[Tom]

I purchased the ATV2 primarily to show slideshows I've created in Aperture. I was very disappointed to find I could not play my custom slideshows which have their own audio tracks. The ATV2 does allow you to create a slideshow from your iPhoto or Aperture libraries, but you can't use different sound tracks for different segments like you can in Aperture, Also found the slideshow sometimes repeated slides within a show even though I had not checked that feature in the menu.

[jcoreyw]

I appreciate the good review, really. I read it before purchasing the product. I would like to have read the following though, as you could have been a little more thorough:
1. Audio
Apple has a combined optical and analog audio jack in the Mac Mini. They REALLY should have put it in the Apple TV. Not all of us afford a modern audio system with optical inputs. If you rely on powered, external speakers as do many people whose computer setup doubles as their entertainment system (who are very much one of the target markets for the Apple TV; I'm writing this with a Macbook while watching an HD movie on the TV wirelessly thanks to the Apple TV), then you better hope that your TV has a standard headphone jack output to connect those speakers.
2.0 Remote
You complained a little too much about the setup. Entering your iTunes account information isn't a big deal with the included remote. Especially if you can switch to a touch device (iOS Remote app) soon afterwards.
2.1 Remote
Excellent remote feature not mentioned in any review I read: the Apple TV will very easily learn to use your TV's remote (or any other for that matter), which helps a great deal with #3 below.
3. Volume control
Most importantly, none of the reviews I read mention the disparity of volume control. Apple needs to pay more attention to this in general, in my opinion. For example, playing music with iTunes (no Apple TV for this example): the dedicated volume keys on the keyboard control volume, until you decide to use speakers connected via Airport Express with AirTunes. Then they no longer perform their dedicated function. The Apple TV provides NO means of volume control, neither with the Mac nor Apple TV remote. #2.1 above is KEY to eliminating remote juggling just to change the volume.

Thanks for allowing my input. Hope it helps.

[Swery]

Quote

all plans $9 or higher offer unlimited streaming

Actually, the $8 plan offers unlimited streaming too.

[Jon Seff]

Swery, on 21 December 2010 - 11:52 AM, said:

Quote

all plans $9 or higher offer unlimited streaming

Actually, the $8 plan offers unlimited streaming too.

The review was published on 9/30, several months before Netflix announced its streaming-only subscription.

[Swery]

Argent, on 30 September 2010 - 06:01 AM, said:

Jon, Jason:

Is video streaming from the Mac to the new Apple TV limited to videos stored within iTunes on the computer? I prefer keeping video files in my Movies folder. Will they show up on the Apple TV?

Currently, the new Apple TV only streams content from iTunes. However, I'm sure someone is going to put that microUSB port to use soon - lots of software like XBMC was available for installation via USB stick on the old Apple TV.

[lajones]

applecrate, on 30 September 2010 - 07:05 AM, said:

Con: 720p.

Even if Apple only streams 720p from their store, you should be able to handle 1080p media of your own.

[lajones]

Is that true? The hardware specs say 720p. How can it play back 1080p? That to me is a drawback.

applecrate, on 30 September 2010 - 07:05 AM, said:

Con: 720p.

Even if Apple only streams 720p from their store, you should be able to handle 1080p media of your own.

[Biallystock]

Add to the Cons that you need a whole bunch of expensive other stuff to get it to work.

Computer/s, wireless router etc.

Apple is supposed to "get mobile computing".

The whole point of mobile computing is that it might be mobile somewhere else and not where the ATV2, TV, router, remote and storage are.

Simple would be: here is the media, here is the TV join the 2 dots with an ATV. Unfortunately not good enough for Apple which has to put wheel locks on the simple solution.

[DocNo]

Biallystock, on 17 December 2011 - 08:12 PM, said:

Add to the Cons that you need a whole bunch of expensive other stuff to get it to work.
Computer/s, wireless router etc.

Hmm - visiting my parents for the holidays. With iTunes Match, all my music is available. I can stream any video content I have purchased. No computer needed. Now of course I need at a minimum a cable router since that brings in the Internet - and my parents have wifi because they have a computers and an iPad - but if you have just an Internet connection that's all you need for the ATV to work - especially now!

Not sure what your complaining about...

[ircoblue]

zbell, on 30 September 2010 - 08:17 AM, said:

So here's my question(s)...

Can the new Apple TV replace the AirPort Express I have hooked up to my receiver for when I just want to listen to music streamed from my iTunes library without having the TV monitor turned on to navigate? If so, where are you controlling the library from (either with the Remote app, or the hardware remote, for either the Apple TV or the computer that's hosting the library)?

As it is now, iTunes on the host computer sees the AE and I use the remote app to change track/playlist/etc. on the computer. How will this, or will this work with the new Apple TV (function as a slave to iTunes on the computer)? I'd like to get a new Apple TV, but it seems kind of ridiculous to have both an AE and an Apple TV hooked up to achieve both functions (iTunes playback sans TV UI, and Apple TV media browser). This is all getting very confusing.

Also, wishing Apple would release iTunes home server software to help alleviate all these account and sharing problems. I think what a lot of people really want/need now, with multiple computers and accounts in a household, is a home cloud. Basically an NAS for media, but hosted on one of your computers.