# “Apple TV is a genuine must-have for iTunes users”



## ehMax (Feb 17, 2000)

In its 5-star (out of 5) review, Stuff.tv calls Apple TV a “hot buy.” “The whole interface is stunningly slick and pretty,” and Stuff.tv found “loads of movies to buy and rent.” You can start watching the “brilliant on-demand content” almost immediately, and the HD movies “look superb” and offer “excellent” sound quality “with near-CD dynamics, detail and punch.” 


Full story...


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

It's frankly a better experience if you have a US iTunes account, but yes ... AppleTV is awesome and more Canadians should own one. It might "inspire" Apple to get more content on the Canadian store.


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## ertman (Jan 15, 2008)

chas_m said:


> It's frankly a better experience if you have a US iTunes account, but yes ... AppleTV is awesome and more Canadians should own one. It might "inspire" Apple to get more content on the Canadian store.


And it would be even better if they bumped the specs to full 1080 and made external storage or the ability to use HDs connected to an Aebs so the appletv can be more standalone, with larger storage.

Correct me if they updated these limitations (for me atleast). I do think it is a great idea, it just need updated.


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## macintosh doctor (Mar 23, 2009)

you can not record TV shows, you have to buy or rent programs to use it?
how is it a hot buy? other than iphotos from your CPU over the air, i will wait till you can PVR on it.


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## bsenka (Jan 27, 2009)

Apple TV has a lot of potential, but right now there are a lot of better options.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

ertman said:


> And it would be even better if they bumped the specs to full 1080 and made external storage or the ability to use HDs connected to an Aebs so the appletv can be more standalone, with larger storage.
> 
> Correct me if they updated these limitations (for me atleast). I do think it is a great idea, it just need updated.


1. There's no such thing as real 1080p over cable or broadband. Na ga ha pen until everyone has FIOS at least.

2. When one actually owns an AppleTV, one realises that streaming works fine, thus negating the need to have the AppleTV itself have a large drive. You can connect wirelessly to as many terabytes of movies etc as you like.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

macintosh doctor said:


> you can not record TV shows, you have to buy or rent programs to use it?


Yes, no and no.

1. The AppleTV is not a PVR. We have PVRs for that.

2. You don't have to buy or rent anything to use it. It has a lot of uses beyond renting or buying movies/TV shows. Have someone competent at an Apple store explain this to you.


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## ertman (Jan 15, 2008)

chas_m said:


> 1. There's no such thing as real 1080p over cable or broadband. Na ga ha pen until everyone has FIOS at least.
> 
> 2. When one actually owns an AppleTV, one realises that streaming works fine, thus negating the need to have the AppleTV itself have a large drive. You can connect wirelessly to as many terabytes of movies etc as you like.


Yes, but...

1. First, i dont own a 1080p tv yet, but talking about future usage. Let's say I get a 1080p tv, and have 1080 content I can view on it, what is the format (resolution) in which appletv fakes the 1080 resolution? Eventhough there 1080 downloadable content is not practical, I don't see that the restriction on the output is all that acceptable from a purchasing standpoint. Generally for my current needs it would work fine. 

2. Streaming is just not that great of an option for me, as I don't understand why I would need to have a computer on to view my photos on my HD attached via AEBS, or to watch videos? It just seems wasteful to have 2 machines running to do one task especially since my mac is a laptop. A stand alone option would be far better. Why can iTunes use the AEBSHD as a iTunes server and the Appletv can't. 

Other notes
-DVR don't really need it in an appletv. It would be cool but I don't think it is absolutely necessary for this device. 
-I am sure alot of diehard appletvers would hate this option, but An interesting option would be for an external bluray addon. Similar to the xbox HD DVD addon(which of course didn't work out). I just think that this would make it a complete hub for most entertainment, and not all users would have to buy it. Yeah, I already know there is no bluray support for this kind of stuff. It's not required but it would be neat. 
-Thanks for your reply, I appreciated the overall comments, but I would like to see some basic improvements in 1 & 2 that would improve it for me.


