The Apple TV fans thread

[raypin]

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Just bought Apple TV just recently. Been tooling around....more like stumbling around to get the hang of it. So far, no problems. Anyone here want to share their experience, likes or dislikes etc. re: ATV.......

[rbenzon]

had mine since feb. i wouldn't consider myself a fan, but i really like it. no regrets, whatsoever.

my most common uses are:
1) renting high def movies on itunes; 5.1 rules! (my most recent hd rental: batman begins)
2) syncing most of my itunes music library; i have tested dts on apple tv, which is sweet!
3) storing videos that i want to have ready for on-demand viewing; in my case, videos of my son, instructional videos, and a few classics;
4) photo slideshows from iphoto, .mac and flickr
5) high def video podcasts;
6) occasional big screen viewing of youtube

come to think of it now, i haven't used my dvd player since i bought my apple tv!

the only downside to apple tv is that philmug search rejects "apple" for being generic, and "tv" for being too short and generic. so searching for "apple tv" here, may not yield much, if any.

enjoy yours!

[raypin]

ya.....agree with that. Just to add.....the synching from computer downloaded itunes movies to ATV is a bit complicated and a pain. I had difficulty setting up the software side. The technical writing of the manual is on the poor side and it could use a lot of improvement. To tell you the truth, it took me 3 hours of researching and lots of button pushing on the remote before I could access my itunes U.S. account directly from ATV. The manual DID NOT specify that the firmware/software must be updated first. Trial by error may not be the most efficient method of learning but it still works.

On the hardware side, the remote could use some upgrade. Its soooooo tiny and inefficient specially when using youtube. I don't like game consoles and I hate game console typing even more. For ATV version 2.0, I'd really like a bigger remote with a mini keyboard. Once I got past it, youtube just become much more enjoyable to watch. Been accessing "Mac vs. PC" youtubes and having fun at it. Setting up the cables was a breeze (hdmi and toslink).

As for music, ATV, digital receiver and LCD TV are a match made in tech heaven. Its excellent.

I'm downloading HD version of The Spiderwick Chronicles for my niece and nephew. Have to do something about upgrading my dsl connection. Smartbro is just way too slow in my area.

I have a question: does your ATV heat up on the high side? Been checking my 3 day old unit and it seems a bit hot.

Oh yeah, I did check the forums first if a thread devoted to ATV had been started. None that I could locate. Nearest match is Apple TV alternative: Popcorn.

[rbenzon]

On the hardware side, the remote could use some upgrade. Its soooooo tiny and inefficient specially when using youtube.

I have a question: does your ATV heat up on the high side? Been checking my 3 day old unit and it seems a bit hot.

Yes, ATV gets a bit hot. But mine has never shut down from overheating. Unless you unplug it, ATV is never really off. Energy consumption is presumably lower because no signal is being fed to the A/V lines, but you can still download or sync when ATV is "off". I just don't stack anything on top of it to let the heat dissipate.

I'm fine with the remote. Its limitations only becomes evident during wordy searches, which I only use occasionally. Besides, Apple already has a media center with a full-sized keyboard: the Mac Mini.

[raypin]

YA. I'll turn it off just in case. Thanks for the tip.

I've just transferred "No country for old men" from my computer to ATV. No problem except it does take time to accomplish the task. In addition to better dsl, I need N router to make the wireless experience even more seamless. I did notice that the quality of the video and audio output is even better even for standard def itunes movie. It is just a shy away from true dvd quality and that is no mean feat considering that a standard def itune movie is only 1 to 1.5 gb in size! In this respect, Apple did a fine job in balancing the need to stream content at a reasonable speed without sacrificing much in terms of quality. Can't wait to watch my first high def itunes movie!

I wouldn't dare STACK anything on top of my newest baby.....he he....its a beauty to watch. Well, except perhaps a passive cooling device.....have to find something to redirect the heat.

[rbenzon]

yup. i configured my n-router (TC) for 5ghz wide band, which streams at 150-250mbps. it isn't faster than gigabit ethernet, of course, but my syncs are now noticably faster than when i had an 802.11b/g router (linksys wrt54g).

yup, on demand hd content is my primary reason for getting the apple tv. there are cheaper alternatives, for sure, but i don't mind paying the premium for the convenience.

for your reference, it takes me about 8 hours to download a 2-hour high-def movie on my pldt dsl line, which speedtests at about 1600+kbps during the wee hours of the morning.

and for similar threads, try searching this forum with "HD ATV"; it'll yield pretty much the half dozen apple tv threads on this forum. enjoy!

[raypin]

mine says 17 hours but it is worth the wait. Like you said in a previous thread, its better than dealing with the hassle of going out.

am luvin' it.

[rdy0329]

whoa! I also want an Apple TV, it's just so convenient! I really want it! It's just in time because we bought a high def television a week ago! Definitely on top of my list!

[aldwin]

I also have an apple tv, and i'm liking it so far.

I have been using it to watch hd trailers for hours.

I only wish they change the way you navigate your own movies, the list gets pretty slow and hard to browse when you have around 200+ movies. A wall of posters would be nice (just like the new trailers view).

And about the heat, from what i've read, the top part is the heatsink, so it is really supposed to heat up like that, that is what they compromised to get the small sleek look for the apple tv.

The new iphone 2.0 software plus apple tv combination is awesome!!! I was planning to get a music streamer (squeezebox, soundbridge, etc.) but appletv+iphone is so much better.

[raypin]

@rbenson.....just curious if prices have really come down. How much did your atv cost last Feb? mine is 12k for the 160 model. I've been scanning ebay and the 250 model is now out.

@rdy0329......join the club!

Although most major Hollywood studios have signed up with ATV, the collection is still not in the level of netflicks. Hope Apple continues to improve content so we can enjoy ATV for years to come.