Now shipping.<br><br><br><br>

<font size="7">OMG?</font><br><br><br><br>Has anyone here, at mac fanboy minute, even ordered one? I'm not even sure why I would want one.<br><br>

I would get one if -<br><br>It had DVR capabilities like Tivo<br>I could send any video file (not just iTunes stuff) to it<br><br>Otherwise I wouldn't bother getting one.<br><br>

yeah... I just don't get it.<br><br>If they made a Tivo-like device I'd probably be all over it. <br><br>

Plus you need a newer tv<br><br>The possibilities are pretty big for this but will they go the DVR route?

Excerpt from Alan Graham's ZDNet article<br><br>Let's break down why Apple likely made the right hardware choices when building the Apple TV…and shed some light ...<br><br>Adding a tuner would likely increase the price of the device. Apple needs a sweet spot to get these units in the living room. Adding DVR would also compete with the iTunes store. That would be a big no no.<br><br>It was smart to leave out the DVD player. Most people already have a DVD player, so adding one might not make it a compelling feature, while also adding to the cost and reducing the margin.<br><br>The point of this device is to replace live television, not enhance it. Just like a DVR, the Apple TV time-shifts content, at least 24 hours from the moment it was originally broadcast. Same function, different approach. I think we'll likely see the gap in this delay getting shorter and shorter. Because of Apple's relationship to Disney, we might begin seeing ABC shows that are available almost immediately.<br><br>This device could likely stream "live" content from the internet in the near future. I could see getting my news this way, with only a slight buffer, similar to a DVR. This gives me pause and rewind functionality. Sports lovers will for sure want this feature. I can imagine buying a "live" football game with an RSS ticker of other game scores appearing at the bottom of the screen.<br><br>On average, Americans are watching 4.5 hours of TV a day. Much of that is junk we don't want to watch, including about 18 minutes of advertising per hour of television. That's over an hour per day/night of ads, just to view our favorite shows. And even using Tivo to skip over ads doesn't work entirely, since they are always looking for new ways to force us to view them. With iTunes, I have no ads to worry about and many premium cable shows run the full 30-60 minute time slot. We may also see advertisers provide some shows for free just to get a small 30 second ad in the content. Allowing is to pick which one we prefer to watch.<br><br>Cable TV combined with Tivo is cost prohibitive in comparison. We pay it because we've been trained to pay it, but that doesn't make it a better value. Let's break it down over two years based on my favorite shows:<br><br>First, iTunes/Apple TV<br><br><br>Next, Cable TV/Tivo <br><br><br>The difference? <br><br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

Just the idea of attaching one more item to the this gargantuan nest of cables that hangs out behind my TV gives me the willies. We don't even watch TV and I am thinking of getting this. Can it make the Red Sox score more runs? I have composite jumping off the HDTV to the digital cable box and to the progressive scan DVD. So does this thing need a composite connection or can I patch it in with RCA or some of these other weird connectors? I got optic, S, E, X, and a few others I don't want to even think about.<br><br>Never mind. Wake me up when every component is wireless and it comes in a grocery sack "paper or plastic?"<br><br>I was picking up some halogen headlamps at the Car Store. The guy told me I needed bulb lubricant. I said, "no, my turn signals are flashing at the correct speed." <br><br>Blank stare. I bought some bulb lubricant. I looked both ways for the four horsemen as I left the parking lot.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br>

screw all that, I want to know if I can stream my shows that I get via Bittorrent to AppleTV. <br><br>

It might require a little work but iSquint allows me to convert all the video I scrounge off the net using a process that is compatible with iTunes.<br><br>Video that won't play otherwise on the television, can be processed by iSquint using the H.264 codec.<br><br>iSquint is free, but they also make a pro-level product for $ 23.32 USD.<br><br><br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

iSquint is what I use to convert YouTube video into QT files. Works very well.<br><br>

couple things . . . i don't see ANYONE giving up cable to just purchase shows off of iTunes, so that cost savings is silly. further, shows on the iTunes store are optimized for a small, small screen. most people are going to be using Apple TV on a larger television of at least 32" or so. i buy a few shows from the iTMS and i have a huge monitor on my computer and i don't even use 1/4 of the screen to watch my flicks, so being able to pipe the flicks to an even larger television is a bit baffling to me.<br><br>i have absolutely no desire to own an Apple TV. i don't get the demand, assuming there is a demand.<br><br>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

Simply Apple TV is a way to get stuff off your computer to a TV - thats it .<br>Apple TV would appeal too those who have tons of iPhoto Slide Shows and those home grown DVDs <-- to bore the living crap out of friends and family members . Plus those stuff they would buy off of iTunes . Yep thats about it.<br><br>[color:blue]so being able to pipe the flicks to an even larger television is a bit baffling to me.</font color=blue> - According to Stevie the Apple TV converts to the larger TV format on the "fly" Sooooooo why your Mac cannot do this ? ? I dunno maybe something about monitor resolution -vs- TV screen values ?<br><br>

Thank you for clearing that up.<br><br>But, I thought Apple TVs 720p output would be fine for television viewing? The current stuff I have been buying from iTS supports 640 x 480 resolution, and 480 is what I'm getting now from the cable company so I'm not sure what to think now.<br><br>You sound very resolute in your convictions and perhaps you're right about the cable aspect and you sure sound like you know what you're talking about. Have you thought about writing Apple to let them know? I'm sure they'd love to hear from you.<br><br>Perhaps Apple should have given more thought to this whole Apple TV fiasco. You should have spoke up sooner and saved Apple from embarrassment.<br><br>I iCal'd your comments anyway, so I'll check back with you on this matter in the Fall.<br><br>Thanks.<br><br><br>M i c h a e l (OFI)

