Price drop on 160GB AppleTV... 40GB model discontinued

[martint84]

After skimming over this thread and other tv threads, I feel like I have to mention a few things about the tv and PS3. I own both and have no reason to prefer one over the other.

1. I haven't seen anyone talk about video podcasts on the tv. For me, it's by far the feature I use the most. I know you can set up the PS3 and other devices, but I find tv to have the best interface. Anyone who doesn't know about TED Talks needs to check it out right now! Revision3 also has some great shows.

2. The PS3 is a great device. For $299 you get Blu-Ray, a great gaming system, and a good digital media player. I think the biggest advantage the PS3 has over the tv (in terms of media) is its ability to play lots of different video formats and external USB support. But the advantages stop there. Personally, I never use my PS3 as a media player. I find the UI to be extremely cumbersome. I love the organization of tv. I also don't mind converting my media to mp4 since I have a few iPod touches and iPhones in the house.

3. If you're looking to get the most bang for your buck, the PS3 is the clear choice. However, if you are a mac user and have all of your content on iTunes, the tv is awesome. Yes, it is probably over-priced, but I don't care. I really hope Apple continues to support it and am hoping for some additional features.

 

[Vulpinemac]

The problem with Apple TV is...

... that only people who have one have any idea of what it does.

I have one of the 160GB models, and its capability to synchronize with iTunes in my desktop computer means that my collection is available for listening and viewing in my Home Entertainment Center. It allows me to listen to my music on high-end analog speakers within a component system that makes any of your computer speaker systems sound sick and tinny. The point is, we've gotten so used to listening to our portables that we've forgotten what music should sound like.

Add to this that I can watch all my music videos, all my downloaded movies and even 'rent' movies from the iTMS to view on my 52" HDTV and I get a sound and picture package hard to beat in a consumer-friendly package. An interesting side note is that not only does it come with its own remote, but you can use your iPhone/iPod Touch as a remote as well. It's a great way to view that downloaded TV show you always loved,too, like Star Trek or Top Gear.

 

[martint84]

The only problem with tv is... that only people who have one have any idea of what it does.

I totally agree. When I explain it to my friends, they tell me all about how they can hook up their laptops to their tv or play their media on their PS3/XBOX360. They just don't get it...

 

[postbreak]

If you hack the device you can use a TV tuner and EyeTV however the remote doesn't work most of the time. It's infuriating. Standard definition plays back nicely, HD not so much but that's to be expected. Everything works except for the damn remote. If the remote worked it would be perfect.

 

[madog]

So I purchased the 40GB model on Aug 22 do I have any options to return for the 160GB?

If you bought it within 2 weeks of this release, mmmmmmmaybe. Their official policy is no, their return policy for most items is 14 days, but if you were within that time it never hurts to go and talk to a store manager at your local Apple store. They don't have to help you at all, but they have the power to do anything.

 

[nutmac]

Nope : http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/27/wd-ships-industrys-first-2-5-inch-1tb-hard-drive/

May I still dream ?

Yes, since the drive retails for whopping $250. Even with volume discount, it wouldn't be feasible as it would go against your "increase price in a reasonable way" dream.

With PS3 and Xbox 360 coming down in price, Apple cannot raise the price.

 

[LAS.mac]

Well, just checked here in Mexico: only the 160 Gb model is shown, at 3,589 mexican pesos (current exchange rate of 13.4 MXN for 1 USD, it means 268 USD). This price includes 15% VAT, which means the price is almost the same as the 229 USD of the US store.
Only BIG difference: the mexican store does not allow to download movies from itunes.

 

[ChrisA]

still waiting for 1080

When ATV can do 1080i/p I'll buy it. I don't care about movies. I want a good way to put photos and video I shot on my 1080p TV.

 

[DougB541]

Yes, since the drive retails for whopping $250. Even with volume discount, it wouldn't be feasible as it would go against your "increase price in a reasonable way" dream.

With PS3 and Xbox 360 coming down in price, Apple cannot raise the price.

And I think many would agree the 360/PS3 are substantially better and more open media streamers.

 

[SimonTheSoundMa]

Unless somone has e.g. a Kuro M display which has no tuners, then surely people have a built in tuner. What would having a tuner in the ATV give you that a built in tuner would not?

I have no tuners in my Fujitsu screens.

 

[blybug]

I'm still trying to understand what the point of Apple TV is. Why not just spend an extra $300 and get a mini? Gets you the same thig but much more.

Anyone care to enlighten me?

While mini is more versatile, it's also a more of a hassle. AppleTV is designed to be used with the remote, mini less so .AppleTV is just another device you can sync content to, mini is not. With the mini you need to pull content from the source, with AppleTV you can push content to it. AppleTV can also be used as a destination for AirTunes, min can not.

And, of course, mini costs more. $300 is quite a bit of money.

