Apple TV Take 2

I'm in the UK and have long found the Apple TV indispensable for streaming audio and video content to the living room - it's the video streaming, though, that makes it different from the considerably cheaper Airport Express. That said, if you choose to stream it works well and means whether you've got the 40Gb or 160Gb version, you're not limited by the size of the drive as to how much content you can get across to your TV. And streaming means if you want to buy or rent now, with the new features, you'll actually have plenty of room on the unit to do that.

It's not that much of a pain to convert any existing content to Apple's own proprietary video format, especially as there are plenty of great, cheap third-party apps to automate the process with minimal technical know-how required.

My only gripe is that all the stuff being offered to US consumers with Take 2 won't be available in the UK, at least not for a long time. So the fact that the new interface is geared around rentals and downloads seems a bit stupid outside the US, where only music buying is going to be the significant pull for the time being.

But honestly, I think Apple TV is far too often maligned by people who haven't bothered trying one out, and by those who then take others' negative views and make them their own like sheep. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with the Apple TV. I think it's great, and have far less problems with the device than I do with the PS3 or XBox 360, both far more critically acclaimed and selling far more.

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I just received mine yesterday. It works better than I had expected. Now if only they had released the v2.0 update before I got mine. I still can't get over how I can start watching a movie that is streaming from my iMac via wireless in less than 5 seconds after selecting the movie. Pretty sweet.

Everyone and their brother is talking about what Apple should have included in the Apple TV 2. What people seem to miss is the fact Apple TV is all about pushing Apple's agenda, not being the best set top box out there (and I'm a huge Apple fan). Apple doesn't want people to buy/ rent DVD's; they want people to get all their content from iTunes. Therefore, there will never be a DVD/Bluray drive in the Apple TV, because that does nothing to advance Apple's overall strategy. It would also highlight the fact that iTunes content, including the new HD offerings, is still of inferior quality compared to DVD/Bluray. (You can talk all day about people not being able to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p, or between the higher data rates of DVD/Bluray vs iTunes downloads, but when you just dropped a couple grand on a 1080P flat screen you're going to want the best quality possible going in. I certainly do.)

I was hoping Apple TV would become a true do it all media center, with Bluray, 1080P, DVR and iTunes capability, but it's clear now that this just isn't Apple's goal.

Ok, I ordered an AppleTV post-keynote -- actually Wednesday -- and it arrived today with the OLD SOFTWARE. For some reason I thought the 160GB model was NOW SHIPPING with the "Take 2" software.

Anyone get one with the new software yet? I'm just a tad confused and disappointed. I mean, ultimately no big, the software update is free and all and coming soon but... I'm just wondering if anyone has one with the new SW?

For some reason my comment from earlier reposted...sorry.

Shane, thanks for the comments. And yes, the wife is definitely something I have to take into consideration in my design :)

Currently I have my Mac serving up content to my Xbox 360. I want something more seamless than that. My idea was to have the ATV be an extended version of my content...but when I compared the value (bang for the buck) I kept coming back to the Mini. The noise is an issue for sure--but it's one that I already deal with when the Xbox is on, so it might be doable.

In the end, I think the ability to have a computer sitting on the 52" "monitor" is a pretty compelling reason to choose the Mini over the ATV--going with the assumption of all I have learned from this dialogue, and will do some more research as well.

Aside from that, how would you say the Mini performs? My iMac is the 24" 2.16 Core Duo 2, so that is my baseline for comparison. Would it be a platform where I could do things like video and image editing, or are we talking about more of a browsing/email/shtuff system?

Thanks again!

That's a bummer. I was deciding between the Mini or the Apple TV. If HD is limited to the ATV, that removes the choice...thanks for that info!

apple tv is basically an overpriced "on-demand" box that allows you to hand over your money to apple instead of your cable company. if apple wanted to make a product that is useful to consumers instead of apple, it would be a dvr, have a dvd player in it that upscales, have the ability to play multiple video formats built in without hacking it, and also easily function like a slingbox in addition to its lone unique feature of being able to rent and buy from itunes.

As someone who bought a mini to serve as a living room media device and later moved to the apple tv, I can tell you there's no contest - and this was a conclusion I came to well before this apple tv update. Really, it's apples and oranges. One is designed to be very simply compatible with home theatre gear; the other is supposed to be your computer. The DVI-HDMI compatibility is not great, there are a number of potential resolution issues depending on your make and model of television (NOT KIDDING - DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE DECIDING A MINI IS THE WAY TO GO) and getting the mini to behave the way it ought to is just not all you would hope. The apple tv, on the other hand, is as plug-and-play as they come. You end up with more setup on the front end, like ripping dvds and whatnot. But no doubt about it, I'm happier with the apple tv than I ever was with the mini. It's a slick device, and I'm very excited that Apple gave it this huge vote of confidence.

Too bad it still doesn't have a power switch!

Correct. HD rentals are AppleTV only.