[ibeetle]

It does not seem you are aware that while the XBox 360 cost the same as the Apple TV there are some additional cost you need to figure in.
XBox Live subscription. ATT IP TV (not available in all areas) subscription.
Even after subscribing to Xbox Live those downloads from the XBox Marketplace are not free, and they are only rentals. With the iTunes movies you own those. XBox movies evaporate 24 hours after you begin watching them.
...and one more thing. (bad pun)
To do most everything you mention you need a PC running Windows Media Center. $300 for an XBox 360; $1,200 for computer running Windows Media Center. Man, I do not know, but $1500 bucks is a awful high admission price to have a Microsoft home theater experience.

[pairof9s]

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I wonder what the technical reason might be for offering 720p but not 1080i? My Mac Mini does 1080i nicely, so AppleTV would be a step down. But for those who have a 720p TV, it's fine.

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I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding here with 1080i. HD (High Definition) represents a range of resolutions from 720 to 1080 on the vertical lines. A vast majority of the HDTVs on the market (and in homes) right now do not portray true 1080i. Where you see HDTV resolutions, like the ubiquitous 1366 x 768, 1080i HD signals are interloped. In fact, ABC and FOX both use 720p as their HD broadcast signals.
Also, look at the content. If iTunes movies and videos are the norm for this appliance, then 1080i/p is not necessary since that content is already at a lesser standard. Like others have stated, unless you're buying HD DVD movies/player, you're not getting any better resolution than 480 on common DVDs. HD DVD will be an upgrade in that capacity but once again, the 720p resolution Apple TV will provide will be adequate for the majority of HDTVs today. Apple is simply playing the numbers. I'm sure this allows for an updated 1080i/p version of AppleTV in the future when both true 1080i/p DVD and HDTV usage becomes more ubiquitous, thus allowing Apple to make more money (business being business, you know).

[lantzn]

You have a drawer full of DVDs in your computer? /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[lantzn]

I use Quicktime Pro with the MPEG-2 component and Flip4Mac WMP codec to convert my files to H.264 MPEG-4. It's nice to have all my videos in the same format.

[warlock7]

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Well, that's a rumor and it specifically says so. What it may mean is that OLD 360s can't do it (because they don't have HDMI), but MS has said they intend to update the 360 hardware. From Ars Technica:

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All that this announcement says is that the front-end software will be available for the Xbox 360, essentially turning the console into a traditional set-top box (STB) with a few additional features like voice chat.

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http://arstechnica.c...70108-8570.html
Obviously, this is (as I said) months away from being more substantial.

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That new XBox360 with the HDMI connection is just a rumor too, at this point. But that doesn't change the fact that at the keynote, there was no mention of how this would work and the folks interviewed at AT&T say that you'll need that additional set-top box. Go back over the Gates keynote, he said nothing other than they want to deliver IPTV through the 360.
On top of all of that, the AT&T U-verse project is years away from being readily available to most end users. So, how many 360 users can even get it? Very few right now. A year from now AT&T isn't going to have many more connected through the fiber needed than they have right now, heck it's taken them more than five years to get to where they are now in the process.

[MacTechAspen]

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Huh? Clarity has nothing to do with progressive vs interlaced.

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If you don't like the adjective "clearer" feel free to substitute one of your own.
The subjective experience I refer to is illustrated by the difference between a progressive scan DVD player and a standard one.
It is much more critical for fast action.
But they say it better than I can:
1080i vs 720p:MOTION CHANGES EVERYTHING
Motion is different issue. If you want to see motion clearly, then live action 720p is what looks best, compared to 1080i. Heres why: the information content of 720p is about the same as 1080i, though what it lacks in spatial resolution, it makes up for in temporal resolution (because the picture is at 1/60th of a second, not 1/30th x 2.) On 1080i, this would show as flickered or jagged edges on bright horizontal objects (like in the background of a camera pan.)

[ryarber]

Have they said that the machine would only pull files? Can it not operate as a wireless hub? If so, that is one less thing I'd have to buy.

