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Top Ten Reasons You Don't Need Apple TV (Yet)

ilounge.com — A balanced look at 10 legitimate reasons people don't need to rush out and buy Apple's latest "must-have" invention, Apple TV, plus 10 counterpoints. Apple fanatic or hold-out: whichever side are you on, you'll feel smarter for having read this.

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  • juanotejano, on 10/12/2007, -15/+30Just what some apple zealots needed to hear for them to realize “Hey I don’t need to buy this just because Jobs tells me too.” I think I fall into number 3 as I have $600 waiting for Jobs to tell me to buy a new iPod, lol. Or maybe it is number 6 becuase I want to protest apple releasing the iPhone and holding off on what is probably a ready iPod waiting for the the iPhone to get outta the limelight. Give me a new iPod already, damnit!
    • mrwiggles123, on 10/12/2007, -54/+5I've only heard about it on digg

      Whats so special about this TV as opposed to.... any other TV
    • monkeyrun, on 10/12/2007, -7/+33considering ilounge is pretty much a Apple/iPod fan site, and they wrote this article which you agree with.

      Apparently Apple fans are less zealous than you .... believe.

      it's really hard to tell who's the zealot in some cases.
    • simpleid, on 10/12/2007, -17/+9Damn, there has been nothing very interesting on Digg lately, I think Digg is suffering 'mainstream mtv syndrome' as I call it.

      Does anyone know of any websites like Digg only for Science and Technology news, exclusively? (by technology, I don't mean Apple or Cell phones, for example.)

      :-(
    • drlha, on 10/12/2007, -20/+15Funny you should mention zealots, because it seems these days no Apple related Digg article cannot be complete without the following in the comments section:

      1. 100s of posts saying how crap and pointless the product is.
      2. Mass digging down of anyone saying anything positive or pro-Apple
      3. At least 10 posts talking about how people could only like this if they "drank the kool aid".

      Tell me, who are the zealots? If you don't want an AppleTV, don't buy one. I personally don't want one, but I'm not going to come on here talking like its the biggest peice of ***** in the world just because Apple made it.
    • ipodsweatshop, on 10/12/2007, -16/+15What do you expect? The more people allowed to influence the content of a site, the average intelligence will drop. Look at the entire internet. Pre-1999, the internet was awesome, full of smart people seeing what they could do. Then the idiots jumped on board as soon as an average idiot could get an internet connection working. Since then everything has been a constant dumbing down into Web2.0.

      Basically, I don't like people who need things dumbed down who insist that they should be able to participate at the expense of everyone who was happy with the way things were. I'm not an MD, so I stay out of medicine. I wish others would show the engineers and science people the same respect and get off our internet.
    • tdhurst, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5@mrwiggles123

      So...how's the rock?
    • bigtizzle, on 10/12/2007, -7/+6@ ipodsweatshop

      I'd like to thank you for helping to end my search for the most pretentious piece of ***** on the planet. "Your" internet? Suck my balls. . .
    • randf, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13@ipodsweats
      "Then the idiots jumped on board as soon as an average idiot could get an internet connection working."

      i think the word you were looking for was "AOL"
    • obeythefist, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Good article. While I'm getting mine today to replace my Mini for watching TV, I'm fully aware that there are few other reasons to make this purchase.

      Biggest of which is that there is currently no convenient way of getting HD movies onto it. No way to rip a Bluray DVD, no HD movies for sale on iTunes, no way of streaming TV to it from a device with a digital tuner, and even the fastest Mac available right now is going to take hours to encode HD video captured with EyeTV or the like.
    • ipodsweatshop, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3@bigtizzle

      "Our" internet. As in the engineers and scientists who made it. It was better when YOU weren't on it. I'm guessing you weren't there and you're one of "them" who ruined it. Or you would outright agree that things were better when regular people weren't here. Call it pretentious, but you're probably a bean counter in a corporate office working in HR updating your Myspace page. You can thank the people that built the network for that if you're not too busy pretending that it just happened one day.

