Does anyone have apple TV

[Galley]

Originally Posted by cartman781

How did your music sound through you audio system? Can you compare it to CDs? I am thinking of getting one strictly for music

In the past I used an Apple Universal Dock running a 1/8" cable, and it sounded terrible. I also tried running an optical cable from my AirPort Express, and it still sounded bad. The audio quality from the Apple TV, however, is excellent! Since my receiver doesn't support HDMI, I'm still using an optical cable.

[cartman781]

Originally Posted by Galley

In the past I used an Apple Universal Dock running a 1/8" cable, and it sounded terrible. I also tried running an optical cable from my AirPort Express, and it still sounded bad. The audio quality from the Apple TV, however, is excellent! Since my receiver doesn't support HDMI, I'm still using an optical cable.

Thanks

[ckny]

Some of you guys are funny. I own two macs and two windows boxes. I'd pay $1000 more use a mac (both hardware and software) than a windows box ... although I don't have to. BTW - it's 14% marketshare now I'm very confident that people who bash the OS or hardware on this board either haven't used one for more than 10 minutes or are just ignorant. Hey, a BMW costs more than a Kia these days, and both get you from point a to point b right? At some point, it's about the drive... but I digress.

AppleTV is good... for its intended audience. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's probably very few people on this board. The PS3 can do most everything the ATV can do and THEN alot more. But! My mom can't use a PS3. My technically retarded uncle? Him neither. Both love ATV though. It's easy and to them, the HD looks like Blu-Ray. They have cheap sets and no audio system.

It's not meant to be the end all wonderproduct for Audio/Visual, but it supports the intended audience and furthers the iTunes brand.

[Brandon B]

I got one for several reasons. Getting photos and music of my network into my PS3 wasn't as smooth as I wanted, and since all the music was in mp4 lossles, couldn't get it at full quality. Also, the aTV is my avenue for rentals, as we ahve a severe, "getting around to watching what we rent" disability so netflix and stores end up being wasted $$.

I will say, though, that the music use ended up being a bit moot, as even though the aTV is feeding bit perfect ripped CD audio to my preamp over HDMI, the PS3's bitshaping CD playback is so much better I am using the discs themselves anyway.

For movies where I want a good image, I buy the BD.

BB

[d0uble0se7en]

My two cents:

I am a mac fan (Of my three best electronic friends--PS3, Computer, Phone--two of them are apple products) BUT...

I personally can't see the aTV taking off because it's a separate system that people have to add to their collection. Just like I think TiVO is doomed to fail, AppleTV can't survive in the face of competitors which ALREADY have products in the living room...simply expanding their features. To me, AppleTV is just a part of what the future Comcast or DISH boxes will be. I mean given the popularity of DVR already...why not just add a better video rental/on-demand interface? We know comcast sure as hell is trying to do so! I mean really Comcast could smash APPLETV if they tried. Granted, I hate comcast...but seriously...do we really think Apple can do it? AppleTV is kind of the equivalent of the iPOD touch in some respects...there are fuller featured brothers out there that fall into categories outside of Apple's usual range (IPHONE). If AppleTV made a DEAL with Comcast (like they did with AT&T for phone service) at the same time as selling their standalones...then we'd have a much more profitable product on our hands...who agrees?

[hardcore_canadian]

Originally Posted by Blu-ray Fanatic

You know what? I just wanna share this unpleasant comment with everybody.

" I don't give two sh*ts about Apple because they're anti-blu and plus their computers are not user-friendly."

You know...I really REALLY want to punch you in the face.

Note: I don't really have anything for, or against, Apple

[trey]

Originally Posted by Blu-ray Fanatic

You know what? I just wanna share this unpleasant comment with everybody.

" I don't give two sh*ts about Apple because they're anti-blu and plus their computers are not user-friendly."

I just wanna say you are a moron if you can't use an apple computer, and they aren't anti blu, they are in talks with sony right now?!?!

