Comments on: Apple TV Finally Ships http://newteevee.com/2007/03/21/apple-tv-finally-ships/ NewTeeVee Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:02:02 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Eideard http://newteevee.com/2007/03/21/apple-tv-finally-ships/#comment-2483 Eideard Fri, 23 Mar 2007 01:18:30 +0000 http://newteevee.wordpress.com/2007/03/21/apple-tv-finally-ships/#comment-2483 <p>I'm already so bored with "evaluations" of a tech product by people who haven't any hands-on with the critter I refuse to spend much space correcting their mal-conclusions.</p> <ol> <li><p>Apple made it clear from the git-go this isn't to be a DVR.</p></li> <li><p>The only "crippling" DRM Apple TV has to deal with is the crap HDMI/HDCP protocol -- which comes from broadcast media.</p></li> <li><p>I'm cheap enough to skip sales tax and ordered mine online; so, Om, you'll have yours before I do. I'll wager my 40 lbs against your 40 lbs that anything you can import into iTunes and playback via Front Row is going to stream via AppleTV to your TV set.</p></li> </ol> <p>I just did a short video with a webcam using 6-year-old Logitech video capture software > downloaded someone's freebie DiVX compression utility > imported it into iTunes and played it back on my Apple Cinema display via Front Row. I'll bet I can do the same over my Samsung HDTV when the critter gets here.</p> <p>This will be the avenue for IPTV that John always argues about. I'll be watching Cranky Geeks, dl.tv, whatever Natali will produce as a vidcast -- and whatever Om ever does in the same genre -- in my living room after I download content with my Mac in the study.</p> <p>Yes I'm the same cranky Eideard over at Dvorak.org/blog.</p> I’m already so bored with “evaluations” of a tech product by people who haven’t any hands-on with the critter I refuse to spend much space correcting their mal-conclusions.

  1. Apple made it clear from the git-go this isn’t to be a DVR.

  2. The only “crippling” DRM Apple TV has to deal with is the crap HDMI/HDCP protocol — which comes from broadcast media.

  3. I’m cheap enough to skip sales tax and ordered mine online; so, Om, you’ll have yours before I do. I’ll wager my 40 lbs against your 40 lbs that anything you can import into iTunes and playback via Front Row is going to stream via AppleTV to your TV set.

I just did a short video with a webcam using 6-year-old Logitech video capture software > downloaded someone’s freebie DiVX compression utility > imported it into iTunes and played it back on my Apple Cinema display via Front Row. I’ll bet I can do the same over my Samsung HDTV when the critter gets here.

This will be the avenue for IPTV that John always argues about. I’ll be watching Cranky Geeks, dl.tv, whatever Natali will produce as a vidcast — and whatever Om ever does in the same genre — in my living room after I download content with my Mac in the study.

Yes I’m the same cranky Eideard over at Dvorak.org/blog.

]]> By: LG http://newteevee.com/2007/03/21/apple-tv-finally-ships/#comment-2482 LG Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:54:30 +0000 http://newteevee.wordpress.com/2007/03/21/apple-tv-finally-ships/#comment-2482 <p>I don't think it really needs a DVR or any other particular feature: Quite the opposite, I think for this sort of device, the fewer features the better. What it does have to be is price competitive with a DVD Player: So that absolutely no more than $AU100. At $449 AU, they need to more than quarter the price before it's a serious purchase option for the mums and dads. I don't know if they can make a go of it at the price it's set at, but I'm quite sure it's not a consumer proposition at that price: It's a super-high priced, underfeatured luxury item.</p> <p>Now don't get me wrong, I own a Powerbook, an Ibook, a Power Mac, an Ipod and more pairs of white earphones than you can shake a stick at: This thing has some value to me, but only at the price where it's a substitute for an ordinary DVD player. At $450, tell 'im he's dreaming.</p> I don’t think it really needs a DVR or any other particular feature: Quite the opposite, I think for this sort of device, the fewer features the better. What it does have to be is price competitive with a DVD Player: So that absolutely no more than $AU100. At $449 AU, they need to more than quarter the price before it’s a serious purchase option for the mums and dads. I don’t know if they can make a go of it at the price it’s set at, but I’m quite sure it’s not a consumer proposition at that price: It’s a super-high priced, underfeatured luxury item.

Now don’t get me wrong, I own a Powerbook, an Ibook, a Power Mac, an Ipod and more pairs of white earphones than you can shake a stick at: This thing has some value to me, but only at the price where it’s a substitute for an ordinary DVD player. At $450, tell ‘im he’s dreaming.

]]>