AppleTV and content/source

[JimmyDreams]

Does TV allow only programs purchased from iTunes to be streamed from my iMac to the TV unit? (I'm talking video here...let's ignore YouTube and music for now)

Here's what I'm getting at. I have DirectTV and aside from surfing....I only TIVO episodes of The Simpsons, Family Guy, etc. If I could somehow set up my TIVO to deliver that content to my iMac, then I could use TV as my 'TV receiver' and my iMac as my main source. (sounds confusing).....but I want to run multiple TV's from the same contenct source. TV would be perfect if I could put in content OTHER than what I got from iTunes.

Suggestions, comments, or should I start drinking and forget about it?

JimmyD

 

[EricNau]

Apple TV will stream any video that fits within these specifications:

H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): Up to 5 Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels at 24 fps, 960 by 540 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

iTunes Store purchased video: 320 by 240 pixels or 640 by 480 pixels

MPEG-4: Up to 3 Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 720 by 432 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

...So no, it doesn't have to be purchased content.

 

[JimmyDreams]

Apple TV will stream any video that fits within these specifications:

H.264 and protected H.264 (from iTunes Store): Up to 5 Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 1280 by 720 pixels at 24 fps, 960 by 540 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

iTunes Store purchased video: 320 by 240 pixels or 640 by 480 pixels

MPEG-4: Up to 3 Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps (maximum resolution: 720 by 432 pixels at 30 fps) in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

...So no, it doesn't have to be purchased content.

You lost me at H.264!!! LOL

Perhaps I should wait until it's no longer a 'hobbyist' device.

JimmyD

 

[mkrishnan]

Getting more TiVo boxes is going to be drastically less complicated than what you're asking to do.

From what I understand, TiVo now provides Mac software to get the videos on the TiVo box onto the Mac. (link). Presumably you've got that up and running, unless you have a type of TiVo not supported. Apparently it can also automatically transfer shows to the Mac. I guess, from this point, you could probably use iSquint or the like to translate the videos to a format that iTunes understands, so that you can stream them with Apple TV and manage them from the Mac. You can probably fairly easily automate the translation and importing of these files.

But that is a hobbyist solution, and it's not going to be a non-hobbyist solution at any point in the near future. Let me repeat that. That is a hobbyist solution. The non-hobbyist solution is the one TiVo officially supports -- getting multiple networked TiVo boxes.

 

[EricNau]

You might be interested in elgato's eyeTV.

Basically, you would turn your Mac into a TiVo (plugging your cable directly into your Mac), and use their software to import recorded videos into iTunes. From there, your Apple TV would operate just as if you had purchased the videos from iTunes.