Apple TV: A $300 Mac in disguise

cDizzle: Why should they let us record on an atv when they want us to buy the show from iTMS? Because the majority of shows on TV are not available on iTMS, that's why.

I'm so sick of these companies intenionally hobbling their devices just to stop us from *possibly* infringing on sales of other products. I want a device that will let me record, play, timeslip and export to DVD and or iPod. I won't buy the aTV until it lets me do something I can't already do. Stream video from another computer? Thanks--I have an S-Video port on my laptop. Sure, I use a cable, but that's waaay cheeper than $300.

If a hacker can get more RAM, external storage and video capture going on an aTV with reasonable ease, then I might change my tune. For now, the only standalone device that even vaguely does what I want is a $150 aiptek mini camera that has a line in and out but doesn't record in iPod format (but can be easily converted). No timeslip features or timer-based recording, but it's close enough for now. The Aiptek has an SD slot, which is nice. Picture quality isn't hot, but I'm no resolution elitist.

/rant

I think that they will not integrate the two for legal reasons, I mean when you can record a show on your atv, why would you buy it from iTMS? it just looks too simple, the eyetv is so small and connects via USB. it allows recording of ALL content passed through to it (yes PPV, MOD, & PPVOD, but they would never say it outright) and the ability to watch, pause and replay live tv. The atv could store that content, and it has the built-in ability to share that content over the internet. it's a legal spiderweb.

Integrating the el gato eye tv with the apple tv would be the tipping point for me to get one. I've seen the eye tv on the 24" imac, and I was hard-pressed not to sink further into debt by geting that setup when my television is larger and nowhere near my computer setup. If I could get some Mac-integration in my television viewing area and a DVR on top for less then $500 (atv= $299, + eyetv=

wonder if anyone can get parallels running with windows?

nfoo, you've forgotten the #1 rule, and that is not to compare GHz ratings directly across chipsets.

By the way you can get the basic Mini for $499 at Microcenter. yeah there's a rebate and they suck but that's the way it is. the $200 premium over ATV would appear to be a good value for what you get.

Anybody else shocked by the result compared - for example - to MY iMac G5 with 1.8Ghz.
Well, the G5 was marketed to be top of he notch and now a 1ghz Intel-driven TV-Box comes really close to my 1.8Ghz G5 with 2Gigs of RAM.

Any way to maybe extend the RAM of the Apple TV?
Then: good bye MacMini ... for me, at last.

I have a MacBook Pro, an Apple TV and an Airport Extreme. Obviously, the laptop is not always on like a desktop might be ... how do I store all my media on an "Air Disk" so it's accessible from Apple TV without me needing to have my laptop on?

Can apple not make "Air Disk"s extended the storage in the Apple TV?

Also - has anyone else noticed the TV Show syncing is back to front? It puts the NEWEST unwatched shows on the Apple TV first ... I want to watch the OLDEST unwatched shows first ... am I missing something?

I've been using an intel mac mini with a projector for about a year now so I don't think I'll be getting an apple tv... I love my dvds and have lots of other content, but there's one thing that has to be fixed about this whole thing, which I'm sure the apple TV specifically addresses. Having a projector as the sole video device totally sucks on the mac. If I ever accidentally wake the mac while the projector is off, it chooses a standard resolution (1024x768) while my projector's native resolution is 848x480. I can't figure out how to change that back - no video out until I either connect to it with VNC or reboot. If the mini supported a second monitor, that would work... anyone know if a KVM switch works in reverse (ie switching between two displays for one computer instead of two computers sharing one display)?

HACKERS, I have a request as well. ADD an external HDD to the AppleTV.
Moreover, and this is a request to APPLE... Release video content elsewhere besides the US... I am still "handbraking" all of my DVDs... But sooner or later I'll be looking somewhere for video content!! (you know what I mean).

So, here's my request:
1. to Hackers: add TV (as stated in the previous post) through USB as well as an external HDD (also networked Wireless would do)
2. to Apple: release video content. In Europe and fast.

Then, dear Hackers, you can put OSX, even Windows as far as I am concerned ;-)

My main missing points, which I'd like to be implemented are the ones mentioned.

Of course, Apple itself could also adress ALL of these issues with a software update (EyeTV plus HDD)... But this is another matter altogether...

I have the AppleTV and am very happy with it, but the mentioned missing points are the only ones that prevent me from falling in love with the device.