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thedarkhorse

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 13, 2007
662
0
Canada
If the AppleTV's lack of an optical drive has been an issue for you, look no further than a soon to be announced update to the popular iDevice for that very issue to be addressed. Also, the entry-level model will be dropped to $249 with a 60GB or maybe even 80GB HDD (depending on market conditions about six or seven weeks from now), and two other models at $299 and $399 sporting 120-160 and 200-250GB drives respectively. The optical drive may not be available on all models, another vagary of our most recent source reports on the subject. More on the AppleTV 2.0 and its across-the-board hardware/software upgrades later this week when the key embargo expires!
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A major point of the AppleTV is to avoid the DVD stuff, and love the iTunes environment. MOSR is just for laughs, they have NO sources...
 
I don't see an optical drive in this thing unless they do something with the cooling/ventilation. The heat from the device will burn the optical drive out prematurely...

Maybe just a SW update to make it able to read an external from the USB port... maybe an external DVD drive that Apple will offer for their new sub-note???
 
We don't need an :apple:TV with a DVD drive. What we need is for Apple to start making add-ons for this. A unit that looks like this that maybe plays dvds, or HD-DVDs, or Blue-Ray discs (or all of those). This unit would be stackable with the :apple:TV. Also maybe a DVR box in the same design that is stackable.

Give us the choice of what we want and let the original :apple:TV be the starting point and the base for it all.
 
i do agree that the whole point of the appletv is to bypass dvds, also for 399, i rather just spend another 100 bucks, and get a refurb mini. It has front row, and a remote, an optical drive, oh yeah, and its a computer. I dont know, its just my dream to have a mac mini hooked up to my entertainment system.


P.S. is it common for people to use the minis as an entertainment system
 
We don't need an :apple:TV with a DVD drive. What we need is for Apple to start making add-ons for this. A unit that looks like this that maybe plays dvds, or HD-DVDs, or Blue-Ray discs (or all of those). This unit would be stackable with the :apple:TV. Also maybe a DVR box in the same design that is stackable.

Give us the choice of what we want and let the original :apple:TV be the starting point and the base for it all.

You see thats not apples style! Apple wouldn't want you to trail cables behind your HDTV!! They just want one box for everything! No DVD recorders, No DVD Players... All your media and content in one tiny little box.
 
I think Leopard may trigger an update for AppleTV from oct-Jan 08.

I see more video formats, maybe even screen display from a Mac - a feature of Leopard for remote iChat stuff. Then you could play any native media if it just streamed screen shots.
 
I think the most likely update for AppleTV will be an "End of Sale" announcement.

Apple has been removing AppleTV displays from stores. They are not promoting the product anymore. Even the Mac Mini hasn't reached that fate yet.

The iPhone really did steal the show during its announcement...seems like its ignored and forgotten.

DVD would be silly. The whole point of the AppleTV was a way to bring iTunes to the living room and sell Movie/TV content. Honestly, without the AppleTV, there is no way i would buy TV series and movies for my ipod...or iphone...or laptop...
 
We're talking about Apple, right?

:D


By the way, I was just thinking the :apple:tv could be used as a remote desktop... So you could control your mac from your living room and not only access Movies, TV shows, Music, Podcasts, Photos and YouTube, you could also then access documents, Keynotes...
Or do tutorials on a big screen, like show how iPhoto works to your family and stuff like that (But I suppose that last bit would be a little naff)
 
All I want is DOLBY freakin DIGITAL from my ATV!!!!!!!!!! Please figure out a way to passthrough the AC3 stream and I'll be 100% happy with this product. To me that's the biggest drawback for a system that is supposed to play all your movies. I can't watch the Matrix in DPLII!!! Come on!!!

Please...DD 5.1 support...pretty please...
 
You see thats not apples style!

Except of course when it comes to adding FM to your iPod. :p

Given that Costco has gobs of 160 GB :apple:TVs I agree that it's either due for a major overhaul or a fire sale. :(

I like mine, and would likely pick up a second one if they were discontinued.