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## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

ertman said:


> Yes, but...
> 
> 1. First, i dont own a 1080p tv yet, but talking about future usage. Let's say I get a 1080p tv, and have 1080 content I can view on it, what is the format (resolution) in which appletv fakes the 1080 resolution? Eventhough there 1080 downloadable content is not practical, I don't see that the restriction on the output is all that acceptable from a purchasing standpoint. Generally for my current needs it would work fine.
> 
> ...


Blu-ray is overrated. 780p or even 1080i is plenty of resolution for most people. Thing I dislike about Blu-ray is the massive amounts of time needed to load the DVD compared to a standard one. Not enough of a "wow" factor for me upon viewing when compared with the loading/startup/search times. Maybe in time. Meanwhile, AppleTV is working great for renting movies, including HD (at 780p) movies and a whole lot more. Relatively inexpensive too.


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## lewdvig (Nov 20, 2003)

I only kept mine for a month - 360 has more movies to rent.

When Canada catches up, it will be worth a second look maybe.

In the meantime, connect360 works great for me.


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## a7mc (Dec 30, 2002)

fjnmusic said:


> Blu-ray is overrated. 780p or even 1080i is plenty of resolution for most people.


First of all, it's 720p, not 780p. 

While I agree that 720p is still quite nice, and more than adequate for most people, there's far more to the image than just the resolution. I watch movies at 720p, but I would still choose Blu-ray over AppleTV. If you're at all familiar with jpeg compression in Photoshop, it's kind of like this: Blu-ray is like a jpeg with 90% quality. AppleTV and other streaming or downloadable formats is like a jpeg with 40% quality. Same image resolution, different image quality.

Blu-ray is not overrated if you know what you're looking at. The MUCH MUCH higher bitrate of Blu-ray video is VERY noticeable to me. Now... granted, I'm watching this on a 100" screen, and I'm a video professional. People with 24" TVs won't notice a difference. But that's not a justification for you to say it's overrated just because the equipment you used to watch it on was crappy.

Every device has it's niche and it's use. It's perceived value depends on the rest of the components interacting with it, and your personal needs. Nothing more, nothing less.

A7


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## ertman (Jan 15, 2008)

fjnmusic said:


> Blu-ray is overrated. 780p or even 1080i is plenty of resolution for most people. Thing I dislike about Blu-ray is the massive amounts of time needed to load the DVD compared to a standard one. Not enough of a "wow" factor for me upon viewing when compared with the loading/startup/search times. Maybe in time. Meanwhile, AppleTV is working great for renting movies, including HD (at 780p) movies and a whole lot more. Relatively inexpensive too.


So anyone know what resolution is the maximum for the AppleTV, I am curious now.


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## JustAMacUser (Oct 21, 2007)

ertman said:


> So anyone know what resolution is the maximum for the AppleTV, I am curious now.


I believe it goes up to 1080i, but generally the content doesn't go that high or is heavily compressed. Plus there's some contention about what's better during high motion scenes: 720p or 1080i (because of the difference between interlace and progressive scans).

I have an Apple TV and love it. I rent HD movies from the iTunes store and I find the quality to be fine. I only have a 26" TV, mind you, but for what I have it looks great.


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## i-rui (Sep 13, 2006)

i used to have an apple tv, and i really liked it, but i ended up selling it because i didn't have enough HD inputs to have all my components hooked up, and it turns out i can do most of what the apple tv did with my PS3 (although the interface isn't nearly as nice).

I still might get one again when i get a new receiver with more hdmi / component inputs.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

I agree with a7mc's comments in full, but bearing in mind that *most* people don't have a 100" (or even a LCD TV a third of that size) up here, and bearing in mind that *most* people are not video professionals, 720p/1080i capable sets are perfectly fine, particularly given that most "HD" cable channels are in fact 720p and exactly ZERO are 1080p.

Thus, AppleTV's ability to display 720p and 1080i content means that it falls slightly below Blu-Ray in terms of quality on normal HDTV sets of well below 50" in size, and easily equivalent to the HD channels one might have if one has an HDTV.

If you're really "into" the highest of hi-res content, you already own a Blu-Ray player, so the AppleTV's inability to play 1080p content is a non-issue, as Blu-Ray is the only way to get 1080p content on your HDTV (unless you have one of those HD-DVD compatible players, I suppose).