Originally Posted by statikcat

I have two Apple computers - but the Apple TV is bombing big time. You might as well just get a PS3 for way more functionality and 100$ more.

I already have the PS3, I just wanted to know people's thoughts. I'm not planning on getting an apple TV at anytime (at least soon), I'm just a fanboy, and since this isn't a product that I'm gonna get I wanted opinions

Originally Posted by gavomatic57

They're made in China like every other piece of IT equipment. Their laptops are made by Asus yet Apple charge £200 more for the same spec. They deserve to have only captured 5% of the market in the 30 years they've been around. Their new macbook air has a problem managing its heat too. I don't have a problem with their computers per-se, or their Unix distro, but I do have a problem with the company, their ingrained arrogance and Steve Jobs. They're big on hype and short on engineering.

Man you've got it in for them. This company, originally used IMO far superior chips, and just recently switched their chips to be more main stream and connect with all you fckuers out there that have to use a PC. They make far superior machines, and every company has a laptop with heat problems (if they don't they don't have a good laptop - heat is inherent in a machine). Anyone with a problem with steve jobs is a problem with vision. This man gets paid $1 a year by apple and since his return has done enormous things alongside building their cash reserves to $15 billion

Originally Posted by cartman781

How did your music sound through you audio system? Can you compare it to CDs? I am thinking of getting one strictly for music

strictly for music I would get an airport express as it has audio output, and I understand its pretty decent although I don't have any experience except for three years or so ago, and it was just headphone stereo output

Originally Posted by ckny

Some of you guys are funny. I own two macs and two windows boxes. I'd pay $1000 more use a mac (both hardware and software) than a windows box ... although I don't have to. BTW - it's 14% marketshare now I'm very confident that people who bash the OS or hardware on this board either haven't used one for more than 10 minutes or are just ignorant. Hey, a BMW costs more than a Kia these days, and both get you from point a to point b right? At some point, it's about the drive... but I digress.

Such a great point...back in the 5% days I would always tell people, "Hey, if I were gonna get any car, I would get a mercedes, wouldn't you?" They would say "yes" and I would say, "Well mercedes only has 5% of the automobile market share, so why are you tearing on apple

Originally Posted by d0uble0se7en

If AppleTV made a DEAL with Comcast (like they did with AT&T for phone service) at the same time as selling their standalones...then we'd have a much more profitable product on our hands...who agrees?

AMEN BROTHER!!!

[Galley]

BTW, Trey, you should consider getting a refurbished Apple TV from Apple.com. I paid $279.00 for my 160 gigger. Other than an "RF" indicator on the UPC code, there was no difference from a retail package. Usually refurbished Apple gear comes in a plain white box. I have purchased several devices from them, and they are always like new. Everything they sell includes the full warranty. Go to http://store.apple.com, and scroll down. The refurnished section will be on the left. The selection of available products changes often.

[trey]

Originally Posted by Galley

BTW, Trey, you should consider getting a refurbished Apple TV from Apple.com. I paid $279.00 for my 160 gigger. Other than an "RF" indicator on the UPC code, there was no difference from a retail package. Usually refurbished Apple gear comes in a plain white box. I have purchased several devices from them, and they are always like new. Everything they sell includes the full warranty. Go to http://store.apple.com, and scroll down. The refurnished section will be on the left. The selection of available products changes often.

I appreciate the info. I did already know about these refurbished items and I have definitely used them before, especially since I always get applecare and the products they return are their refurbished produts if you have any trouble. But as I said I have no plans of getting an Apple TV. I have the first Intel mac mini, so I can use it to be a more robust (yet slightly larger) appleTV.

I really just wanted to get people's opinions since my sister had been planning on getting one, but then changed her mind has began using Amazon Unbox through her Tivo...So I was just wondering. Thanks everyone for all the input

[Kayne314]

I don't have an Apple TV box myself, but at the store where I work we have them on display.

We tried to set it up to do the HD movie demos. It was incredibly frustrating, (stalling, pixelated image.) and the image quality on a 40" 720p Sony TV was simply atrocious. Even the resident Mac Guru for our store was disappointed, and for him, all things Apple are like little gods.

