Apple TV

[Shawn Erickson]

On Mar 23, 2007, at 7:42 AM, Shawn Erickson wrote:

> On 3/23/07, LuKreme <kremels at kreme.com> wrote:
>> Inside the =BB=C0TV
>>
>> <http://www.techrestore.com/uploaded_images/Apple_TV_1a-746157.jpg>
>
> better one...
>
> <http://www.anandtech.com/mac/showdoc.aspx?i=3D2951>

Well I got my =F0TV last night and so far I am liking it. I am mostly =20=

using it to replace an iPod I use with my home audio system (nice to =20
have on screen menu control) but I will use it to play TV shows that =20
I sometime purchase from iTMS (buy the episodes I miss when I want to =20=

watch them).

Easy setup over the wireless network and via on screen menus. =20
Connected to my home theater system via HDMI. Configured to output =20
1080i (max setting) to AV system (STR DA5200-ES) which then upscales =20
to 1080p for my display (KDL-46XBR3). It supports self updating over =20
the network (menu option triggers it to query Apple for any updates).

Streaming audio and video from multiple iTunes libraries works well. =20
Background syncing will pause (or maybe it just really slows down) if =20=

streaming a movie or TV show.

You cannot stream photos only sync them... unless I am missing how. =20
Hopefully when the next revision of iLife/iPhoto come out it will add =20=

direct to =F0TV streaming so friends and family can come in and show =20
their digital pictures by just being on my wireless network.

Watching iTMS TV shows and iTMS movies (ones purchased at the current =20=

resolution) on my 46" 1080p LCD display look decent. They look close =20
to DVD quality at the normal distance I sit at from the display (also =20=

most I have are formatted for 16:9 when you download them). Of course =20=

some scenes do show compression artifacts upscaled but on the whole =20
not as bad as I thought it might look (looks worse in full screen on =20
my 30" ACD but I would expect that given the resolution and distance =20
I sit in regards to that screen).

This thing does need a bigger hard drive.. my audio library basically =20=

just about fills it.

If Apple bumps things up to 720p resolutions and 5.1 (or better) =20
audio for iTMS downloads I would be very happy but it is good enough =20
for my usage at this time.... you can see the future direction that =20
the =F0TV is going... just need bandwidth improvements and larger-=20
capacity small-footprint storage.

-Shawn=