[frdmfghtr]

With the new iTMS movie rental and revised Apple TV, I started thinking of replacing my DVD player with an Apple TV. I stopped short, as Apple TV doesn't have a DVD drive and despite the emphasis that Jobs is putting on digital media distribution, I'm not about to re-purchase my DVD collection in a purely electronic format (that's what Handbrake is for ).

SO...what is the advantage of Apple TV to a properly connected Mac? Maybe a properly-configure Mac Mini would make a better Apple TV platform (optical drive, additional hard drive space, etc.). I asked a Apple Store sales rep, and he thought that Apple TV really has no advantage over a Mac with Front Row.

As a side note, do you think that movie rentals via Front Row will be added with the 10.5.2 update?

[BRussell]

Well for one you'll get HD rentals with AppleTV but not with the mini. For another, the mini is a lot more expensive. And you don't have access to the iTunes music or video store via frontrow, or .mac/flickr photos or podcasts over the internet, do you? (I'm not using leopard yet.)

If you already have a DVD player, why not just keep it attached - why not have both AppleTV and a DVD player?

[frdmfghtr]

Originally Posted by BRussell 

Well for one you'll get HD rentals with AppleTV but not with the mini. For another, the mini is a lot more expensive. And you don't have access to the iTunes music or video store via frontrow, or .mac/flickr photos or podcasts over the internet, do you? (I'm not using leopard yet.)

If you already have a DVD player, why not just keep it attached - why not have both AppleTV and a DVD player?

No, no access to iTMS via Front Row in 10.5.1. I could have both, but there is a limited number of A/V connections on the stereo.

The real attraction I would have to Apple TV is to put my entire media library (48 DVDs and about 7 GB of music/podcasts...yeah, small by some standards) on the Apple TV. The 40 GB model would be too small, but I have over 400 GB available in a couple of external enclosures; if I could plug an external drive into the Apple TV and use it for media storage, I would be golden. The Apple Rep told me that external drives won't work with AppleTV, yet it has a USB port.

[zerock]

if the files dont fit on the apple tv, you could just stream. it works really well.

i'm patiently waiting for HD Rentals on my tv

[Wiskedjak]

The Apple TV is:
quieter
equipped with an internal power supply (not the literal brick of the Mac Mini)
less power hungry
instantly on
easy for the wife to use
less expensive
not needing an optical drive (that's what Handbrake is for)
easier to connect to many HDTVs

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by frdmfghtr 

The Apple Rep told me that external drives won't work with AppleTV, yet it has a USB port.

Out of the box, the Rep is correct. However, there are hacks that enable the USB port to read from external drives. Having said that, I've got 500gb of video on my computer and I see no need to have it all on my Apple TV; I rarely watch any of it and it only takes a few minutes to get content onto the ATV if I want to watch something that isn't on there. I mostly just watch my recent acquisitions and recent podcasts.

[BRussell]

Originally Posted by Wiskedjak 

Having said that, I've got 500gb of video on my computer and I see no need to have it all on my Apple TV.

Where do you keep it all, on an external hard drive connected to your computer?

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by BRussell 

Where do you keep it all, on an external hard drive connected to your computer?

Nope, I've got it on an internal drive. I'll probably end up deleting at least a third of it in the near future, though ... a lot of it is in TV episodes that I won't be watching again.