Apple TV tidbits

Here is some more interesting news :)

A New Treat To Apple TV: PlayStation 3 movie downloads

"Now Sony has indicated the introduction of a movie download service for the PlayStation 3, to match the Xbox 360, the console war has moved into new territory - territory Apple has already marked as its own"

More http://www.appletvconverter.net/news/

Anyone know if it's possible to pump iTunes Visualizer or G-Force through Apple TV to my set?

I had deja vu over this, as I have this box hooked in my network, lets me browse pictures, youtube, and streaming audio/video. It's a soft-modded Xbox (1). google it, and the acronym XBMC, to find out about it.. Poor M$, they could have been way ahead on this, as it's entirely in software. Instead, they cracked down on the folks because they used the Xbox SDK without proper authority..

My cost: One XBox, $2.99 for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, and a memory module. And I like having it connected with my Mac because McSoft doesn't like it.

Plus you can make your own GUI. Just for kicks, I plan to clone the AppleTV interface.. :)

I wonder if there's a way to hook this up to an elgato eyetv? that, for me, would make this a complete unit. I'm surprised they didn't just hardwire one in there somewhere.

Any news on support for xvid or divx?

I think the answer is: "If it will play on the iPod, it will play on AppleTV" - with the addition of HD content playable only by the AppleTV (720p).

I convert lots of "free" AVI's and also my purchased DVD's with VisualHub or HandBrake for playback on my iPod (and TV via the iPod's video out) and it works fine - I imagine they will also work fine on AppleTV (I hope, because I already ordered it).

I know the programmer of VisualHub also ordered an AppleTV yesterday, so I'm pretty confident that at least VisualHub will eventually be able to make 100% compatible files.

I am probably not alone in wondering if I'll be able to play non-Itunes Store video content with AppleTV. I have a ton of DVDs backed up in DivX format and would be really disappointed if I couldn't get to this content.

Front Row let's me point to a director via an alias in the Movies folder of the host machine -- but this technique won't work if AppleTV *ONLY* has access to what sits in iTunes.

Anyone know for sure? I am headed up to MacWorld tomorrow.. maybe I will get some answers!

The ability to stream "home movies you made yourself" i'm telling you leads me to believe I can play my torrented episodes of House and Heroes. Maybe it's more like, if I can play it in iTunes i can play it on the TV? I don't know... but these are the things I need answered before I will buy.

Lack of DVR capabilities makes baby Jesus cry.

I just can't seem to get passed the apple remote bundled with this thing.
Its about all the functionality I really want for my MacBook but when I introduce an appleTV to my living room I don't want to use that diminutive little thing lacking the buttons and fucnctionality that a real remote has. I suppose its really all you need, but for even DVD playback on my laptop I find myself wanting a different track/skip button and just a few other things I'm used to in remotes.
Plus in the land of couches and recliners something with a little more bulk and heft is much more at home. Any word on compatibility with plain-old universal remotes, or at least super smart Harmony remotes?