      But don't thank us for Myspace, that crap WAS made by people like you for people like you.
  • iceeblue, on 10/12/2007, -6/+25Personally I want a DVR box that will stream divx movies from my computer, and play itunes through my amp.

    Apple TV just not quite ready for prime time.
    • drlha, on 10/12/2007, -18/+6AppleTV is perfectly ready for "prime time", its just that what you want (a DVR) is not what AppleTV is, and it never will be.

      If you want to listen to music and watch iTunes downloaded content on your TV, the AppleTV is perfectly fine.
    • nograz, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8I don't know if I would say it isn't ready for prime time, but it defiantly falls short of other affordable solutions out there. Mainly the Roku Photobridge or the new Net Gear media streamer client.
    • prockcore, on 10/12/2007, -6/+5What is their target audience? People who own an HDTV, but don't watch TV? (no DVR capability)
    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17Apple TV is an attempt for apple to move into the living room w/ its media.

      MS has a 10 Million XBox 360's in living rooms, with the ability to play media bought from Marketplace. The movie-download, tv-download, IPTV future of Entertainment requires a TV-connected box.

      Frankly, for $300, Apple TV dosnt have nearly the value-proposition in comparison to XBox 360. It just happens that Apple is *REALLY* far behind in the "internet connected living room entertainment center" field... the atv is a very weak competitor frankly.

      Heck, for $200 you can get a Slingbox that does far more.
    • devmage, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Buy a TVMicro and then Apple TV + Your Computer = What you want

      http://www.miglia.com/products/video/tvmicro/index.html
    • onidraky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5"Heck, for $200 you can get a Slingbox that does far more."

      While you are right, it's not stopping people from buying cheaper mp3 players from other companies that do more than the iPod.
    • onidraky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Sorry, terrible wording. I meant to say it's not stopping people from buying an ipod when there are much cheaper mp3 players that do more.
  • LeeSoong, on 10/12/2007, -11/+36720P max resolution.

    Wake me up when Apple comes out with a REAL HDTV 1080p or better version...

    I'll buy it when:
    1080p
    Component & HDMI video in.
    Full DVR ability.
    Uploads DVR to Mac/pc.
    • drlha, on 10/12/2007, -11/+16Cable HDTV is crap, 720p or 1080i? Wake me up when it is 1080p!

      Again, AppleTV is not a DVR, is not meant to be a DVR, will never be a DVR.

      What you want, is a DVR.
    • nograz, on 10/12/2007, -8/+22"Cable HDTV is crap, 720p or 1080i? Wake me up when it is 1080p!"

      Have fun waiting and waiting and waiting... 1080p isn't coming for a long time. Besides, 1080p isn't anything special. It is just the new buzzword (partialy thanks to Sony's FUD) and therefore there are so many people out there that think it is a must have. Truth be told, 720p and 1080i are perfectly fine, the gain from 1080p, I just don't feel it is worth the price currently. Not to mention, the very limited 1080p sourced material that will stay that way for some time.

      1080p is a bandwidth hog, as it stands, HD over the air is highly compressed and satellite and cable is compressed even more. It just currently isn't feasable with the wire we have currently. Satellite move to MP4 based video is the step in the right direction, but we still are not there and won't be for some time.

      Right now you would be perfectly safe buying a 1080i or 720p TV. 1080p would just be a perk and sort of a future proof, but that is only if you plan on keeping the TV for a long time.

      Like I said, 1080p is more of a buzz word right now. People need to realize that and that it isn't as important as it is made out to be.
    • drlha, on 10/12/2007, -7/+5nograz: "Have fun waiting and waiting and waiting... 1080p isn't coming for a long time."

