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“Because not all television networks are willing to play nice with Apple’s $.99 television show rental model, a consumer might think that some shows simply don’t exist within Apple’s iTunes ecosystem,” Maxcer reports. “Case in point is the new FX show ‘Terriers.’ When I searched for it from my new Apple TV, I couldn’t find it at all. But when I did the search on my MacBook, I found the show for sale in the iTunes Store. To watch ‘Terriers’ from the new Apple TV, you’ve got to buy the show on your computer first, then stream it from your computer. That’s a serious irritation for happy Apple customers who are simply trying to be good media consumers.”
MacDailyNews Take: Really? A “serious” irritation? You have it way too easy, Chris. It’s minor. In fact, here’s a revelation: Your MacBook is portable. Carry it over to the couch, if you want to be a potato. Or wait a month for AirPlay.
“Will more networks eventually come on board? Hopefully, but it’s not a given,” Maxcer reports. “Minor annoyances aside…”
MacDailyNews Take: All of a sudden, and rather inexplicably, “serious irritation” has morphed into “minor annoyance.” At least he got it right the second time. And, blame the networks, not Apple.
Maxcer reports, “Minor annoyances aside, the new Apple TV retains most of the functionality of the older version, plus adds new rental features and offers up a foundation that can be wildly upgraded by Apple with possible (and likely) app functionality. If you’re willing to pay for content on an a la carte bases, especially when you consider the $99 price point, you just can’t go wrong with a new Apple TV — especially if you’re willing to buy or rent from your computer first, instead of fusing your backside to your couch.”
MacDailyNews Take: Again, you have a MacBook, Mr. Potato Head. Until or unless certain networks wise up, you can buy or rent and stream to your Apple TV quite easily without ever leaving your beloved couch.
Full review – which is actually a good review despite our serious irritation over a minor annoyance – here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s no wonder that a large percentage of U.S. citizens make the inhabitants of the Axiom look emaciated and WTF is our coffee already?!
The irritation of having to purchase from a computer will be fixed for iDevice owners once Airplay is working. Then you can purchase on your iPhone or iPad/iPod and stream to your AppleTV. The problem I am having is that season pass shows now require a password to download, so they don’t download automatically. This is a pain as it requires me to go to my iTunes “server” in the basement to enter the password so the shows can download.
The irritation of having to purchase from a computer will be fixed for iDevice owners once Airplay is working. Then you can purchase on your iPhone or iPad/iPod and stream to your AppleTV. The problem I am having is that season pass shows now require a password to download, so they don’t download automatically. This is a pain as it requires me to go to my iTunes “server” in the basement to enter the password so the shows can download.
If they are moving the device away from its dependency on computers, it does suck that there isn’t an option to purchase on the AppleTV and have it sync to the your computer … even better, how about an option that if your computer is on and itunes is open (which it probably would be, for streaming) why not allow users to “buy” things on the AppleTV when really all it’s doing is controlling iTunes on the computer to buy it remotely.
If they are moving the device away from its dependency on computers, it does suck that there isn’t an option to purchase on the AppleTV and have it sync to the your computer … even better, how about an option that if your computer is on and itunes is open (which it probably would be, for streaming) why not allow users to “buy” things on the AppleTV when really all it’s doing is controlling iTunes on the computer to buy it remotely.
“Really? A “serious” irritation? You have it way too easy, Chris. It’s minor. In fact, here’s a revelation: Your MacBook is portable. Carry it over to the couch, if you want to be a potato.”
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Actually, I agree, it’s not minor. Expecting consumers to search twice on two different devices and/or carry their MBP to the couch is something that most ordinary folks wouldn’t think of or do.. That’s a serious flaw in the business model that needs to be corrected somehow..
“Really? A “serious” irritation? You have it way too easy, Chris. It’s minor. In fact, here’s a revelation: Your MacBook is portable. Carry it over to the couch, if you want to be a potato.”
_______________
Actually, I agree, it’s not minor. Expecting consumers to search twice on two different devices and/or carry their MBP to the couch is something that most ordinary folks wouldn’t think of or do.. That’s a serious flaw in the business model that needs to be corrected somehow..
i lent mine to my brother who connected it to his projector
i have to say even at 70-100 inches the 720p picture is bloody good
so much for all the 1080p bullshit
i lent mine to my brother who connected it to his projector
i have to say even at 70-100 inches the 720p picture is bloody good
so much for all the 1080p bullshit
regarding this itunes on on the atv problem , can’t you just use the ipad’s/iphones itunes store ?
why do you need a mac ?
oh , i forgot , that’s the point of airplay
my bad
regarding this itunes on on the atv problem , can’t you just use the ipad’s/iphones itunes store ?
why do you need a mac ?
oh , i forgot , that’s the point of airplay
my bad
I got my new Apple TV a couple of nights ago, and I am happy I waited for it. It was a snap to install and configure without reading the instructions, and easy to use. I was using my old G5 for iTunes and Internet TV shows on the web, but this is not only easier, but adds Netflix streaming that my old G5 couldn’t support.
