Apple TV a good Xmas gift?

[Rmpl]

Hi guys. I'm hoping you can share all your knowledge with me so I can get my mom a good gift this Christmas. She has a HD tv with an HDMI hookup and a DVD player and Dish Network DVR box. She has a Macbook with lots of movies and music on it, so do you think an Apple TV is a good way to go? She already has a DVR and I don't know how Apple TV works. Will all her movies and stuff work with the device or does it only work with the media found in iTunes?

Thanks in advance.

 

[musicpenguy]

It is basically an iPod for your TV in the simplest terms. So all your music, movies, tv shows, podcasts in iTunes can get played out on the Apple TV. They don't have to be purchased from Apple, but must be in iTunes.

I think they make excellent gifts and am actually preloading a 500GB Apple TV with all of my Mom's favorite shows and movies for Christmas this year and then she can stream anything that she has on her computer to it as well.

But I think if your Mom has a fair amount of computer savy that the Apple TV would be a great gift.

 

[wysinawyg]

They don't have to be purchased from Apple, but must be in iTunes.

Thay also have to be in an AppleTV compatible format, there are lots of things that iTunes will play but the AppleTV won't. Where did the movies she has on it come from?

 

[HarryPot]

I've enjoyed my AppleTV a lot, but just yesterday I really started enjoying it to it's full potential.

Hacking it to be able to connect an external drive is, for me and my unreliable wireless network, is a day and night difference. Also, this way I can add subtitles easily, and play more movie formats.

 

[aross99]

If she would enjoy being able to listen to her iTunes music on the Stereo and watch iTunes movies on the TV, then it is a great gift.

I know there are a number of other solutions for this, but nothing as elegant or easy to use.

 

[Rmpl]

Thay also have to be in an AppleTV compatible format, there are lots of things that iTunes will play but the AppleTV won't. Where did the movies she has on it come from?

They're mostly .avi files from the internet. I've been considering getting an hdmi cable and just setting up Plex on her macbook so she can just put it by the TV and use it as a box that way but I don't know how well that works.

Thanks guys for all the information.

 

[fastgraham]

avi

there is a free application called isquint which converts avi files to mp4 which can be then played on apple tv. it's an extra step, but it doesn't take long and it's free.

the only thing I would add about buying someone apple tv is to make sure their tv is compatible as apple tv really needs a widescreen tv with component or hdmi inputs.

 

[tom1971]

They're mostly .avi files from the internet. I've been considering getting an hdmi cable and just setting up Plex on her macbook so she can just put it by the TV and use it as a box that way but I don't know how well that works.

Thanks guys for all the information.

It is easier to patch your ATV, copy these files to the internal or an external hd connected to the aTV and play them using a plugin, e.g. ATVFiles.
This is a free tool to get you started.

 

[mattwolfmatt]

I suggest a mac mini media center. Way more versatile and upgradable. And it's not being ignored by Apple, who admits it's a hobby of Apple's.