Undecided on new AppleTV

[tbayrgs]

I have a 1st gen Apple TV and I am replacing it with the new one for several reasons.

1. I hate having to "sync" to the Apple TV and manage what is on the device. It takes way too long and seems to start doing it at odd times, and I can never choose which of my computers will be the one that gets synced. So I just choose to not sync any of them and just do streaming only.
2. While it is nice to have the internal storage for downloading directly off the iTunes store on the Apple TV, I never end up doing this because the interface is not very good for browsing the iTunes store. So the internal storage gets completely wasted.
3. To compensate for no syncing, all my Macs are set to "Wake for network access" in energy saver prefs, which allows my AirPort Extreme Base Station to automatically wake up any Mac from sleep mode when the Apple TV wants to use it. This means I never have to worry about manually waking up a computer when I want to access it's media. This solves the whole "I hate having my computer on 24/7 to use Apple TV" complaint.
4. I never actually purchase anything off iTunes (outside the App Store and iBookstore) and only like to rent content. I don't like the fact that iTunes music is not lossless, so I never buy any of it. All of the movies and TV shows have DRM, so I feel like it is a waste to keep them around when I can't play them back on anything but Apple players. So I rent everything that way I don't feel guilty about buying some DRM-filled file that I will end up deleting anyway. Love the focus on renting that Apple is doing now!
5. AirPlay. There is not much I have to say here, but considering I own an iPhone and an iPad, and everyone I know who comes over has an iPhone, it is just an absolutely killer feature and pretty much stomps all over any of the other features for me.

I realize that not everyone has the same needs as me, but maybe the new Apple TV is just not made for everyone anyway? It is still a "hobby" for Apple and they feel like having no internal storage is the right direction, and I have to agree with them (as long as there is enough hidden storage for future expansion).

Not everyone is going to have an AirPort Extreme Base Station (or Timecapsule or whatever) plus a supported Mac that does "Wake on network access" but it does seem like Apple is kind of pointing at that as the solution for the "I hate having to turn my computer on to access shares on my Apple TV" complaints.

Not everyone likes renting stuff, and some people love to buy stuff right on their Apple TV. I personally never liked buying things on the Apple TV. If I can't rent it or stream it for free I don't want to deal with it.

Also, no internal storage means no more hard drive noise, no more heat, and the whole package is much smaller. Could they have added some solid state memory like the iPhone or iPad has (which means no heat or noise)? Well, of course they could have done that, but clearly that is not the direction they want to take it right now. Perhaps sometime in the future if there is still a demand for "syncing" (ugh, I have a headache just thinking about the memories of doing it with my 1st gen) then maybe they will start selling Apple TVs with a storage option. I doubt it though, seems they are preparing for the cloud stuff.

Other than #5, none of your reasons are problems alleviated by the new TV.

1). You're not forced to sync with the old TV--as you stated, you just stream, EXACTLY what you'll do with the new one--no change.
2). This makes no sense. How exactly does buying a new TV fix this?
3). Again, this also makes no sense. Stream from the old or new TV and you need to have your computer on. You just provided a solution for anyone who doesn't want to leave it on all the time.
4). You are aware that I'll be able to rent the exact same content to watch on my old TV, aren't you? Yes, I'll have to do so on my computer but you said it yourself, "the interface is not very good for browsing the iTunes store" on the TV, so I suspect based on your preferences you'll be doing the same, considering the UI on the new TV looks pretty much identical to the current one.

Some of these reasons might be good justification on choosing between buying either the old or new unit but you already have on and nothing here is really any different between the two. You sound pretty stoked about AirPlay so they alone may be worth spending another $99. Unless you're able to stream content from apps other than iTunes AND the use of AirPlay is not restricted to a specific iTunes account (neither confirmed), I really don't see the advantage of it. If I have video/music on my iPad/iPhone, I also already have it on my computer and thus would just stream it from there.

