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cwagar · Mar 22, 2007, 10:40 AM

Just got delivery of two, separate FedEx shipments. Direct Distribution from Shenzhen, China to Alpharetta, Georgia.

Unbox pics coming...

GORDYmac · Mar 22, 2007, 10:51 AM

Wow! Mine has been delivered too...at home. Can't get to it until lunchtime--make that a long lunch.

cwagar · Mar 22, 2007, 10:53 AM

Unboxing:

Flickr: Photos from tanalach

KeyLimePi · Mar 22, 2007, 11:09 AM

Thanks for the pix. Mine's scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Let us know how your set-up goes.

cwagar · Mar 22, 2007, 12:07 PM

Setup was dead simple. Associating it with a library was exactly as demonstrated in the Keynote.

Picture quality is as expected.... Apple trailers are okay (they vary)... It plays the .mp4 files that I've ripped for my PSP just fine. The quality is obviously a bit lower. Stuff that I've ripped using the new quicktime AppleTV specs looks quite good. TV is a Panasonic HD 42" plasma, using component. I won't be able to try the HDMI until this evening.

Movies and shows downloaded from iTunes (purchased) are SD or better, at least on par with Comcast's On Demand service that my family knows and loves so much.

Syncing over wireless seems very slow, even though I'm using a new Extreme N base. I've moved everything over to Ethernet to sync up the first time.

This thing is going to be quite popular with my wife and kids.

Gee4orce · Mar 22, 2007, 12:10 PM

Thanks for the report. What are the photo slideshows like ?

ratlater · Mar 22, 2007, 12:19 PM

Does it show up as an AirTunes speaker from iTunes at all? I'm guessing it doesn't, but I would love to be able to play the same song synched from my computer speakers, deck airport express and the living room Apple TV.

krove · Mar 22, 2007, 12:21 PM

Oooo, I can't wait. I'm in the Portland airport right now, waiting for my flight to Denver then DC, where my Apple TV awaits. I show it was delivered just a little bit ago.

scottiB · Mar 22, 2007, 02:23 PM

Was a restore CD/DVD included? I'm curious how one would restore it (or install a larger HD at a later time and format it)--unless you'd do it through iTunes, like an iPod.

GORDYmac · Mar 22, 2007, 03:12 PM

No restore CD/DVD--really, I don't know. All I looked for was my AppleTV and the remote. I'd imagine it'll restore just like iPod, but I cannot recall seeing such a button when I played with it during my lunch break. I didn't spend much time in iTunes, since setup took 5 seconds.

I would clone the original HD and put it on the new HD, were I do do such a hack.

chipchen · Mar 22, 2007, 03:34 PM

this thing is awesome.... been playing with if for 20 minutes now.

of note, the remote comes pre-paired with the appleTV.

I told the FedEx guy that I had been waiting for this.. and he was like, "what is it? I've got a whole truck full of em!"

cla214 · Mar 22, 2007, 05:05 PM

Was everyone else's remote jammed into the styrofoam, or was that just mine? I had to pry it out with a butter knife... This was the first apple product I've opened where it seemed like the packaging was not perfectly suited to the contents.

C

jeeptjs · Mar 22, 2007, 05:51 PM

Mine didn't want to budge for nothing.

Gee4orce · Mar 22, 2007, 05:53 PM

Hah - just watched the C:Net unboxing video and the guy on there had problems getting the remote out too.

mdc · Mar 22, 2007, 06:59 PM

My remote had a little plastic tab sticking out. I used that to pull it out.

The only issue I have had with mine is that I plugged in the power before I plugged in the HDMI cable and nothing came up. I ended up pulling out the power and re-plugging it in. After that I saw the Apple logo on the screen. I guess you have to do it in order?

Right now I'm watching a movie streaming over my G network from my PowerBook. It's bloody marvelous.

stevesnj · Mar 22, 2007, 09:30 PM

A fellow teacher (PC User, MAC Skeptic) wanted to listen to his CD's so he didnt have to load up his CD's one by one, I told him about this and he just got it today. He said it took him less than 10 min. and he loves it!!! He couldn't beleive it would be as nice as it was and be able to hook up and sych 800+ songs to it in less than 20. min. now im gonna buy one

This is a homerun for apple...just like the iPod!

krove · Mar 22, 2007, 11:38 PM

I didn't see the plastic tab on the remote until I jabbed at the styrofoam for a minute with my fingers. I don't have time to set it up until tomorrow. First thing, though, I'm digging in.

Cadaver · Mar 23, 2007, 01:13 AM

I've had mine connected for a couple hours now. Its connected to a Sony Vega 55" widescreen LCD rear projection HDTV (720p) via a single HDMI cable (video+audio).

Here are some random thoughts:

First, works essentially like Front Row. Very similar look and feel. If you've ever used Front Row, you've used AppleTV.

Streaming content works very well - No pauses at all. I'm using an AirPort Extreme N base station in 2.4GHz G+N mode with three G-speed devices on it (AirPort Express units), and the AppleTV. The AppleTV is getting between 59-65MBit/sec according to the AirPort utility, which is better than the G-speed devices are rated for. Better than I expected for a mixed network.

Movie previews streamed off the internet also played without a hitch.

Think of it as an iPod for the TV. That's really all it is. You decide if that's enough or too little.

The unit did not come with any software on CD.

Video from the ITMS looked very good. I've downloaded a couple movies and many TV episodes (Battlestar Galactica). Looked better I think than they do on my Mac - then again the video is only being blown up to 720p and I'm sitting 8 feet away, versus when i use my Mac and the 30" 2560x1600 display at one foot distance. Not quite DVD quality, but a reasonable picture. Encode your own content at a higher res & bit rate and it'll look great.

No digital 5.1 surround. AAC stereo only. That's kind of a bummer, but I knew that long before it was shipped.

The AppleTV unit is capable of downloading software updates via the internet; doesn't have to get software updates through iTunes like the iPod does. Current version is AppleTV 1.0 and there are no updates yet posted (just thought I'd check for last-minute fixes).

40GB fills up fast. While I understand Apple's decision to go with a drive of this size (since the most popular iPod was the 20GB model for a long time), I've got more than 40GB of content. Plus, add your iPhoto library, and you can easily go beyond 40GB. Fortunately, streaming video works very well, so its not necessary to store it all on the AppleTV.

It cannot stream photos. Photos must be stored locally on the AppleTV's drive.

The unit gets HOT when syncing for the first time. Cools off afterward. The unit itself is small. About the size of a Mac mini but 1/3 the height (like a mini Mac mini). As Steve Jobs said during the device's first demo, there is no power brick.

Doesn't sync when the unit is in standby - must be on. There is no hard "off" switch.

Missed most of the intro/boot video - the cable slipped out of the connector on the TV (my fault) and I didn't get it plugged back in in time to see the whole thing.

There are a few screen savers to choose from. The "album art" and "photos" ones have Core Animation-like effects.

The remote is the same as the ones that work with the MacBook/MacBook Pro/iMac/iPod.

The AppleTV sync settings are managed through iTunes 7 just like the iPods are. Same interface.

Syncing stops if you stream content from a Mac. It will restart after you stop the streamed content. Playing content stored on the AppleTV's drive does not interrupt syncing. I presume this is to save wireless bandwidth for skip-free streaming.

That's all I can think of for now. Let me know if you have any specific questions.