Apple TV as media centre?

jester77

Looking to replace my bulky ageing media centre. Leaning towards a mac mini with Vista media center running on it. Mac mini is nice and quiet, looks good in a living room and vista media center is imo miles ahead of front row.

But after viewing the apple tv I was wondering if it was possible to get it running as a proper media center. I'd settle for front row if it was possible to get EyeTV (or equivalent) running on it so I can view record shows and have an EPG, even if it needs to be hacked. Was this possible with the first revision of the Apple TV when it was hacked? Storage is not an issue as all my media is on an NAS server. Can the apple TV read/write to an NAS server?

PowerHouseDan

Was wondering the same

jester77

PowerHouseDan wrote: »

Was wondering the same

Would be nice if it could. I see someone hacked version 1 to get OSX10.5 running on it. I know there were problems getting the USB port to work, don't know if these were solved. If they were I don't see why a USB tuner shouldn't work. I'll look into it more when I've some time as it would make a great value media center and look the part as well!

Sad Professor

I wouldn't bother with the Apple tv. It's a big overpriced joke imo. If you could find a cheap Mini that would be perfect. That's probably what I'm gonna do eventually but XBMC will do me till then.

jpfahy

I have a mac mini as a media centre under my tv and it is superb. Just wondering in what ways OP figures Windows MC is better

culabula

Sad Professor wrote: »

I wouldn't bother with the Apple tv. It's a big overpriced joke imo. If you could find a cheap Mini that would be perfect. That's probably what I'm gonna do eventually but XBMC will do me till then.

Is it not significantly cheaper than a Mini, especially since the reduction?

conor2007

its easier and better imo to use front row

simple - great - works perfect

Sad Professor

culabula wrote: »

Is it not significantly cheaper than a Mini, especially since the reduction?

Ireland/UK didn't get the reduction.

Apple tv is basically for streaming iTunes purchased content to your television. That's about all Apple will let you do with it. Oh and youtube—whoopty-doo! I mean you could hack it to do more but that really shouldn't be necessary. Out of the box it won't stream dvds or divx, nor can you connect an external hdd directly to it. All for 300 euro! Honestly I think Apple are just taking the piss with it.

triple h

Yeah agree with the Professor.

I am not going to buy apple tv. Mac World did not change my mind. Maybe, just maybe, highly unlikely though, ( as professor said - "Honestly I think Apple are just taking the piss with it." -) apple tv might end up good by mid 2008.

SouperComputer

jpfahy wrote: »

I have a mac mini as a media centre under my tv and it is superb. Just wondering in what ways OP figures Windows MC is better

What software are you using? Im assuming not front row?

jpfahy

Yes I am using Front Row and am wondering what could be better!

SouperComputer

jpfahy wrote: »

Yes I am using Front Row and am wondering what could be better!

I guess it depends on your needs. Front row is great at what it does. It provides a simple, limited and sexy interface to view media. Its not a PVR though, MS MC is. Thats the biggest difference. IMO you cant really call it a media centre if it doesnt work as a PVR.

Elgato on the other hand.......

JustHalf

Might be able to with a US iTunes account...

I buy gift cards here:
http://search.ebay.ie/_W0QQsassZurphotos4less

Don't know if it works with the new AppleTV, ask me in a month

Red Alert

I use it to watch movies I own without needing to stick in the DVD's. It's good at what it does, but recording wouldn't be its thing.

jester77

jpfahy wrote: »

Yes I am using Front Row and am wondering what could be better!

Front Row doesn't provide any PVR capabilities, it's not very extendible like MCE. Some of the plugins for MCE are excellent, eg weather, mymovies. Have you seen the MTV and BBC plugins for MCE, excellent especially the MTV one. You should have a look around the Green Button website.

The Apple TV is only $229, which is just over €150. I think that would be a good price to pay for it, if it was possible to get eye TV running on it.

uncle_sam_ie

Sad Professor wrote: »

Ireland/UK didn't get the reduction.

Apple tv is basically for streaming iTunes purchased content to your television. That's about all Apple will let you do with it. Oh and youtube—whoopty-doo! I mean you could hack it to do more but that really shouldn't be necessary. Out of the box it won't stream dvds or divx, nor can you connect an external hdd directly to it. All for 300 euro! Honestly I think Apple are just taking the piss with it.

Your wrong to say Apple tv can only stream purchased iTunes content. My cousin Torrance sends me avi files from America all the time. All you need to do is use VisualHub to convert them to play in iTunes. I use Handbrake to covert my DVD collection. As long as you can get it to work in itunes it will work on the Apple TV. Yes, A Mac mini would be a better option but there're not cheap and second hand minis are holding there value well.

Sad Professor

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

My cousin Torrance sends me avi files from America all the time. All you need to do is use VisualHub to convert them to play in iTunes. I use Handbrake to covert my DVD collection. As long as you can get it to work in itunes it will work on the Apple TV.

Yeah and that's a lot of hassle for something that's supposed to be a media center and costs 300 euro. You can get a 6 year-old 2nd-hand xbox for about 40 euro, soft-mod it and it will play almost anything except hi-def.

smcelhinney

Check out Patchstick for AppleTV. Allows you to play Xvid/DivX through a simple exploit on the AppleTV box which allows you to boot a broken down version of the AppleTV OS called ATVLauncher through USB.

Nice and neat, although Im struggling to get it done as I prematurely upgraded my Mac to Leopard, and screwed my patchstick up..

: (

Breezer

uncle_sam_ie wrote: »

My cousin Torrance sends me avi files from America all the time.