I am confused about Apple TV!

[JellyFish]

If I buy an Apple TV, can I watch quicktime and mpeg files I have on my TV via Apple TV? Or does Apple TV just work with videos and stuff bought from iTunes? Can you stream other files that aren't in itunes?

I love the idea of Apple TV and am considering getting one but it's so confusing as to what it does.

 

[JellyFish]

Just to clarify, I have home movies I've done with a digital camera in .MPEG format and also some quick time files. These files are on my mac now. Can I stream them to my TV with Apple TV? Or does it only work with content purchased via itunes? If so, do I have to import my home movies into itunes or something?

Thank you if you can clarify.

 

[pavloskgr]

very simple

Just to clarify, I have home movies I've done with a digital camera in .MPEG format and also some quick time files. These files are on my mac now. Can I stream them to my TV with Apple TV? Or does it only work with content purchased via itunes? If so, do I have to import my home movies into itunes or something?

Thank you if you can clarify.

If it's on itunes, it's on your Apple TV! But this doesn't mean apple tv (or for that matter itunes) will play only staff bought from itunes store!!! Apple tv only plays the following formats: .mp4 , .m4v , .mov(actually not all .mov files but most of) regardless if it's bought or just imported from your digital videocam or from DVDs.
So quicktime can play .avi movies but itunes can't(which means apple tv cannot too)! If you have .mpeg files use the "export to apple tv" selection from quicktime menu! If you have .avi files for me the best way to convert them with awesome quality is with a program called "isquint"! It converts avi (and maybe some other types i haven't tried it with something other than .avi to be honest) movies to .mp4 but if u want extra good quality for apple tv choose "Go nuts" selection and make sure to click on the optimize for apple tv option and H.264 encoding selection....here is an example to convert an .avi file to mp4 with awesome quality



Hope i helped, i spent enough time trying to find out which is the best way to have a nice movie gallery on apple tv and i think this is one of the best ways.......

 

[JellyFish]

Thank you very much! That is very good information. I might get an Apple TV sooner rather than later now. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

 

[iChan]

isuint is actually called visualhub now.

 

[killerrobot]

isuint is actually called visualhub now.

Visualhub is the upgrade that you have to pay for that's based on the free isquint download. Not sure why they changed the names?

 

[iChan]

Visualhub is the upgrade that you have to pay for that's based on the free isquint download. Not sure why they changed the names?

you're right!
I paid for it months ago and totally forgot! haha... been using it so blissfully

 

[mr_matalino]

If you're daring:

http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/Main_Page

They have some pretty cool plug-ins that will allow you to play other files not supported by TV. It does take a bit of a technical mind, but the possiblities are endless now with SSH, etc...