[DocNo]

I agree with many previous posters. I was pretty disappointed when the 2.0 updated applied and pushed MY content to the bottom of each list :(

I also agree with others about PVR functionality - I have two Tivo's and love them, but basically the concept of a DVR is flawed - I would much rather just get shows commercial free for a reasonable fee. Apple is close, although pricing is not all entirely up to them.

[Forrest]

I have two AppleTV's and I'm a satisfied customer. After installing XBMC and BOXEE with the USB Patchstick, the AppleTV does a very good job of streaming video from my video library and over the internet. My only wish is Apple would cooperate with open source developers so Netflix streaming and HD streaming thru Hulu is implemented.

[palms831]

First, Apple needs to fix the annoying lack of consistency between the Apple TV and Front Row interfaces. Front Row is always one step behind Apple TV.
Also, I'd love to see the platform (Apple TV and Front Row) opened to developers. I'm not advocating a full fledged app store for the Apple TV but simply the ability for plugins to be written that make a variety of non-itunes content (internet radio and video) easily available.

[michaelwells40505]

I like the concept of Apple TV, just do not like the actual rendering of it. I would buy one if two things were to change. First on screen (TV) menu that can be navigated by your remote. No more having to turn on your computer. Second a larger and faster HD. While I love everything Apple, two MacBook Pros, two IPods, Time Capsule, etc; I still think getting movies on my X-Box is easier. Please wake up Apple.

[vidiot666]

My main problem is that more than half the time when I rent or buy a movie on the Apple TV the movie will not play. I just get a white screen when the movie is supposed to play. I am forced to reboot the whole box to get the movie to play. Apple does not seem to have any support options for such issues. When I call Apple tech support they refuse to speak about the problem unless I PAY for tech support. My problem is not a hardware problem. It is a software BUG that apple has not fixed. The one time I did call (before the warranty expired.) I was told the only solution is to reboot the box. I am disgusted with the fact I have owned this thing for two years and every darn time I purchase a movie I have to reboot it... And Apple refuses to even admit to the problem!

[ipete6]

i think apple tv is a waste of money....i just hook my macbook pro up to the tv and open front row...its the same thing, and you get hulu

[RESpatz]

Finally, a post that reflects my geometrically growing dissatisfaction with ATV, the iTunes store routine and the remote interface when problems arise (with increasing frequency).

As vidiot666 describes, in my experience, 90% of the time I also have to reboot my ATV from the white screen to get the HD movie rental to play. The download times are growing longer than in the past; and I have Verizon Fios, 20MB down/ 5MB up.

Last year after purchasing my first Mac Pro (never go back to Windows & PC), TC and ATV, movie rentals downloaded quickly and played early on during the download without problems. After 2.0, and with the introduction of HD movies, the white screen started occurring with increasing regularity over time. The downloads became slower. Most recently several times now after the first hour of playing an HD movie rental, the film will stop and the timeline display and spinning gear shows. The movie resumes for a few minutes and then the same interruption occurs. Obviously, the HD rental is still downloading and can't stay ahead of the viewing. With Transporter 3 this happened every 2+ minutes after 1 hour and several minutes until the end of the film. Requested a refund.

Now I prefer to rent from Verizon On Demand, which charges $1 more for HD. But no download time, no interruptions. I am purchasing Blu-ray/DVDs less often these days and rely on my 2000+ library of film and rentals than for purchases. Happy for those of you who are having good experiences with your ATV. Noticing the ATV turning on by itself more often now. Major disappointment for me with ATV. Streaming photograph good. Playing trailers good. Looking for another set up.

[hillstones]

[quote name='tallscot']
> [quote name='hillstones']
> >

jltnol said:

> > What's wrong?
> >
> > HD movies are so compressed as to almost not be HD.
> >
> > Why pay $4.00 to RENT an inferior copy of a flick that I can get in real HD for free from Netflix? (ok.. so not "free" but cheaper than $4.00)
>
> That's funny. HD Movies from NetFlix are compressed just like iTunes and Amazon On Demand.

He said "so compressed", meaning he thinks Apple's movies are more compressed, and thus less quality, than Netflix.

Last I checked, neither of them offered the new releases in HD. That's another reason to rent Blu-ray, which has the best quality, for $1.99 at Blockbuster.