[lantzn]

The problem with that is that those files are uncompressed and would take up HUGE amounts of hard drive space. With using the H.264 Mpeg-4 codec in Handbrake you get extremely small files in comparison. If AppleTV had access to the raw DVD files through DVD Player it would defeat the idea of having quick access capabilites to your movie library. The files need to be small and on your Mac or external hard drive.

[pairof9s]

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Well, according to Bill Gates and a few tech sites, the Xbox360 will. IPTV providers like AT&T will allow you to choose an Xbox360 instead of a set top box (I can't imagine it would be free though - maybe discounted?). For an extra $90 you can add wireless networking that (apparently) interfaces with Windows Media player on a PC. You can play Xbox360 games, it does 1080, and with the add-on HD-DVD player you can watch HD-DVDs. The new 360 is supposed to include a 120GB hard drive and HDMI. But all this seems to be months away from happening.

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I keep seeing this comparison but I think it's a bit off. In that you're going to buy a big, intricate game console just to be able to view HD DVD? I understand a lot of people on these boards have or would want an XBox but a vast majority of people have no need or desire for games. There is certainly no correlation between viewing HD television/movies and playing game consoles; only a percentage of dual ownership.
I'm sure Sony and Microsoft would love for you to view it in that manner, but it's pure upselling on their part, in my opinion. "Hey, get a PS3 to play games and you'll also get the BluRay HD DVD that you want."

[warlock7]

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Huh? Clarity has nothing to do with progressive vs interlaced.

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If you don't like the adjective "clearer" feel free to substitute one of your own.
The subjective experience I refer to is illustrated by the difference between a progressive scan DVD player and a standard one.
It is much more critical for fast action.
But they say it better than I can:
1080i vs 720p:MOTION CHANGES EVERYTHING

Motion is different issue. If you want to see motion clearly, then live action 720p is what looks best, compared to 1080i. Heres why: the information content of 720p is about the same as 1080i, though what it lacks in spatial resolution, it makes up for in temporal resolution (because the picture is at 1/60th of a second, not 1/30th x 2.) On 1080i, this would show as flickered or jagged edges on bright horizontal objects (like in the background of a camera pan.)

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That's assuming that they're using 720p60. From wikipedia:
"The five 720p frame rates in common use are 24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 Hz (or fps). In general, traditional PAL and SECAM countries (Europe, Australia, much of Asia, Africa, and parts of South America) are or will be using the 25p and 50p frame or field rates, whereas traditional NTSC countries (North and Central America, Japan, South Korea, Philippines ) are using 24p (for movies), and 60p for high motion programming."
So, in a movie, as described on the site you linked to, most NTSC countries aren't broadcasting at 60fps, they're broadcasting at 24fps (or standard film rate). So, the argument falls apart. While the point is still valid, it doesn't hold true in the US most of the time. Many networks haven't gotten into the higher framerates yet at all and it shows.
This is also factored in when you look at the refresh rate of the monitor in question too, if the refresh rate isn't fast enough to keep up with the broadcast then it's irrelevant what framerate they're broadcasting in to begin with.

[pcharles]

I wonder if it absolutely needs 16:9, or can work with regular HD capable TV's. My Sony will work with upto 1080i, but is is 4:3. I have not found a 16:9 that I like in my price range, and my Sony is only 4-5 years old.

[montgomery_burns]

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I use Quicktime Pro with the MPEG-2 component and Flip4Mac WMP codec to convert my files to H.264 MPEG-4. It's nice to have all my videos in the same format.

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The QuickTime MPEG-2 component does not play transport streams, which is the native format for over-the-air HDTV broadcasts. Since I have HDTV tuner cards in my computer, I would like to be able to record HDTV on the computer and stream it to the TV in a different room. I would like to have native support for multiple formats so I don't have to spend several hours converting videos.

[slappy]

Anybody know if I can connect this to my tube TV? My TV has all the needed connections. Is this for digital TVs only? Why?

[scotts13]

I just don't get it. It basically lets you "buy" DRM laden, low resolution movies through iTunes on your computer. Then you store another copy of the same large file in another box next to your TV? Sounds to me like the worlds most expensive extension video cable.
You have no ability to record anything, or play any existing media. What's it FOR?