[Theodour]

If it runs a version of OS X, then maybe you can just drop your own quicktime codecs in it ... and even use some of the open-source stuff, life ffmpeg or mencoder, to use it for Tivo-esque purposes.

But then, maybe it will be able to fly, make martinis, and clean the carpet ... I suppose we'll find out.

[nat]

Originally Posted by AlanApple 

I have a TV show in avi format which it would be great to watch on TV using Apple TV. However, iTunes is not allowing me to drop it into either the TV Shows or Movies folder. Any suggestions on the software I would use to convert to the relevant format?

Cheers.
AA

Originally Posted by scottiB 

Is you sig an homage to The Mouse and the Motorcycle?

iSquint it's free and easy to use

[Gavin]

OK, so you have your mini hooked up to your tv in the living room. How do you watch your movies / stored content in the bedroom? That's where this thing starts to make sense.

This isn't about being a one TV device, it's about having a central media repository server and this thing allows you to have access to it on every tv in the house. Your DVR lives on the server and you have a client box with each TV. Living room, kitchen, bedroom, kid's room, the backyard hot tub TV, etc. All your content available everywhere.

I'd like to see an open API for plugins to it. It should do widgets - stocks, weather, traffic all in a picture in picture box while you watch the morning news. I should be able to direct my video iChat to it so I can conference on the big screen. You could set a kitchen timer that flashes on the TV when the brownies are done. I want party shuffle controls so I can manage a live playlist from the TV. Calendar and Address Book browsing? why not? And of course get at third party content. For instance eyeTV should be able to write a module that gives you access to its recorded content, TV recording controls, etc.

At the very least it should do everything that Front Row does: movie folder, DVDs on the computer, etc.

[Enigmaaron]

Why does everyone want this to be a DVR? Why on earth would you not get the DVR your TV provider offers. Every provider I know of offers an HD DVR for about $10/month (Tivo service alone costs this much ignoring the hardware cost). It makes no sense to acutally buy a DVR. Maybe you like to own your hardware but think about this, when your DVR breaks your provider will fix it or replace it for free. When your DVR becomes obsolete in 2 years your provider will upgrade it for free. Sure the Tivo has a nice interface, but that's no reason to burn money.

Am I going to buy an Apple TV? No. I don't purchase movies/music/TV shows from iTunes. But my roomate is buying one because he does purchase all of those from iTunes. The only factor that proves this device will be a success is the success of the iTunes store itself. People buy from it, those same people will want an easy to use device to put that content on their TV.

[msuper69]

Originally Posted by Gavin 

...
This isn't about being a one TV device, it's about having a central media repository server and this thing allows you to have access to it on every tv in the house. Your DVR lives on the server and you have a client box with each TV. Living room, kitchen, bedroom, kid's room, the backyard hot tub TV, etc. All your content available everywhere.
..

It's not a central repository. The hard drive is a cache for the content which is streamed from any Mac that is connected to the network, wired or wireless.

[iDaver]

Those who "don't get" the AppleTV are thinking of it in the wrong way. Apple is making the device to be (relatively) inexpensive; designed specifically for customers of the iTunes Store who want to play that stuff on a TV. An included bonus is that it displays your photos from iPhoto and plays all of your (imported) music as well.

I've seen complaints from Europeans who wonder what Apple expects there to be in the ATV for them. Nothing, that's what. Apple currently wouldn't expect Europeans to buy ATV because there's currently no video content at iTunes for them. For Europeans, AppleTV might be used as a glorified Airport Express (with a remote control) but that's about it.

Those of you who have a mini connected to your TV are already well beyond what Apple expects ATV customers to be able to do. You can do so much more with a mini to TV setup, but it also costs twice the price.

[krove]

Some misconceptions seen in this thread:

1. Apple TV is a beefed up Airport Express.

While similar and adds video/remote functions, Apple TV has no Airport base station functionality like the Airport Express. It does not extend your wireless network.