As for AppleTV's inability to be a PVR, access remote hard drives, play Blu-Ray and so forth, the answer is pretty simple: Apple Ain't Microsoft, and have no interest in being everything to everyone. They follow the iPod model: make a device that does some selected things extremely well, not a device that does everything crappily (did I just invent a word?).

With particular regard to Blu-Ray, it is at best a transitional format. Five years from now (possibly sooner) there will be mediums the same size as today's Blu-Ray discs that can hold 50 times that content if not more for the same money. Apple has been -- in my view -- wise to resist adding BR as standard equipment at present. If the price on BR emphema falls *dramatically*, they should perhaps reconsider, but for now I think they're right to stay away. It's still a hobbyist plaything.

The AppleTV does what it does extremely well. For those who really HAVE to have a bigger-than-160GB HD in there, wait till your warranty is up and replace it yourself, it's not that difficult. Personally, I think the AppleTV is changing the way people rent movies in the same way the iPod changed the way people buy music.


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## Radio Flyer (Feb 11, 2007)

I think Apple TV in Canada is a poor option because of the limited content.

I prefer to use our PS3 to download movie from the PSN or to watch BD or even regular DVDs.

If and when the content improves I'll reconsider.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

Radio Flyer said:


> I think Apple TV in Canada is a poor option because of the limited content.


Well again, that's true -- but only if you don't have US iTunes account, and after all the discussion here about how to get one, everyone here should have one by now!


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## macintosh doctor (Mar 23, 2009)

chas_m said:


> Yes, no and no.
> 
> 1. The AppleTV is not a PVR. We have PVRs for that.
> 
> 2. You don't have to buy or rent anything to use it. It has a lot of uses beyond renting or buying movies/TV shows. Have someone competent at an Apple store explain this to you.


The whole point is to save $24.95 on a HD PVR - hence the PVR is more powerful and worth more than an Apple TV.. I have rogers on demand and i can PVR anything..

also i yelled at rogers so they gave it to me for free :greedy:
any how till apple tv PVRs - useless -it is a hobby any way


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## RISCHead (Jul 20, 2004)

The way to think about Apple TV is that it provides 2 things:
1. An interface to your iLife on your home entertainment base - music, photos, videos.
2. A very rich selection of movies and TV shows (to rent or buy) - on the US store. Rogers on Demand has nothing in relative quantity or quality of content.

It has a ways to go to replace cable or satellite (depends on your use).

As chas_m said, don't think of it as a PVR replacement - its not designed to be one, though people who hack it can claim all kinds of things, that doesn't make it a design point.

My primary media content is now stored on my Mac, so AppleTV is brilliant in interfacing my iTunes content to my home stereo and HDTV.
Its also a great way to show photos to friends and family when they're over, rather than drag them to look over my shoulder at a smaller computer screen.

The movie rentals content on the iTunes store is phenomenal - for breadth and depth - again US store - prices are reasonable and for armchair movie enthusiasts like moi, it has been a great find - 

Is it the greatest thing since sliced bread? Probably not, but for the usage scenarios I stated, its pretty damn good and keeps everything simple and easy to consume.


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## Garry (Jan 27, 2002)

Radio Flyer said:


> I think Apple TV in Canada is a poor option because of the limited content.
> 
> I prefer to use our PS3 to download movie from the PSN or to watch BD or even regular DVDs.
> 
> If and when the content improves I'll reconsider.


Yes, if only the Canadian iTunes store had HD Prime time TV Series from the States, or for that matter even some SD shows from Fox, ABC, NBC, or Warner Bros.

I would consider it worth it.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

Garry said:


> Yes, if only the Canadian iTunes store had HD Prime time TV Series from the States, or for that matter even some SD shows from Fox, ABC, NBC, or Warner Bros.
> 
> I would consider it worth it.


Keep re-reading my and RISChead's posts until you spot the hidden way to increase the value. I'm sure you'll find it eventually.


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## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

macintosh doctor said:


> The whole point is to save $24.95 on a HD PVR - hence the PVR is more powerful and worth more than an Apple TV.. I have rogers on demand and i can PVR anything..
> 
> also i yelled at rogers so they gave it to me for free :greedy:
> any how till apple tv PVRs - useless -it is a hobby any way


We have a Shaw HD-PVR and an Apple TV and use both extensively. I recommend both of them, depending on what your budget will allow.


