appleinsider.com— Big-box retailer Target is poised to become just the second third-party retailer to market Apple Inc.'s new Apple TV device at its brick-and-mortar retail stores, AppleInsider has learned.
Apr 20, 2007View in Crawl 4
Once Apple puts HD content (TV shows and MOVIES) up on the iTS and 2.0's the AppleTV with a bigger HDD, support for people who don't have component, etc, they might actually have something.As it is now, it's a VERY niche product for only a select few who do all their TV and movie viewing through iTunes.
I bought one, I rip dvd's and play them through the AppleTV. I can get DVD quality video even at 500megs per hour of video. I would love it though if the aTV would play back video_ts folders or iso's so I could just do direct rips.Quality of downloaded content from iTunes is much better than my DVR is doing for me now. Plus we've been burned on DVR's missing some critical episode of a series we may be watching. It's actually easier to just get a season pass on iTunes and know you're going to get it.Forced me to buy a ReadyNAS NV+, but the investment is worth it.
Yes, that is the Mac mini. I use mine for just that. Not quite as elegant as the AppleTV to use, but very flexible - there are also a lot of media aggregation programs (like MediaCentral) that provide support for a wider range of media than FrontRow alone (and can use the same remote).
"Obviously, they need to compete with TiVo and the like."While I take your point, I don't think this is obvious yet. Apple TV and Tivo are not currently in direct competition with one another, and it may not be in Apple's business plan to move into direct competition (profit and market share are not synonymous). It is currently essentially a parallel product - you can record stuff coming over cable, or you can download it and watch it that way.Each option has benefits and drawbacks. If you are going Tivo and cable you have a lot more viewing options, but you must generally contend with commercials and the monthly cable and Tivo bill. With Apple TV you get no commercials, and you avoid the cable and Tivo bill, but you must pay for the downloads. If TV is your primary source of entertainment, and you must have things like football or NASCAR, cable or satellite is probably going to win. If you only watch a few specific things a week, and would rather not contend with commercials, etc, Apple TV (Maybe combined with Netflix) may be the better way to go.
Apple TV does NOT require HDTV. Apple recommends a widescreen TV, but even a 4:3 works fine. I've been using it with my Epson projector and it works great. I don't have cable or satellite tv, because I have a tendency to become a couch potato. With Apple TV and the iTunes store, I can be more selective about what shows I watch on a regular basis, with a season pass. Plus, no commercials to skip through and no missed episodes (I used to use Tivo). Apple TV isn't for everyone, but I love mine.
Closed AccountApr 20, 2007
People still care about AppleTV?I thought it was dead.
lilboyluverApr 20, 2007
You're the one who clicked on the link.
dvddesignApr 20, 2007
Once Apple puts HD content (TV shows and MOVIES) up on the iTS and 2.0's the AppleTV with a bigger HDD, support for people who don't have component, etc, they might actually have something.As it is now, it's a VERY niche product for only a select few who do all their TV and movie viewing through iTunes.
wageslavenApr 20, 2007
Windows Media Extender for the win Bob.<a class="user" href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/extender/default.mspx">http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/mediacenter/extender/default.mspx</a>
drizzitApr 20, 2007
I bought one, I rip dvd's and play them through the AppleTV. I can get DVD quality video even at 500megs per hour of video. I would love it though if the aTV would play back video_ts folders or iso's so I could just do direct rips.Quality of downloaded content from iTunes is much better than my DVR is doing for me now. Plus we've been burned on DVR's missing some critical episode of a series we may be watching. It's actually easier to just get a season pass on iTunes and know you're going to get it.Forced me to buy a ReadyNAS NV+, but the investment is worth it.
superkendallApr 20, 2007
Yes, that is the Mac mini. I use mine for just that. Not quite as elegant as the AppleTV to use, but very flexible - there are also a lot of media aggregation programs (like MediaCentral) that provide support for a wider range of media than FrontRow alone (and can use the same remote).
odineyeApr 21, 2007
"Obviously, they need to compete with TiVo and the like."While I take your point, I don't think this is obvious yet. Apple TV and Tivo are not currently in direct competition with one another, and it may not be in Apple's business plan to move into direct competition (profit and market share are not synonymous). It is currently essentially a parallel product - you can record stuff coming over cable, or you can download it and watch it that way.Each option has benefits and drawbacks. If you are going Tivo and cable you have a lot more viewing options, but you must generally contend with commercials and the monthly cable and Tivo bill. With Apple TV you get no commercials, and you avoid the cable and Tivo bill, but you must pay for the downloads. If TV is your primary source of entertainment, and you must have things like football or NASCAR, cable or satellite is probably going to win. If you only watch a few specific things a week, and would rather not contend with commercials, etc, Apple TV (Maybe combined with Netflix) may be the better way to go.
jonesboyApr 21, 2007
Actually, London Drugs here in BC (Canada) has been carrying the AppleTV for awhile...
therealdealApr 22, 2007
London Drugs?
bradbaxterApr 23, 2007
Apple TV does NOT require HDTV. Apple recommends a widescreen TV, but even a 4:3 works fine. I've been using it with my Epson projector and it works great. I don't have cable or satellite tv, because I have a tendency to become a couch potato. With Apple TV and the iTunes store, I can be more selective about what shows I watch on a regular basis, with a season pass. Plus, no commercials to skip through and no missed episodes (I used to use Tivo). Apple TV isn't for everyone, but I love mine.
arthereSep 13, 2008
Boy do I love Target<a class="user" href="http://www.creditcardassociate.com/target.html">http://www.creditcardassociate.com/target.html</a>