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itv(apple tv) only for widescreens?

For those of you that either don't own an HDTV or a TV with the proper inputs to support AppleTV, or don't like its lack of supported formats. Then maybe the Sling Catcher from SlingMedia (maker of the SlingBox) might be what you want. Ars Technica recently did a intro review. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070108-8569.html From what I understand it also does Divx and Xvid too.

And its $200 w/o the harddrive (although an add-on HDD is planned) instead of $299. Might be a viable option for those of us that need or want it.
 
Mac Dummy said:
For those of you that either don't own an HDTV or a TV with the proper inputs to support AppleTV, or don't like its lack of supported formats. Then maybe the Sling Catcher from SlingMedia (maker of the SlingBox) might be what you want. Ars Technica recently did a intro review. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070108-8569.html
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That's more of a preview than a review. The press release has some other information, vaguely mentioning Macs.

From what I understand it also does Divx and Xvid too.
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The Ars article claims it's media-agnostic, but I'm not sure how they're defining that. Regardless, FairPlay-protected H.264 won't be supported so that gives :apple:TV the advantage for folks interested in iTunes Store purchases.

And its $200 w/o the harddrive (although an add-on HDD is planned) instead of $299. Might be a viable option for those of us that need or want it.
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None of the articles I've read says exactly what SlingCatcher requires/supports and sometimes contradict each other. If required, a Slingbox and/or Windows PC would potentially be an additional expense. There's a beta version of SlingPlayer out, but that's only for streaming to Macs, not from them.
 
480i looks to be supported, here's a screen capture:

appletv480ixt4.jpg


So, does this mean it will support standard TVs with composite input since most with composite inputs use 480i??
 
Can someone please tell me how (or if) this works with a 4:3 TV (not widescreen)? Does it fit the screen or does is it a letterbox? I've got 480p so that's not a problem.
 
ankushpatel said:
i have component connection (1) at the back of the tv it goes up -down green blue red. is it right?

it doesnt matter if i dont have a widescreen or hd tv does it?
will the quality be the same?


Thanks again

Ankush Patel
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If you DO have component (red, green, blue) then you may be able to use it just fine, it will just be letterboxed. My 4:3 HDTV has an option under the menus to change it from 4:3 to 16:9. The 16:9 just shows up letterboxed.
 
bajjab99 said:
480i looks to be supported, here's a screen capture:

appletv480ixt4.jpg


So, does this mean it will support standard TVs with composite input since most with composite inputs use 480i??
Click to expand...

I would think if you have an SD TV with component (not the same as composite) inputs, then it should work fine.
 
So I went out an picked it up....its SO COOL!


Works fine on my CTR SDTV, with Component cables. It works under 4:3 also...looks nice in my enhanced 16:9, but it cut off the tops part of my TV(the picture is all there, but not all the TV is uses), so its perfect in 4:3
 
thanks

so zap2it u used a sdtv with the apple tv and connected it using component cables and it worked?

hows the quality ?
 
ankushpatel said:
so zap2it u used a sdtv with the apple tv and connected it using component cables and it worked?

hows the quality ?
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I PMed you, but just incase other people want to know, here its what I said

Very Very well...very happy with it.

My TV has component cables and its flawless. It works in 4:3 and the 16:9 mode very well...the 16:9 looks nicer, but my TV doesn't allow the whole screen to be used, so the 4:3 is fine. And since I'm used to the 4:3 look of game consoles, TV, AppleTV it looks perfectly normal


Of course if anyone wants more info PM me or post here, but I'm think PMs would be faster
 
This is what I have been hoping for. I have a Standard Def (480i) Sony Wega with Component Inputs and I was hoping that once someone got their hands on one that it would reveal it works with my TV.

I CLEARLY see the 480i option in this setup video:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/apple-tv/first-video-setting-up-apple-tv-246124.php

Can you please confirm FOR CERTAIN that it works with a Standard Def TV that has Component Inputs?