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## ertman (Jan 15, 2008)

As cool as a PVR would be with the Apple TV, I don't think it is required. Being on satellite myself, an AppleTV with a built in PVR would be useless.


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## Delroy666 (Dec 12, 2006)

fjnmusic said:


> We have a Shaw HD-PVR and an Apple TV and use both extensively. I recommend both of them, depending on what your budget will allow.


I use the ExpressVu HD PVR for watching current TV shows and the Apple TV for everything else: movies, music, video podcasts and older TV series. For me, the Apple TV does for video what the iPod did for music. I can access my whole library from the couch. Since I have kids, it's great that I can put whatever show on they want in a few seconds, instead of searching through a pile of discs. It's small, quiet, and has an intuitive interface that even grandma or the babysitter can use.

I don't know why people complain that the Apple TV doesn't have PVR features. Would you really want to mess around with an IR blaster, downloading accurate program guide information, etc.? Leave that to the dedicated Sat/Cable box.

I wish it played more formats without having to hack it and I wish it would handle 1080p content though. Otherwise its a great and very underrated product. I hope Apple continues to develop it.


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## jicon (Jan 12, 2005)

I love the appletv if everything I play is thru iTunes. Otherwise, two VERY big complaints:

I don't want to store all my media on my mac's hdd, and I don't always want to run iTunes

I've managed to move lots of media to a USB drive attached to an AEBS, and run boxee, but it is extremely slow, and video that plays fine thru appletv's regular interface stutters badly. Either a big problem with boxee, or an underpowered processor in the appletv

Again, the insistence of having to keep iTunes running to play anything not cached is a serious design flaw. If it could read media from a NAS, it would be well recommended


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

jicon said:


> I don't want to store all my media on my mac's hdd, and I don't always want to run iTunes


I'm not sure I see the problem here.

1. Buy the 160GB drive version of AppleTV, and store stuff there.
2. When the warranty expires, replace said drive with a larger one if needed.


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## jicon (Jan 12, 2005)

chas_m said:


> I'm not sure I see the problem here.
> 
> 1. Buy the 160GB drive version of AppleTV, and store stuff there.
> 2. When the warranty expires, replace said drive with a larger one if needed.


You've got to know something I don't then. How do I get all my media to play thru the AppleTV interface without syncing with a computer with said media on it in the first place? I don't want to store two copies on the AppleTV, AND my Mac. I don't think its possible.

NitoTV works okay, but you can't rely on playlists, and you don't get the video summary that is available thru Boxee or the AppleTV Movie/TV Show interface.


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## Andrew Pratt (Feb 16, 2007)

I have a Shaw PVR and an AppleTV and use them both for what they were designed to do. As far as storing media I have my multimedia library on an external firewire drive that hangs off our iMac. I'd like not to have to keep iTunes running all the time and i seem to get sync issues btn iTumes and the AppleTV where I have to shut down iTunes and restart it but otherwise it works great.


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## Bjornbro (Feb 19, 2000)

jicon said:


> I don't want to store two copies on the AppleTV, AND my Mac. I don't think its possible.


It's _not_ possible, but even if it was, wouldn't you _want_ a backup of your "enormous" content?  (In other words, your complaint is not justified.)


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## jicon (Jan 12, 2005)

Bjornbro said:


> It's _not_ possible, but even if it was, wouldn't you _want_ a backup of your "enormous" content?  (In other words, your complaint is not justified.)


How large are movies these days? 1-2GB a movie? Space becomes a bit of a premium quite quickly. A ripped season of Arrested Development was over 14GB. With over 200GB of content already, I'm just looking for an efficient way to stop the reliance of running a machine with iTunes, and steam the data.

The best solution I've come up with is to store video and audio on a NAS drive (That backs up the content just fine on a mirror drive.), then stream to the AppleTV with Boxee. The only issue with this, is that the Boxee software is less than ideal. It sometimes can't remember a movie exists, or grinds for 20 minutes reading 100 titles out of a folder on the NAS - seems the more titles to read, the worse the menu response is. Streaming movies thru the Apple interface never experience any stutter, but Boxee gives me one or two per half hour.