 

[gglockner]

In my case, the lack of sync is a real drawback to the new Apple TV. We use the original Apple TV in lieu of a DVD player. My son can turn on the TV, switch to Apple TV, and watch any of his movies or TV shows. They're all there, regardless of whether another computer is on with iTunes open. With the new Apple TV, to watch movies from your own library, you have to have iTunes open on a computer. This is a major drawback.

When I first heard about the new Apple TV, I hoped that the USB port could be used for local storage, so that you could sync just like the original model. Unfortunately, this is not the case, at least not today. Perhaps this will be enabled in the future through an official app or through a hack. Until then, I'm probably going to keep my original Apple TV.

I'd consider the Boxee or other device, but I've invested a bit in iTunes movies (darn you, DRM), and I want to have access to that content in our media room.

If Front Row was getting regular updates, I'd consider replacing the Apple TV with a Mac Mini, but Front Row seems like an orphaned product. Plus, although Mac OS X requires less reboots than Windows, it is still a computer that requires periodic system updates. That's not acceptable for a media room.

 

[Jimmdean]

Eventually your combined media libraries get to the point where all you can do is stream, especially if you want to play media on 2 or more devices. The internal storage of the old AppleTV was never all that big, and most people don't want to hack. As for the new AppleTV, give me Apps for Plex and EyeTV playback, and it's perfect...

Edit:
Obviously, put me in the "720P is perfectly fine" camp - I realize that is not ideal for some...

 

[newagemac]

Unless you're able to stream content from apps other than iTunes AND the use of AirPlay is not restricted to a specific iTunes account (neither confirmed), I really don't see the advantage of it. If I have video/music on my iPad/iPhone, I also already have it on my computer and thus would just stream it from there.

That's not true. It has already been confirmed in the iOS 4.2 beta that Airplay works with 3rd Party apps. In fact it works with any app that uses the regular built in iPhone video player. That includes apps like MLB at Bat, Air Video, Plex, Vevo, Safari, EyeTV, ABC, etc. Don't forget with Safari, you have a whole universe of web video that you can push to your HDTV. As long as it is plays on the iOS device it should play on the new Apple TV.

Also, you can easily have content on your iOS device that is not on your computer that Airplay will be awesome for. The aforementioned apps are one big example. The pictures and HD video you record on your iPhone is another. You can record 720p HD video of an event, edit it in the iMovie app on your iPhone, and then watch it immediately on your HDTV without any syncing or waiting involved. Or just play the clips as is as soon as you step back in the house.

And don't forget you can download content straight from the iTunes store on your iphone or ipad so if you're sitting on the couch and you want to purchase something and play it without getting up, you can do it on your iOS device and Airplay it right there. No Mac or PC even needed.

 

[benhollberg]

Apple's website: "Apple TV has been redesigned to be small in size but big on entertainment. Rent from the largest selection of HD movies — many available the same day they come out on DVD. Watch Netflix titles instantly. Rent TV shows, commercial free in HD. And stream photos and music from your computer to your widescreen TV. Best of all, Apple TV is just $99."

It does not say stream videos or TV Shows or movies to the Apple TV from iTunes.

I have pre-ordered the new Apple TV and am just noticing this, I want to be able to stream my movies directly from my Mac and not have to go through my iPhone or iPad.

Does anyone know if you will be able to stream from a computer or if you have to go through an iOS device? I also plan on contacting Apple after the weekend is over to get this figured out.

 

[GeekLawyer]

Does anyone know if you will be able to stream from a computer or if you have to go through an iOS device? I also plan on contacting Apple after the weekend is over to get this figured out.

You'll be fine. You can use AirPlay to stream from an iOS device. In addition to this new feature, AppleTV will also stream from your computer. Likely from iTunes.

 

[newagemac]

I just looked at the Keynote again and Steve went to the "Computers" menu and clicked on "Steve's iMac". Then the options available there were Music, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, Itunes U, and Photos. So no it's not just Music and Photos from your own computer.

