But my 7, 5 and 3 year olds cannot operate the Mac Mini. They're very, very good at operating the ATV.
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Possiblility of new Apple TV at Macworld?
- Thread starter alchemistmuffin
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But my 7, 5 and 3 year olds cannot operate the Mac Mini. They're very, very good at operating the ATV.
Easy there. We're all Mac people. That means we're civilized, even when we disagree. Otherwise, we might be confused for PC weenies.
Yeah, don't know what the big deal is. The only thing I wish it did was have an option to delete the original Eye TV recording after sending the MPEG4 to iTunes. That would save a lot of time tracking down those huge MPEG2 files.
But my 7, 5 and 3 year olds cannot operate the Mac Mini. They're very, very good at operating the ATV.
I agree with you...I have a six year old brother, and he is great at getting through the Apple TV menu's...I have most of his shows and movies on that now...just because the Mini and the Apple TV are both square shaped, it does not mean they should be merged. The Apple TV is far closer to the iPod than it is to a Mac.
Sure. The reason most people don't care is because the product isn't up to snuff yet.
If they up the functionality (full HD, surround sound, etc...but DVR will NOT happen, ever) and especially if they lower the price as well, a LOT more people will get interested. Right now, it's still too expensive for the masses and too limited for video geeks who want the latest and greatest.
Especially if they add movie rentals, assuming they do it right, and increase their movie download library.
Sure, if "warranting its release" doesn't include selling a decent number of them.
another thing: Apple will team up with Tivo to bring their recording technology toTV, so people can record TV show on
and the recorded show can be synced back to iTunes....
No way in hell. If they did this, all the movie and TV studios would yank their content from the itunes store.
Nah, this is the future, it's just too early (and expensive) for most people to get into. It's a market in its infancy, someday everyone will have a box like this. Apple just needs to keep improving the box and dropping the price. Dumping it now would be insanely moronic, just giving up on what may be a multibillion dollar industry in the future. It would be like if they killed the iPod after a year (which initially wasn't that big a seller - that market was immature when apple entered it as well).
You admit that it isn't full featured...and yet people who aren't willing to try it out are "blind"? We're talking about a box that doesn't even output surround sound, something DVD players have done for ten years. Convenience is nice, but don't begrudge people who aren't willing to take a step down in quality - apple dropped the ball on this one, making a box that only connects to HDTV but lacks full HD resolution (1080) and surround.
But a low-end Porsche is still a Porsche.
It's really new technology and I think Apple is still feeling the market. I think exciting things are in store for the ATV. HD video is only a content issue (and hopefully a software-only issue for 1080), and 5.1 surround is only a Quicktime fix. Most movies are not 5.1-intense, even though they are encoded as such. Let's hope this fix comes to fruition in a couple of weeks.
Your position, as well as mine, is completely subjective.
It already does surround sound, just not 5.1 (e.g., DD, DTS).
But DVD players have to passthrough the DD and DTS files to the receiver to get 5.1. If you only want matrix (e.g., DPL or Neo), then two-channel RCA cables will do the job, provided your receiver can decode the matrix.
Again, I hope it only takes a software update to rectify this. Certainly the 5.1 surround is software-only, but I'm not so sure about the 1080. The specs on the chip are that it can do 1080 resolution, but I do not know if it can do so at 24 fps. Does anyone know, by chance?
But my 7, 5 and 3 year olds cannot operate the Mac Mini. They're very, very good at operating the ATV.
I can understand if they have to boot the Mac Mini and navigate to Front Row, but if Front Row is already running when they switch to that video input on the TV, are the two interfaces not similar?
Yes, they're just about the same. But you're always a few clicks away from being out of Front Row and into the Finder on the Mac. The ATV won't let you do that. Less risk of damage, ya know?
I think they should just cut their losses and throw in the towel with Apple TV. I don't foresee any devout fan followings springing up like happened with the Newton after it was discontinued.
How do you know they're losing money? Apple will abandon any device that is a losing enterprise, but they're strong enough to let some things ride if they think they can leverage the market. With the HD-DVD vs. BluRay battle still at an impasse, I think Apple has a real opportunity to steal this market. Hopefully, we'll get good news at MWSF - 1080/DD movies from iTMS.
TV mini:- RCA composite and S-Video ouputs (only)
- Stereo output (only, no optical)
- No hard drive (only enough flash for the OS and programs)
- No wireless
US$99
Current
TV gets a software update to match the new features of the mini (and hopefully 4:3 TV support for people like me), and gets a price drop (40GB at US$199, 160GB at US$299).That's my prediction for Macworld, anyway.
I could see Apple upgrading the TV. It looks like it would be a good product if they bundled more features in it.
I would buy one if Apple included:
1. larger HD [maybe the 2.5 WD 320GB]
2. included a DVR feature
3. a DVD drive of some kind, or allow it to use the Ultra Portable's external DVD drive?
TV. It looks like it would be a good product if they bundled more features in it. I would buy one if Apple included:
1. larger HD [maybe the 2.5 WD 320GB]
2. included a DVR feature
3. a DVD drive of some kind, or allow it to use the Ultra Portable's external DVD drive?
Yes, they're just about the same. But you're always a few clicks away from being out of Front Row and into the Finder on the Mac. The ATV won't let you do that. Less risk of damage, ya know?
Indeed I do.
<SNIP>
- No wireless
IMHO wireless is a must for this kind of device, 'cause anyone who has wired network or is willing to lay wire to their TV is already likely to not need such a device. Essentially though what you're describing is the Airport Express w/video that everyone expected to materialize.
B
- RCA composite and S-Video ouputs (only)
- Stereo output (only, no optical)
- No hard drive (only enough flash for the OS and programs)
- No wireless
US$99
With respect, I think that would flop with the target market for this product, which is people who are technically-inclined and "first adopters".