I've just had no luck with ATVFiles or NitoTV with reading the network share over afp. I'm confident that would work, but a frustration right now.

Anyway, as the title suggests, if you're more than happy keeping iTunes running, AppleTV works pretty well.


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## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

jicon said:


> You've got to know something I don't then. How do I get all my media to play thru the AppleTV interface without syncing with a computer with said media on it in the first place? I don't want to store two copies on the AppleTV, AND my Mac. I don't think its possible.
> 
> NitoTV works okay, but you can't rely on playlists, and you don't get the video summary that is available thru Boxee or the AppleTV Movie/TV Show interface.


Think of your AppleTV like a big-screen iPod. You can store whatever you want directly on it, with or without another computer running, and you can unplug it, take it to a friend's house, and watch stuff there. It's like a hard drive with a cool navigation system.


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## mcleaf (May 11, 2008)

I agree - PS3 is brilliant. I stream content (music and movies) from my iMac hard drive to my Panasonic 46" Plasma through the PS3 using "MediaLink" software - works well.


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## ertman (Jan 15, 2008)

fjnmusic said:


> Think of your AppleTV like a big-screen iPod. You can store whatever you want directly on it, with or without another computer running, and you can unplug it, take it to a friend's house, and watch stuff there. It's like a hard drive with a cool navigation system.


While it is like a big screen ipod, it should be more like a standalone iTunes, where among other abilities, it is possbile to use a harddrive attached via AEBS. Yeah you can store stuff on it, and take it anywhere, I would like to have the ability to have larger library resources, without having to have my computer on to watch a movie on my tv.

With that said, while I have yet to use it, the rental service is a really cool.


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## wilecoyote (May 25, 2008)

*Apple TV First Impressions*

I just got an apple tv as a gift, and while I wasn't really in the market for one, I've found it to be a pleasant surprise. Best things so far:


Being able to scroll through video titles and watch trailers before deciding on a rental. Sometimes we don't really know what we feel like watching in advance and for those times this method sure beats walking around a video store!
Showing home videos to families in the confortable TV room rather than crowded around my office computer.
Watching the "Playing for Change" videos in high quality on a large screen with my best speakers! If you haven't bought this album - you should!
 Streaming videos direct from my kids' computers (they have all the good stuff anyway!).

I think Apple did this right - it does what it does really well without providing a confusing array of options. 

Also, I have a 46" Sharp LCD TV and I am happy with the quality.


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## ct77 (Mar 10, 2005)

*Got one, love it*

My wife and I have had an AppleTV for nearly a year now. We like it a lot.

Space have never been an issue for us. We have the 160 GB model.

As has been mentioned, at some point I might upgrade the HD, but no need for that so far.


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## EggWhite (Feb 1, 2009)

*User Name*

I recently got an AppleTV to replace a broken Xbox running XBMC.

So far its great. XBMC runs well, and the AppleTV interface and syncing with iPhone and iTunes is great. There is so much potential for AppleTV, but Apple seems to just let it sit there doing nothing. What I think would be the killer feature for it would be to allow it to be an iTunes Media Server. By that I mean allow multiple computers to connect to it and use it as the central repo (instead of just a sync appliance). And allow iPhone/Touch wireless sync. Its an always on device with Wifi and internet. It just seems like a good idea.

Also, Boxxee is looking to add a lot more Canadian content which will actually make it usefull for us Canadian (most shows are not allowed outside US). They have talked to CBC and CTV already.


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

I'm with you on the media server side. The AppleTV should be the server and the rest of your macs should be the clients. Everyone in our house uses laptops; it would be way better to have a centralized repository and keep minimal content for on the road.

If Apple wants to be the consumer media device they are going to have to get the server side sorted out. Consumers aren't ready for download as needed just yet and unless the carriers stop gouging for data above bandwidth caps we never will be. I want to download my content once and use it as I see fit. A media server is a must.


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## EggWhite (Feb 1, 2009)

Macified said:


> I'm with you on the media server side. The AppleTV should be the server and the rest of your macs should be the clients. Everyone in our house uses laptops; it would be way better to have a centralized repository and keep minimal content for on the road.
> 
> If Apple wants to be the consumer media device they are going to have to get the server side sorted out. Consumers aren't ready for download as needed just yet and unless the carriers stop gouging for data above bandwidth caps we never will be. I want to download my content once and use it as I see fit. A media server is a must.