      You realise I was mocking the original poster saying that right? I'm fully aware that you don't get proper 1080p on almost anything right now. But for some reason its the #1 reason to hate AppleTV.
    • nograz, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4@drlha, sorry, sarcasm doesn't translate well into text.
    • superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2720p makes a lot of sense for a device where video is going to come over the network. To me the point in this article about Blu-Ray making the device moot is pointless - AppleTV is a device that can co-exist with dedicated 1080p video devices like Blu-Ray players. There's a time for Blu-Ray (say a really good movie with great video) and then there's a time for network video (like TV shows or even throwaway movies you don't need to watch at full quality, you just want to see them).
    • fartingbob, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7So let me get this right?
      It will only work with HDTV TV's, and yet there is no easy way to get HD content on it, short of "illegally" downloading/ripping a HD version and re-encoding it? Yea that makes a bucketload of sense...
  • firewars, on 10/12/2007, -12/+42XBMC FTW!
    • jedikd, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5how good is xbmc? I have lots of tv show avis organized by show, season, ep, etc, will this structure be organized when i go to view it on the xbmc?
    • SwornPacifist, on 10/12/2007, -6/+18Xbox Media Center (XBMC) is such a fantastic product, my wife and I use our XBMC modded Xbox like a Tivo watching TV episodes downloaded through Bittorrent fed from RSS feeds.

      And since I pay for cable to watch TV whenever, I don't feel bad in the slightest for torrenting my TV eps

      @jedikd and anyone else who is curious, you can browse your files from DVD/CDs or across the network like you view any other file on a computer, so if you organize in directories, you can easily access them through file shares and it'll still be organized
    • evilspoons, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10Agreed. It's a hell of a lot cheaper too if you've got an Xbox kicking around. The only problem I have is since it's a bit of an old tank (733 MHz Pentium III/Celeron thing?) it can't decode 720P HD files fast enough for an even framerate even though it can output the high-def resolutions.

      jedikd: xbmc shows files in whatever directory structure you've got them organized. It's exactly like browsing the files in folders on your computer.
    • PirateChaOS, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2^^ Beat me to it
    • jedikd, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3ok, last question, can I use a remote like the MCE remote with the XBMC?
    • spokenrope, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5"XBMC FTW!"

      Exactly. XBMC seems to do pretty much everything that Apple TV does. Some things better, some things not as well, but always for much less cost. I didn't even know that Apple TV doesn't support 4:3 TVs, and that it only supported two video formats.

      What's more, XBMC has a skin that's been recently developed that copies the Apple TV layout very well. Your friends will never know the difference:

      http://youtube.com/watch?v=P-V2_wWdwDk
    • cyberdork33, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@jedikd
      Yes, MS made a Media Center Extender package for the Xbox that included a Media Center Remote, IR sensor, and the extender software...
    • sv650touring, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The closer you look at XBMC, the more you will be impressed. With the "DVD kit" receiver, any universal remote (programmed to RCA codes) can perform just about any function in XBMC. It should be pretty close to perfect out of the box, and you can edit the keymap.xml file to make it do exactly what you want.

      Like a great product would, it will be wonderful right away, and only gets better the better you get at using it. I've been messing with it for a few months and I keep finding nice little touches.
  • iheartcrack, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9I already have DVR functions with Directv/Tivo. When you can get 720p movies off iTunes (...or BitTorrent), I'm in. Screw HD-DVD and Bluray. Discs suck.

    Also, when do we get an Apple monitor with HDMI?
    • ElectroBot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1HDMI is DVI + Digital Audio

      The (possible) video resolutions for HDMI are 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, 1440p, etc.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI)

      The 30" Apple Cinema Display has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 which is higher than 1440p. BTW most people will use HDMI at either 720p, 1080i or 1080p. The Apple Cinema Displays have DVI already and don't have speakers so what would be the point of sending a HDMI signal to them?
  • PirateChaOS, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8A used X-box is all you need. Softmod is free and easy (doesn't void warranty either) and XBMC.