I have a mini running as an tv using this software hack ATV4Mac which installs TV as a replacement for the standard Front Row.

OS X Front Row is kludgier than the TV interface, mostly because it does not do a good job of separating TV shows into seasons in a useful way. Also prefer to manage my content from my computer and have it automatically pushed to the TV rather than having to manually keep the mini's library updated and mucking around with the device attached to my television (though I often do manage it via remote control VNC).

However, as you say, there are advantages to having the mini running "underneath" the TV, the main one being I have a 1TB firewire drive connected to sync and (therefore backup) my entire media library. Also can run the mini as a server of sorts with shared documents, network backup, syncing services all chugging in the background.

Best of Both Worlds

 

[OptyCT]

... that only people who have one have any idea of what it does.

I have one of the 160GB models, and its capability to synchronize with iTunes in my desktop computer means that my collection is available for listening and viewing in my Home Entertainment Center. It allows me to listen to my music on high-end analog speakers within a component system that makes any of your computer speaker systems sound sick and tinny. The point is, we've gotten so used to listening to our portables that we've forgotten what music should sound like.

Congrats on listening to your compressed (and heavily degraded sonic quality) music library on your "high-end analog speakers."

While I agree that listening to .mp3 music files through a decent hi-fi stereo system is an upgrade over listening to your iPod via bad earbuds, it still leaves a lot to be desired. At the very least, we should be listening to music using the lossless format. As memory prices continue to drop, lossless should become the standard. What's really pathetic is that now college-aged people prefer the sound of compressed music over lossless. There was a college professor who has been polling his students' music quality listening preferences for the last 10 or so years. At the beginning of each semester, he would take a CD and play it to the class. He would then take an .mp3 version of that same CD and play that. He would then ask his students which version sounds better. In past years, his students were pretty much split down the middle over which one they preferred. However, the last few years, the vast majority preferred .mp3. When asked why they thought .mp3 sounded better, they said that they couldn't hear the "hiss" (aka noise) on the CD versions, so it didn't sound as good. WTF???

 

[anthonylambert]

What if Apple did the following....

Released an Apple TV product that had all the same functionality as the current one with:

1. BlueRay drive.
2. Based around some top end Arm processor(s) not Intel.
3. Based it around the Phone OS including apps such as Safari.
4. Ran Phone OS Apps at Phone resolution
5. Ran yet to be announced TV/Tablet Apps at 720P
and 1080i/p resolutions!
6. Used Ipod Touch and Phones as game controllers.
7. Had cutdown game controller with all the Phone sensors/WIFI but no
screen.

Hmmmmm.........

that would give xbox etc. a run for their money.

 

[mattwolfmatt]

Na na na na, hey hey hey, good-bye. Discontinued soon.

 

[reallynotnick]

Blu-ray is uncompressed 1080p video. DVD is compressed 480p video.

The only thing that could be called uncompressed on BD is the audio otherwise the video is compressed. Of course it uses a better compression algorithm (H.264 and VC-1) vs Mpeg-2, and has a higher bitrate but since it has 6 times the resolution all of that is necessary. If you played a BD at 480p vs a DVD at 480p you would be hard pressed to find a difference.
But yes I agree BD looks ***** amazing.

I just want Apple to come out with a hardware update to support 1080p video and either allow external storage or users to upgrade the HDD (I know it is possible with hacking). And heck while you're at it might as well create an App store for the new Apple TV, think of the possibilities!

 

[GQB]

it's essentially an iPod that connects to your TV. As long as it plays back iTunes content, I don't think it "needs" much in the way of hardware upgrades.

Obviously, it would be nice, but I don't think it follows the same rules as most consumer electronic devices.

arn

Precisely.
iPhone/touch technology has a long way to go before it catches up to that available on the AppleTV (even as old as it is), and its pretty obvious that the OS (and app base) for AppleTV will more resemble iPhone OS than OS X.

 

[BeyondtheTech]

Regarding my AppleTVs, I stated this before, but it's so important to me that I hope someone in the deep depths of Cupertino will channel this to the right people:

1. Take 3 on the UI. It maybe a gateway to the iTunes Store, but please get the front end out of my face, burying my current media at the bottom right corner of each menu. Most of the time, I'm accessing the media I purchased or synced into it, so I'd like to get access to it first before having to sift through a bunch of menu options that are trying to get me to buy and rent.

2. Speed it up. You made good optimizations for Snow Leopard, put some of that expertise in the direction of the AppleTV group. It's just slow as balls since 2.0 came out.

3. Make it a portal to the Internet. Unlike many others, I don't want to hack my AppleTV the same reason I don't want to hack my iPhone. I trust you'll add value to the device that it won't need unofficial third-party support: how about news feeds (RSS), stocks, weather, alarm clock (heck, even just the time will do!). License a voice or two from the Acapela group and get my AppleTV to be my first wave of information in the morning: have it read me the latest news (think Tick Talk on the App Store), or how about news on demand? If my TV can power itself at 5AM, you can schedule the AppleTV to do something at 5:05. Even if you don't put a full-on browser, make it at least show the Weather Channel and show some current headlines.

