Apple TV

[nepcker]

You can buy the required cables from any Apple stores. This isn't exactly the same situation of Apple leaving the power supply out of iPod boxes in order to save money (and make money by asking people to purchase them separately). The Apple TV can connect to your gear in a variety of ways. To cover all the bases, Apple would have to include HDMI-to-HDMI, HDMI-to-DVI, component video, analog audio, and digital audio cables. That's a lot of cables to include when someone is likely to use only one or two of them. And just why do you need to have a On/Off button? You can just disconnect the Power cable

And you don't need to purchase everything from iTMS - If it's on iTunes, it's on Apple TV. iTunes can play many DRM-free music and videos.

Update: You can demand that the Apple TV take a long nap by pressing and holding the Remote's Play/Pause button.

 

[gxsaurav]

You can buy the required cables from any Apple stores. And just why do you need to have a On/Off button. You can just disconnect the Power cable.

now what to say

And you don't need to purchase everything from iTMS - If it's on iTunes, it's on Apple TV. iTunes can play many DRM-free music and videos.

DRM Free Music = mp3s, yup it will play

DRM Free movies = anything but m4v, but DivX which is DRM free Video is not supported by AppleTV

I m not wrong when i said AppleTV binds you to iTMS only

 

[nepcker]

You can buy DRM-free movies. Even if it's on the DivX format, you can encode it to a supported format using free tools available. If you feel lazy to encode every movie yourself, you can use Apple Scripts to automate the process.

So, in no way, you are restricted to iTMS.

The Apple TV can play video encoded in MPEG-4 format (and its variant, H.264). It can play all the audio file formats that are compatible with iTunes (AIFF, WAVE, MP3, AAC, and Apple Lossless). There are a variety of utilities that let you transcode media to formats compatible with the Apple TV. For example, you can rip commercial DVDs using HandBrake. IYou can rip a number of DVDs at bit rates as high as 2,500kbps and they will play perfectly well on the Apple TV (and look darned good, to boot).

Apple TV supports these video specifications:

* H.264 up to 5Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160kbps with a maximum resolution of 1280 x 720 at 24fps or 960-by-540 at 30 fps.
* MPEG-4 up to 3Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160kbps, with a maximum resolution of 720-by-432 at 30fps.

 

[gxsaurav]

You can buy DRM-free movies. Even if it's on the DivX format, you can encode it to a supported format using free tools available. If you feel lazy to encode every movie yourself, you can use Apple Scripts to automate the process.

we transcoded a 702.1MB Xvid video (640 x 352) to the Apple TV format on a 3.0GHz Mac Pro. The entire process took 55 minutes at a rate of about 0.213MB/s. H.264 encoding performance

Apple TV will only play H.264 or MPEG-4 encoded video, with bit rate, resolution and frame rate restrictions

Yeah, it looks so easy & fast. The only software which can encode to AppleTV is Quicktime pro for $30

There are a variety of utilities that let you transcode media to formats compatible with the Apple TV. For example, you can rip commercial DVDs using HandBrake. You can rip a number of DVDs at bit rates as high as 2,500kbps and they will play perfectly well on the Apple TV (and look darned good, to boot).

Plz do not make gussess. So, you prefer to buy a DVD & rip it (illegal) to watch on AppleTV which doesn't play even a DVD File by default

Apple TV supports these video specifications:

* H.264 up to 5Mbps, Progressive Main Profile (CAVLC) with AAC-LC audio up to 160kbps with a maximum resolution of 1280 x 720 at 24fps or 960-by-540 at 30 fps.
* MPEG-4 up to 3Mbps, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160kbps, with a maximum resolution of 720-by-432 at 30fps.

In Quicktime 7.1.5, there is an option "Export to AppleTV" with no user changable settings. So if someone wants to use AppleTV, he should make sure that he converts all his video collection of DivX or MPG or DVDs to AppleTV format first in 10 days & then start using. gr8 & very nice to use

 

[nepcker]

The only software which can encode to AppleTV is Quicktime pro for $30

There are other applications to do it too. Here are some of the freewares:
[URL="*www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/AppleTV/"]www.videora.com/en-us/Converter/AppleTV
[/URL]www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloads/dvd_to_apple_tv_software
www.freedownloadscenter.com/Multimedia_and_Graphics/Animated_GIF_Editors/Xilisoft_DVD_to_Apple_TV_Converter.html

So, you prefer to buy a DVD & rip it (illegal) to watch on AppleTV which doesn't play even a DVD File by default

Unless you watch it only yourself, it's not illegal to rip the DVD and watch it on Apple TV.

