Now, this is an actual use-case that could make it easier to use the AppleTV while traveling. Still, makes zero sense for home...
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Hands On: Mission's USB Power Cable Lets You Plug Your Apple TV Directly Into Your TV Set
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I can see how this would be beneficial for those that want to set up an AppleTV as part of a kiosk type system where the screens are mounted/hardwired. Instead of running or creating a new power connection, just use the existing USB power.
Usually when I see things that I have no use for, I still try to understand who it could be good for… who might be happy to see that it exists. Could even help my brain from becoming one of those that see everything not directly benefitting me as something that I now must hate
Haven't seen such a disastrous product in a while. I thought it had something special to figure on macrumors
BTW My ATV runs non-stop as it also serves as a HomeKit hub when away ... and in my case HomeKit actually turns off the power to the TV when I leave
- Replacing one wire by another with a powered device and enclosed battery = environmental disaster
- Using the TV as a power supply which is known to be power drain when not in complete standby mode = inefficient
- Wall mounting a TV without thinking of cable management and power sockets = human stupidity
BTW My ATV runs non-stop as it also serves as a HomeKit hub when away ... and in my case HomeKit actually turns off the power to the TV when I leave
Uh no.. I'm not letting my TV access the internet.. that's the last thing I need.
This is perfect for my X7. Never had a good way to power an Apple TV before this. It's on order and will have it May 20th.
There's far more to the Apple TV hardware than the Apple TV app. Much nicer interface, siri, wider variety of apps, etc.
Yes and I always do the same. Although with this one I feel like the people who are trying to justify a use for this item are really digging deep into the "ifs and buts" barrel.Usually when I see things that I have no use for, I still try to understand who it could be good for… who might be happy to see that it exists. Could even help my brain from becoming one of those that see everything not directly benefitting me as something that I now must hate
I kinda like it. Power outlets are at a premium. How many power strips and outlet splitters can I have plugged into eachother before it becomes a problem? If you have a USB port right on the back of your TV or receiver that’s designed for the purposes of powering a streaming device, you might as well use it. Now you have one power outlet that’s free for literally anything else.
Take your pick, depending which power cord your TV has. About $9 each on Amazon. One continues to the TV as originally intended, the other goes to the AppleTV, ditching its own long cable. Problem solved.
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Cheaper: had a small extension cord left I put on the back of the TV. More energy efficient.
Below our the small sized AppleTV set for the kids. The aerial in the picture is gone now.
Below our the small sized AppleTV set for the kids. The aerial in the picture is gone now.
So I’m clearly in the minority but if I end up moving forward with my plan of wall mounting a tv in my kitchen I’ll definitely give this product a shot. Space is at a premium and the screen will frequently be re-positioned, so I’m very interested in a solution that avoids the slack issue for the Apple TV’s power cord.
Dan mentioned he tried this on 5 different TVs and they all powered it but the negative reviews of this manufacturer’s products for other streaming devices (can’t quickly find them for the Apple TV version) include many complaints that their tv’s USB port doesn’t provide power when it’s off or asleep so the power brick needs at least a minute to juice up before the streaming unit can be used. That’s an unacceptable UX for me, so I’ll have to make sure my screen has a continuously powered port. If such a thing exists.
Dan mentioned he tried this on 5 different TVs and they all powered it but the negative reviews of this manufacturer’s products for other streaming devices (can’t quickly find them for the Apple TV version) include many complaints that their tv’s USB port doesn’t provide power when it’s off or asleep so the power brick needs at least a minute to juice up before the streaming unit can be used. That’s an unacceptable UX for me, so I’ll have to make sure my screen has a continuously powered port. If such a thing exists.
Pointless. Replace a simple mains cable with a huge brick that contains yet another battery. It doesn’t solve cable clutter at all and introduces a battery and hence more eventual e-waste into the equation.
Perhaps I missed it, thru the sea of compost, but doesn’t this help people who could use an extra HDMI port? For those with multiple game consoles, and Apple TV?
This reminds me of a DIY product I stumbled across a month ago. I recon it would be a more elegant solution, especially for those who intend to take their Apple TV in an RV or boat. It seems abit silly to need to design such a complex device that stores and converts low power usb DC, into mains AC only for the Apple TV’s power supply to convert it back to DC 12v. Apple should just create an Apple TV mini streaming stick already.
No, this is simply for power. You still need HDMI for sound and video...hence how completely pointless this is for 99% scenarios.
I'm actually interested in this to power a trickle charger for my motorcycle. The large public garage where I park it has no available power outlets for me to plug a trickle charger into the wall, to keep the bike's battery topped up. I've never seen a small $25 battery like this capable of outputting 120V AC power. Maybe I could tuck this under my bike and plug a trickle charger into it with some AC plug adapters to make the connection. (The bike's battery is hard to access, have to loosen 2 bolts and remove the seat to reach it.)
Another use case that comes to mind, could it act as a small UPS for powered desktop hard drives? Say I was using a laptop to copy files onto a desktop hard drive / RAID that required a power supply (like on a film shoot), could I connect the hard drive's power brick through this battery for a little extra peace of mind in case of a power outage / accidental unplug?
I agree the Apple TV scenario seems a little silly, but for creative repurposing it seems like it could be a good deal. Are there other small cheap 120V AC battery packs with pass through power that I'm not aware of? Would love to hear of them if so!
....aand now they're sold out on Amazon.
Another use case that comes to mind, could it act as a small UPS for powered desktop hard drives? Say I was using a laptop to copy files onto a desktop hard drive / RAID that required a power supply (like on a film shoot), could I connect the hard drive's power brick through this battery for a little extra peace of mind in case of a power outage / accidental unplug?
I agree the Apple TV scenario seems a little silly, but for creative repurposing it seems like it could be a good deal. Are there other small cheap 120V AC battery packs with pass through power that I'm not aware of? Would love to hear of them if so!
....aand now they're sold out on Amazon.
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“Potential” environmental disaster. First, they’d have to sell a significant amount, which is far from a given. Second everyone that buys them would have to be dedicated to the idea of not taking them to be eWaste center to be recycled once they’re done with them, also far from a given.
I mean, folks could say the same about the entire Mac market.
There’s very little that can be done on a Mac that can’t be done using different tools on a PC. For a lot of users, it may just come down to the “but, I like it better” barrel. Still valid!
Am I missing something here? How does still needing to plug in and adding a chonk block to your set up helping to simplify cable management?