Apple TV - anyone got one?
- Thread starter Mikey
- Start date
Had one, sold it.
It's the best device I've found for music but the HDD size and codec support limits its usefulness for video. I bought a Popcorn Hour as a replacement. It isn't as polished as the Apple TV but it's a far superior device for video playback. It'll even play ripped ISOs straight with no conversion.
It's the best device I've found for music but the HDD size and codec support limits its usefulness for video. I bought a Popcorn Hour as a replacement. It isn't as polished as the Apple TV but it's a far superior device for video playback. It'll even play ripped ISOs straight with no conversion.
While the HDD size is limiting, most people I have spoken to buy the smallest sized one and stream content to it. I guess it depends how you want your set up to work.
Again, the codec thing is only an issue if you make it one - it just depends on how you work.
Panzer
Again, the codec thing is only an issue if you make it one - it just depends on how you work.
Panzer
I don't use it for music, but the video playback is excellent, I have taken backups of all my DVDs and they're stored within iTunes on my Mac and I stream from the Mac out to the AppleTV. I love the way it's so easy to use and now that I've got a routine sorted out for conversion, it's a simple matter to convert stuff for it. I'd much rather be sitting in front of the telly to watch movies or TV shows than in front of the computer.
I let iTunes decide what it wants to dump on the Apple TVs hard drive, I have no idea what's actually on there and what's being streamed. I don't need to know!
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Yea iv got one.. Again like others iv bought the 40Gb one i dont use the disk on it as all of the movies and music is streamed to it.. Also if you get one have a look at boxee its like xmc and shares a lot of the code.. allows playing of other codacs. Iv not tried it yet but hear good things about it..
If you have that many you may want to look at ripping them as iso for say 10 of them and then batch doing them in handbrake even does the 5.1
Rob.
+1 on the posts above, it depends on how into iTunes you are. I eventually gave in and handed my music/dvd collection over to it and haven't looked back. I converted all my DVD's and have them sat on a media server out of the way (3TB of storage goodness). When i get new DVD's etc I just rip em using Handbrake and then store the originals in the loft... Much neater, tidier and more accessible with some effort up front. Best buy I had and I'm going to get another for the new snug when its complete 
£200 for a device that does the job of a £40 DVD player (plus the cost in time+disk space to rip all your films) doesn't appeal. If they boosted the codec support and added 1080P playback then I might be interested, but it's essentially iTunes in hardware form at the moment, as a vehicle to play content purchased from Apple.
As I said, I prefer the way that the Popcorn Hour handles video. No need to waste hours converting my DVDs, choosing bitrates, worrying about decombing and so forth... just use DVDShrink to convert the entire DVD to a .iso file in ~5 minutes. I get 7.1 dts sound, all of the menus, all of the subtitles, all of the commentary tracks and all of the bonus features. Perfect.
I still use H.264 for TV shows though. Menus only get in the way when you want to watch back-to-back episodes.
Deleted member 651465
Deleted member 651465
I believe with the latest Handbrake release, they've improved the universal preset.
The devs are saying a rip will play across iPhone, Apple TV, and iPods without worry
As I said, I prefer the way that the Popcorn Hour handles video. No need to waste hours converting my DVDs, choosing bitrates, worrying about decombing and so forth... just use DVDShrink to convert the entire DVD to a .iso file in ~5 minutes. I get 7.1 dts sound, all of the menus, all of the subtitles, all of the commentary tracks and all of the bonus features. Perfect.
That is pretty handy I must admit! Pretty nifty trick, It's also nice to see that Popcorn Hour outputs 1080p.
Could you use DVDShrink for Blu-Ray if you had a Blu-Ray drive?
This adds another dimension to my thread in 'Apple Software' about iTunes movies and such...
Panzer
Threads I've seen on their forums suggest that it can play back Blu-Ray .iso files. However, I assume that DVDShrink doesn't support Blu-Ray as it's no longer being actively developed. I assume that people use a combination of AnyDVD HD and Alcohol 120%.
I wish the Popcorn Hour had better music playback though. The Apple TV is infinitely better at the moment. Neither device is perfect.
Deleted member 651465
Deleted member 651465
There are 3 reasons why I never ripped all my DVDs.
I'm waiting for Apple to support Blu Ray drives, so I can rip all my HD content and finally move to a media server approach. I just can't see me buying an Apple TV with the content I have at the moment, and leaving a PC on to stream feels like a waste of of elec. to me.
- I own an awful collection of DVDs
- Everything I buy these days is HD
- The thought of ripping all those movies
I'm waiting for Apple to support Blu Ray drives, so I can rip all my HD content and finally move to a media server approach. I just can't see me buying an Apple TV with the content I have at the moment, and leaving a PC on to stream feels like a waste of of elec. to me.
Right now i have over 200 dvds in iso format on my hard drives and yet to convert to an apple format, i want to eventually have it all sorted into itunes.
Im using dvd shrink, handbrake and metax.
Im still trying to get my head round how to manage all the files as when i add a movie to itunes its sorting it for me and my hard drive will not be able to hold all them movies. So need some sorta central storage.
Shame apple Tv only supports so many formats! i doubt that will change with apple thou.
Anyone care to share how they have their centralized storage setup?
Im using dvd shrink, handbrake and metax.
Im still trying to get my head round how to manage all the files as when i add a movie to itunes its sorting it for me and my hard drive will not be able to hold all them movies. So need some sorta central storage.
Shame apple Tv only supports so many formats! i doubt that will change with apple thou.
Anyone care to share how they have their centralized storage setup?