Not Ready For Apple TV

March 21st, 2007

Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal has a great Apple TV review, plus a video. The computer-to-TV device started shipping this week.

My usual Apple-lust has cooled quite a bit with the Apple TV, even though I was initially pretty excited by it. Here’s why:

  1. It only supports component video out and HDMI. Unfortunately, I only have an old-school television set, so it looks like I have to buy a better TV. Sad.
  2. It’s unclear if any video file I’ve ripped and currently plays in iTunes will work with the iTV. Seems like certain files like MP4 play, but it might be picky about the aspect ratio. I may have to use a program like this one or the recently added QuickTime export option to get various video files to play. Either way, dedicated conversion time might be necessary.
  3. The more I think about it, there isn’t anything broken with DVDs. I rent more movies than I have time for via Netflix, and get good picture and surround sound.
  4. No word about the rumored gaming capability (as Stowe Boyd wonders). I’m sure this is just another instance of Apple keeping things simple (it’s for getting iTunes TV shows from your Mac to your TV) in the beginning for the confused mass-market. But still, PVR, home server, games… all cool capabilities that could conceivably be there but aren’t (yet?). All the same, more reason to wait.

Still, as I sit here watching a DVD rip of The Prisoner on an iMac while my TV is just a few feet away, the idea of getting video (and music, and photos) from the computer to the television is compelling. But because of the list above, it could cost me lots of cash plus render time to get everything to an Apple TV compatible level.

I think I’ll just spend $20 and get a MacBook to TV adapter.

Additional Reading: Wired, Thomas Hawk, MacUser

5 Comments

  1. Jessica says:
    03/21/2007 at 11:08 am

    Jason,

    Sure, Netflix is a great service. But I am still really excited about Apple TV.

    My only complaint is that it doesn’t work with standard TV’s. I mean, I would probably buy an Apple TV, except I don’t have an HDTV yet. Bummer.

    But, of course, for someone who has an HDTV, I think this is really cool. Further, it’s a shot across the bow in the coming cable-bypass revolution, in which cable companies see their customers leave in droves for internet TV.

    Just like the iPod, this proves to be a quite disruptive product.

    - Jess

  2. webomatica says:
    03/21/2007 at 11:20 am

    Hi Jessica,

    Yeah, I do agree with your points. I think moving away from cable is an appealing, possible future. We already cancelled cable in favor of NetFlix and iTunes TV shows. Yet still, I’m hesitating with the Apple TV. If it only had the old fashioned yellow video out…!

    Thanks for visiting and commenting.

  3. Steven Hodson says:
    03/21/2007 at 4:33 pm

    Chris Davis had some thoughts on this as well and he doesn’t seem to be overly impressed either

    http://www.chrisjdavis.org/appletv-some-random-thoughts

  4. webomatica says:
    03/21/2007 at 5:26 pm

    Yep. Re-encoding video is much more time consuming than it is with sound files. Chris Davis also makes a good argument for just buying a Mac Mini. I’d agree with that.

  5. Firefox Community Edition says:
    04/02/2007 at 10:00 am

    I think we are currently in a state of flux with regard to the standards that will be applied to this type of new technology so as much as I am tempted, I think the best solution for me is to keep my money in my pocket for the moment and wait until things settle down a little more.