4. Open the doors for other services. If you won't offer an all-you-can-eat subscription, how about giving the keys to Netflix, so they can do it? How about Skype or iChat with the ability to add a USB webcam mountable on the top of your LCD display? Right there, you expand the possibilities of grandparents in Florida watching movies and photos you're sharing with them from your AppleTV or iTunes/iPhoto/iWeb and being able to do a video chat. No complicated UI's, just a screenname you can scroll down to and click with the AppleTV remote, and initiate a video call. And, you can offer the ability to do surveillance on your house. Watch the babysitter, or watch your kids (think iCam on App Store).

I have two 160GB AppleTVs in my house, only because 1. connecting and disconnecting iPods/iPhones to the TVs were cumbersome and not that instant to my entire iTunes library, and 2. the Wife Acceptance Factor (WAF) hit an all-time high. You guys couldn't have made the interface and remote much easier to use. Have you seen some of these Windows Media Center and Logitech Harmony remotes? It's a nightmare to the technically challenged.

I still think you've got your hands on a winner in terms of hardware. Now, let's get that software up to snuff, and you'll be AOK in my book.

 

[Dan--]

The Apple TV should move most of it's back-end functions into a media server (where ALL your media on your home network is placed) and a bunch of small $80-$100 roku-like devices that have just enough guts to stream from the media server to any TV in your home.

ATV Server and ATV Satellites

Connect it to your main "ripping" server via firewire (USB, whatever) for performance via ripping, and let it stream everywhere else using wireless-n. Or simply rip your CDs to your local system, and have this one be updated via "automated copying" in iTunes 9.

The server could accept "plugins" to pull from internet sources (major networks, hulu, youtube, netflix, whatever) as well as your own photo/music/video libraries. Put it on the content providers to write the plugins if Apple doesn't want to mess with it.

The server could use multiple hardened hard drives in a RAID configuration to prevent loss of data.

It could even be used as a time machine backup (although I like to keep my time machine backup separate from my media drives for performance reasons).

+1, no
+10, and a h*ll yeah! (been thinkin the same thing for long term).

But for now, just a spec bump would be nice (bigger HD, faster CPU/GPU to enable 1080p and good Boxee stuff, and also throw in external/networked drives OOTB).

 

[Cliff3]

What does all this mean? I'm guessing we're seeing a price drop on the 160GB and a discontinuation of the 40GB? Maybe an update is immanent?

It probably means Apple is having a heck of a time finding a supplier for 40GB PATA drives. If they do update this device, a switch to SATA would sure be welcome.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

i am hoping this is just a prelude to a hardware and software update.

160gb, is starting to be a little light on storage with all the HD Movies itunes is selling.

and... well there could be alot of advancements, ie making the apple tv like the Wii, an amazing entertainment center, with gaming at same time.

that would be a winner.

well, also if Apple finally opened up the device.

Allow Netflix, Amazon, Blockbuster, Vudu and others to stream/download content to the device.

 

[moneyman118]

Buying advice,

I just sold my 40gb TV on ebay for $150. I can purchase the 160gb and not worry about the possible increase in storage b/c I have a 500GB Time Capsule. Should I purchase the 160gb TV now or does one think there will be a hardware upgrade. And why is it not listed in the Buyers Guide?

 

[Vulpinemac]

I don't know about that one. I have this really awesome piece of equipment called a PS3 and it's essentially a computer and it plays blu-rays.

The PS3 is nice, but it's a game machine first, then media. The Apple TV handles the multimedia aspect a lot better and handles more of it. My Nintendo Wii, XBox 360 and PS2 handle all my gaming needs.

 

[McGiord]

Questions for the pro Mac Mini (instead of AppleTV)

Just reading some of your posts I wonder about the Mac Mini.
How you connect it to the TV video input? What is the screen resolution you get and response time?
What software you use to use it?
What remote control you use?
How you browse the we from your couch?

Any cons?

 

[Cave Man]

The only thing that could be called uncompressed on BD is the audio otherwise the video is compressed. Of course it uses a better compression algorithm (H.264 and VC-1) vs Mpeg-2

A lot of Blu-ray discs, especially older titles, are encoded in MPEG-2. What's even more pathetic is that they were made by upscaling the original DVD MPEG-2 to 1080p MPEG-2. They really look crappy. Fortunately, most movies made in the last 5 years really are 1080p on Blu-ray.

 

[Hattig]

They're either selling out the remaining hardware in anticipation of new hardware (hopefully a cheaper, ARM-based device that runs quieter and cooler, with all the nice specs that have been speculated on before many times), or this is the AppleTV lineup for 2009/10. The latter would make me sad.