It’s easy. Out of the box, hooked up to cables I had at hand, used my existing 80211.g WLAN.
Last week’s Cranky Geeks
Most of what’s in the can for IPTV is still 4:3, 480i or 480p. Since the US passed the 50% mark, last December for 16:9 HDTV sets, the smart producers will upgrade their product.
The new Apple TV video podcasts segment within the iTunes store is expanding as rapidly as they did with audio podcasts.
I used my oldest camera for these snaps, this morning. Yeah, I forgot to charge the batteries in my regular critter. And I haven’t fiddled with the images to bring them up to what I actually have on the screen. The set is a 46” Samsung DLP.
An old episode of MacBreak
I’m not a hobbyist – I’m a consumer. I won’t especially be trying to hack the critter, hardware or software. As quick experiments, I converted a couple of ancient pre-release Animatrix files to .m4v – and also a short .dvx file leftover from a webcam video email. Played just fine.
I don’t own an iPod – or an XBox or Wii or any other system to fiddle with. I’m just a media consumer who’s discovered IPTV. I wanted the easiest, least expensive means of getting IPTV to my living room HDTV. Got it!
I’m surprised that we watch the slideshow of out pictures a lot, they really look great on the big screen. I think the Apple TV is going to sell a bunch of TV, Cameras, Hard drives! Now what we need is a way to play a DVD/VCR/record and xfer it to the Apple TV easily… I think that kind of box would sell.
Thanks Apple, great toy!
Anyone else get a good laugh out of the shifting definition behind IPTV? A true TV service over IP isn’t going to fly, so the definition shifted to what media extenders have been positioned to do for years.
Granted, the AppleTV is the best of the bunch, but it’s a thin bunch at that.
From what I’ve read, so far, James – the Apple TV is capable of streaming straight from the web. I think most folks advanced enough to consider IPTV are often already accustomed to time-shifting with a PVR and, therefore, will probably sync rather than stream. I know I would.
And, more to your point, ain’t gonna be much streaming happening w/o content providers. But, then, this is all stuff you could have said about the iPod within a few weeks of introduction.
I have 1 neighbor with the Apple TV (so far} and expect more. Thinking about it, too – when there’s more programs. Just think a year or so to the beginning of TWIT on iTunes and there weren’t 50 choices. Now you need to filter!
I don’t get James’s point. I’ve had a DirecTivo for years. Is that not TV because I don’t watch programs live anymore?
My neighbor has a Belkin N router and he can stream or save-synch. I’ll bet he saves the stuff and watches when he feels like it most of the time.
The catch is that IPTV, originally, was an alternate way to stream programming to a television… until the whole roadblock of IPTV Switching came up.
Since it didn’t work, the term IPTV was recycled to try and mean something else… which in reality is nothing new.
This form of video content delivery is certainly here to stay but I do not see any advantage to this particular product. I get more from the reused old gaming PC with MythTV installed (examples of more: DVD playback and ripping, video editing and capture from other devices, compatibility of control of my DIRECTV box from this system, wider format availability, greater RSS feed compatibility and automation even without ITunes [I see independence of iTunes as a plus],…). All this cheaper and easier. Proof of easier: couple of months ago I had my 10 yrs old nephew install MythTV from scratch (from FC6 install on) on their old PC. He didn’t need any help (and he is not into computing at all, just average kid). If 10yrs old can do it, I do not see much advantage in Apple’s “just hook the wires” theory…
My advice: do move to IPTV; do that by recycling old PC and for almost free using MythTV. You’ll get more.
Hey, Eideard. How’d you ever catch John in a moment with his mouth shut?
#6 – Yes, the vast majority of the comptuer-using public can put together a MythTV box, and don’t want to run a low power device that has all of the software pre-installed.
#7 – That would be called ‘impossible’.
Hey, Eideard. How’d you ever catch John in a moment with his mouth shut?
My guess is a high-speed shutter on the camera.
J/P=?
#10 – Nice to see you continue to fail to get the point.
Let me make it simple for you: No one gives a shit about DIY.
Cars were once DIY. Radios were once DIY. Lotsa t’ings were.
So let’s go back to those wonderful times when you couldn’t just use something for it’s intended purpose – that’s for girly-mans; you had to know how to build one. Why doncha throw out that Casio on your wrist, pedro, and be a Real Man, and make your own watch?
I mean, especially considering the growing surplus of free time everyone enjoys today…