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Apple TV due for software update.
- Thread starter nylon
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like the new iPhone app for remote iTunes control
With the new app that is supposed to allow iTunes control via wifi from and iPod Touch or iPhone, I'm hoping we get an update to AppleTV to allow the same.
Would be sooo nice to browse through the iPhone much quicker than that is allowed via the AppleTV interface.
And please don't link me the 3rd party software that allows you to do this (sorta) currently, I'm not a fan of it and even still it only controls iTunes (and AppleTV via iTunes).
And yes, fix the current features. It's rediculous I can play the new Radiohead videos in a row in iTunes without have to select the next one each time a track completes; can't do it on AppleTV. (If I'm mistaken please enlighten me
With the new app that is supposed to allow iTunes control via wifi from and iPod Touch or iPhone, I'm hoping we get an update to AppleTV to allow the same.
Would be sooo nice to browse through the iPhone much quicker than that is allowed via the AppleTV interface.
And please don't link me the 3rd party software that allows you to do this (sorta) currently, I'm not a fan of it and even still it only controls iTunes (and AppleTV via iTunes).
And yes, fix the current features. It's rediculous I can play the new Radiohead videos in a row in iTunes without have to select the next one each time a track completes; can't do it on AppleTV. (If I'm mistaken please enlighten me
I'd rather have some basic functionality before getting new add-ons. Why can't we decide to set repeat w/in playlists? I hate that we only get the choice of a universal setting--some playlists I want to repeat, and others I don't. It's a pain to have to exit all the way out of Music to change the setting. I's also like to have a way to get back to the main menu w/ out having to push the "menu" button on my remote repeatedly (I use a Harmony One)... Those are just the tip of the iceberg for me... I'm a new ATV user, so perhaps those options are available and I just haven't found them.
YES!
And the mentioned iMovie support and Remote Feature.
Also, there have been glitches throughout the iTunes/iPhone/Apple TV in regards to keeping to spot of Music Videos. Every-time the video's restart, there is no option to continue, they simply start from the beginning.
Agreed. It would be nice to be able to scroll through photos as easy as they make it to scroll through iTunes Store content.
Wish List
I would also like to see some decent photo browsing...also the ability to zoom in on photos would be nice. (would also be nice in iPhoto 08 without having to go into edit mode; ug) Also the ability to listen to internet radio without having to use Airtunes which I have found to be temperamental at times. Also the ability to listen to music while you look at pictures would be nice (my Roku HD1000 could do that and it wasn't nearly as powerful as AppleTV).
I know this doesn't have to do with software but it would also be nice to have Apple spend some of their $50 Billion in cash reserves to promote the AppleTV more to get it in the hands of consumers. It's a cool product but nobody (except us Mac geeks) seem to know that it exists.
I would also like to see some decent photo browsing...also the ability to zoom in on photos would be nice. (would also be nice in iPhoto 08 without having to go into edit mode; ug) Also the ability to listen to internet radio without having to use Airtunes which I have found to be temperamental at times. Also the ability to listen to music while you look at pictures would be nice (my Roku HD1000 could do that and it wasn't nearly as powerful as AppleTV).
I know this doesn't have to do with software but it would also be nice to have Apple spend some of their $50 Billion in cash reserves to promote the AppleTV more to get it in the hands of consumers. It's a cool product but nobody (except us Mac geeks) seem to know that it exists.
I just noticed that since updating AppleTV to 2.0.2 and iTunes to 7.6.2 (not sure which one is responsible or if it's a combination) that I can now stream web radio stations to my AppleTV. I have a playlist of radio stations in iTunes and I've tried to play them on the AppleTV in the past and it just gave an error. Tonight when I tried it, they all played fine using the AppleTV interface (comedy, news, music, etc.). They show up both as an "unknown album" (why I noticed it as I wondered what that was in the album list as I scrolled down it) and the Radio Station playlist works too.
They've also worked for some time using AirTunes + iPod Touch running 'Signal' or Remote Buddy. Signal even brings up the album artwork for the song if it can locate it. But until the upgrade, they did not work from AppleTV's own interface (i.e. You had to use AirTunes to stream it.)
I've informed Apple of a bug I ran into that's still present in the current software. If you have the screensaver set up to kick in and you're viewing photos and hit pause (say to examine a photo, make comments to guests, etc.) and the screensaver kicks in while it's paused, it will completely lock the interface (screen goes black and no key works; you have to pull the power plug to force a reset). I hope Apple will fix this bug soon. I've also noticed since the software update that the screensaver kicking in during music (say after 2 minutes) often stops the music when it kicks in. It never used to do this under 2.0.0 (I skipped 2.0.1 so I'm not sure there).