Tip: if you need an HDMI cable, you can save a bundle at monoprice.com. I’ve been buying pro-audio and video cables from them for a few years, and their cables are top-quality with low prices. I got a 6 footer for $6.48, including sales tax and shipping.
I got my new Apple TV a couple of nights ago, and I am happy I waited for it. It was a snap to install and configure without reading the instructions, and easy to use. I was using my old G5 for iTunes and Internet TV shows on the web, but this is not only easier, but adds Netflix streaming that my old G5 couldn’t support.
Tip: if you need an HDMI cable, you can save a bundle at monoprice.com. I’ve been buying pro-audio and video cables from them for a few years, and their cables are top-quality with low prices. I got a 6 footer for $6.48, including sales tax and shipping.
So, what if you have a Mac mini connected to one HDMI on your HDTV and you want to add an AppleTV to the system to stream content from the mini and not have to jump back and forth between inputs and have a unified interface? How would this work?
So, what if you have a Mac mini connected to one HDMI on your HDTV and you want to add an AppleTV to the system to stream content from the mini and not have to jump back and forth between inputs and have a unified interface? How would this work?
MDN – I think your take is a bit harsh. Why can’t Apple TV purchase shows, download them, then send them over to iTunes? Buying it on the computer and then watching it on TV is even less intuitive than syncing, which Jobs said people specifically didn’t want.
Perhaps to avoid confusion, the Buy option isn’t on by default… but it’s really kind of silly that you can’t buy from the Apple TV unit itself with iTunes sorting out the details behind the scenes.
MDN – I think your take is a bit harsh. Why can’t Apple TV purchase shows, download them, then send them over to iTunes? Buying it on the computer and then watching it on TV is even less intuitive than syncing, which Jobs said people specifically didn’t want.
Perhaps to avoid confusion, the Buy option isn’t on by default… but it’s really kind of silly that you can’t buy from the Apple TV unit itself with iTunes sorting out the details behind the scenes.
I have an existing AppleTV. Received as a gift from my girlfriend a couple years ago. I absolutely love it, but I’m thinking I might get this new one. $99 is the perfect price. That Logitech box looks interesting, but I’m not willing to dish out $299 to try it out.
I have an existing AppleTV. Received as a gift from my girlfriend a couple years ago. I absolutely love it, but I’m thinking I might get this new one. $99 is the perfect price. That Logitech box looks interesting, but I’m not willing to dish out $299 to try it out.
Here’s an idea for a future upgrade.
With home sharing enabled, Apple TV could allow the user to browse and purchase non-rental titles using the Apple TV, at which point the purchase could be downloaded directly to the appropriate iTunes library on the user’s computer. During the download to the shared computer, the Apple TV could stream the content for viewing.
Alas, Apple is using the rental only setup of the Apple TV to apply leverage to studios to make more content available for rental. As such, we may never see such a purchase and stream capability for the Apple TV.
Here’s an idea for a future upgrade.
With home sharing enabled, Apple TV could allow the user to browse and purchase non-rental titles using the Apple TV, at which point the purchase could be downloaded directly to the appropriate iTunes library on the user’s computer. During the download to the shared computer, the Apple TV could stream the content for viewing.
Alas, Apple is using the rental only setup of the Apple TV to apply leverage to studios to make more content available for rental. As such, we may never see such a purchase and stream capability for the Apple TV.
@Jay-Z I agree, it is less intuitive than syncing. The problem the new ATV has is that there is no internal storage, so unless you have a computer on all the time, the could be problems with buying from ATV and then transferring to your mac since the mac would have to be turned at the time. In my case, I would need to have my powerbook open with iTunes running to buy from ATV. No problem, as long as my wife doesnt have the computer with her outside of the house. This is the big downside of the new ATV, in that you need to have a dedicated computer to go along with it if you want to get the full use. I am using my mac mini in the 3rd floor attic as an iTunes/ATV server. I control it remotely from my Powerbook if needed. But this negates the power saving claim of the ATV since now I have to always have a computer running in order to stream my purchased content. However, I find that I am using Netflix now more than ever.
I think the big plan Apple has is to get everyone to use .Mac to store their music/movies in the North Carolina Cloud so that there is no need to sync locally.
