Apple TV 1 or Apple TV 2

[LePigeonBleu]

Heya!

I've searched around, and can't find anything on this, so please let me know if this has already been posted. I am possibly interested in the 2nd gen Apple TV, but already have the 1st generation. I have no need for the Netflix or Youtube features, but I'm wondering what features I might be interested in that the 1st generation Apple TV doesn't have.

Really, why would I want the 2nd generation Apple TV as opposed to my 1st generation Apple TV?

Thanks,

Mark

 

[benoitgphoto]

Heya!

I've searched around, and can't find anything on this, so please let me know if this has already been posted. I am possibly interested in the 2nd gen Apple TV, but already have the 1st generation. I have no need for the Netflix or Youtube features, but I'm wondering what features I might be interested in that the 1st generation Apple TV doesn't have.

Really, why would I want the 2nd generation Apple TV as opposed to my 1st generation Apple TV?

Thanks,

Mark

1. 0.99$ TV show rentals.
2. Ability to play H.264 720p video at 30 FPS which I believe the ATv1 was 25 FPS. Most video camcorders are 30 FPS out of the box.
3. Airplay
4. The 160 GB HDD is USELESS. Too small to have a decent library and needs to be synced with iTunes. Atv1 is not a backup device.
5. Better and newer hardware playing without stuttering
6. Netflix (even though you don't want it today). 7.99$/month for all you can eat video is more than interesting
7. Steve Jobs said that Apple Tv app store will come when the time is right so...read between the lines. There won't be any app store for Atv 1
8. 99$ (I sold my Atv 1 and got Atv 2 for the same price when Atv2 was launched. Maybe today, you won't break even but close)
9. Atv 2 runs cool and is small and tiny.
10. Atv 2 is more responsive.

 

[Tulipone]

Really, why would I want the 2nd generation Apple TV as opposed to my 1st generation Apple TV?

I am in the same place you are - and decided that I'll look forward to buying an ATV2 when the existing one breaks. Can see no logical reason to upgrade other than desire for a new toy.

Chris

 

[LePigeonBleu]

I am in the same place you are - and decided that I'll look forward to buying an ATV2 when the existing one breaks. Can see no logical reason to upgrade other than desire for a new toy.

Chris

I want to justify getting a new one kind of too.

m

 

[tbayrgs]

1. 0.99$ TV show rentals.
2. Ability to play H.264 720p video at 30 FPS which I believe the ATv1 was 25 FPS. Most video camcorders are 30 FPS out of the box.
3. Airplay
4. The 160 GB HDD is USELESS. Too small to have a decent library and needs to be synced with iTunes. Atv1 is not a backup device.
5. Better and newer hardware playing without stuttering
6. Netflix (even though you don't want it today). 7.99$/month for all you can eat video is more than interesting
7. Steve Jobs said that Apple Tv app store will come when the time is right so...read between the lines. There won't be any app store for Atv 1
8. 99$ (I sold my Atv 1 and got Atv 2 for the same price when Atv2 was launched. Maybe today, you won't break even but close)
9. Atv 2 runs cool and is small and tiny.
10. Atv 2 is more responsive.

I'm in the same position as the OP. The responses provided by benoitgphoto are more applicable if you are considering BUYING either an ATV1 or ATV 2 but since you already have the 1st gen, here's my $0.02 concerning his replies...

1. $0.99 rentals are available via iTunes on your computer--buy and stream

2. This is true--if you have a ton of 30 fps video, may be worth the upgrade. Nearly all commercially produced TV/Movie media is 24 fps and thus playable on the ATV1.

3. Also true--if you feel you need AirPlay, get the 2nd gen.

4. Moot point since you already own the ATV1. And FWIW, I bought a backup ATV1 specifically because it has a HDD. I have a ATV1 upstairs in our kid's playroom. Wifi signal is a bit weak so I sync all of their movies since streaming is not entirely reliable. We also bring it with us to our summer rental--plug and play that you can't do with ATV2. I've got 71 movies on it, almost half of which are 720p HD, taking up 118 GB so it's far from useless.

5. Again, this is dependent upon how you encode your movies. If you encode below the limits of the ATV1, no studdering. I have a ton of 720p HD content with bitrates over 6K and they playback via streaming just fine.

6. You said you don't have a need for it so, not a reason to get one. Buying the ATV2 IN CASE you change your mind in the future--not a reason to get gen 2 ATV.

