Apple TV vs. Digital AV Adapter

[specialkd24]

I'm a pretty new Apple person (got a 4s in October, wife got an iPad in March) and I want to know the differences between getting an Apple TV vs. simply buying a Digital AV Adapter ... besides the fact one is wireless and the other is hooked directly into the TV.

Here is what I'm looking to do. I want to watch streaming sports content on my TV. I'd love to be able to watch ESPN3 games and I have the WatchESPN app, so hopefully that will mirror either way.

Also one of the main reasons I would get it is I want to watch streaming college athletic games. There is a website provider that will be streaming college football/basketball games in HTML5 format this fall, so no app or special software is needed, you just have to go to a URL. I want to make sure I could watch these live streams on my TV.

I do have a MLB.TV subscription, so watching them on my TV would be a good bonus. I don't have Netflix (although maybe in the future), or watch much Hulu, but things like that could be a bonus. Mainly just sports.

Thoughts? I really appreciate helping a relative newbie.

 

[chickenwingfly]

Well I got my ATV to enjoy mirroring (although I can do that with the Mac as well via an app) but unfortunately since it's not jailbroken it hasn't gotten much use as I can't find an app that can stream my non-Apple-format friendly library (read: not iTunes) of videos and movies.

If you use Netflix and the other stuff (that is, the other apps built-in) then I guess that's a bonus.

The digital AV adapter you mean Apple's one, or any knock off for that instance?
Well, seeing as the ATV is "just" 99 then unless it's 10 bucks you have a device that can do a lot more for some more bucks.
And the digital adapter will just mirror the screen, so, you wouldn't be able to say, use the ATV as a standalone device for playing Youtube and the like.

About the live streams, I assume you mean like going on Safari and using airplay mirroring to watch them via the ATV?
I guess that could work as long as safari plays well.
The cool thing about mirroring is that you are not restricted to an app, but you can rather mirror everything, but it has some drawbacks like not getting proper ratio or resolution for instance, using the iPhone (I have a 4s as well and have used it to stream movies via AVPlayer, but the aspect ratio looks a bit "smallish" if you know what I'm saying).

 

[specialkd24]

Yeah, I meant the Apple Digital AV Adapter. I have a friend who has one, and that is where I first saw it.

It is $39, so I guess for $60 more for the ATV I do get more options. Really the mirroring in the most important thing for me, so I can use the WatchESPN app on my TV and the live streaming through a browser.

I appreciate the comments.

 

[Menneisyys2]

Yeah, I meant the Apple Digital AV Adapter. I have a friend who has one, and that is where I first saw it.

It is $39, so I guess for $60 more for the ATV I do get more options. Really the mirroring in the most important thing for me, so I can use the WatchESPN app on my TV and the live streaming through a browser.

I appreciate the comments.

Generally, if you want speed and flawless mirroring, go for HDMI (or even VGA if you don't have purchased iTunes store movies to be played back). Wireless AirPlay isn't suited for gaming / non-MOV / MP4 / M4V playback because of the jerky playback.