playback. Ease of use isn't really an issue.
Style is a taste thing too, mind you. I don't think it should trump usability or price. - pengas, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1I'll buy it off you. Contact me via my profile.
- kevincannon, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1I'd guess those are more issues to do with licensing films rather than Apple.
-
Show 51 - 88 of 88 discussions
The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you're not on the Digg site. Download the official 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is