7. See reason 6--there isn't one now so, also a non-issue. When the time comes and there is an App Store, you may find the offerings available worthwhile.

8. Irrelevant--you will spend $0 to keep your ATV1.

9. Also true but unless the heat from the ATV1 is an issue, it's a not issue. Also, it's not like the ATV1 is a huge behemoth---pretty much smaller than everything except the ATV2.

10. Probably true--no first hand experience. But the interface by all accounts is inferior as you now have your home media stored under the Computers heading and it's not nearly as slick and user friendly as the organization in the ATV1 UI.

Hey, I'm always looking for a reason to get a new toy/gadget and also tried to reconcile getting an ATV2 (we have 2 ATV1 still going strong) and sadly, unless you live off Netflix streaming, must have AirPlay and have a ton of 720p 30 fps home video, really is no reason to replace your ATV1.

 

[aross99]

Hey, I'm always looking for a reason to get a new toy/gadget and also tried to reconcile getting an ATV2 (we have 2 ATV1 still going strong) and sadly, unless you live off Netflix streaming, must have AirPlay and have a ton of 720p 30 fps home video, really is no reason to replace your ATV1.

I have both and I can't agree more with this.

If the Apple TV 1 works for you, then you don't need the Apple TV 2 unless one of those features appeals to you.

For me, I miss the content synced to my Apple TV 1 and the ability to play that content without the computer. Airplay works for this for playing from the iPhone or iPad, but makes a poor substitute.

Frankly, I never used my Apple TV 2 until my Apple TV 1 died.

I a, tempted to tell you to wait until there are Apps available for the Apple TV 2...

 

[LePigeonBleu]

so, general consensus is to hold off? i should add, I have $40 promo cash through Amazon, so it would only be $57

 

[dekka007]

ATV1 and I have 3 ATV2's.

HD Content plays smoother on ATV1 ATV2 is still subject to infrequent Stutters on HD panning scenes. (The update did not solve it only improved it slightly)

ATV1 far more content available without having to leave the comfort of your sofa and go back to itunes to download on your computer. Yes it might be $1.00 more expensive but whats a $.

 

[aelalfy]

so, general consensus is to hold off? i should add, I have $40 promo cash through Amazon, so it would only be $57

If yu have everything on itunes, get it. It saves the hassle of syncing and the drama of the atv1.. For $57 dollars, it's a steal. Really I love the way it runs, I immediately canceled cable after getting it because of the ease of use. It makes watching media very very simple.

Thanks
AE

 

[turtle777]

I eBayed my ATV1 for $65 and got the ATV2.

Cheapest Apple hardware upgrade in my life. I'm not regretting it at all.

-t

 

[eye]

I have both and the only feature I use that the atv1 doesn't have is Netflix. If you don't use Netflix, I think the atv1 is better.

 

[LePigeonBleu]

so, with the mixed replies, I put up a poll. please post to that, and by the end of the day I should have a decision.

mark

 

[vastoholic]

I voted to buy it even though I don't have the ATV2 yet. I want a an ATV two for a dedicated unit on separate TV's. Don't know who will get what yet, but one for my son and one for me and the girl. Speaking of giving one to the kid. Is there a way to disable purchasing or remove your card info from the ATV? I'm sure he would go nuts with it if he had the opportunity.

 

[powerman]

I voted for buy a new one. If you have more than one tv, as most do, and a spare $100 why not have the benefits of both. Same as above.
For the son use parental control. Use your password.

 

[tbayrgs]

If yu have everything on itunes, get it. It saves the hassle of syncing and the drama of the atv1.. For $57 dollars, it's a steal. Really I love the way it runs, I immediately canceled cable after getting it because of the ease of use. It makes watching media very very simple.

Thanks
AE

Sorry, not a reason to get the ATV2 as you don't need to sync using the ATV1, you can just stream if you choose. I have an enormous iTunes library, much of which is in HD that streams perfectly to my old 40 GB ATV1.

Unless your Amazon promo $ is going to expire anytime soon, save it--you can always use it later on an ATV2 if/when your old unit dies, price isn't going to go up.

That being said LePigeonBleu, sounds like you are looking for a reason to get one, regardless of whether you need it or not so you mind as well just buy one and put those 'must buy new gadget!! demons' to ease . I just don't think you personally, based on your stated needs, are going to see anything new/exciting out of it that you aren't already getting out of your old unit. End result, buyers remorse and feeling you could've spend that $40 on something else. Again, just my $0.02.