@Jay-Z I agree, it is less intuitive than syncing. The problem the new ATV has is that there is no internal storage, so unless you have a computer on all the time, the could be problems with buying from ATV and then transferring to your mac since the mac would have to be turned at the time. In my case, I would need to have my powerbook open with iTunes running to buy from ATV. No problem, as long as my wife doesnt have the computer with her outside of the house. This is the big downside of the new ATV, in that you need to have a dedicated computer to go along with it if you want to get the full use. I am using my mac mini in the 3rd floor attic as an iTunes/ATV server. I control it remotely from my Powerbook if needed. But this negates the power saving claim of the ATV since now I have to always have a computer running in order to stream my purchased content. However, I find that I am using Netflix now more than ever.
I think the big plan Apple has is to get everyone to use .Mac to store their music/movies in the North Carolina Cloud so that there is no need to sync locally.
@HD Boy
You can buy an HDMI switch box for around $50.00. I use a 4 input HDMI switch to route my cable box, Playstation 3, and Apple TV into a single HDMI input on my AV receiver. I then pipe the output from the AV receiver to my HDTV. No cable swapping or AV settings to change, just change the channel on the HDMI switch using the RF remote that came with it…
@HD Boy
You can buy an HDMI switch box for around $50.00. I use a 4 input HDMI switch to route my cable box, Playstation 3, and Apple TV into a single HDMI input on my AV receiver. I then pipe the output from the AV receiver to my HDTV. No cable swapping or AV settings to change, just change the channel on the HDMI switch using the RF remote that came with it…
Personally, I liked the old Apple TV better because it has a hard drive. I just miss 2 things: TV show rentals for 99 cents and lower power consumption, especially during standby. – But I do understand Apple’s decision make Apple TV available at $99 and, therefore, a hard drive (and I’m not talking about the minor flash drive that’s included but not officially mentioned) would have not made it possible. In fact, I think Apple’s margin on the Apple TV is quite a bit smaller than on other Apple devices. I am curious to see how Apple TV will develop in the future an bring back some of the old features.
Personally, I liked the old Apple TV better because it has a hard drive. I just miss 2 things: TV show rentals for 99 cents and lower power consumption, especially during standby. – But I do understand Apple’s decision make Apple TV available at $99 and, therefore, a hard drive (and I’m not talking about the minor flash drive that’s included but not officially mentioned) would have not made it possible. In fact, I think Apple’s margin on the Apple TV is quite a bit smaller than on other Apple devices. I am curious to see how Apple TV will develop in the future an bring back some of the old features.
@ HD Boy,
“So, what if you have a Mac mini connected to one HDMI on your HDTV and you want to add an AppleTV to the system to stream content from the mini and not have to jump back and forth between inputs and have a unified interface?”
One presumes you use the DVD/BluRay player upgrade installed on the Mac mini that gives you a unified interface for using discs.
So with the Mac mini already connected to the HDTV, you want to stream content from the mini through an Apple TV to the HDTV?
WTF? Do you have only one HDMI interface on your HDTV?
@ HD Boy,
“So, what if you have a Mac mini connected to one HDMI on your HDTV and you want to add an AppleTV to the system to stream content from the mini and not have to jump back and forth between inputs and have a unified interface?”
One presumes you use the DVD/BluRay player upgrade installed on the Mac mini that gives you a unified interface for using discs.
So with the Mac mini already connected to the HDTV, you want to stream content from the mini through an Apple TV to the HDTV?
WTF? Do you have only one HDMI interface on your HDTV?
Apple knows — most people don’t buy. Renting for a buck is a snap. Not being able to buy on the device isn’t a big deal… at least once all TV shows on all networks are available. What will happen now os that most people will search on AppleTV to rent and if the show they want isn’t there, they’ll rent something else. Those other shows will decline and the networks will eventually cave in and offer them for renting.
Apple knows — most people don’t buy. Renting for a buck is a snap. Not being able to buy on the device isn’t a big deal… at least once all TV shows on all networks are available. What will happen now os that most people will search on AppleTV to rent and if the show they want isn’t there, they’ll rent something else. Those other shows will decline and the networks will eventually cave in and offer them for renting.
@HD Boy
It’s kind of hard to gauge what you’re asking, but if you have a Mini and an ATV on the same wired/wireless network, you can pair the 2 and use the ATV for your interface. The ATV will stream content from the iTunes account, but will also let you rent the more limited selection of movies/TV shows straight from the ATV.
@HD Boy
It’s kind of hard to gauge what you’re asking, but if you have a Mini and an ATV on the same wired/wireless network, you can pair the 2 and use the ATV for your interface. The ATV will stream content from the iTunes account, but will also let you rent the more limited selection of movies/TV shows straight from the ATV.
Why do you have to move your computer to the couch to stream? Here’s what I do for TV shows I bought on my Mac Pro.