2. Apple TV only plays iTunes Music Store video. It will not play Handbrake-ripped DVDs.

False. Apple TV will play MPEG-4/H.264 videos up to certain bit rates and resolutions. As long as you rip DVDs into the right format, bit rate, and resolution, Apple TV will play the video. You are definitely not limited to iTMS for video content (nor music, for that matter).

-----

Hopes for a be-all, end-all video device that plays, records, stores, rents and browses is probably a little extreme right now. This is a first-generation device of this sort from Apple. It has always been billed as a media extender (à la Airport Express for music, without the base station functions) and never as a PVR nor source for access to the iTMS.

Apple is very selective about the markets they enter, examining the competition, ensuring that there actually is a market. PVR functionality is increasingly within the realm of set-top boxes from TiVo, cable and satellite providers, not Microsoft. It makes no sense to try and compete with these already-entrenched markets on this front. All you PVR weanies need to suck it up and get a box from your TV provider that has PVR functions.

I placed an order the first day, unsure of whether I really needed this or could justify the price point given the features. In the end I went for it after realizing what I just said. Given the awesome interface and the ability to stream music, photos and video (including my ripped DVDs), I plan to keep my order. To top it off, I bought an Elgato EyeTV Hybrid (which happened to be on sale during Macworld for only $99!) to get my PVR functions. Not as convenient as an all-in-one solution, but good enough.

[rubaiyat]

Originally Posted by Hanul 

...if you want a PVR, buy a mini and EyeTV. Why should Apple put that in a box for you?

Because you might like one?

Naaah, Apple doesn't work that way. It tells you want you want, not the other way round.

[dpicardi]

It has a USB2 port. No mention of what it is for that I have seen, but perhaps you can bolt on a 250GB USB2 external HD and now you can store all your DVD...and it would make sense if Apple flips a switch (firmware upgrade) and now you have a DVR with unlimited storage.

Thoughts?

Dave

[iDaver]

Does anyone know what kind of OS this thing is running? It apparently has an Intel processor but there's been no mention that it runs Mac OS X, at least that I've heard. However, it does seem to run some kind of modified version of Front Row. If that's the case, what's to prevent installation of other software at some point? Like dpicardi mentions, "flip a switch" and run DVR software?

[lpkmckenna]

Here's another way to think of AppleTV: it's a 40GB video iPod with wifi synching, but instead of attaching earbuds, you attach your TV.

[Enigmaaron]

Originally Posted by dpicardi 

It has a USB2 port. No mention of what it is for that I have seen, but perhaps you can bolt on a 250GB USB2 external HD and now you can store all your DVD...and it would make sense if Apple flips a switch (firmware upgrade) and now you have a DVR with unlimited storage.

Thoughts?

Dave

It has no video/audio inputs and no hardware for converting the signal if it did. There is absolutely no way of turning this into a DVR (short of adding a computer that acts as the DVR and using the Apple TV as the bridge for connecting said computer to your TV).

[krove]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

Here's another way to think of AppleTV: it's a 40GB video iPod with wifi synching, but instead of attaching earbuds, you attach your TV.

Bingo. It even acts like an iPod in the way you setup Apple TV in iTunes.

[namannik]

Originally Posted by siMac 

And whatever happened to one app per need? I find this progression to 'Mac OSX iTunes' operating system unsettling. iTunes now organises music, podcasts, radio, movies, TV shows and, when combined with the iPod, takes care of photo, calendar and contact syncing too. What used to be the domains of several apps has been assimilated into one giant, bloated omni-app. How long before the unstoppable iTunes takes the place of the Finder, Mail and Safari too?

I totally agree. Logically, most of these functions should be contained in iSync, not in iTunes. Of course, that would mean that Apple would have to create a version of iSync for Windows.

[Pringlis]

Originally Posted by AlanApple

Originally Posted by AlanApple View Post
I have a TV show in avi format which it would be great to watch on TV using Apple TV. However, iTunes is not allowing me to drop it into either the TV Shows or Movies folder. Any suggestions on the software I would use to convert to the relevant format?

Cheers.
AA

If you open the .avi in QuickTime Pro and then save as a QuickTime enclosure then you can then drag and drop into iTunes.