And this would really push the sales of the higher priced bigger versions of the AppleTV. Some sort of central iTunes server is really needed, and it wouldn't be that hard to do.


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## fjnmusic (Oct 29, 2006)

I dunno. I just bought two AppleTV's—one for upstairs and one for down. They're not that expensive for the 40 Gb models. The Apple Extreme router acts more as a server, with the primary Mac having most of the content, as well as the printers and backup hard drives, and the other Macs streaming or downloading as needed. Plus the whole thing can be controlled with an iPod Touch used as a remote. My world's pretty good, actually. I don't think Apple needs to change a thing, AppleTV-wise.


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## JumboJones (Feb 21, 2001)

chas_m said:


> As for AppleTV's inability to be a PVR, access remote hard drives, play Blu-Ray and so forth, the answer is pretty simple: Apple Ain't Microsoft, *and have no interest in being everything to everyone*. They follow the iPod model: make a device that does some selected things extremely well, not a device that does everything crappily (did I just invent a word?).


Then what exactly do you call an iPhone? I got it and it replaced my cell phone, iPod, PDA and PSP, and the way things are going it might just replace my hard wired internet connection. Unfortunately they didn't follow this "iPod model" you speak about on the iPhone as sadly I think the worst feature of the iPhone is the calling feature itself, with the f'ing dropped calls constantly. Safari is no better it crashes as if it was run on Windows.


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## jicon (Jan 12, 2005)

fjnmusic said:


> The Apple Extreme router acts more as a server, with the primary Mac having most of the content, as well as the printers and backup hard drives, and the other Macs streaming or downloading as needed.


How does the router act as a server in this instance? I'd rather not have to rely on iTunes being active at all times on a machine.

Boxee has an iPhone/iPod app that can be used to navigate movies, TV shows, pictures, music and applications on AppleTV if remote access is a plus.


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## EggWhite (Feb 1, 2009)

fjnmusic said:


> I dunno. I just bought two AppleTV's—one for upstairs and one for down. They're not that expensive for the 40 Gb models. The Apple Extreme router acts more as a server, with the primary Mac having most of the content, as well as the printers and backup hard drives, and the other Macs streaming or downloading as needed. Plus the whole thing can be controlled with an iPod Touch used as a remote. My world's pretty good, actually. I don't think Apple needs to change a thing, AppleTV-wise.


What I mean is have all your songs and configurations stored on the AppleTV. Then when you start iTunes on any computer in your network all it does is connect to the server (AppleTV) to access it. So this allows me on my computer and my wife on hers to sync both our iPod using the same collection. Also since its an always on device it could download all my podcasts and iPod Touch apps over night. With its Wifi it could sync those wireless to my touch also. If you have a season pass to a show it could get it for you also. Quite a few things would be possible


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

fjnmusic said:


> I dunno. I just bought two AppleTV's—one for upstairs and one for down. They're not that expensive for the 40 Gb models. The Apple Extreme router acts more as a server, with the primary Mac having most of the content, as well as the printers and backup hard drives, and the other Macs streaming or downloading as needed. Plus the whole thing can be controlled with an iPod Touch used as a remote. My world's pretty good, actually. I don't think Apple needs to change a thing, AppleTV-wise.


The problem in this scenario is that we don't have a "central" Mac and shouldn't have to have one. With a single AppleTV or Extreme like unit acting as a proper media server we wouldn't have to keep a Mac turned on to feed a bunch of AppleTV clients. They don't have to add the server to an AppleTV but it should be added to the Extreme. The ability to strap a bunch of 1TB drives to the Extreme running a proper iTunes server would keep all my movies, tv shows and music in one easy to access place. Build in a way to mirror the data across a home network to another drive for backup and you'd have one awesome device. With a proper server in place I would consider an AppleTV or three. I won't buy one if I have to rely on a series of laptops as a server feed.

They could even have two version of the AppleTV. One with server capabilites which I can control from my TV and one which acts only as a client (like the current model). All data gets bounced into the server unit for common access.


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