    Why shell out for Apple TV when the X-Box can do more and has been around alot longer.
    • jedikd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6what can i use to make the old xbox pick up wireless internet?
    • drlha, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7Funnily enough Apple is marketing to the mainstream, not the kind of people who are willing to mod and install software on hacked Xboxes.

      My laptop does a better job than the AppleTV does also (it even has a remote), but does that mean its a simple, easy to use device for the mainstream to use to watch video content? No!
    • alevel27mage, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4@ jedikd

      A cheap access point? http://castle.pricewatch.com/s/search.asp?s=access+point&Page=2&c=&srt=t&view=&his=0&paging=1&mpi=&mpc=&sci=0

      So: Used Xbox + Access Point = at most $100.
    • totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -11/+5"Why shell out for Apple TV when the X-Box can do more and has been around alot longer."

      Because the Xbox can't play iTunes purchased TV shows or movies? I think its great there are other options out there for people, MythTV, Netgear, Xbox..but maybe just try just for a second to imagine that some people have other needs than you do for this stuff, before asking a question like that. Is it so hard to fathom?
    • PirateChaOS, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12"Because the Xbox can't play iTunes purchased TV shows or movies?"

      It can if you strip Apple's restrictive DRM. I for one refuse to shell out for something just because it supports a certain DRM standard. Can the AppleTV play WMV/WMA's?

      XBMC is overall more functional than the AppleTV can ever hope to be

      @ drlha
      To softmod an X-box you just put a memory card in, load the game, and press ok... that doesn't sound so hard now does it?
    • Radan, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5You know, the Apple TV actually got quite a lot of benefits comparing to the Xbox. For one, it's like a tenth the size of the Xbox, there's no powerbrick, it syncs wirelessly with iTunes (with podcasts, music, and purchasable movies and TV-series) , got more video and audio ports, a better interface and remote, it doesn't have any fans so it's completely silent and most importantly it's sickening better looking. Also, it got a USB port so a lot of third party products will probably be released in the future.

      Sadly enough, I will not buy one because of one major flaw; you can't purchase movies in the Swedish iTMS yet... Come on Apple Sweden! Get your fat asses off your chairs and start working!

      Edit: @piratechaos:

      Yes, actually the Apple TV can play WMV if you export them with QuickTime first, but why would you want to do that? No one uses WMV anyway...
    • PirateChaOS, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4 @ Radan

      "You know, the Apple TV actually got quite a lot of benefits comparing to the Xbox. For one, it's like a tenth the size of the Xbox, there's no powerbrick, it syncs wirelessly with iTunes (with podcasts, music, and purchasable movies and TV-series) , got more video and audio ports, a better interface and remote, it doesn't have any fans so it's completely silent and most importantly it's sickening better looking. Also, it got a USB port so a lot of third party products will probably be released in the future."

      Ok, The X-Box isn't that big and has no powerbrick
      Not everyone uses iTunes, or likes being locked into DRM
      How do you figure it has a better interface than XBMC which is 100% skinnable?
      My X-Box has a remote, it only costs $20, still cheaper than AppleTV
      A lot of X-Box's don't have fans in them (mine being one of them)
      ...please do your homework before you spout out FUD

      "Sadly enough, I will not buy one because of one major flaw; you can't purchase movies in the Swedish iTMS yet... Come on Apple Sweden! Get your fat asses off your chairs and start working!"

      You could download DivX movies from bittorrent... would the AppleTV play them??? The X-box does....

      "Yes, actually the Apple TV can play WMV if you export them with QuickTime first, but why would you want to do that? No one uses WMV anyway..."

      And the X-Box can play your iTunes DRM'd crap if you strip the DRM first...
    • cordtripper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Well Actually
      The original Xbox doesnt have a power brick just to power plug, and Microsoft did sell a wireless extender for it. it doesn't need to sync wirelessly you can just browse to the folder or even make a shortcut to a folder on the network to which either iTunes or any other podcatcher dumps its downloads. it has both Component and Composite/S-video ports while its a pain that it doesn't have HDMI the device was released before HDMI it also includes optical out with the HD Kit. as far as the interface XBMC 2 includes a user skinable UI that even can incorporate animations via flash, someone even made an exact duplicate of the apple TV and Xbox 360 Ui's using this engine. as far as the aesthetics of the box who really cares isn't it better to have something that works better than something that looks pretty.