Seems to work very nicely on a 23" display, and the audio sounds very nice with a 2.1 speaker set-up.

As salespeople, our opinion was it is best used as a bedroom or dormitory box. Certainly not ideal for the living room or Home Theater. Maybe future generations will be better?

[xwingsct]

Originally Posted by olds403

That statement about apple computers is really uncalled for and unrelated to the topic of this thread. While I am not a fan of the apple tv I believe that apple does make good quality products that are a good value. They are certainly user friendly, I have had 2 apple computers and wouldn't hesitate to buy another. Unless you have something to contribute to the discussion you should probably not comment at all.

+1
I was hesitated to buy an Ipod for awhile because I thought it was over priced so I I bought some MP3 player instead and that thing crapped out on me on my first week. I returned it and decided to get an Ipod instead and I love it. Good design well built. You really do get what you paid for and as far as apple TV I don't think I'll be getting one because it doesn't fit my needs. Why would I want to rent a movie for $4.99 when I can get all those movies in HD on BD the way it intended to be seen in "TRUE HD" instead of watered down quality. It's like watching bootleg copy of a movie that's still playing in theater.
No thanks, I'll pass.
I don't know how well it's doing but I didn't really see poeple camping out infront of Apple store to be the first to get it like Iphone.

[nycomet]

Originally Posted by Blu-ray Fanatic

" I don't give two sh*ts about Apple because they're anti-blu and plus their computers are not user-friendly."

Bill Gates? Is that you?????

Sheesh!

[camper]

Originally Posted by trey

I just wanna say you are a moron if you can't use an apple computer

On this, I agree. The MAC is designed and marketed for people who ask the sales associates "Does this computer have the internet on it?"

~Camper

[Brandon B]

Originally Posted by Kayne314

I don't have an Apple TV box myself, but at the store where I work we have them on display.

We tried to set it up to do the HD movie demos. It was incredibly frustrating, (stalling, pixelated image.) and the image quality on a 40" 720p Sony TV was simply atrocious. Even the resident Mac Guru for our store was disappointed, and for him, all things Apple are like little gods.

Seems to work very nicely on a 23" display, and the audio sounds very nice with a 2.1 speaker set-up.

As salespeople, our opinion was it is best used as a bedroom or dormitory box. Certainly not ideal for the living room or Home Theater. Maybe future generations will be better?

Wouldn't call it atrocious. What I get from Dish network is atrocious. Their HD movies seem to be somewhat better than DVD in detail, but worse in banding and some other compression artifacts, and their SD movies are somewhat worse than the best DVDs in detail, and have somewhat more compression artifacts, but they're completely watchable on my small TV (56" 720 JVC HDILA). It's BD all the way on the 119" screen though.

BB

[danay82]

Originally Posted by cartman781

How did your music sound through you audio system? Can you compare it to CDs? I am thinking of getting one strictly for music

I tell you what I've done and its worked out pretty darn good to for what I needed to do.

I was bored one day and came across a web site that talked about x-box modding. It sounded pretty cool, but didn't feel like buying some chip to solder onto to board. Well a few days later I looked into it again and found away to soft modd it. Followed the instructions then Bamm, had me a modded x-box. Now its my streaming audio player/video player/ Linux System / nes/snes/sega/ps1/atari/gb etc etc game system. Its pretty cool, you can stream music/video from your PC or off the internet. I'll watch TV shows or Movies from the internet from it with out any problems.

I later upgraded the hardrive in my PC and decided to put it in my x-box. Now I got a 120 hard drive in it.

I know some will say Xbox360 or PS3 does that now, just it was pretty cool to do that 3 1/2 years ago. Bad thing was after you do it, its hard to put it back as an orignal x-box. Improtant thing learned was if you did it, you can't use x-box live anymore for you get banned.

So if you wanna do something cheap, you can pick up a used x-box, just mod it and use it as a media center.