Meanwhile, I would really like to see some visualizer options in a future software update to AppleTV. I've got a 93" screen with an HD 720P projector and it would be wicked to have a good visual effects thing going while playing Pink Floyd or the like.
It should have an option to SEARCH *your own* music (not just iTunes STORE music).
A monthly flat fee subscription for unlimited tv and movie rentals would be nice. I almost never rent or buy older movies and/or tv shows because it adds up quick and I don't think it's worth it (usually just rent newer HD movies). But if I could pay a flat fee (Netflix style) and rent/view all I want, I'd probably go for it if it was reasonable.
A browser option would be nice (yeah I know you can hack it to install one, but it should be an included feature, IMO given a Nintendo Wii even has Opera on it). My 93" screen in HD would make a handy browser display window. An iPhone or iPod Touch would make a nice keyboard text entry device to run such a thing on it. In fact, the iPhone and iPod touch with the addition of a WiFi Infrared transmitter device mounted near the stereo system could turn them into the ultimate Universal Remote controls for your entire home audio/video system with easily mapped visuals for every remote function. Given how much some of the pricier touch screen remotes, etc. cost, I think it would be a pretty reasonable alternative with say an iPod Touch. I personally use one tethered to an AC cable so it doesn't drain the battery on my dedicated system upstairs to control the music selection on that hifi system. It works great using Signal or Remote Buddy. It should work even better with the new 2.x upgrades.
I've got a Canon A590 digital camera and it records video in AVI format. I wish I didn't have to convert it first to display it on AppleTV under my movies. There's no good excuse for Apple not including major standard formats like that. This device should be convenient for ME not convenient for pushing Apple formats. It takes Handbrake forever to convert long movies (relatively speaking).
TV shows should be available in HD (SD sucks by comparison on a big screen and even my cable company now has 35+ HD tv stations to watch!) and there should be a RENT option for tv shows (I don't normally want to watch a tv show episode over and over so why make me buy it? How about a 99 cent rental for tv shows?
It'd be nice if iTunes could be told to play certain albums ONLY on certain devices (e.g. I have several DTS CD albums and it's fine if they play on my downstairs home cinema system which will recognize and decode them automatically, but not fine on my computer or upstairs stereo system which don't have decoders on them)
Remote Buddy lets me view my Mac's web cam remotely on the iPod Touch. It'd be nice if AppleTV had a similar function on it and/or to view WiFI web cams (thinking along the lines of security cameras mounted around the house).
They've also worked for some time using AirTunes + iPod Touch running 'Signal' or Remote Buddy. Signal even brings up the album artwork for the song if it can locate it. But until the upgrade, they did not work from AppleTV's own interface (i.e. You had to use AirTunes to stream it.)
I've informed Apple of a bug I ran into that's still present in the current software. If you have the screensaver set up to kick in and you're viewing photos and hit pause (say to examine a photo, make comments to guests, etc.) and the screensaver kicks in while it's paused, it will completely lock the interface (screen goes black and no key works; you have to pull the power plug to force a reset). I hope Apple will fix this bug soon. I've also noticed since the software update that the screensaver kicking in during music (say after 2 minutes) often stops the music when it kicks in. It never used to do this under 2.0.0 (I skipped 2.0.1 so I'm not sure there).
Meanwhile, I would really like to see some visualizer options in a future software update to AppleTV. I've got a 93" screen with an HD 720P projector and it would be wicked to have a good visual effects thing going while playing Pink Floyd or the like.
It should have an option to SEARCH *your own* music (not just iTunes STORE music).
A monthly flat fee subscription for unlimited tv and movie rentals would be nice. I almost never rent or buy older movies and/or tv shows because it adds up quick and I don't think it's worth it (usually just rent newer HD movies). But if I could pay a flat fee (Netflix style) and rent/view all I want, I'd probably go for it if it was reasonable.
A browser option would be nice (yeah I know you can hack it to install one, but it should be an included feature, IMO given a Nintendo Wii even has Opera on it). My 93" screen in HD would make a handy browser display window. An iPhone or iPod Touch would make a nice keyboard text entry device to run such a thing on it. In fact, the iPhone and iPod touch with the addition of a WiFi Infrared transmitter device mounted near the stereo system could turn them into the ultimate Universal Remote controls for your entire home audio/video system with easily mapped visuals for every remote function. Given how much some of the pricier touch screen remotes, etc. cost, I think it would be a pretty reasonable alternative with say an iPod Touch. I personally use one tethered to an AC cable so it doesn't drain the battery on my dedicated system upstairs to control the music selection on that hifi system. It works great using Signal or Remote Buddy. It should work even better with the new 2.x upgrades.
