Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

macintologist · 01:09 PM

DivX’s Apple TV, but smarter

I kinda like it. I hate how the AppleTV is a closed system with no API or plugins. I don't want to hack the AppleTV to be able to play .avi files. I have a lot of Xvid files and I would like to play those. Also, this DIVX prototype will only be $100. 100mbps ethernet is fine for me since that's what my dorm is wired at.

Also, I have an SD TV with no interest whatsoever for an HD TV. I hope this prototype can output to 480i via composite video.

ph0ust · Aug 23, 2007, 01:49 PM

this is fantastic news. the apple tv is well done, but between missing features and being completely closed, i am upset with apple's initial attempt. competition from something like this and the upcoming d-link (i think it is them) device will really improve the apple tv offering (i hope). competition is always good!

also, there really is NO NEED for a hdd on such a device. my old eye home worked perfectly other than no integrated wifi and one of the worst user interfaces ever created. it was only $100 as well and did far more than my apple tv.

Nexus5 · Aug 23, 2007, 02:50 PM

Why using divx when there is h.264?? You have a lot of divx content? OK. Is there any other reason?

nexus5.

mduell · Aug 23, 2007, 04:43 PM

All I really want is a box with ethernet input, HDMI or even component outputs, and plays H.264 (all levels/features up to some obscenely high bitrate... not this crippled stuff that Apple supports). No hard drive, no wifi needed.

Nexus5 · Aug 23, 2007, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by mduell

All I really want is a box with ethernet input, HDMI or even component outputs, and plays H.264 (all levels/features up to some obscenely high bitrate... not this crippled stuff that Apple supports). No hard drive, no wifi needed.

How do you want to play H.264 Level 4, high profile with 25 Mbit/s without a hard drive? Over Ethernet?

nexus5.

mduell · Aug 23, 2007, 06:19 PM

Yea; I've got 100Mbps on paper and about 80 in reality, so I may as well use it.

macintologist · Aug 23, 2007, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by Nexus5

Why using divx when there is h.264?? You have a lot of divx content? OK. Is there any other reason?

nexus5.

Because I have backups of DVDs that I encoded in xvid and I can't be bothered to go back and reencode them all in h.264.

ph0ust · Aug 25, 2007, 02:54 PM

Originally Posted by Nexus5

Why using divx when there is h.264?? You have a lot of divx content? OK. Is there any other reason?

nexus5.

you're focusing on divx and not looking at the broader picture. it is an open system, which can technically support anything anyone wants to put on it. that is the main difference to an apple tv. i want to play whatever is on my computer and not have it limited to what apple decides they want me to play. they make a killer product and then tell you that you're not allowed to use it in ways you would like to. weak.

btw, i have NO divx content. but something that is capable of doing everything an apple tv is for one third the price will do nothing but push apple to let us use their product more to its capabilities. so we should all hope that if this makes it to market it does well (unless you care less about your own consumer power and more about apple's).

once dd5.1 is added... we'll be stoked.

vmarks · Aug 26, 2007, 07:05 AM

(a) appletv supports 480i output over the component cables.
don't have component inputs? no problem. get a component to vga cable and a vga to composite adapter.

(b) the problem with all DLNA, upnpav, and this DivX box is simple and known. They're dirt-slow to browse menus and media. They have to go hit up the network, load the listing, render the screen.

AppleTV solves that problem in two ways: (1) sync to drive. fast. (2) when using an iTunes network source, load the iTunes library xml file that tells it everything about what's on the machine, making it incredibly fast over the network.