I agree about purchasing off of iTMS. I believe you have the same monitor as me (23" HD ACD?) and there is a huge difference between what comes off of iTMS and the HD content I get off of Bittorrent.<br><br>

i am sure that Apple will sell many of the product. it's new and many people just love new gadgets from Apple. if nothing else, this will save just about any innovative product from being a complete failure these days. they've hyped it and it will sell. i was merely describing what i don't like about video that i buy from iTMS. if it's better than video being piped into my television now then i would be pleasantly surprised. i am merely explaining what i see on my computer cinema display (see john's post). i don't know that i've seen apple use the angle that you can cancel cable television and just buy content from iTMS to suffice for typical cable television dollars. in fact, i think that's ludicrous so please do save that comment and this one. and since apple didn't market the product this way, i had no reason to contact Apple and explain this to them.<br><br>i am not saying the product will fail; rather, i am saying that apple will have to update the features that Apple TV can do to make this a real winner. in fact, apple could still make the product somewhat appealing to me. but, it would have to be more like tivo for me to desire it.<br><br>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

<br>I think this is a work in progress. If it stayed static it would be a failure but of course it won't. 4OGB hard drive? Crazy. Can't add another one? Nutty. It will have tivo like controls within three years.<br><br>I was listening ot the radio driving to work yesterday and I missed a comment. I almost reached down to hit the backup button. I have gotten so used to it on my TV that not having it is foreign. I have my remote programmed so the extra buttons jump back 60 seconds and another jumps forward 30. With a little practice I can always do my own replays and cut out commercials. The Colbert Report song at the beginning is 62 seconds long for a reason. One click and it's gone.<br><br>This type of stuff will be in this thing before long but they have to start simple. Tivo would require a second set of hookups going in the other direction. The cost goes up. They want to keep it all simple and clean (the Apple Way) and add only what we want.<br><br>I doubt I will buy this thing either for at least a few years. My comcast DVR gives me enough to watch right now. <br><br>

Actually, you could do a DVR with a mac mini and elgato software, right? Rather more expensive up front though if you buy the lifetime Tivo, then it's about equal.<br><br>

What would be *really* handy is a combination of what's already there and a 'Slingbox'-type device - one that not only snagged media from the computer and displayed it on the TV, but vice versa as well.<br><br><br><br>

that would be cool. or, a device that allows content to be delivered over the internet. so, if i take my laptop on a vacation, i can access my Apple TV while i am away and access content (e.g., a KU game i recorded on Apple TV) and watch from a long way away. there's currently a device that does this, but for some reason i thought it was PC only???<br><br>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

Psst, go buy a Slingbox. <br><br>

<br><br>figures . . . the way i read your post is that the Apple TV would merely send the video to the computer in the house; not remotely. of course, if i knew that a slingbox was what i was describing then i would have just STFU. <br><br><br>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

Well in your defense I never said 'broadcast anywhere' - but by mentioning the word 'Slingbox', it was implied. Of course you'd also have to know what a Slingbox *was*...<br><br><br><br>

i guess i knew what it was but back when it first came out, it didn't work with the Mac so i just pushed it out of my head. i didn't realize that it now works with Macs. neat.<br><br>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

Mossberg's review--for what that's worth.<br><br>

key to me: <blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Apple TV's most important limitation is that it can't stream much video or audio directly from the Internet -- yet. The capability to go directly to the Internet, bypassing the computers in your home, is built in, but is initially being used only to fetch feature film trailers and short preview clips of popular songs, TV shows and movies sold on the iTunes store.<p><hr></blockquote><p>at least this is on the horizon.<br><br>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

Brief clip of a real user with Apple TV.<br><br>Not much to see, but the guy seems happy with it.<br><br>

top 10 reasons you don't need Apple TV . . . yet<br><br>and <a href="http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/five-little-things-we-dont-like-about-apple-tv-246138.php">another article</a> of the top 5 things that suck about Apple TV:<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>1. The waiting period when you first boot it up is torturous. Staring at a white progress bar for over two minutes is too long. I want to start watching TV on my TV now, damnit!<br><br>2. Syncing over a wireless G network is slower than you would expect. Not really Apple TV's fault, though. Draft-N FTW. Oh, and pick a short password for your wireless network unless you want to take a half hour punching it in with the onscreen keyboard.<br><br>3. Speaking of syncing, it's all you can do regarding content on the Apple TV hard drive - you can't manually manage it. That is, on an iPod, you can add and delete songs as you wish, one at a time in iTunes, but you can only re-sync your Apple TV to change what's on the disk.<br><br>4. If you have ugly or tiny album art, browsing through your music collection sucks because of how prominent the art is in the interface.<br><br>5. Trailers have to be completely buffered before you can play them if you stream them from the iTunes store, and fast forwarding is a bit wonky on streamed videos. – Matt Buchanan<p><hr></blockquote><p>--<br>"I am mindful that diversity is one of the strengths of the country" --president bush on 9/27/05

The IT guy at work got his today. It's yet again in a beautiful package. He was thrilled.<br><br>oh yeah, that's going in the blog

LOL - that top 10 link you posted is to funny - exactly what YoYos Mossberg review talked about which "Horwitz" should have read before writing his article <br><br>