1. Start up iTunes on the Mac Pro.
2. Using the AppleTV remote only, select “Computer,” select the Mac Pro, select TV shows, select the show I want to watch, and watch the show.
Meanwhile my Mac Pro is nowhere near my TV and AppleTV
Why do you have to move your computer to the couch to stream? Here’s what I do for TV shows I bought on my Mac Pro.
1. Start up iTunes on the Mac Pro.
2. Using the AppleTV remote only, select “Computer,” select the Mac Pro, select TV shows, select the show I want to watch, and watch the show.
Meanwhile my Mac Pro is nowhere near my TV and AppleTV
I agree with MDN that this is no a major issue (as MikeK so keenly supported with his satire).
However, I also agree that it would be a very nice feature to allow the Apple TV to buy media that is then downloaded directly to one of the devices from which it streams. That’s one thing I could do on my PS3 that I cannot do on the Apple TV (in the non-gaming category…come to think of it, the inability to play PS3 games is a major flaw for Apple TV!). Then again, the UI for buying media from the Sony store is so awful that I stopped trying.
I agree with MDN that this is no a major issue (as MikeK so keenly supported with his satire).
However, I also agree that it would be a very nice feature to allow the Apple TV to buy media that is then downloaded directly to one of the devices from which it streams. That’s one thing I could do on my PS3 that I cannot do on the Apple TV (in the non-gaming category…come to think of it, the inability to play PS3 games is a major flaw for Apple TV!). Then again, the UI for buying media from the Sony store is so awful that I stopped trying.
“Once Airplay is working”?? If its not now and the system is shipping then the Apple TV is not fully functional yet? But its still selling? Thats bullshit. I bought an ipad a month ago and cannot believe the bullshit involved with getting it to print something.
Yeah easy to use and I love it, but ios is as flexible as a block of glass and feels not quite ready yet.
Apple TV will fail if “Couch Potatoes” cant sit down after a prick of a day at work and use the remote in 3 clicks and watch what they want. To transfer something from my macbook to watch?? GTF outta here, Ill turn on SkyHD and watch that instead.
I dig you Macdaily but sometimes your fetish with apple make you look a little one sided.
“Once Airplay is working”?? If its not now and the system is shipping then the Apple TV is not fully functional yet? But its still selling? Thats bullshit. I bought an ipad a month ago and cannot believe the bullshit involved with getting it to print something.
Yeah easy to use and I love it, but ios is as flexible as a block of glass and feels not quite ready yet.
Apple TV will fail if “Couch Potatoes” cant sit down after a prick of a day at work and use the remote in 3 clicks and watch what they want. To transfer something from my macbook to watch?? GTF outta here, Ill turn on SkyHD and watch that instead.
I dig you Macdaily but sometimes your fetish with apple make you look a little one sided.
@ papasmack:
This Apple TV has 8GB flash storage – remember, even though something is streamed, it’s still usually stored temporarily so that it buffers properly. Given that HD video on iTunes is about 1.5-2 GB per hour, this should easily be able to hold 5 or 6 hours until iTunes is opened. If it needs to delete the video for space, it can tag it in iTunes to download again when iTunes opens.
I’m sure I’m not thinking of all potential problems, but I can’t think of a major problem they’d need to overcome to make this relatively easy.
@ papasmack:
This Apple TV has 8GB flash storage – remember, even though something is streamed, it’s still usually stored temporarily so that it buffers properly. Given that HD video on iTunes is about 1.5-2 GB per hour, this should easily be able to hold 5 or 6 hours until iTunes is opened. If it needs to delete the video for space, it can tag it in iTunes to download again when iTunes opens.
I’m sure I’m not thinking of all potential problems, but I can’t think of a major problem they’d need to overcome to make this relatively easy.
I agree with MDN that this is no a major issue (as MikeK so keenly supported with his satire).
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@DRMSSB, You’re right, how silly of me to think that buying a device to rent TV shows and movies and then finding out you have to download some of those shows on a different device first and then stream them back because only ‘some” of the content is available directly from the device that was purchased for the purpose of renting it in the first place.. Even though both devices are connected to the same iTunes store, it is really just a minor annoyance.
(that’s sarcasm in case you didn’t pick up on it.)
I agree with MDN that this is no a major issue (as MikeK so keenly supported with his satire).
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@DRMSSB, You’re right, how silly of me to think that buying a device to rent TV shows and movies and then finding out you have to download some of those shows on a different device first and then stream them back because only ‘some” of the content is available directly from the device that was purchased for the purpose of renting it in the first place.. Even though both devices are connected to the same iTunes store, it is really just a minor annoyance.
(that’s sarcasm in case you didn’t pick up on it.)