But he claims he gets "real HD" from NetFlix. I want to know what he thinks real HD is.

[rtye]

I was an early adopter of Apple TV and really like it. But I agree, it's lagging and not being updated except to sell stuff from iTunes. I recently purchased a Western Digital TV, and it plays virtually any video I want to play on it. What's really great is the WD TV plays the unedited content from my Canon HG20. I simply copy the clips from my videocam to a hard drive and connect. With the Apple TV, I had to edit the video first in iMovie and loose video quality (not to mention time). The Western Digital TV also plays VIDEO_TS folders, something the Apple TV can't do. Sure, there are other things the Apple TV does such as YouTube videos and slicker pictures slide shows. But if you're serious about movies (either your own or commercial), the Western Digital TV is a better deal at $100 street price. You can use the money you save to connect a huge hard drive to it and still save money. It's great to use the WD TV and be free from using iTunes.

[hillstones]

I don't understand why people compress and degrade their DVD collection to watch them on an AppleTV with their HDTV. You bought an HDTV for the best quality, and now you are degrading your DVD collection to watch them. Makes no sense to me. Talk about a waste of time and money.

I like people's fantasy wish list of adding an optical drive and DVR to the AppleTV. The AppleTV was designed for one thing only: to feed your iTunes content to your HDTV. In other words, Apple wants you to buy more TV and Movies from iTunes. However, I don't believe in paying for things twice. I am not giving up Cable because Cable offers much more programming and HD content than iTunes. Cable also provides me with high speed internet and digital phone service. They don't want you using your AppleTV as an optical player or TV Tuner. Apple won't make any money that way. Currently, the AppleTV is limited to 720p output. People are not going to give up their current DVR for a lower HD output.

BluRay player prices are falling with each new release. The new Sony S560 due out this summer will offer built-in WiFi for internet access for $50 less than last year's S550. You can also find BluRay movies for $15 at WalMart and sometimes lower at Amazon. You also have the option of renting BluRay titles if you are the rental type. Also, you don't have to replace your existing DVD library with BluRay.

[RESpatz]

Agree with hillstones. Recently, as an early adopter, purchased an Oppo BD-83 player that in addition to playing Blu-ray also upconverts SD DVD beautifully. And also plays CD/SACD/DVD-Audio/DTS-CD etc. As hillstones remarks. the best quality provides the highest quality listening and viewing experiencing. Even Cable at 1080i can be upconverted to 1080p. ATV's 720p is acceptable viewing for a movie rental. I agree that Apple TV was designed to feed iTunes content and that experience as far as HD movie rentals go is becoming unacceptable in the problems it demonstrates over the pleasure of renting an otherwise acceptable viewing experiencing which I am having less and less.

My experience of the Oppo BD-83 with todays HBR codecs and 1080p/24 video provides such high quality audio/video, I can't imagine how one would not seek the best rendition of the media. That a player is so versatile makes it a easy choice for me. ATV's streaming capability which the BD-83 lacks, fills in that piece nicely. If only it was reliable.

[Frost7]

What's wrong with it? Not sure what all might be wrong with it, but here's why I won't buy it:
1) Overpriced, horrendously when you take the competition into account
2) Enormous PITA to upgrade plus you void your warranty; no thanks
3) Breadth of format support is absolute CRAP compared to the PS3 and Xbox 360

[Xenu]

The problem is poor rental content and delayed releases. Period. Why should I wait for a hot new release when I can get it from Netflix sooner? Also, so many films and TV shows these days are not "purchase worthy"-- we're never going to watch them a 2nd time --so all the focus on purchasing is a waste of time, and perhaps more reflective of Apple capitulating to the dinosaurs that still run the entertainment industries.

[nittany4]

The reason that I compress and re-format some of my dvd collection is for flexibility. It's certainly not a wate of MONEY, as it hasn't cost me a thing except time.


I have 2 ATVs. Also in the house are 2 iPhones, an iPod classic and a 2d generation nano.


The ability to have our favorite movies/tv shows available for any of these devices at any given time is fantastic.


Great for travel, the beach, execise,etc. Not to mention all my faves at my fingertips from 2 ATVs.


I rip/encode the dvds as highest resolution for an ipod, so I have only one file for all devices

I suppose that I am losing quality on my 720p tvs, vs an upconverting DVD player of some sort. But the convenince outweighs this by a long shot.