Composite/S-Video is incapable of handling an HD signal and handles analog video far worse then component.
Stereo output means that when iTunes does eventually add HD and DD/DTS content, you'll never hear it. If you're using it with a TV only, you face that issue now with the
tv, but those connecting it to a receiver are at least getting better stereo sound now via the digital output and will be able to get multi-channel discrete down the road.Also, one wonders if the labels will ever offer multi-channel audio content mastered from DVD-Audio and SACD sources. Many with home theater setups might find value in it and it would allow the studios to both sell yet another copy of the media to consumers and do so for a bit more money.
Lack of wireless means that you either need to keep it close to the router and run a long S-Video or composite cable (
) or you keep it close to the TV and run a long RJ-45 cable.HDDs are cheaper then flash RAM on a per megabyte and per gigabyte basis. So you would have no storage and would be dependent on the streaming. And I fear that hiccups on the PC or over the wire will mean a degraded (stuttering/halting) viewing experience.
I would be more interested in buying an Apple TV if it was;
Cheaper - its to expensive for the 160GB.
Had more capacity - 160GB doesn't really cut it for me with lots of 320KBps music, video podcasts etc, and 10,000+ photos. 250GB would be a better start or enable or have an additional USB that supports Airdisk/server.
Was also a fully fledged Airport Extreme - it would be much easier to justify buying it if it also worked as a AE.
Ran cooler or was taller to be cooler - it runs VERY hot these days and I worry its not going to last more than a couple of years under such heat.
A small backlit lcd display would be nice to know its current state and for simple diagnostics.
I also wonder if Apple might one day make it an HDMI/Audio switcher so that I can plug my DVD player etc through it to save me one less issue/task because I can really see my iPod touch becoming a super home remote when the SDK comes out.
Cheaper - its to expensive for the 160GB.
Had more capacity - 160GB doesn't really cut it for me with lots of 320KBps music, video podcasts etc, and 10,000+ photos. 250GB would be a better start or enable or have an additional USB that supports Airdisk/server.
Was also a fully fledged Airport Extreme - it would be much easier to justify buying it if it also worked as a AE.
Ran cooler or was taller to be cooler - it runs VERY hot these days and I worry its not going to last more than a couple of years under such heat.
A small backlit lcd display would be nice to know its current state and for simple diagnostics.
I also wonder if Apple might one day make it an HDMI/Audio switcher so that I can plug my DVD player etc through it to save me one less issue/task because I can really see my iPod touch becoming a super home remote when the SDK comes out.
I see Apple upgrading to the next version of the OS on it to support rentals and direct iTunes purchases. I also see a price drop with the following specs:
80 GigTV - $249
160 GigTV - $349
Maybe they'll even throw in 5 free movie rentals and 5 free TV Shows/Music Vids...
Closeout existing 40 Gigs at $199...
80 Gig
TV - $249160 Gig
TV - $349Maybe they'll even throw in 5 free movie rentals and 5 free TV Shows/Music Vids...
Closeout existing 40 Gigs at $199...
Probably the best explanation I've seen yet concerning
TV. And how nice it is that it matches my viewpoint exactly!!!Probably the best explanation I've seen yet concerning
I agree. Jobs has already stated that an update was coming, and all signs are pointing to Macworld. Hopefully it will be more than just rentals through iTunes.
Outside of the obvious HD content and better surround sound, I would love to get more screen savers (like the ones in leopard), event syncing with iPhoto, chapter market selection menu, and lyrics.
But a low-end Porsche is still a Porsche.
I'm not sure what you mean by that...are you saying that people should buy it just because it has the APPLE name on it, regardless of whether it
"Just" not 5.1. A format that has been supported by DVD for over a decade. So I'll clarify, it doesn't support DISCRETE surround sound, which is a huge oversight for a product that only connects to HDTV, meaning it's limiting itself to the higher end of the market.
Yep, that's what they do. And that's exactly what the aTV can't do. What's your point?
I share your hope that at least 5.1 surround, if not 1080i/p as well can be added to the aTV already released with just a software/firmware update.
Yes, they're just about the same. But you're always a few clicks away from being out of Front Row and into the Finder on the Mac. The ATV won't let you do that. Less risk of damage, ya know?
As long as you're running the mac from the remote and not the keyboard and mouse, is there any difficulty in getting to front row, isn't it just one button click? And what is at risk of getting damaged?
So does that mean that you think that consumers will never watch TV via a box streaming from the internet? Or that it will happen but apple should just stand back and let someone else have the huge profits that will come from this market someday? For what little it costs apple to develop a box like this, it seems like it would be a horrible idea to walk away from this market just because they're ahead of their time.
- RCA composite and S-Video ouputs (only)
- Stereo output (only, no optical)
- No hard drive (only enough flash for the OS and programs)
- No wireless
US$99
Why no optical out? A $30 DVD player has that output, meaning that the cost of having the feature is dirt cheap. That's one of the biggest things keeping people from adopting the aTV, does it really make sense to ship a $99 device that can't do what a $30 one can?
And without the wireless, how would it get the content from your computer or the internet? If I have to run wires all over my house, I might as well just run a video cable from my computer and not buy a box like this at all!
My concern with the current appleTV setup is the opposite of this: My imac is a mere four feet from my HDTV and I am not seeing the reason I should buy an appleTV to move my itunes media four feet.
For you, there isn't a reason.
Buy a four foot cable. Done.
You aren't the target market for aTV.
thanks, this thread (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/407205/) had almost convinced me to buy one (after Macworld, of course).
TV is actually a better made unit than the mini. Built to fall, to be abused. It will sync perfectly to any HDTV. Problem is that people are chasing blu-ray and DVR and the old cable media. Get liberated, get
TV!