Apple TV, Ethernet DirectTV OnDemand

[jeffgtr]

I am considering purchasing an Apple TV. I have a question about the ethernet jack on the back.

Can I connect the Apple TV to my wireless network AND use the ethernet jack to connect to my DirectTV HD box for their on demand service? I tried out a Linksys WRE54G Range Expander that had an ethernet jack and it worked. I'm considering returning the WRE54G and getting an Apple TV if it will do the same thing.

Has anyone tried using the ethernet port to connect to anything similar like an Xbox?

 

[macbookProSF]

great question

I wish I had an answer, seems like that would be cool

 

[gr8tfly]

No, it won't function as that kind of bridge. You'll need something like the Linksys WGA600N Wireless Gaming Adapter. I just helped someone set it up on their DTV HR20, and it works great. It did have trouble connecting to an Airport Express using WEP, but worked fine when we switched to WPA2.

Btw: DTV SD widescreen content doesn't look nearly as well as ATV ws tv show. They look like a SD show letterbox, zoomed to fill 16:9.

 

[jeffgtr]

Well thats a drag. Wonder if there is a hack out there, seems like a good idea. I'm not as interested in movies with the apple tv as I am the Itunes feature. Getting audio from itunes and being able to browse my music collection on the tv. Back to the drawing board on this one. Thanks for the answer all the same.

 

[powerbook911]

Airport Express can do this.

 

[gr8tfly]

Well thats a drag. Wonder if there is a hack out there, seems like a good idea. I'm not as interested in movies with the apple tv as I am the Itunes feature. Getting audio from itunes and being able to browse my music collection on the tv. Back to the drawing board on this one. Thanks for the answer all the same.

ATV v2.0 does have an AirTunes feature - you can use the ATV as remote speakers from iTunes. It will also let you use the ATV's remote to control iTunes. (AirTunes is a bit redundant, if you're streaming from an iTunes shared library or have your library synced (copied) to the ATV. It handy, though, to play new content and not have to switch sources on the ATV.)

It sounded like your original question was to use the ATV as a wireless bridge, putting the DirecTV box on the network through its ethernet port. Not sure where the remote speaker functionality came into that, but I hope the above info helps.