I am! Pretty cool to watch it on my iPhone via Wifi. Switches to audio only if signal strength goes down.

Says available shortly, please check back - than I don't have snow either so I dunno ?

I couldn't get it on Firefox. I'm watching via Safari.

Watching on my iPod touch. So far, not a single glitch!
Looks like good stuff coming!

Buying an iPod Touch as soon as the store is back up.

It's back up already.

So, why buy an iPod Touch?

For the Face Time?

I really think facetime/camera is coming to the next gen iPad because they said HDR will, which means the iPad will have to have a camera.

FF doesn't fully support HTML5.

So riddle me this Batman, what good is Apple TV ? I don't get it.
just to beam stuff from your Mac to the HDTV ? someone enlighten me.

So, Apple TV in it's old incarnation would let you buy, rent stuff from the Music Store as well as play your iTunes library of video/music on your TV. You could have it store stuff locally on it's own HD or stream from your Mac (which is what I do now, since I have one of the earlier models with, like, no storage at all =P). Plus you could do some free interweb stuff like view YouTube videos and podcasts and whatnot ...

Sounds pretty mundane, but it's really very nice =)

The new version gets rid of the on-board storage and is all streaming, all the time. No purchases directly from the unit -- you have to buy stuff using iTunes on the mac and stream that content. You can rent still rent stuff directly, however. Aside from that, it provides the same functionality as the old unit, plus let's you grab Netflix stuff if you subscribe to the instant streaming service (which is spooky-great magic, btw ;-) ... Plus, it'll let you stream stuff from your iPhone/iPad, which opens up a lot of opportunities, especially if you can stream Keynote presentations and stuff ...

That, and it's half the size and 1/3 the price of the old version. I'm going to get one just for the Netflix if nothing else, which will mean I won't have to fire-up they BluRay player just to get to that content ...

Thanks 6 of 1 and Nana, that's what I suspected (No recording- storage) just transmitter but I wanted to be certain I hadn't missed anything.

I wish you could build movie archives on it (like music on an iPod) and just type in a name and it'd play the movie- that'd be cool !!

I have one of the original ones too (40GB HD) and all I do is stream.

David,
I also rip my DVD's to my iMac and stream them to my AppleTV. It's even EASIER than typing in a name to watch..you just point and click! I love my AppleTV and will probably get a new one too.

Agree. If you want to access your library from your Mac, this really is a no-brianer =)

Not really sure, David, what you mean by "build movie archives" means, though. The Apple TV can (and will in the new version) be able to access the entire iTunes library on your Mac. Is that what you are asking about?

iTunes would be where I'd get streaming movies from Apple, right? But they go away after a bit of time. So they're not archived. *

My DVDs I copy are stored in my Documents folder in a folder named Movies. They are archived right?

Can I put those movies in Movies folder in iTunes? Should I?

I get confused. [ smile ]



* I don't know where streamed movies reside as you view them from Apple or NetFlicks [that other place].


.

Stuff that you stream from the ITMS are probably only archived temporarily (if at all) on your local device -- speculation is that the new Apple TV actually has some sort of storage for this very reason. So basically, that kind of content stays in Apple's cloud ;-)

DVD's you rip yourself are stored wherever you want them to be stored -- they're yours and you can do whatever you want with them (except, you know, make money off of them and stuff ;-) In order for that content to work with Apple TV, they'd have do be saved in a certain format (H.264?) and included in your iTuned library so the Apple TV can find 'em. Alternatively, if the movie lives on an iDevice (iPod, iPad, etc.), you'll have the option of streaming the video from one of those =)

John and 6 of 1,

so let me "dream",

Could you take your whole movie collection, save it on large HDs (2 Tb) from your Mac, and then access any movie you wanted from the archive like you select a song in iTunes ? IF you can do that, I'm sold. What I hate now is having 800-1000 DVDs and wanting to see a movie and having to go through binders of DVDs to get it. I have them cataloged but it's still an annoiance to retreive it and then put the DVD and binders back. Plus they take up a very large space; I'm on binder #5 right now. I'd like to have a system I can do everything electronically. Select a name and BAM ! starts playing on the HD TV.
Is that possible with Apple TV?
(BTW- these are not commercial copies, but ones I've burned off TV - TCM, AMC, Fox, etc. They're in standard DVD format. How would you save in H.264?)

I greatly appreciate your expertise.

That's exactly what I do right now -- although most of my content is actually from the ITMS. Connected to my Mac I have a 2TB drive where I store all my iTunes content, which I can then access through the Apple TV to play on the HDTV in the living room. The only drawback I've found so far is that you have to have your Mac turned on and iTunes open in order for it to share stuff with the Apple TV. This will especially be true with the new Apple TV which has no (or little) onboard storage of its own ...

