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Apple TV- Worth the $$$?

John Doe 57

John Doe 57

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 26, 2008
1,333
3
Los Angeles, CA
I was just wondering if owners of Apple TV thought it was worth the money. Will some televisions not work with it? I mean why not just use the iPod to TV cables instead?
 
John Doe 57 said:
I was just wondering if owners of Apple TV thought it was worth the money. Will some televisions not work with it? I mean why not just use the iPod to TV cables instead?
Click to expand...

For me its worth the money. I have way to much content to keep it on an iPod (I have 2 500gig drives full of music and video).

Benefits over iPod hook-up (for me):

  • Works as Airtunes to stream audio from iTunes to your TVs speakers, computer speakers and Airport Express
  • HD rentals are only available via AppleTV
  • SD rentals are higher quality than those playable on iPods
  • Can view movie pre-views
  • AppleTV supports 720p videos, iPods do not
  • No wires to mess with once its set up (a set top box as apposed to a doc and wires)
  • youTube
  • Can stream all your photo's (not just those that fit on an iPod)
  • You can keep "private" videos in one place and hide them :) [i.e. I have a separate iTunes library that only shows up when I open it, that has content that is not fit for everyone that would look at my iPod/iPhone)
  • Parental controls (great if you have kids/minors that use your AV system)
  • Flicker/.mac Photos
  • Browse Podcast (video and audio)
  • 5.1 surround sound
  • HDMI connection for better picture

From Apples site:

TV compatibility
Compatible with enhanced-definition or high-definition widescreen TVs capable of 1080p/1080i 60/50Hz, 720p 60/50Hz, 576p 50Hz (PAL format), or 480p 60Hz, including popular models from these manufacturers: HP, Hitachi, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, NEC, Olevia, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Polaroid, Samsung, Sony, Sharp, Toshiba, Vizio, Westinghouse
 
Apple TV

I think it's real value will be more apparent once we see the depth of the movie rental catalog. I can rent movies using On Demand through my cable box, and stream iTunes to my stereo using my Airport Express, so it doesn't have too much extra functionality for me at this time. What I'm hoping for is a wide enough catalog of movies and TV shows, so I could ditch cable TV altogether and save $$$ by only buying/renting the content I want through an AppleTV.
 
with the recent price reduction and firmware update i would consider it a good buy in these circumstances. Also this device has further potential.
 
As dbwie said, I think the value is determined by the movie rentals, etc.

I personally think it's great for a) movie rentals and b) being able to buy TV shows from your sofa and then being able to sync them back to iTunes on your mac.

Other people may have different reasons why it's a good buy such as audio and photo streaming but these don't appeal to me as much.
 
I didn't think it was worth it at $299 but with the price drop and even cheaper refurbs I bought it last week. Do not regret it at all, I'm loving it...can't wait for Take Two software any day now.
 
When the Apple TV first came out, I didn't think it was the best value for the money. As others have said, I feel it is a much better value now with the price cut and the Take 2 software. I finally broke down last week and bought one, and even without the Take 2 update, I am very happy with my decision. It really has exceeded my expectations, and surprisingly, video podcasts look awesome. Very excited about Take 2 any day now.
 
Kids makes it worth it. No disc for them to lose. Also having my entire dvd library electronic is great. The just need to add buy on demand HD movies that sync back to iTunes.
 
themanfromvlad said:
I didn't think it was worth it at $299 but with the price drop and even cheaper refurbs I bought it last week. Do not regret it at all, I'm loving it...can't wait for Take Two software any day now.
Click to expand...

I wish I'd bought a refurbished one last week. Refurbs are very rarely available in the UK and they were £135 instead of £200, but they're not available now...looks like I'll have to stick with eBay.
 
I bought one when they first came out, but I didn't have very high expectations. It seemed to sort of be the missing link in my network, and the price was just low enough that I thought I'd take the gamble and see how it worked. It took me about 3 minutes to love it, and it's only got better since.

It's slick, convenient, fun to use, and it gives you quick and easy access not only to your own audio and video content (in iTunes), but also YouTube and movie trailers. I use ElGato's EyeTV (which records live TV, like Tivo, and ports the recordings to iTunes), so I have access to recorded TV shows too. Can't wait for "take 2"; the movie rentals are going to be very nice for us.
 
After one day of skeptical ownership, I'd say yes it is worth it.

My wife is the one who determines if one of my purchases is worth it or not.

She really seems to enjoy it's capabilities, and adapted to it in short order.

The woman is technically challenged :eek: so I give Apple high marks on this one! :D
 
I like mine so far. Very easy to use and the picture quality is great. Worth the money? Sure... and the Take 2 software will probably make it an even better value.
 
felixkunze said:
I think its not work 200 GBP in the UK (which is still the current price).

I posted about an alternative setup for viewing your iTunes content on your TV and I think its highly relevant for anyone who's wondering if its really worth that much.

I suppose it depends entirely on what you want to do with it.

http://octumo.com/blog/2008/01/apple-tv-like-setup-for-50-bucks/
Click to expand...

This idea has a couple of flaws.

a) It depends on whether or not you have an iPod or iPhone already
b) The resolution isn't going to be anywhere near as good as the AppleTV for things such as Movie Rentals, etc.

There are probably more but these 2 enough, make the Apple TV worth it for me. (and Yes I can get movie rentals in UK)
 
gazfocus said:
This idea has a couple of floors.
Click to expand...
You meant flaws (not floors) :D

Back to the original question, some TVs won't work with it - and this means for me, there is no point buying an AppleTV until I upgrade my TV.
 
pjac said:
Back to the original question, some TVs won't work with it - and this means for me, there is no point buying an AppleTV until I upgrade my TV.
Click to expand...

I agree. It was upgrading my TV to a 57" Samsung HD DLP set that forced a cascade of decisions that ended up with my purchasing the :apple:TV.

When I saw what iTunes was about (that it was really functioning as a server), I leapt all over it. I am glad I did.

As far as TVs are concerned, a friend of mine, after seeing :apple:TV in action, went out and bought one for his 4X3 Sony XBR tube set. It has component in, so he's good. He thinks he'll upgrade his TV within a year.

So I have seen it work both ways.
 
MikieMikie said:
As far as TVs are concerned, a friend of mine, after seeing :apple:TV in action, went out and bought one for his 4X3 Sony XBR tube set. It has component in, so he's good. He thinks he'll upgrade his TV within a year.

So I have seen it work both ways.
Click to expand...

What connections do the Apple TV's require? I'm looking to buy one (maybe 2) when I move house in June and will be buying a 32" TV (hopefully).

Is it likely to work with this?
 
I picked up mine last night and instantly liked it. The price point being at $229 it was an easy decision. Especally knowing how much I use iTunes for tv shows. I picked up HDMI cable for $20 bucks, great picture quality. I set my resolution at 1080i no problem.

Here is the value for me:

* YouTube, easier interface then the Wii to surf for movies.
* Home movies of my daughter to show to guests.
* Stream photos.
* I was planning on buying a Blue Ray player, with HD movies off of iTunes I don't have to anymore.
* Take 2 and movie rentals HD and regular.

The last one is the greatest value to me. I hate going out to rent movies and I also hate the netflix type services. I never know what I want to watch. I will no longer have to go to the video store, hope they have the movie I want in stock and then pay the late fees when I forget to return the damn thing. The AppleTV rental model is much better then the XboxLive one. XboxLive was expensive and you had to DL the whole movie before you could start watching it. This meant downloading 8 gigs if it was HD. If you wanted to rent a movie you had best make sure you had decided 4 hours earlier what movie you wanted to watch.
 
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