I've got a Canon A590 digital camera and it records video in AVI format. I wish I didn't have to convert it first to display it on AppleTV under my movies. There's no good excuse for Apple not including major standard formats like that. This device should be convenient for ME not convenient for pushing Apple formats. It takes Handbrake forever to convert long movies (relatively speaking).
TV shows should be available in HD (SD sucks by comparison on a big screen and even my cable company now has 35+ HD tv stations to watch!) and there should be a RENT option for tv shows (I don't normally want to watch a tv show episode over and over so why make me buy it? How about a 99 cent rental for tv shows?
It'd be nice if iTunes could be told to play certain albums ONLY on certain devices (e.g. I have several DTS CD albums and it's fine if they play on my downstairs home cinema system which will recognize and decode them automatically, but not fine on my computer or upstairs stereo system which don't have decoders on them)
Remote Buddy lets me view my Mac's web cam remotely on the iPod Touch. It'd be nice if AppleTV had a similar function on it and/or to view WiFI web cams (thinking along the lines of security cameras mounted around the house).
Wow, if they had this, even if it was just for TV shows, I would seriously consider canceling my cable service.
I would also like a way to play music videos back to back automatically. I would purchase a crapload of them if I could do that. It's just not worth it to me until that feature is implemented. I know a lot of us ask for this and I'm sure Apple knows it, so I'm guessing that the music labels are the ones preventing this because of who knows what reason.
I want a way to sort playlists by Artist name, song name, etc.
And make the 1080P setting stick. I have to keep mine on 1080i because it resets to 720P when I switch to another component.
And make the 1080P setting stick. I have to keep mine on 1080i because it resets to 720P when I switch to another component.
With the new app that is supposed to allow iTunes control via wifi from and iPod Touch or iPhone, I'm hoping we get an update to AppleTV to allow the same.
Would be sooo nice to browse through the iPhone much quicker than that is allowed via the AppleTV interface.
And please don't link me the 3rd party software that allows you to do this (sorta) currently, I'm not a fan of it and even still it only controls iTunes (and AppleTV via iTunes).
And yes, fix the current features. It's rediculous I can play the new Radiohead videos in a row in iTunes without have to select the next one each time a track completes; can't do it on AppleTV. (If I'm mistaken please enlighten me
I assume in 3rd party software you're referring to Signal? I have to disagree on your assessment of this little gem I stumbled on this past weekend. If this isn't Apple's iControl, or iControl doesn't turn out to be cooler, I'll be buying this pronto. Here's a topic I just opened up on how I was able to resurrect my old Twentieth Anniversary Mac because of it..
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=5740179#post5740179
And I do agree with you on the need for video playlists. That is way overdue.
I would like the remote feature to work for Apple TV, but make it work with coverflow, etc.
As a side note, is everyone feeling well tonight (US time)??? Everyone is asking for sensible features to be added. Not the DVR, Safari, etc on ATV. Not that I don't want this, but you know it will probably never happen.
As a side note, is everyone feeling well tonight (US time)??? Everyone is asking for sensible features to be added. Not the DVR, Safari, etc on ATV. Not that I don't want this, but you know it will probably never happen.
That is ALL I want to see changed! At least the ability, as I use Aperture, to browse in the same way I do my library on the comp. In a tree like structure, NOT all one, big, VERY long list of albums and projects.
There's so much unexplored potential with the AppleTV-- RSS, weather feeds, family messages, etc.
Wish they'd push the envelope some.
Wish they'd push the envelope some.
No, I was using Remote Buddy for a little while. I knew of Signal as well and that they both had similar capabilities, just opted with Remote Buddy to try it out. It's pretty neat, but I was turned off that it more or less was a remote way to control your Mac. Which is cool, but not really what I'm looking for. So it's solution for the appleTV was to remote control your itunes, and have iTunes extend to your AppleTV (not just CONTROL AppleTV). Since you seem to praise Signal perhaps I should check it out. thanks!
100% agreed. If it's just extending the features currently of the Mac (iTunes, etc) why not throw some of the things we use widgets for? Not to get carried away etc, but even my Wii tells me the weather...