I am thinking of getting it..
Has anyone got it and if so what do you think?
Cheers Gyp's

I'd prefer "WD Live TV". Costs about $110. Streams any format from your PC. You have to download what you want yourself. Also has apps like ABC iView which is great.

You *don't* have to sign up to iTunes and be limited to whatever it offers.

^ If you don't understand any of that you can get an Apple TV

Sign up to iTunes for free and be "limited to whatever it offers". Which is a containership load these days. It's got some nice features where you can browse by director or actor or genre and often they have "theme weeks" where they suggest a number of films from a certain theme; say French, Indie, Horror for Halloween etc.

New release HD movies are $7. You have 48 hours to finish watching them after you start. You can watch again and again in that time (kids movies).

Playing the movie is pretty easy:
1. Press the play button.

Requirements:
1. A TV with HDMI input. If you bought your TV this century you have one.
2. Internet connection. You'll need 6Mb/sec for 720, 8Mb/sec for 1080. Most people in Australia seem to have that. Check out www.speedtest.net.

You don't even need a 'puter. No downloading, it's all "in the cloud".

While on the technicalities the only complaint I have is with the blacks that get noticeable gradients. The picture and sound is otherwise excellent.

Alternatives to iTunes/AppleTV:
On the very rare occasion I can't find the film I want on iTunes I download it and stream to the AppleTV using some software I so rarely use I've forgotten its name.

It uses the same method as if using one of the other boxes people recommend:
1. Find the stream on something like pirate bay or ISO hunt.
2. Download the torrent.
3. Open the torrent in your torrent client
4. Save file to 'puter
5. Wait.
5b. may be some conversion required although this is rare.
6. Open server on 'puter and add new file to collection.
7. Open client on TV box, browse, play.

The Apple ecosystem
If you have an iPod/Pad/Phone you can stream anything on it to your television and/or home stereo via the AppleTV. AirPlay is underrated. I seriously love playing Spotify over my home stereo and controlling from the iPod.

---

disclaimer: I work with nauseatingly complicated ERP software and the last thing I want to do in my house is muck around with transcoding settings and ****. click > play.

I bagged Apple for years and years and years. Then I bought a Mac mini to replace a dying PC. Now I'm a "fan-boy", although I can list a whole lot of gripes if prompted.

They what now?

I've got 20 something channels for free and don't have time to watch all the programs I'd like.
$20 a month for 8gb on 3G to annoy you lot here and get a forecast.

^^^^ Oh god not the Mac phobia again

Mac = Easy set up and works
PC = sit around and get things to work

What eva floats your boat. I like that Macs just work and I do not have to know how. Sick of downloading drivers etc for everything on a PC.

Apple TV works. And if you are a nerd and want to fiddle round you can play anything on them.

Apple TV + VLC Streamer(running on PC or Mac) + iPad or iPhone and you can watch whatever you want. It's the easiest setup I've found so far...

Drop whatever video file you want to watch into the VLC streamer App, then use airplay on the iPhone to watch it. Saves trying to navigate any clunky media centre software and quality is pretty good.

You can also setup Netflix on ATV in Aus pretty easy, goto ( www.unblock-us.com/ ) and follow their instructions.

You can also Airplay music to your stereo from you iDevices too if you plug the ATV into your stereo...

Cheers.

I recently replaced my dead Topfield with a Panasonic PVR for $348.

It has a 1TB drive, two HD tuners, does internet access by wifi or cable to Youtube, Vimeo and Iview and a few others, and does DLNA to all the computers in the house.

If I really want to do internet stuff I just plug my Macbook into the TV or the recorder and away it goes.

It works fine on youtube (there are some great jazz performances available). It's a bit slow in HD on vimeo.

The only problem is I have a bit of a wifi dead spot in the back corner of my house where the TV is. I have just ordered a new modem/wireless router to replace the antique that I got from telstra.