[icruise]

The Apple TV is clearly a sign that Apple is going to be selling HD video on the iTunes Store quite soon. It makes no sense whatsoever to put out a box like this, with HDMI and component outputs, if it's just going to be playing videos formatted for the iPod.

I certainly have no intention of getting one (at least not in the near future), but I can see how some people might like the idea of being able to stream content from their Macs. (To those of you saying that you'll just use a cable -- that works if your computer is close to the TV, but otherwise it's not realistic, and in any case Macs don't have HD video outputs, so it's not really comparable.)

Originally Posted by msuper69 

It's not a central repository. The hard drive is a cache for the content which is streamed from any Mac that is connected to the network, wired or wireless.

The central repository in this case is your Mac. The Apple TV just allows you to access it.

[kman42]

I'd buy one if I could rent the movies. And if I had an HDTV

[bloodline]

Originally Posted by Big Mac 

I agree kamina. As it is, with the few features it provides, Apple TV isn't the greatest product. When the Internet and stored digital media takes over the world completely, then Apple TV will make sense in its current form. But as it is, most people get their TV content from cable TV. If it could serve as a DVR that could back up stored programs to your computer, it would make a lot more sense.

I think that is the point... AppleTV doesn't make any sense really, right now... Apple are preparing a product for a time when all media is supplied via the internet...

I remember when I saw the iPod for the first time... I thought it was a waste of time, it didn't make any sense to me. Now I have an iPod and it now fits into a modern digital lifestyle! One can foresee a time when the AppleTV might do similar.

Imagine if Apple TV actually supplied TV? it would be an ideal device... As this is a pioneering device the spec and features don't need to be great!

[Cadaver]

Originally Posted by Enigmaaron 

...my roomate is buying one because he does purchase all of those from iTunes. The only factor that proves this device will be a success is the success of the iTunes store itself. People buy from it, those same people will want an easy to use device to put that content on their TV.

Exactly. That's exactly the market whom Apple is targeting with TV.

My problem is that I'm sort of in this market - I buy a lot of music from the iTunes store, but I'm too much of a videophile for the TV I think. I'd love a simple way to stream DVDs stored on my home media server to my 720p video projector with a nice, Front Row type interface. TV, however, looks to be H.264 only (no MPEG-2 VIDEO_TS) and from the specs, no multichannel surround audio (even via the digital audio output). And AFAIK, H.264 doesn't support digital multichannel audio.

I may spring for a Mac mini and Equinux's MediaCentral software instead

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Cadaver 

And AFAIK, H.264 doesn't support digital multichannel audio.

H.264 doesn't support any audio; it's a video codec, not an audio codec or container.

[krove]

But the MPEG-4 container supports many audio and video codecs, one being the 5-channel AAC. Handbrake has options to let you rip to H.264 video + 5-channel AAC audio.

It is the sweetness!

As for Apple TV not supporting Digital 5.1, it could go either way. The lack of details in the audio portion of the Tech Specs only mentions bit rate, but not number of channels. Having optical audio out, however, would seem to indicate digital 5.1 simply because every new Mac has optical audio out that supports 5.1. May be reaching, but we won't know unless Apple updates their Tech Specs to clarify, someone asks Apple and they answer, or someone gets their Apple TV and says one way or the other.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by Javizun 

its safe to say both products are duds.

My goodness.

[iDaver]

Can't wait for my AppleTV to arrive. Between that and my DVD player and Netflix, I'm ready to kiss Comcast premium cable good bye. I expect I'll be purchasing about $20 of programs from iTunes each month, plus $18 for Netflix, plus roughly $13 for basic cable and I'll come out about $40 ahead of what I'm paying now for premium cable.

[BLKadder]

Originally Posted by GORDYmac 

This is exactly the reason I cancelled my order. I'll be getting a Mac Mini instead.

there is no need to re-encode existing video files.
all you need is QT pro and the appropriate codec DivX/Xvid

in short, you save a small "reference movie" that itunes considers to be QT.
details here:
macosxhints.com - Make iTunes 6 accept non-native video formats