As for converting to the right video format, I haven't really had cause to rip my own stuff, so I'm not even sure if H.264 is the right format, much less how to convert stuff (maybe as simple as choosing "import" from iTunes?) ... anyways, I'll leave that bit to John or someone who actually would know what they're doing ;-)

I have ripped a few kids dvds and put them in my library for access via AppleTV. I believe they were regular MPG2 rips... hafta check.

How do you do that?

Ripping DVD's isn't as easy as CD's, but there are choices. I use RipIt because it's the fastest out there that I know of. But it makes the file into DVD files, so then I have to use Toast to convert that to .m4v, which is what can be played on the AppleTV.

Dave,
here is my 1TB external HD with movies:

Click for full size

And here is how they appear in iTunes:
Click for full size

So as they exist now I can use iTV to send my ripped DVDs to a TV. I understand.

I've just been playing with QuickTime and "saving" movies "as" to try and put them on my dotmac Gallery. Also I don't really get HD either. I'll get there one of these days.

The ones I've just done are at the bottom of my Gallery page.


.

It's easy Nana, Use TiVo or a DVR (Dish, Direct TV, etc) and record the movie off TV. Connect the recorder to the input on a DVD burner (I've got an older Panasonic). Play the movie and hit record on the DVD Burner.. VIOLA ! Movie on a DVD.

I use the 4 hr mode because many are B&W older flicks and I can get 2 on a DVD. I've recorded about 1400 movies to date. These DVDs play on any DVD player. Just got In Harms Way and Midway , can't beleive I never recorded them! Course, longer flicks I can only get 1 per DVD like the 2 above.

I've saved a bundle over buying commercial DVDs.

Very nice John, so I assume the answer is yes !
So how do you store them on an external and get iTunes to recognize them on the main HD. Is there any trick to that?

I'm looking to buy a 2 Tb external, for movies both for theatrical and home movie storage.

Thanks !

Bleh, PS3 does all of that already (videos streaming wirelessly off my phone actually are pretty cool), and for only $100 more you also get a game system and blu ray player.

Yeah, except I already have a BluRay player and am not really interested in a gaming system ;-)

You're right though, something like the PS3 is a nice all-in-one solution, although of course you lose all the iTunes content, and I doubt the PS3 would stream all my content from the Mac ;-)

None of which may be an issue, depending on what you've set-up ...

Jobs has always said the Apple TV was just kind of a hobby. I think he's still just experimenting, looking for the niche for everybody's tivo sort of thingy. Everybody is doing DVR, and he hasn't found a way to do it better yet, but he likes it so he's still developing variations.

IMHO of course.

Good. There's one more more important thing to deal with other than some settop box.

They've forgotten the router.

It's gotta at least be multi-band.

What would really be nice is for the router to handle inputs to the television and home theater gear, w/demuxer, HDMI, and Toslink for the audio gear. I wouldn't think that would kill settop sales, but it would sure be nice for people with laptops and iPads ( well, I guess some people would like that with desktop setups, even ).

Settop boxes for cheapskates, and a killer router to rule them all for people who've thrown down good money for Apple computers and tablets.

I've never owned an Airport, but if Apple had a killer modern router fit for the new living room, I'd be all over that.

Ed

Dave,
Once I rip them and put them on my external drive, I then drag/drop them into iTunes.

iTunes automatically puts them into the Movies section. But, then you have to hit the Sync button in the AppleTV section of iTunes. I select "Manually manage" in iTunes instead of automatically syncing.

There is a program (can't recall name right now..am at work) that you can use to add in artwork and information on movie.

I don't get it.
I opened the image up in another window so I could see what the movies are.... but when I click on them nothing happens.

/butters popcorn...

That's because you don't have an iPod Classic.

Where's the frikkin smiley?

<--- to the left of my sentence

I don't think that counts, John.





Maybe a simple - LOL works

John I tried RipIt but it says it can't rip 40% of the disk. These are DVDs made with a Panasonic DVD recorder from a DVR. Are they in the wrong format? Is there a program that will convert these to H.264 or some format RipIt can use ?

Dr.Dave:

I rip my movies [Mactheripper or Ripit] to video_ts format. I can use DVDRemasterPro to convert them to



You can choose width, bitrate, frmerate, multipass.

Also you can choose what device to export/format for





and . . . you can make them go directly to iTunes.



Misha, at MacUpdate says:




MU rating is very low, but read the reviews and make your own decision.

http://www.metakine.com/products/dvdremaster/


.