      Also one small plush of a Modded xbox is that its a gaming console also you can play games on it, apart from having every single emulator you can imagine on it also.
    • PirateChaOS, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6@ cordtripper

      Don't bother. Rational answers only get dugg down my Mac Zealots
    • Radan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@piratechaos:

      Wow, easy on the flame there, you might burn something.

      Ok, first of all I am myself using an Xbox 360 as a media center, I'm not saying that the Apple TV is overall better than the Xbox, just the things that the Apple TV does better.

      Also, as I myself also owns an Xbox, I can say, it's sure as hell is a lot louder than 'completely silent', and it does have a powerbrick, or well at least the European ones.

      When I'm talking about better interface I'm not just talking about better looking. I'm talking about features and how they are implemented, I'm talking about 3D slideshows and gorgeous movie trailer streaming e.t.c.

      Additionally, you can't compare hacking the DRM (which I'm actually pretty sure you can't do without turning the video quality into a pot of porridge) to simply opening the movie and choose 'Export to Apple TV'.

      To conclude this, if you want a very good looking, quiet and simple working Media Center, and like to pay some extra for good quality, get an Apple TV, else if you want a cheeper media center which also plays games and don't care about the looks and feels, get an Xbox or something similar. Both of them does the same thing, but again it's like comparing a Volvo V70 with a BMW Z4.

      Edit: @piratechaos:

      FFS! Stop talking about these freaking zealots! Who's a zealot? The ones that likes the things they buy or the ones that whines about what other people buys?
  • maximusGeek, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I think its a great product but I'm just not sure I will use it enouph to justify it. It took me years to buy and iPod and I am a total MacHead. I'm even a share holder.

  • nace33, on 10/12/2007, -7/+1Give me 5 terabytes to connect to the Apple tv. Also, how do you type an apple logo?
  • NinjaBoy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Heh, i just hooked a computer to mine with wireless kb and mouse. Now i can watch diggnation on my big screen and play counter-strike. If you are a true geek you don't need no stinkin set top box.
  • cbreaker, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9"Apple fanatic or hold-out: whichever side are you on, you'll feel smarter for having read this."

    Where's option 3) Never going to buy this product? "Hold out" insinuates that you want one, but just aren't sure about it yet. I'm pretty damned sure I'll never buy one unless it's $5 with free shipping.

    The Apple TV is *only* good if you already do everything with iTunes. iTunes is a mess; I tried it (and I have no choice when running OSX) but I always go back to the simplicity of WinAMP and it's easy media library.
  • lcaller, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4I'm an Apple fan, we have two macbook pros in the house , and a few iPods so i'm firmly in the Apple camp. That said when Apple TV was announced we were like OOOH , but as the time wore on we ended up buying one of these from ebay : 330100000851 (ebay uk number ) , For all of £20 delivered and it plays almost everything i have . The only thing it doesn't do is auto sync like Apple TV but since i just copy stuff over from USB then i get more speed than wirless anyway. While it's not high def but to be honest the stuff i download from the web isnt hi def anyway (350Meg Divx files).

    So from an Apple fan, this product is not for me and in the UK i cant see it taking off as we cant buy any bloody content, and then there is the fact that we pay £ what most pay in $ and people would still rather go to Blockbuster ... Nice try but i'd like to see it play more formats without the need to use iTunes etc etc
  • totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Great list..actually #10 is probably the most overlooked-the AppleTV is kinda like a big iPod without the white earbuds :p.
  • teamparadox, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12For me...