Mah boy (1 1/2) will only sit still for Thomas, Shaun the sheep, Timmy Time, or play school. So for those times when I need him occupied (like shower/dressing time for me in morning when my wife has left early) I can just wack iView on and pick one of them. It's nothing short of amazing if you have kids.

southace said...
While we on this subject could some one help me with ipad problem?

I would like to watch DVDs...the last DVD cost me 4gb from my 15g monthly plan with Telstra through iTunes. It also seems to only save the DVD on my laptop when I do the download it will sync to my ipad but then when I look for it to watch again it only seems available on my laptop...I wonder where I would save it?

Is it possible to transfer non itune movies from my laptop to the ipad?

Yes if you have the free software (apple users not sure on PC) so I use Max to covert movies to Apple TV friendly format and add the movie to my iTunes, from there just add it to you iPad in the same way you add your music.

CJW said...
I wrote a diatribe but I digressed so I just say this.

If you can live with aids in a binary form (itunes) then by all means get Apple TV. If you have half a clue and want to be able to play whatever you want straight out of the box without fannying about like a fanboi get something else like WD-TV live (which I have).

I'll be honest though these days I hardly even bother with that. I have a galaxy S3, I can stream everything off it in HD straight to the TV, movies, music, youtube, whatever. It's the future, get on board

How many gigs would a movie take to stream of the galaxy s3 I take it that it's the same as ipad? Streaming and downloading costs a fortune . I have gone from 7 g to 12 to 15 g plan for $100 per month with Telstra and still chew that out if I start downloading movies.

southace said...
While we on this subject could some one help me with ipad problem?

Next time I have my iPeriod I will let you know

cisco said...
It is all about your internet connection speed and download limits.

What you have hooked onto the end of it is hardly relevant.

NBN should be ready in 2038 so happy days.

southace said...

CJW said...
I wrote a diatribe but I digressed so I just say this.

If you can live with aids in a binary form (itunes) then by all means get Apple TV. If you have half a clue and want to be able to play whatever you want straight out of the box without fannying about like a fanboi get something else like WD-TV live (which I have).

I'll be honest though these days I hardly even bother with that. I have a galaxy S3, I can stream everything off it in HD straight to the TV, movies, music, youtube, whatever. It's the future, get on board

How many gigs would a movie take to stream of the galaxy s3 I take it that it's the same as ipad? Streaming and downloading costs a fortune . I have gone from 7 g to 12 to 15 g plan for $100 per month with Telstra and still chew that out if I start downloading movies.

Just get an unlimited plan from the likes of dodo or whatever for $49 per month or less now probably

swoosh said...

hilly said...
^^^^ Oh god not the Mac phobia again

Mac = Easy set up and works

southace said...
While we on this subject could some one help me with ipad problem?

I would like to watch DVDs...the last DVD cost me 4gb from my 15g monthly plan with Telstra through iTunes. It also seems to only save the DVD on my laptop when I do the download it will sync to my ipad but then when I look for it to watch again it only seems available on my laptop...I wonder where I would save it?

Is it possible to transfer non itune movies from my laptop to the ipad?

??????????

I watch DVDs on my DVD player. Someone with knowledge on downloading Movies from iTunes will need to answer.

I just drag and drop downloaded(utube etc) movies to the movies section of iTunes on my Mac, sync my ipad and they are there.

Edit or try www.iphone-mac.com/how-to-transfer-files-from-mac-to-ipad.html

Scotty88 said...

cisco said...
It is all about your internet connection speed and download limits.

What you have hooked onto the end of it is hardly relevant.

NBN should be ready in 2038 so happy days.

Don't forget kiddies if you vote Libs - No NBN

surfzup said...
Apple TVS are good, but you need to jailbreak them. Without being jailbroken they are very limited as to what video formats they play i.e they don't play avis so for example most cameras, gopros etc use avi format, these need to be converted to mp4 format - just a stupid money making exercise on Apples part. They have this great little gadget and disable it to make it not so great so they can make more $$.

Mine plays avi's.

Only issue i have is flash (flv and swf) on ipad