I don't have any experience with those type of DVD's. Ripit works great with store bought ones.

Have you tried handbrake?
http://handbrake.fr/

Using Ripit, what format do you use to export to iTunes. Or iTV.


.

I'm guessing wrong format. The format that exists on a DVD is very different than that from a televised/transmitted show. That has already been compressed and is likely some form of Mpeg 2.

RipIt is for encrypted DVDs only. You should be able to just copy the VIDEO_TS folder from the Panasonic DVD to the computer and work with that.

Are you trying to make copies of the disk, or trying to convert them to some other format.

Just trying to make a format that iTunes can use.

Handbrake will do that for free. :-)

Thank you so much!

I have been scouring the net for my "classics."
Slowly building up a "classic" movie collection. Last winter I burned all of my favorite Bette Davis movies and 71 episodes of the Amos & Andy TV series. This winter I am going to work on Barbara Stanwyck & Joan Crawford movies.

OMG you have the old Amos and Andy series...

WOW I remember those and have copies of a few episodes...
They're racially sensitive but I think that's over done... All in the Family is racially sensitive if they are and so is Sanford and Son. Sure Kingfish was a scoundrel and Andy a fool, but Amos was the sensible and smart member of the cast. So were Sapphire and her mother. all sitcoms are like that. And I know reading about Hal Roach who produced the series he was very sensitive to racial issues... he produced The Little Rascals and many Laurel and Hardy shorts.
What's your favorite episode?

Don't you need some kind of software to record from the DVR to the burner, David? I guess I don't understand how the burning takes place without a computer in between the DVR and the burner.

No, no software or computer needed.... just run a cable from the DVR Out signal to the DVD burner In. Play the DVR and hit record on the DVD burner- not much different from when you hooked up a VCR to your TV years ago. That didn't require and additional hardware either.
Getting into iTunes is far more trickier.

BTW - I appreciate all of the forums help !

I'll have to try that some time, then.

Kate,
Handbrake does all that and it's free.

The format I have Ripit is what it's set on default:

Click for full size

It does comes with a Compress, but I haven't ever used it:

Click for full size

My favorite Amos & Andy episode was when Sapphire kicked Kingfish out of the house. In the meantime Sapphire found a job at a GYN office which Kingfish followed her to. He thought she was pregnant.



The Little Rascals & Beulah are on my "classic" list.

Sorry for the late reply ...wasn't subscribed to the thread.

I'm getting the iPod touch instead of an iPhone. I wanted something I could carry in my pocket that had a camera in it. I'll be able to either facetime, Skype, or text the wife any time i've got wifi. I don't take my iPad out of the house very often. It's just become my main in-home computing device.

Thanks John.


.

I remember 2 that I thought were hilarious... one where Andy has a valuable nickel and Dr. Kingfish swindles him out of it by performing a "nickelectomy", and then puts it in a pay phone by mistake ! He cracks open the phone to get the nickel and gets arrested
The other is Andy's Flying lessons ! HA what a hoot!
Some great laughs.

Yeah, you can stream anything from a mac to a PS3 with PS3 Media server, works really well.

PS3 Media Server is great!

Is this server free or subscription?

cool! Good to know =)

But since I already have a BluRay player and don't really want a gaming system, that wouldn't be such a great solution in my case -- especially at 2-3x the cost of the new Apple TV ...

To each their own, though. If I was starting from scratch I might consider a PS3, although I'd have to weigh the fact that I'd be paying in part for the gaming functionality, for which I really have no need =)

That's what I ran into when we got the PS3....we just didn't use the gaming function hardly at all and the blu ray (to me) wasn't all that overwhelming. So we sold it.

carp, PS3 media server is a DLNA program that runs on your mac, PC or linux box and serves up files from your computer to your PS3. It even converts formats on the fly if the PS3 doesn't support them, to something it does.

I like it a lot because the quicktime files my Kodak HD camcorder outputs don't play natively on the PS3. But I don't have to do a thing with them, since PS3 media server converts them on the fly.

That's true, if you don't play games the PS3 might seem like a waste. However, a PS3 is probably less than a decent blu-ray player plus an Apple TV.

Does Apple TV do web sites like Facebook? I guess that's a bonus, since the PS3 has a web browser.

Thanks

So PS3, is using your computer as a server? is that correct.

Yes, that's right.

There are a lot of DLNA servers, including Windows Media Player on windows, Twonky, and a few others. PS3 media server is specific to the PS3 and transcodes on the fly however.

My phone has DLNA built in, it will stream pictures, music and video over wifi although the PS3 doesn't recognize .3gp extensions for videos so I have to reencode them.