    #1-10- My Xbox 360 and HDTV w/Media Center running on my PC and the 360 Live marketplace I really have no need for anything else.
    • popfrogs, on 10/12/2007, -7/+3That's alot of Microsoft in your house.

      How much did they give you for your soul? Or was it an even trade? ;)
  • Lou3000, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Lets see the options I have.

    1. I have an airport express and it hooks directly to my stereo.
    2. I have a TiVo that now downloads Amazon Unbox Movies and records Television, if I wanted I could upgrade to TiVo HD.
    3. I have a XBox360 that can download HD movies, play DVDs, Games, and will soon do IPTV.
    4. I have a subscription to Netflix, for the same price of about 1 movie on iTunes I get 2 at a time.

    Where does an Apple TV fit into my needs, what does it do that I can't currently do. It simply provides a simpler interface to get media from my computers to my TV. I would be willing to pay MAYBE $149 for this functionality. But $299 is insane. I could get a mac mini for a little bit more.
    • totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5dude, sounds like a great multimedia setup. Why would you bother paying even $149 for a product you obviously have no need for? You realize that not every product is targeted to you, right?
    • superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I missed the device that handled video podcasts.

      The 360 comes closest to being the device you have that replaces Apple TV. But there are a lot of people that are not going to spend the money for a 360 when all they want are the video handling features. This devices is for those people.

    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1In a world with so many better options (a few of which you enjoy) -- why does anyone think a DRM-encapsulated-media-format only, single vendor settop streaming box look like a good option at $300?

      I have no idea. Frankly, there are TiVo, Slingbox, XBox 360, XBMC, Netgear EVA8000, and so on and on and on.

      There are tonnes of VERY compelling alternatives, at better prices, with more benefits and more fundemental features (like, say, you get 'free gameplay if you opt for XBox 360 instead of atv).

      Only in the brand-loyal, reason-overwhelmed decision making mind of the money-rich and sense-poor apple fanboy does the weak featured atv make sense at $300... at $100 yes... it could have a place in a home that doesnt need games, dvr, wma/wmv, video-conferencing (with XBox 360 Camera) or other stuff you might like...

      I just dont get it.
  • astat, on 10/12/2007, -5/+0I'll wait but someday I might buy one so I can watch movies in bed with the covers over my head.
  • Erowid, on 10/12/2007, -2/+611. MythTV? ............................ Heck, Windows Media Center Edition looks like it'd beat Apple TV :/ ... And for $299 (probly less) I'm sure you could buy a box (with more storage) that'd run either.
  • kazersoza, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Good write-up. Add another
    #11 Macbook (and MBP) owners (like me) - get the mini-DVI to S-Video attachment, add a mini-to-RCA cable ($50 for both) ... watch iTunes shows, listen to music and view photos (all via Frontrow).

  • glucoseboy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Nice article. iLounge is a great resource. I'm leaning towards getting a media center PC.
  • jefdub, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Number 10 is key... I bought a $2.50 AV cable that plays movies, photos and music from my iPod to my entertainment system. That accomplishes 90% of AppleTV at less than 1% of the price.
  • steamer25, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3#1x... I already have an XBox 360 and a Windows Media Center desktop with a tuner card.
  • lordsandwich, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2Would've been nice if iTunes allowed you to burn H.264 movies onto a DL DVD+/R, and use those discs in the AppleTV. That'd be a high-def standard I'd support, even with Fairplay involved.
    • drlha, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6You realise AppleTV doesn't have any kind of optical drive right?
  • dmbfan2007, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5I just don't buy into this societal bliss of "i" products. Sure the iPod is sleek and easy to use, but you will not see me be any Apple product unless it is the flat out best product AND has a good price.
    • wageslaven, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The world is full of cheaper and more featurefull DAP than the ipod. What the ipod offers *SOLELY* is the i-cache; remember, the DAP market skews very young. Ipod success has a great deal to do with adolescent fashion.

