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Will many of you get new 'n' Airport? AppleTV


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Will many of you get new 'n' Airport? AppleTV
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markw10
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Join Date: Aug 2006
 
2007-01-12, 03:34

I noticed Apple introduced a new 'n' networking airport. Since I'm getting the Apple TV and as well have a C2D Macbook Pro that supports 'n' it seems like it seems to be a good choice to upgrade to 'n' networking but I have several questions:
1. If I'm right at this time the n networking is mostly proprietary meaning if I want to use it I should get all Apple hardware. Is that true?
2. When the 'n' spec is finalized with the MacBook Pro, Apple TV, etc. via firmware update support that or will I have to stay with Apple hardware
3. How important is n for the Apple TV? I plan to mostly use it for streaming mp3's, sometimes photos, and at times video off of a future Mac Pro I plan to purchase this summer. I had planned streaming but if necessary would be willing to copy it over to the Apple TV. Obviously I know n will copy it over faster but I don't mind doing this overnight and taking longer. Is the n needed only for HiDef video or is it necessary for standard streaming video?
4. I've heard in the past to stay away from Airport and use other brands so am I better off avoiding this product?
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Yontsey
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cleveland-ish, OH
 
2007-01-12, 03:37

Def wont get AppleTV because to me it seems like a waste of money. If it was a DVR as well with a bigger hdd and 1080p, Id jump all over it.

As for the new AirportExtreme, it all depends on if I sell my Powerbook and get a Macbook. If I get a MB, then count me in.

Die young and save yourself....
@yontsey
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sunrain
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Portlandia
 
2007-01-12, 03:58

Ordered both already. My wife and I have brand-new desktops and laptops which all are enable-able for 802.11n. The Airport Disk stuff was the icing on the cake.

The few shows we like are usually on the premium channels, but we didn't want to have to pay for all the other crap that comes with a premium cable package. We got rid of our cable a few months ago in favor of buying TV shows and subscribing to Podcasts (and Video Podcasts) on iTunes, since we can get the shows we want ala-carte and then can watch those shows on our computers or iPods. The tv is great for us because we can extend that experience to our HDTV, along with all of the other content we'd like to have in our living room.

I've never minded the price premium of the APE (and Express), because it was so Apple easy to use and setup. Printers, music, etc. all simple and painless. I like the walled garden approach and I want to live completely inside it...even with my network setup. We both really like the idea of Airport Disk and hope that Time Machine works integrally with it since it seems like a waste to use (especially laptop) HD space on backing up your data.

I have the knowledge to use a browser to configure an access point, but I switched to Macs because I was tired of fixing and configuring my technology. I just want to use it and have it work with minimal fuss.

These two products just complete the picture for how we like to enjoy our media. I'm sure if we subscribed to cable, we'd be bent out of shape about no DVR, but this fits our needs exactly. We're totally stoked to get it in March.

"What a computer is to me is it's the most remarkable tool that we've ever come up with, and it's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds."
- Steve Jobs
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markw10
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Join Date: Aug 2006
 
2007-01-12, 04:45

Sounds very tempting. I'm a recent switched from windows and am ready to switch everything in my house over to Apple. I have a completely wired system with a wi-fi access point upstairs. I hope to eventually go mostly wi-fi.
The only downside I see is the airport base station has 10/100. My whole network is 100 now but I figured with time I'd upgrade to gigabit. At least it would go up to 100mbps when communicating with wired vs. 54g. I guess the advantage is all wireless devices can communicate with each other at higher speeds. I like the USB printer option and likely I'd locate this in the basement of my house where I have a usb printer. This didn't work well with g networking but I think it would work well with n because of the better range.
It sounds like you'll have a great setup. I wasn't expecting the hard drive in appletv. It was a great + and I wonder if someday it will have something like pvr functionality and as well be able to run a limited os x on it like the iphone. I just wonder if it would have the hardware to handle of this.
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Bill M
Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2007-01-12, 05:02

I read somewhere Apple is saying the USB port on the AppleTV is for troubleshooting or something like that. But I think it is begging for a third party device like an ElGato EyeTV to be hooked up there and fill the missing PVR functionality. Wishful thinking...
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Doxxic
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Amsterdam
 
2007-01-12, 05:50

To me, the iTunes store lacks interesting video content. It would even do so if I lived in the US. Guess I'll keep watching DVDs on our 3yr old Powerbook for the time to come, but gee, I hardly even do that.

If Apple TV allowed me to surf nice and surprising podcasts and YouTube flicks sitting before my tv, it would be a different story.

Heck, I would actually be watching tv again.
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spikeh
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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2007-01-12, 06:04

I've no plans to get it. It'd look lovely under the TV, but unless it outs at 1080p I'm not interested.
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Mikester
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London, UK
 
2007-01-12, 06:23

The problem with AppleTV in the UK is that you can't get TV shows/movies on iTunes over here. So the only thing you could use it for is streaming music and possibly photos to your TV. This has limited appeal.

"Tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further" - The Great Gatsby
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mooty
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London, UK
 
2007-01-12, 06:32

Totally agree with you there Mikester - and what about high def video downloads through iTunes? What's the point of them offering movies at standard resolution and you have your nice high def AppleTV - unless I missed something?
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spikeh
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2007-01-12, 07:18

I'd imagine a 40GB box won't hold much in the way of high-def content, either. Sky+ boxes got a mandatory bump to 80GB when they went HD, which seems a sensible move.

I think the jury is very much still out on tv. Whilst I hope it is a success, I can't say that I share the optimism I do about the iPhone. I'm 75% sure iPhone is going to be a massive, massive hit like the iPod was. Not saying tv is trying to compete in terms of impact, but I just don't see it catching on...
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2007-01-12, 09:18

AppleTV? No.

Anybody seriously considering spending $300 on an AppleTV has more money than brains, so they should just pony up more cash and get a Mac mini instead.

1. The Mac mini has a smaller footprint. It's 6.5 inches square instead of 7.7 inches square.

2. You can watch DVDs...

3. You can access web content from video sharing sites, TV networks, video podcasters, etc.

4. You can watch literally any format you want. Just install Perian, Flip4Mac, and VLC (and RealPlayer if you must...) AppleTV only supports MPEG-4 simple profile and H.264 main profile at limited resolutions and framerates.

5. The Mac mini actually supports analog TVs. AppleTV does not.

6. You can attach a tuner like an EyeTV Hybrid to watch/record HDTV. You can use a simple FireWire cable to connect a mini to a HDTV cable set-top box and record some channels that way.

7. Best of all, you can turn the Mac mini off.

As for the new AirPort Extreme base, I'll let the reviews come in before I buy one. We don't know what features are accessible in the configuration panel, or how well it actually works in a real-world situation. We only know what's mentioned on the skimpy product page.
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Wyatt
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2007-01-12, 09:22

I don't have any use for either. After I get married next year, I'll probably pick up the airport, but not the Apple TV.

I think the Apple TV is pretty sweet, but I don't have enough iTunes video content to justify it or the HDTV to hook it up to.

Twitter: bwyatt | Xbox: @playsbadly | Instagram: @bw317
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2007-01-12, 09:29

I won't be getting the tv. I know it's great for many (sunrain's post above was cool, and he and his wife sound like ideal candidates for it), but it would be a useless purchase for me and my habits. I'm not going to buy movies and TV shows off iTunes and stream them to my TV, when I can just go to Blockbuster or click the TV on. Something about the whole thing simply doesn't interest or intrigue me; never has. Not sure why, but it just doesn't. At least not now.

Maybe, because like fcgriz, I too simply don't have enough iTunes-purchased content on my PowerBook. And I don't have a big honkin' HD TV either.

I'm much more interested in that phone, because it's something I would use a good bit and enjoy.
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2007-01-13, 11:48

Quote:
Originally Posted by sunrain View Post
Ordered both already. My wife and I have brand-new desktops and laptops which all are enable-able for 802.11n. The Airport Disk stuff was the icing on the cake.

The few shows we like are usually on the premium channels, but we didn't want to have to pay for all the other crap that comes with a premium cable package. We got rid of our cable a few months ago in favor of buying TV shows and subscribing to Podcasts (and Video Podcasts) on iTunes, since we can get the shows we want ala-carte and then can watch those shows on our computers or iPods. The tv is great for us because we can extend that experience to our HDTV, along with all of the other content we'd like to have in our living room.

I've never minded the price premium of the APE (and Express), because it was so Apple easy to use and setup. Printers, music, etc. all simple and painless. I like the walled garden approach and I want to live completely inside it...even with my network setup. We both really like the idea of Airport Disk and hope that Time Machine works integrally with it since it seems like a waste to use (especially laptop) HD space on backing up your data.

I have the knowledge to use a browser to configure an access point, but I switched to Macs because I was tired of fixing and configuring my technology. I just want to use it and have it work with minimal fuss.

These two products just complete the picture for how we like to enjoy our media. I'm sure if we subscribed to cable, we'd be bent out of shape about no DVR, but this fits our needs exactly. We're totally stoked to get it in March.
This certainly sums it up for me too.
  quote
neiltc13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
 
2007-01-13, 12:05

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikester View Post
The problem with AppleTV in the UK is that you can't get TV shows/movies on iTunes over here. So the only thing you could use it for is streaming music and possibly photos to your TV. This has limited appeal.
You can watch any video you like streamed from your PC using Apple TV. If you use the new iTunes you can even set tags on your own videos to make them appear in TV Show or Music Video menus.
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Messiahtosh
Apple Historian
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2007-01-13, 12:13

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eugene View Post
4. AppleTV only supports MPEG-4 simple profile and H.264 main profile at limited resolutions and framerates.
So tv won't support H.264 baseline profile?

I ask because I've been ripping my DVDs in Handbrake to the following specifications:

Codecs: AVC/H.264 Video / AAC Audio

Video
Encoder: x264 (baseline profile)
Framerate: Same as source
Quality: Average bitrate (kbps) 1355

Audio
Sample rate (Hz) 44100
Bitrate (kbps) 128

The final dimensions of the ripped movies come out as 720x304.