Thanks a bunch...
exodar
 
You'd think that Apple wouldn't restrict Apple TV to "widescreen TV" only on the specs. They are potentially confusing and shutting out thousands of customers!
 
dukemeiser said:
You'd think that Apple wouldn't restrict Apple TV to "widescreen TV" only on the specs. They are potentially confusing and shutting out thousands of customers!
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I agree, even though probably only a minority of those potential customers would read or even understand the specs. Based on some of the questions/comments on this and other forums it seems plenty of folks never bothered reading them before posting. :)

Anyway, there could well be other Apple TV secrets to be discovered (for better or worse) that Apple hasn't mentioned.
 
sjk said:
I agree, even though probably only a minority of those potential customers would read or even understand the specs. Based on some of the questions/comments on this and other forums it seems plenty of folks never bothered reading them before posting. :)

Anyway, there could well be other Apple TV secrets to be discovered (for better or worse) that Apple hasn't mentioned.
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Well seeing how Apple gave out the wrong information, reading it didn't do much good!
 
zap2 said:
Well seeing how Apple gave out the wrong information, reading it didn't do much good!
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Still accurate enough as a starting point for at least partly answering some of the questions people were/are asking.

Btw, any idea how Apple TV displayed output on your 480i TV before your manually configured it with that setting?
 
works fine

it works fine on my 4:3, 480i TV too. unlike the other post, I think the 4:30 stretch looks horrible though, luckily my TV has a 16:9 option that makes it look good (with black bars up top & bottom). Totally worth it if your tv has 480i & a 16:9 option. Now i can save up for that widescreen tv someday.
 
So now that we know it works on SDTVs (despite three different reps at MWSF telling me it needed EDTV or better - it also appears to work great with wireless g, again despite what I was told at MWSF), does anyone know of a good way of connecting to a TV with only S-video or composite video (no component inputs)?

My SDTV is only four years old and I'm too cheap to buy a HDTV just for this.
 
Cable Box

For this question let's say it works with 480i.
I have a Comcast Box that has component input so I can plug in say a DVD player into it and then it'll go to the TV using the old-school coax cable. Could I just hook up the :apple: TV like that?
 
bajjab99 said:
it works fine on my 4:3, 480i TV too.
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Cool.

I have a feeling Apple silently added 480i SDTV compatibility mostly to avoid fallout from people who bought :apple:TV not realizing it wasn't originally meant to support that.

unlike the other post, I think the 4:30 stretch looks horrible though, luckily my TV has a 16:9 option that makes it look good (with black bars up top & bottom). Totally worth it if your tv has 480i & a 16:9 option.
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Thanks for the info. I'm curious if my SDTV has that 16:9 support; I only remember offhand the old non-progressive Pioneer DVD changer can be configured for different aspect ratios though I've never found a good reason to do that.

Now i can save up for that widescreen tv someday.
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I've started looking at 32" 720p LCDs a bit, figuring that would be a worthwhile upgrade to my 27" CRT without going overboard considering how the technology/pricing is changing. But I may stick with my analog-centric setup for another year or so, which includes an EyeTV 200 and broken EyeHome (hopefully repaired with the replacement power supply that arrives today); a migration to digital could quickly exceed my current budget.
 
sjk said:
Still accurate enough as a starting point for at least partly answering some of the questions people were/are asking.

Btw, any idea how Apple TV displayed output on your 480i TV before your manually configured it with that setting?
Click to expand...

On the start up it asks so I just put it in 480i...before that i don't know, but i'd bet 480i because it was support on my 480i only tv
 
No

mnahawi said:
if i play a dvd my laptop will i be able to stream it to my tv ?? that is the most important factor in my opinion .. if its only from itunes that would be very dissapointing !!
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Dude, have you even looked at the specs?

Read them again and check if it says ANYTHING about DVDs or playing videos that AREN'T in iTunes.
 
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