tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144492745323727266.post8522403640312493221..comments2020-02-01T23:42:56.864-05:00Comments on Media Brothers: Ten Reasons AppleTV is LameAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06150903543836117372noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144492745323727266.post-32091329034989487362008-12-04T06:37:00.000-05:002008-12-04T06:37:00.000-05:00Has this yet been improved upon by any of the poin...Has this yet been improved upon by any of the points made in your post?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144492745323727266.post-13939499214379760882007-03-22T12:54:00.000-04:002007-03-22T12:54:00.000-04:00I would cut out half of these reasons. The good h...I would cut out half of these reasons. The good half are valid.<BR/><BR/>Cut out:<BR/>1. Everyone has a computer, you're on the web posting about people not having a computer. Assume anyone reading has one. The Xbox 360 can directly download from the store, great, the AppleTV could eventually do that too.<BR/><BR/>4. 1080p. 1080p is hard, try playing a full 1080p h.264 stream on your most powerful computer. My AMD fx-57 loses frames. My dual core mac mini loses frames. It's pretty hard for a computer to do. It's a lot of information and requires something along the lines of 4.4 gbps. Considering even 802.11n does 300mb on paper, there's just no freaking way anyone is broadcasting, streaming or otherwise not handing you a large format disc. For a while, we will go to store and buy a physical disc of 50gb.<BR/><BR/>5. Firewire. True. But I sync to iPhoto anyway. That's what iPhoto is for. So I sync and then Apple TV will pick it up.<BR/><BR/>7-10. It's not a disc player. I already have a DVD player (which plays CDs), so does everyone else from 2001 when they bought a PS2. Bluray parts would make the Apple TV cost too much while Sony holds an artificial pricing monopoly for pushing the PS3. Sure, I'd like to have a disc drive for free but it's $300 and bluray players go for $900 right now.<BR/><BR/><BR/>The remaining points you mention are valid imo. USB expandability might happen later in which case we could augment the 20gb. Composite out is a waste of electronics considering the market. People who just have a standard def TV aren't the target market.<BR/><BR/>Furthermore, I'd add more software related issues that Brian mentioned. VLC support would be awesome. That way, I don't have to convert, import or repurchase things I already own in different formats. I'd agree with Brian on the Mini in the living room except I see a wireless keyboard on the couch as evidence of convergence failure.squarismhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00334539669135641362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144492745323727266.post-82023552307042244262007-01-13T21:00:00.000-05:002007-01-13T21:00:00.000-05:00Brian, Thanks for the comment. You're right about ...Brian, Thanks for the comment. You're right about the iPod of course. I guess it's just a matter of expectations. I expected (and wanted) something more than an iPod with HDMI from AppleTV. I was looking for a component that would fit nicely into my home theater, and this just wasn't it. I'm hopeful that Apple will give me what I want in the future. In the mean time, I continue to consider whether a PS3 or Xbox 360 would do the job. Have been unwilling to take that plunge so far, but my mind is not yet committed.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06150903543836117372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7144492745323727266.post-83126844084875946582007-01-11T04:35:00.000-05:002007-01-11T04:35:00.000-05:00Looking for Mac related posts, I found your site t...Looking for Mac related posts, I found your site through del.icio.us for sites that are tagged with "mbwideas" <br /><br />While I agree with your fundamental criticism of the AppleTV as it has been presented thus far, you aren't acknowledging that the iPod itself needs a computer to organize its contents and to create the data which fills it. In essence, the AppleTV follows this design philosophy as well.<br /><br />My bigger complaint is that AppleTV apparently strictly uses iTunes to determine content, and there are a number of formats that iTunes just doesn't play nicely with. A Mac Mini can run Mplayer and VLC, basically covering all media bases. And, hey, you'd have another Mac, instead of a media box.<br /><br />Like you, I'll probably be getting a Mac Mini, then using it to drive any content.bwanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06550248019045962039noreply@blogger.com