B
 
Yeah I don't need a DVD Drive, when I want to watch DVD's I place them in my Superior Tosh A2 for it's steller Upconverting. What ATV Needs is HD Content on the Itunes store.
 
I think the most likely update for AppleTV will be an "End of Sale" announcement.

Apple has been removing AppleTV displays from stores. They are not promoting the product anymore. Even the Mac Mini hasn't reached that fate yet.

Actually, the store I frequent has also started to remove the Mini as well...

Maybe a convergence of the two???
 
Yeah I don't need a DVD Drive, when I want to watch DVD's I place them in my Superior Tosh A2 for it's steller Upconverting. What ATV Needs is HD Content on the Itunes store.

Agreed, I have it also. At first I thought the whole upconverting thing was a bunch of BS thanks to this HDDVD player and my cable box (also upconverts via HDMI) I am glad to say I was wrong.
 
All I want is DOLBY freakin DIGITAL from my ATV!!!!!!!!!! Please figure out a way to passthrough the AC3 stream and I'll be 100% happy with this product. To me that's the biggest drawback for a system that is supposed to play all your movies. I can't watch the Matrix in DPLII!!! Come on!!!

Please...DD 5.1 support...pretty please...

I agree! I am waiting to buy AppleTV with the hope it will read .avi with AC3 audio or some other Dolby Digital file format soon. I think Apple will start to sell on iTunes movies with Dolby Digital or other 5.1 (DTS or other) so it will need a device to play them properly. What do you think? Until iTunes doesn't offer movies in surround 5.1 (Dolby Digital or equivalent), I won't buy them!
 
I'm not dying for an integrated DVD player, but I'd welcome one. Sometimes it's still practical to rent a movie, or a friend brings a DVD over to watch.

It would be particularly appealing if it was an HD-DVD or BluRay player.
 
e next :apple:tv is gonna have are the following:
(if it discontinues is another matter)

-More storage
-iTunes Wi-Fi Music store
-Lower pricing
-iPhone support over Wi-Fi or USB
-iPod Support
-5.1 Surround sound
-New design.
 
My only requests of a new AppleTV are (two things which could be fixed with a mere software update, but don't make me laugh):

PLAY ALL functionality
SHUFFLE ALL functionality

I do not want to return to the menu after my selection has played. I want it to automatically move to the next selection or pick one at random. You know, like iPods and iTunes have been able to do for years and years and years now. So I can play music videos or short cartoons from a playlist and just let them play and play and play for hours, maybe even days. Can we have this functionality, please? Is it too much to ask or dream about? Is it somehow dangerous, taboo, or forbidden to play too many movies in a row without stopping? Will I grow hair on my palms from this too?
 
My thoughts on this are that it could bring about an interesting possibility. What if there is a DVD drive, plus a dedicated h.264 decoder/encoder chip (like the Elgato Turbo.264). Pop in a disc and the :apple:TV automatically rips the disc to the :apple:TV (and with an internet connection, it can look up DVD information and CD Album info). No bogging down your computer. DVD's, CD's, Picture CD's and a USB card reader; you don't even need a computer to enjoy the :apple:TV.
 
My thoughts on this are that it could bring about an interesting possibility. What if there is a DVD drive, plus a dedicated h.264 decoder/encoder chip (like the Elgato Turbo.264). Pop in a disc and the :apple:TV automatically rips the disc to the :apple:TV (and with an internet connection, it can look up DVD information and CD Album info). No bogging down your computer. DVD's, CD's, Picture CD's and a USB card reader; you don't even need a computer to enjoy the :apple:TV.

It will not have a DVD import function 'cos apple wants you to download your movies from the iTunes store, and will certainly will not have a Card reader. Apple NEVER will do a card reader, unless it makes up a new Media card of its own, that I doubt.
 
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