      For every 1 informed DAP purchaser, there are 99 teenage school kids who buy ipod because having anything else in the school halls is less kewl. Seeing this decision making in the technology market doesnt translate to >$2-300 purchases to meet the needs of familys, by adult families. The living room is ruled by father/mother, the DAP-decision is delegated to youth-full fashion priorities, but the TV & the remote isnt a fashion acessorie.

      ipod 'success' isnt going to just up and shift to the living room, further, as we know, ipod success has actually seen a decrease in mac/osx share over the same period... so, apple fans, dont get too far ahead of yourself with this $300 short-feature device.
  • sabarsky, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3If you're like me and have an Xbox 360 that can't be used to watch m4v or mp4 files and you have 4 macs with content on them that you'd like to watch on your HDTV, the AppleTV fits the bill.
    • cordtripper, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0if you have 1 PC in your house map all your mp4 stuff to that pc and install ORB on ti that allows the 360 to play all your files by transcoding it on the Pc first it might not be as smooth as an iTV but its also 300 dollars cheaper.
  • tsbardella, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2If it was $56 had a composite out played divx and was partnered with Netflix I would take it if it was given to me.
  • fuerion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I'm there when they start selling 720P HD video, namely movies, on the iTunes store. Heck, if Microsoft can rent them on the 360 why the hell can't Apple do it too?
    • greenamp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Exactly. I don't care about HDTV at all. I'll consider an AppleTV when I can rent movies via iTunes.
  • white1827, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I like the concept, but am not too keen on adding yet another box to my living room.
  • mpancha, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Very good, balanced review. Made me add ilounge.com to my daily bookmark folder.
  • alrahman, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3That article sounds like complete bs to me.
    And no, I don't own a mac, I don't own apple tv, and I dont own a single apple product for those who want to brand me a fanboy.
  • tommytsai1984, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3is this not the most overhyped ce device ever?
    • totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4You are joking right? Compared to the iPhone this has been a stealth launch for Apple :p
  • ElWhapo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Wow could there possibly be any more top X lists this week?
  • LeeSoong, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Elgato EyeTV 250 Digital TV Recorder for Macintosh:

    http://www.provantage.com/elgato-10020251~7ELGA005.htm

    Cheaper than AppleTV, and has direct hardware compression MPEG-2 Video recording.

    Your better off spending your money on an EyeTV 250 and a Mac Mini,
    then you can record all your stuff, play it on your iPod, and with $20 A/V cable,
    like the article says, you can playback all your iPod video directly to your TV.

    http://www.elgato.com/ - for more information on more innovative products.
    • Vajrakilaya, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1WARNING!!! From their faq - "If you have a cable box, you can use it with an EyeTV device with analog inputs (like EyeTV 250 or EyeTV Hybrid). Change channels manually using the cable box remote." http://faq.elgato.com/index.php/faq/more/482/

      So basically you're screwed if you use a cable or satellite set top box. (Tivo, WinMCE, SageTV, and BeyondTV all control set top boxes either with infrared transmitters or serial cables.) Shame on MacWorld for giving this product 4.5 mice when it has such a huge, glaring defect.
  • LeFrenzy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I have a S-video & an auxiliary cable. That's all you need when you own a laptop and a TV.
  • Netrilix, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I agree with the 720p being fine. I mean, I went with a cheaper 720p TV so I can afford 1080p when it's finally fully supported with everything.

    I don't understand who Apple is going after with this product. Sure they'll sell to the usual Apple fans, but I don't see it making a dent in the market. I just bought a fully functional PC that will also do everything this will (unless I'm overlooking something) for just a few hundred dollars more. I'm not trying to knock Apple, I just think this is the view most Windows and Linux users are going to take.