"We are reviewing some 9,000 recent UNHCR referrals from Syria. We are receiving roughly a thousand new ones each month, and we expect admissions from Syria to surge in 2015 and beyond." - Anne C. Richard, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration

Last edited by Messiahtosh : 2007-01-13 at 12:45.
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2007-01-13, 19:17

Quote:
Originally Posted by Messiahtosh View Post
So tv won't support H.264 baseline profile?
Baseline Profile is is a subset of Main Profile so it should work.
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Messiahtosh
Apple Historian
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2007-01-13, 19:32

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eugene View Post
Baseline Profile is is a subset of Main Profile so it should work.
Thanks for the help.
  quote
Mikester
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London, UK
 
2007-01-13, 22:24

Quote:
Originally Posted by neiltc13 View Post
You can watch any video you like streamed from your PC using Apple TV. If you use the new iTunes you can even set tags on your own videos to make them appear in TV Show or Music Video menus.
Neil - I understand that, but my point really is that if Apple wish to promote this thing in the UK, then they need to start providing the full iTunes service in the UK. To get movies or TV shows, I would have to rip them off DVDs and I personally do not pirate material in this way. Even if I was to rip DVDs I own, which some might argue was not illegal (or at least immoral), I would have to buy the DVD in the first place, defeating the purpose of having the Apple TV device, as if I had the DVD, I could just play it in my DVD player rather than streaming it from my computer.

"Tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further" - The Great Gatsby
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neiltc13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
 
2007-01-14, 06:51

You can also record TV shows directly to Mac. I do this frequently.
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Mikester
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: London, UK
 
2007-01-14, 09:46

Quote:
Originally Posted by neiltc13 View Post
You can also record TV shows directly to Mac. I do this frequently.
How? Using EyeTV?
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JohnnyTheA
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
 
2007-01-14, 15:39

I think thats how people are doing it. Its a little hard for Sat TV peeps like myself...

John
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Eugene
careful with axes
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Hillsborough, CA
 
2007-01-14, 16:29

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyTheA View Post
I think thats how people are doing it. Its a little hard for Sat TV peeps like myself...

John
Satellite is delivered via ATSC, same as OTA, so any unencrypted channel should go through. The difference is most HD local channels via Satellite are encoded in MPEG-4, which EyeTV won't decode...

The fix is easy enough...Get a Silver Sensor indoor UHF antenna and you'll get most of the HD locals in your area...
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neiltc13
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
 
2007-01-14, 16:45

I record DVB-T over the air digital TV (not HDTV, damn UK) using a Miglia TV Mini and eyeTV. iPod export to iTunes and I can edit the tags to make it appear in the TV show menu.
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rasmits
rams it
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Seattle
 
2007-01-14, 18:44

I'm not sure if I'll get an Apple TV or not... I don't know if it will actually be usefull or if it'll be just another toy. I rip all of my movies, so they're already in a digital format, so that's not the issue.

It definitely looks cool though. I guess I should just wait.

You had me at asl
.......
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JohnnyTheA
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
 
2007-01-14, 20:11

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eugene View Post
Satellite is delivered via ATSC, same as OTA, so any unencrypted channel should go through.
I guess what I meant was that yes you can use eyeTV to record the Video-out or even RF-out of your DirectTV box without a problem but you can't program the direcTV set-top with the Mac. You have to program this using the normal remote that DirecTV does...

JTA
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Messiahtosh
Apple Historian
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2007-01-15, 11:57

I have a couple of tv questions:

1) Will tv work with a standard def tv, at all?

2) If I have tons of ripped movies/quicktimes files on an external hard drive, which is connected to a Mac mini, will the tv be able to browse the content off of that external hard drive?

"We are reviewing some 9,000 recent UNHCR referrals from Syria. We are receiving roughly a thousand new ones each month, and we expect admissions from Syria to surge in 2015 and beyond." - Anne C. Richard, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
  quote
BarracksSi
BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope.
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Washington, DC
 
2007-01-15, 13:08

Quote:
Originally Posted by Messiahtosh View Post
1) Will tv work with a standard def tv, at all?
Not unless there's a way to convert HDMI or component video to regular ol' composite video.

Quote:
2) If I have tons of ripped movies/quicktimes files on an external hard drive, which is connected to a Mac mini, will the tv be able to browse the content off of that external hard drive?
The gist I'm getting is that, if you can view/listen to it in iTunes, you can send it to the TV. If your external hard drive can be browsed & played through iTunes on your computer, then it should work.


All subject to verification, of course.
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turtle
Lord of the Rant.
Formerly turtle2472
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Upstate South Carolina
 
2007-01-15, 13:17

Quote:
Originally Posted by BarracksSi View Post
Not unless there's a way to convert HDMI or component video to regular ol' composite video.
Most stereo receivers do this, mine does and it's only a mid-level Pioneer.
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BarracksSi
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Washington, DC
 
2007-01-15, 13:21

Ah -- obstacle solved, then.

(still staying away from the high-def TV bullshit as long as I can; hopefully it'll be just one format to worry about by the time I need to buy a new TV)
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