 

[87vert]

If you have enough HDMI ports why not just use both?

 

[newagemac]

Heya!

Really, why would I want the 2nd generation Apple TV as opposed to my 1st generation Apple TV?

From your signature I see you have an iPhone 4 and iPad. That's a very good reason to go for the ATV2 right there as it maximizes the investments you've already made. The ATV2 and those two devices have the same A4 processor and they can handle higher quality and higher bitrate content than the ATV1 so you would no longer be limited by the device connected to your big screen HDTV which is a bit backwards. Handbrake has a new ATV2 preset to take advantage of the more capable ATV2 that produces some very good quality from Blu Ray content. This also means you can encode video once at a higher quality and it will be able to play on all of your devices. EyeTV has a higher quality preset for the A4 powered devices as well if you use that.

The ATV2 is also able to handle 720p/30 video like the video from your iPhone 4 which the ATV1 cannot handle. With the ATV2, you can watch those videos in their full quality and without needing to convert them.

Then there's Airplay which is a major feature and works very well with your iPhone 4 and iPad to listen to and view content straight from your devices, it's so small and portable it can fit in your pocket, it is completely quiet, makes no sound at all, has a very low power draw, doesn't get hot, and no moving parts which means it will probably last a very long time.

It's your money so only you can make that decision but the ATV2 has been the best $99 I've spent in a long time.

 

[hotrod54chevy]

Just cuz I'm bored and thinking about getting a SECOND ATV1, I think I'll post MY answers to your statements. Hopefully I'm wrong about most of it, and if I am, well, I can afford $99 for ATV2 if I REALLY want one...!

1. 0.99$ TV show rentals.
2. Ability to play H.264 720p video at 30 FPS which I believe the ATv1 was 25 FPS. Most video camcorders are 30 FPS out of the box.
3. Airplay
4. The 160 GB HDD is USELESS. Too small to have a decent library and needs to be synced with iTunes. Atv1 is not a backup device.
5. Better and newer hardware playing without stuttering
6. Netflix (even though you don't want it today). 7.99$/month for all you can eat video is more than interesting
7. Steve Jobs said that Apple Tv app store will come when the time is right so...read between the lines. There won't be any app store for Atv 1
8. 99$ (I sold my Atv 1 and got Atv 2 for the same price when Atv2 was launched. Maybe today, you won't break even but close)
9. Atv 2 runs cool and is small and tiny.
10. Atv 2 is more responsive.

1. Can't this be done on ATV1 already? Besides, Boxee/XBMC/Navi-X is better than ANYTHING in the iTunes store
2. Really? You're going to cry about 5fps?
3. Overrated
4. No need to sync, just use a patchstick or stream. You can always buy a 40gb ATV and add whatever external drive you want if you NEED to have your entire library on there. Personally, streaming works fine for me, maybe a little slow with quite a large library, but who really sits and listens to music from their ATV? If you have the remote app on your iPhone (like I do) you can turn on a song in iTunes and set it to play from the ATV speakers if you want (don't really know why anyone would want to, though)
5. The processor is just DIFFERENT... I wouldn't really say BETTER... And no stuttering? You're telling me a media player that's ALL streaming has NO stutter? Ok, sure...
6. Netflix streaming is kinda barely in beta now... Sure they have more titles than when it first came out, but still, not EVERYTHING is on there. See also answer for #5... I personally like the Netflix streaming on my Wii anyway.
7. Ok, other than MAYBE Hulu+, I don't really see a whole lot of apps coming to ATV... But hopefully I'm wrong
8. I'm sure this thing'll only get cheaper.
9. Blah blah blah... LOL
10. From what I've seen, the ATV2 is only more responsive in the MENU... If all you're doing is streaming, I can't reallly see the difference between the 2, and if you have 40-160gb, yeah, you can store some files to keep from streaming to save time.

 

[benoitgphoto]

Just cuz I'm bored and thinking about getting a SECOND ATV1, I think I'll post MY answers to your statements. Hopefully I'm wrong about most of it, and if I am, well, I can afford $99 for ATV2 if I REALLY want one...!