He also mentioned if you have a Mobileme subscription you can watch your videos and photo galleries posted there as well.

 

[tbayrgs]

That's not true. It has already been confirmed in the iOS 4.2 beta that Airplay works with 3rd Party apps. In fact it works with any app that uses the regular built in iPhone video player. That includes apps like MLB at Bat, Air Video, Plex, Vevo, Safari, EyeTV, ABC, etc. Don't forget with Safari, you have a whole universe of web video that you can push to your HDTV. As long as it is plays on the iOS device it should play on the new Apple TV.

Sorry, but only audio has actually been streamed successfully to an Airport Express from a beta version. Apple is notorious for crippling their devices and seeing how iOS 4.2 is still a good 1 1/2 to 2 months away, this capability could definitely change. Not to mention that any of these apps could also disable this feature. I believe Steve Job's exact words in reply to this question of what would play through Airplay were "everything played in the Videos app." Only upon confirmation by Apple or actually seeing it work using iOS 4.2 will I believe it.

Also, you can easily have content on your iOS device that is not on your computer that Airplay will be awesome for. The aforementioned apps are one big example. The pictures and HD video you record on your iPhone is another. You can record 720p HD video of an event, edit it in the iMovie app on your iPhone, and then watch it immediately on your HDTV without any syncing or waiting involved. Or just play the clips as is as soon as you step back in the house.

I'll agree, the ability to show pictures and videos taken with the iPhone is a nice benefit.

And don't forget you can download content straight from the iTunes store on your iphone or ipad so if you're sitting on the couch and you want to purchase something and play it without getting up, you can do it on your iOS device and Airplay it right there. No Mac or PC even needed.

I certainly understand you could have music/video content on your iOS device that isn't on your computer, I just don't think it's that likely. I have never downloaded music or video on my iPhone/iPad straight from iTunes--takes too long and since we have a few iOS devices in the house, I'd rather take care of that on the home computer and sync out to the devices, rather than the other way around. Really not that hard to walk a few steps to my computer and download the material--just my opinion.

 

[DarkAether]

Weighing the options, I decided to get a 2nd gen 1 ATV at the clearance price. I just like the idea of the storage, the wider variety of connectivity options and - at least for now - the better hackability. I'm sure the latter will change eventually, but with the lack of storage, I still believe it will be limited.

 

[shotts56]

And don't forget you can download content straight from the iTunes store on your iphone or ipad so if you're sitting on the couch and you want to purchase something and play it without getting up, you can do it on your iOS device and Airplay it right there. No Mac or PC even needed.

Yes, but to do that you will have to wait until the item has finished downloading (which could be some time if its an HD movie, for example).

A step backwards as the old Apple TV could play something you had purchased before it had finished downloading.

 

[newagemac]

Another deciding factor for me was the speed of the UI. If you can move around the menus as fast as was demonstrated by SJ in the keynote, that's a great feature all by itself. I absolutely hate slow menus on a media center box. It's one of the reasons why I decided not to buy the new Tivo Premiere and what frustrated me the most about my Directv HR21 I got rid of.

I played around with the original Apple TV and it was a bit slow at times but not as bad as the aforementioned devices. The new one appeared to be blazing fast though. I'm sure the A4 processor has a lot to do with the speed increase.

 

[benhollberg]

I just looked at the Keynote again and Steve went to the "Computers" menu and clicked on "Steve's iMac". Then the options available there were Music, Movies, TV Shows, Podcasts, Itunes U, and Photos. So no it's not just Music and Photos from your own computer.

He also mentioned if you have a Mobileme subscription you can watch your videos and photo galleries posted there as well.

Great to know. Just noticed my Apple TV is "Prepared for Shipment"!

 

[tripjammer]

Great to know. Just noticed my Apple TV is "Prepared for Shipment"!

Same here I can't wait! Its like early Xmas!!!