    Edit: That was supposed to be a reply under superkendall's reply to LeeSoong's post, not sure why it ended up down here.
  • Muchocoffee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0While I don't feel smarter after reading this article, I do feel better informed.
  • x2wenty4x, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Stick with Windows Media Center. That's one thing they got right.
  • mobilehavoc, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Buried as inaccurate for the "(Yet)" in the title..
  • alansky, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Everyone keeps saying that AppleTV requires HD content, but this article states that resolution must be at least 480p, which is not HD. Google says:

    "480p refers to '480 progressive', a form of standard definition digital television broadcast comparable to computer displays but not considered high definition."
    • meshman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1That's correct. An EDTV would do the job but...

      "All of the major studios support DVD for TV and movie releases, and either HD-DVD or Blu-ray Disc for high-definition video releases, but Apple TV doesn’t - it’s made solely for digital downloads"

      ...since the gadget is a pointles proprietary money grab it's a moot point.
  • shaolinpunks, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1hmmm HDTV's are expensive.
    when my 27 inch old ass tv finally dies I'm just going to buy a projector instead.
  • ktjensen, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Or you could use this device for less than $100 and do everything the Apple TV could do. http://www.hauppauge.com/pages/products/data_mediamvp.html

    the only catch is you need to attach a hard wire CAT5 cable for best performance (though some have been successful with the WIFi version of this device).
    • totorototoro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"and do everything the Apple TV could do"

      ..uh...well, except for the fact that very nice Hauppauge device doesn't play TV shows or movies you've bought from iTunes (the primary thing that Apple TV does) nor does it even support OS X, you are EXACTLY CORRECT. :p
  • wilhoitm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I just my my Apple TV! You guys are just jealous! Don't hate me because I have one. Hate me because you don't have one.
  • syphern, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1apple tv bad idea! its gonna flop. This year all apple needs to do is release the iphone and watch their stocks skyrocket!
  • GuinnessGoblin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There are many good, free video converters for the Mac...
  • theGOG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+211. iTunes Canada doesn't sell TV Shows or Movies.
  • holyskeleton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Reason 11: You're not rich and stupid.
    • mrhaines, on 10/12/2007, -0/+112. You would rather keep your money and invest it rather than spend it on something you don't need, won't use, and will replace with something better within a year.
  • camilos, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Am I the only one that sees no value in this latest Apple gadget?
    I can't believe this new device even made headlines today.

  • originalG, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Used XBOX on Ebay, $60 + Free XBMC softmod = Don't buy Apple TV.
    What else do you need to know?
  • slaguru, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I would love one, BUT

    I live in the UK, and Europe has no films or tv shows on iTunes. I might as well just download what I want and play it back on my Powerbook.
    As for music, I would think that most of the people looking to an AppleTV will have SKY here in the UK. I think that all the free radio and specialist music channels will make people think twice about the ATV.

    Shame.

    If Apple wants to grow, it MUST accept that all markets should be tackled at the same time. The same might be true about the iPhone. It will be in US hands nearly 6 months before Europe. You only have to see the appathy that the PS3 has generated here to see that bring out good and over exposing them (and they will with the iPhone) months before you can get them your self does not generate demand, but it might generate demand for alternatives.

    Nokia have just dropped the N95 here (much to US upset), and I'm sure other manufacturers will fill the demand hole that the delayed iPhone will create here with increasingly sophisticated phones.

    Maybe other firms can do the same with the AppleTV idea.

  • LeeSoong, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1MUCH Better than AppleTV (and Better than iPod too):

    http://www.archos.com/products/video/archos_704wifi/index.html?country=global〈=en

    ARCHOS 704 WiFi
    7" Screen, 80GB Hard Drive (twice the storage plus portable viewing)
    Streaming PC Media (I think it supports Any PC program, iTunes too maybe.)
    Wireless WiFi Internet Browser (go get a Starbucks, and browse Digg)
    Photos, Videos, Movies, Music. (all the usual suspects...)
    Connects to your TV via docking station. (sold separately).
    FULL DVR capability!

    AppleTV = PAPER WEIGHT.

    And best of all, with the ARCHOS 704 WiFi you can take it all with you and use it anywhere.
    Fully Windows Compatible.
  •  

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