1. Can't this be done on ATV1 already? Besides, Boxee/XBMC/Navi-X is better than ANYTHING in the iTunes store
2. Really? You're going to cry about 5fps?
3. Overrated
4. No need to sync, just use a patchstick or stream. You can always buy a 40gb ATV and add whatever external drive you want if you NEED to have your entire library on there. Personally, streaming works fine for me, maybe a little slow with quite a large library, but who really sits and listens to music from their ATV? If you have the remote app on your iPhone (like I do) you can turn on a song in iTunes and set it to play from the ATV speakers if you want (don't really know why anyone would want to, though)
5. The processor is just DIFFERENT... I wouldn't really say BETTER... And no stuttering? You're telling me a media player that's ALL streaming has NO stutter? Ok, sure...
6. Netflix streaming is kinda barely in beta now... Sure they have more titles than when it first came out, but still, not EVERYTHING is on there. See also answer for #5... I personally like the Netflix streaming on my Wii anyway.
7. Ok, other than MAYBE Hulu+, I don't really see a whole lot of apps coming to ATV... But hopefully I'm wrong
8. I'm sure this thing'll only get cheaper.
9. Blah blah blah... LOL
10. From what I've seen, the ATV2 is only more responsive in the MENU... If all you're doing is streaming, I can't reallly see the difference between the 2, and if you have 40-160gb, yeah, you can store some files to keep from streaming to save time.

WOW...I see you are giving answers on things you don't have a clue on. Do you have an Apple TV 1 by the way ? Cause you would know that 0.99$ show rentals are not available on the Atv1.

I won't loose time to comment yours since it won't help the OP. Oh yeah...Netflix in beta...funny. Better on the Wii in 480p...yeah you are right. Cry for 5 fps...this guy in really funny.

 

[hotrod54chevy]

WOW...I see you are giving answers on things you don't have a clue on. Do you have an Apple TV 1 by the way ? Cause you would know that 0.99$ show rentals are not available on the Atv1.

I won't loose time to comment yours since it won't help the OP. Oh yeah...Netflix in beta...funny. Better on the Wii in 480p...yeah you are right. Cry for 5 fps...this guy in really funny.

Yes, I have an ATV1, got it when it came out. Really, Netflix streaming isn't what everyone's making it out to be. Sure, they're getting new movies in, blah blah... Like I said, Navi-X blows it away.

 

[KevinC867]

My ATV1 is a fantastic music player as well as a great device for playing iTunes video content. I can't tell you how much pleasure I get playing tunes on my patio and making selections and adjusting volume wirelessy with the Remote app on my iPhone.

The ATV2 fails in this application because it does not have the analog outputs required by most receivers with "Zone 2" speaker support. It also requires me to keep my computer on while playing music. My little 40GB ATV1 has plenty of space for all my frequently played music. (All videos are streamed.)

 

[Duffinator]

My ATV1 is a fantastic music player as well as a great device for playing iTunes video content. I can't tell you how much pleasure I get playing tunes on my patio and making selections and adjusting volume wirelessy with the Remote app on my iPhone.

The ATV2 fails in this application because it does not have the analog outputs required by most receivers with "Zone 2" speaker support. It also requires me to keep my computer on while playing music. My little 40GB ATV1 has plenty of space for all my frequently played music. (All videos are streamed.)

+1. The ability to stream music to other zones is a big deal for me and I'm not sure what I'll do when my two ATV1's die. I use mine mostly for streaming audio and viewing slideshows. Streaming Netflix is old news and I have two other devices that do that. I was very disappointed that the ATV2 did not come ready for Apps. The promise of using the same Apps as my iP4 and iPad on my TV would get me to switch in a second. Until that happens I'm sticking with my ATV1's.

 

[rayward]

+1. The ability to stream music to other zones is a big deal for me and I'm not sure what I'll do when my two ATV1's die. I use mine mostly for streaming audio and viewing slideshows. Streaming Netflix is old news and I have two other devices that do that. I was very disappointed that the ATV2 did not come ready for Apps. The promise of using the same Apps as my iP4 and iPad on my TV would get me to switch in a second. Until that happens I'm sticking with my ATV1's.

+2. I have 4 ATV1s, but only one is connected to the home theater. Of course, that means the higher fps ability of the ATV2 is moot, as my primary ATV will still be a v1, and still limited to 25fps, so I couldn't encode at higher frame rates even if I wanted to (which I don't).

When the last of them dies, I hope there'll be an ATV3 with an analog out option. Otherwise it'll have to be Airtunes for Zone 2 which will mean that I have to buy an Airport Express in addition to an ATV2 to replace my ATV1. That's BS!