Anyone here have it? Anyone plan on getting it?<br><br>I've been home with the flu (or something very much like it) for the past three days and I've gotten to know much better my television. My conclusion: the amount of quality programing pretty much sucks. 900 channels-- many of which I don't get-- and of the channels that I do get, there is a very small percentage of shows that interest me.* Of course, there could be more-- but I have to sift through way too much chaff to find them! Who has time for this?<br><br>I get very few HD channels-- probably less than 10 and half the time, Time Warner's preview guide won't tell me what's on them if it means a redundancy with the non-HD version of said channels.<br><br>All this got me thinking about the Apple TV. Is $2.99 really that much of an expense to spare me the aggravation that Time Warner provides? That's a pretty cheap price for a rental. And the convenience strikes me as a terrific boon! I'm just wondering what the quality of the video is like on a 42 inch screen. <br><br>With Mac products, I've never hesitated to become an early adopter, but this is different. And it isn't until very recently that I have considered the new Apple TV.<br><br><br>*Yeah, I realize that one man's trash is another man's treasure.<br><br>

On comcast there is a way to view the HD channels only. This gets it down to a scannable list of channels. But three days of watching only over the air TV and I think I would blow my brains out in the first few hours.<br><br>Read a book. Or find the spongebob squarepants and family guy channel and vedge out.<br><br><br><br><br>

A book! Now there's a novel idea! (really, no pun intended)<br><br>But then I'd fall behind on my MM reading, now wouldn't I?<br><br>

Don't forget to factor in the cost of actually buying the Apple TV box. <br><br>We rent maybe 20 or so titles a year using cable on demand. If we bought an apple TV box to do the same thing each movie would start at $14 a rental (rental plus cost of Apple TV divided by 20) and that's just old standard def movies. The latest HD movies would be $16 a rental.<br><br>So for us, it's no worth it. On demand HD movies are $8 from the cable company (and our set top DVR box was free)<br><br><br><br>[color:blue]"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin</font color=blue>

Wait wait ???<br><br>[color:blue](rental plus cost of Apple TV divided by 20)</font color=blue> - Whats the cost of just the cable add that in as well.<br><br>Sure you can divide the cost of the Apple top box into "how many movies you rented" - example Apple TV 299.00 say I only rented 1 movie for 3.95 = that movie rental cost 302.95 <--> then add the cost of the cable service and on and on. Its not a good comparison and should not even be compared IMO<br><br>Really;<br>Apple TV - offers what the cable companies don't have or cannot provide such as iPhoto slides shows or even iTunes downloads.<br><br>I will agree that the current American TV channels/programing SUCKS - theres [censored] on TV except for a few channels.<br><br>

have you browsed the movies in iTunes store? i have a $25 credit and i've rented 2 movies. i'd like to rent more, but the selection leaves much to be desired . . . at least for me.<br><br>

So if what the Cable provides is just junk. How does Apple make it better? Aren't they the same shows? Only fewer of them. From what I have seen of the offerings (although I haven't looked recently) their choice is pretty poor. Of course I have no interest in watching reruns of "the office" or "lost" or "24" or what not.<br><br>dave<br><br><br><br>