Apple Tv - What are the benefits?

James__10

I've always wanted to get a apple tv but i've no idea what the full benefits of having one would be?

I've got the XBMC app on my windows 7 laptop but the content isin't great, Is it better on the ATV? Much HD content on it?

I'm using sky go recently and I watch it on the laptop Could I watch it on the ATV?

Is there a browser on the ATV?
Can I use my WIN 7 laptop as a remote control or can I use my ipod touch as one?
Is there a browser?

I also heard that was a ATV released recently what can that do that the others didn't ?

Is there a jailbreak out for the latest ATV yet?

1ZRed

James__10 wrote: »

I've always wanted to get a apple tv but i've no idea what the full benefits of having one would be?

I've got the XBMC app on my windows 7 laptop but the content isin't great, Is it better on the ATV? Much HD content on it?

I'm using sky go recently and I watch it on the laptop Could I watch it on the ATV?

Is there a browser on the ATV?
Can I use my WIN 7 laptop as a remote control or can I use my ipod touch as one?
Is there a browser?

I also heard that was a ATV released recently what can that do that the others didn't ?

Is there a jailbreak out for the latest ATV yet?

I don't have one or know that much about them but apple tv is fairly restricted. iTunes is the main place to buy stuff of if you have atv and since it's the Irish version, it's incredibly limited compared to Americas version. You could use an American iTunes to by pass this though.
And yes you can jailbreak it.
One good thing about it is AirPlay, assuming you have another idevice, you can mirror pictures, video etc to your tv wirelessly.

andy1249

I've always wanted to get a apple tv but i've no idea what the full benefits of having one would be?

I've got the XBMC app on my windows 7 laptop but the content isin't great, Is it better on the ATV? Much HD content on it?

XBMC is a media player or front end for a HTPC ( home theater PC ) , it works great if you have the large amount of free time it takes to set it up , but you provide the content , XBMC is just a means to gather it all up and play it on your TV with a really nice interface.

I'm using sky go recently and I watch it on the laptop Could I watch it on the ATV?

No , you cannot install apps on the ATV. Not out of the box in any case , see later.

Is there a browser on the ATV?

No.

Can I use my WIN 7 laptop as a remote control or can I use my ipod touch as one?

Out of the box ? No , but see later.

I also heard that was a ATV released recently what can that do that the others didn't ?

I have the latest version , what it can do that the earlier model current is 1080p video !! As outrageous as it sounds , this couldnt be done on earlier models , but then Apple do that , they leave out the most basic feature , something every other media player of a similar price on the market can do , and then sell it in subsequent models as a great new feature !!

Get this however !! It does 1080p @60hz but not 24hz !! So , essentially useless for Blu ray content , the most common type of 1080p in existence !! No Doubt , this is one of next years big breakthroughs !!

Is there a jailbreak out for the latest ATV yet?

This is the bit that all the "see later" s above refer too.
Out of the box the latest ATV is very limited. You can access your itunes on it if you share them from your main computer , which has to be on as well.
You can watch netflix , or rent movies from itunes , thats it.

You cannot install apps , or access network drives or any of the good stuff that every other media player on the market wouldnt dream of not having.

But jailbroken , you can install Xbmc ,remote control apps that will work with the iphone and itouch , and in general add all of the above stuff that make it a media player worth having.

Unfortunately , there is no jailbreak yet for the latest version ( ATV 3 as it is referred to on some sites).
Apparently the standard exploits that worked on previous models dont work on this one , they'll jailbreak it sooner or later , but it might be later with this model.

I got one because I like getting these cheap little units and pushing them to their limit , electronics and software hacking is a hobby of mine.
If you cant be bothered with all that stuff and want something that does all you want it to do out of the box , then Apple TV is not for you.

Try Boxee , WDTV live , or similar , I highly recommend the WDTV live , its the best sub 100 euro media player on the market. It wipes the floor with the unjailbroken ATV , which is essentially just a POS machine for apples video and music store.

Eire Go Brach

Yeh I more or less got it to play with too. I do find it quite limited. But knew this.

It was probably a bad buy for me. As my ps3 and Xbox do more. I also find netflix is better quality on the ps3. I only really use it to play my music from the cloud and for the AirPlay mirroring. I would prefer to use it for Netflix.

I will probably jailbreak it. Can someone please tell me. If I jailbreak it. Can I stream from a networked my book world?

ucd.1985

andy1249 wrote: »

You can watch netflix , or rent movies from itunes , thats it.

Bit unfair really. You have completely ommited, IMHO, the key feature of the Apple TV which is AirPlay if you have an iPad, iPod or and iPhone (which the OP has established they have already).

