[confuzedwizard]

I currently have my airport express hooked up to my audio system (which supplies my entire house with music).

Does Apple TV replace my airport express?

I'm not sure how i would get my Apple TV streaming music to connect to my audio system. Seems like it only connects to the TV itself.

Additionally, does Apple TV work like Airport Express in that when you open up iTunes you see the wireless (apple tv) button on the bottom right of the screen and and it must be selected to work? As you know, Airport express requires you to select if music is to be played on the computer or on your wireless airport express device.

What am i missing?

[Wiskedjak]

Apple TV does for your TV what the Airport Express does for your stereo. I don't believe it replaces the Airport Express. You'll note that the Airport Express is still available.

If you want to replace your Airport Express with an Apple TV, I image you could use the component audio out, but then if you don't have an HDMI TV you won't be able to send audio to your TV unless you get an audio switch.

On the other hand, if you already have an Airport Express and plan to get an Apple TV, why not use both?

[confuzedwizard]

Well, i could hook AppleTV up separate and still use the Airport Xpress for audio like you mentioned.

But i'm losing out on the great functionality of AppleTV.
What's great about AppleTV is the screensaver and coverflow artwork. So i want to be able to play songs throughout my house, but also have it show up on the TV screen as a screensaver and such during parties or general entertainment with guests.

I could of course just use Xpress for music and then set up AppleTV to show random coverart, but it's better if the artwork on the screen represents the music being played.

A little confuzing even for a confuzed wizard.

[ryarber]

Originally Posted by confuzedwizard 

I currently have my airport express hooked up to my audio system (which supplies my entire house with music).

Does Apple TV replace my airport express?

I'm not sure how i would get my Apple TV streaming music to connect to my audio system. Seems like it only connects to the TV itself.

Additionally, does Apple TV work like Airport Express in that when you open up iTunes you see the wireless (apple tv) button on the bottom right of the screen and and it must be selected to work? As you know, Airport express requires you to select if music is to be played on the computer or on your wireless airport express device.

What am i missing?

Watching the keynote stream last night, the iTV shows up in the left hand pane where the iPods show up in iTunes. When you click on it, you can tell it which files to sync to the device, etc. So it is different from the Airport Express in that way.

The other thing is this device is smarter in that you can choose the songs to play from the device rather than having to select it from the host computer as with Airport Express.

My understanding is that there are no Airport Express available from Apple right now. Maybe it was just the extreme base station, but I think it was also the Express as well. I'd like to see them continue to deliver a solution for those that just want to beam their music all over their house.

[Wiskedjak]

Then it seems to me that you require one of three options:

1. An HDMI TV
2. An audio switch so you can switch your AppleTV between your TV and stereo
3. Use your stereo for all audio from your AppleTV, including video

It appears to me that Apple designed the AppleTV with sophisticated home entertainment solutions, such as 5.1+ audio systems tied into the TV. That it sends out an HDTV signal (780p) would seem to confirm that.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by ryarber 

My understanding is that there are no Airport Express available from Apple right now.

Apple Store shows Airport Express shipping availability within 24 hours.