This means that you can stream the likes of TV3 Player, RTE Player, 4oD, BBC iPlayer (needs a slight work around) to your Apple TV.

Furthermore if you have a media server such as Plex installed on your computer and your mobile device you can stream all your content (pretty much in any format) to your Apple TV.

Finally you are incorrect in saying that you cannot use a iPod as a remote for a non jailbroken Apple TV. You can do this through the use of the Remote app.

jack presley

If you're a fan of MLB/NHL/NBA and subscribe to their web channels, you can access them on your ATV which if you have a big HD screen means better viewing than on your laptop/PC

However you can probably count the People in Ireland who would be into these on your fingers and toes

andy1249

Bit unfair really. You have completely ommited, IMHO, the key feature of the Apple TV which is AirPlay if you have an iPad, iPod or and iPhone (which the OP has established they have already).

This means that you can stream the likes of TV3 Player, RTE Player, 4oD, BBC iPlayer (needs a slight work around) to your Apple TV.

Furthermore if you have a media server such as Plex installed on your computer and your mobile device you can stream all your content (pretty much in any format) to your Apple TV.

I have an ipad , an iphone , and a mac mini , Airplay to me is useless , stuff designed for portable mobile devices generally looks brutal on my TV.

If you have a media server on your computer or mobile device , like I do on my mac mini , I would just hook that up to my TV , why on earth would I get an ATV , fire up that, then my computer , then my ipad , and stream via airplay , when I could just hook up the mac mini ?

Where is the logic in that ? Why have 3 devices or even 2 devices involved in playing my content instead of 1 ?

A jailbreak will be along , when it does , the ATV "3" will be worth the money , until then , and if your in the market for a media player , its hopelessly inadequate. At a minimum , this device should have external drive or network access ( for nas etc) for it to be any kind of contender in the media player market.

mdfire

andy1249 wrote: »

I have an ipad , an iphone , and a mac mini , Airplay to me is useless , stuff designed for portable mobile devices generally looks brutal on my TV.

If you have a media server on your computer or mobile device , like I do on my mac mini , I would just hook that up to my TV , why on earth would I get an ATV , fire up that, then my computer , then my ipad , and stream via airplay , when I could just hook up the mac mini ?

Where is the logic in that ? Why have 3 devices or even 2 devices involved in playing my content instead of 1 ?

A jailbreak will be along , when it does , the ATV "3" will be worth the money , until then , and if your in the market for a media player , its hopelessly inadequate. At a minimum , this device should have external drive or network access ( for nas etc) for it to be any kind of contender in the media player market.

Agreed. I have a jailbroken ATv 2 downstairs with Firecores atv flash installed and i love it. Unfortunately I bought an ATv 3 for the cinema room and its next to useless. Word is a jailbreak could be some time off:mad:

ucd.1985

andy1249 wrote: »

I have an ipad , an iphone , and a mac mini , Airplay to me is useless , stuff designed for portable mobile devices generally looks brutal on my TV.

If you have a media server on your computer or mobile device , like I do on my mac mini , I would just hook that up to my TV , why on earth would I get an ATV , fire up that, then my computer , then my ipad , and stream via airplay , when I could just hook up the mac mini ?

Where is the logic in that ? Why have 3 devices or even 2 devices involved in playing my content instead of 1 ?

A jailbreak will be along , when it does , the ATV "3" will be worth the money , until then , and if your in the market for a media player , its hopelessly inadequate. At a minimum , this device should have external drive or network access ( for nas etc) for it to be any kind of contender in the media player market.

Not everyone wants have their computer connected to their tv.

Well done, you compared a €610 euro computer to the €110 Apple TV.

BBC iPlayer and all the other apps mentioned look great on my TV.

andy1249

Not everyone wants have their computer connected to their tv.

Well done, you compared a €610 euro computer to the €110 Apple TV.

No , you did that by bringing airplay into it!
Iphone costs circa 500 euros , ipad a minimum of 399 euros , without those , airplay is useless.
If airplay is to be the ATV's selling point , then its 120 euro + whatever other ios device you would need .... that drives the price up considerably and is hardly an efficient way to play your media.

ucd.1985

andy1249 wrote: »

If airplay is to be the ATV's selling point , then its 120 euro + whatever other ios device you would need .... that drives the price up considerably and is hardly an efficient way to play your media.

We have established in the opening post that the OP already has an iPod.

You need to take this into consideration when outlining the benefits of Apple TV.

It is not an additional cost for the OP.

ADSLUSER

btw, the new 1080p ATV is only €109 now, not €119