In Quicktime 7.1.5, there is an option "Export to AppleTV" with no user changable settings. So if someone wants to use AppleTV, he should make sure that he converts all his video collection of DivX or MPG or DVDs to AppleTV format first in 10 days & then start using. gr8 & very nice to use

I couldn't agree more - all Apple softwares (and hardwares) are great and easy-to-use. (Though I don't like QuickTime Pro very much.)

 

[gxsaurav]

Unless you watch it only yourself, it's not illegal to rip the DVD and watch it on Apple TV.

:ROFL , boy go talk to RIAA, MPAA...whatever. You just gave the lamest excude to rip a DVD

I couldn't agree more - all Apple softwares (and hardwares) are great and easy-to-use. (Though I don't like QuickTime Pro very much.)

You don't even understand what I was saying. I meant you cannot use any setting of your own in "Export to Apple TV". What were u reading?

You can buy the required cables from any Apple stores

ofcourse we can, by paying additional money.

 

[aryayush]

Yeah, because no one is going to give them away for free and they do not entertain beggars.

And ripping DVDs is not illegal as long as you keep them to yourself. Are you really this dumb of you just pretend to be!

 

[nepcker]

boy go talk to RIAA, MPAA...whatever. You just gave the lamest excuse to rip a DVD

Even the Rich Idiots' Association of America doesn't says it is illegal to rip a DVD for personal use. It will be illegal if you either distribute or sell it.

You don't even understand what I was saying. I meant you cannot use any setting of your own in "Export to Apple TV". What were u reading?

Why do you need to have custom settings for the "Export to Apple TV" option. QuickTime will do all the details for you, and will give you the best output possible. And if you're geeky enough, you can have your own custom settings without selecting the "Export to Apple TV" option. There's no custm settings for the "Export to Apple TV" option because this would only confuse the user.

of course we can, by paying additional money.

As I've said before, the Apple TV can connect to your gear in a variety of ways. To cover all the bases, Apple would have to include HDMI-to-HDMI, HDMI-to-DVI, component video, analog audio, and digital audio cables. That's a lot of cables to include when someone is likely to use only one or two of them.

 

[gxsaurav]

Why do you need to have custom settings for the "Export to Apple TV" option. QuickTime will do all the details for you, and will give you the best output possible. And if you're geeky enough, you can have your own custom settings without selecting the "Export to Apple TV" option. There's no custm settings for the "Export to Apple TV" option because this would only confuse the user.

Ever heard of User options. It is not about simplysity that a user just needs to select "Export to AppleTV". There are many times that users have low resolution mpeg or DivX Videos & while exporting to Apple TV they are interpolated to higher resolution totely changing the aspect ratio & size.

What do u mean, is it made for noobs only.

As I've said before, the Apple TV can connect to your gear in a variety of ways. To cover all the bases, Apple would have to include HDMI-to-HDMI, HDMI-to-DVI, component video, analog audio, and digital audio cables. That's a lot of cables to include when someone is likely to use only one or two of them.

How about this. Wnen you buy an AppleTV you can buy a cable for it free from the same shop. Just one cable, if u want more then one buy the other one. Oh wait, Its Apple.

In other new, Apple is now either remotely disabling AppleTV hack by invading the privasy, & going after the AppleTV modders. Wow, so now they won't give a feature & won't even let the user have it. I do understand modding is illegal but hey, moding voids your warrenty & the user will get no support, isn't that enough already

 

[nepcker]

Ever heard of User options. It is not about simplysity that a user just needs to select "Export to AppleTV". There are many times that users have low resolution mpeg or DivX Videos & while exporting to Apple TV they are interpolated to higher resolution totely changing the aspect ratio & size.

What do u mean, is it made for noobs only.

QuickTime is intelligent enough. Try using that option for a low-res file and watch it on your big-screen TV (using AppleTV) and you'll know that QuickTime's done the geeky work for you and you don't have to do it yourself.

How about this. Wnen you buy an AppleTV you can buy a cable for it free from the same shop. Just one cable, if u want more then one buy the other one. Oh wait, Its Apple.

I didn't actually get the point. Why do you need more than one cable if one is sufficient?

In other new, Apple is now either remotely disabling AppleTV hack by invading the privasy, & going after the AppleTV modders. Wow, so now they won't give a feature & won't even let the user have it. I do understand modding is illegal but hey, moding voids your warrenty & the user will get no support, isn't that enough already

Apple shouldn't have done this but you can try blocking your Apple TV from the internet and changing your password -- this would mean no more 30 second samples of the iTMS's top 10, but hey, you can't have everything your way, right?

 

[aryayush]

Ever heard of User options. It is not about simplysity that a user just needs to select "Export to AppleTV". There are many times that users have low resolution mpeg or DivX Videos & while exporting to Apple TV they are interpolated to higher resolution totely changing the aspect ratio & size.

What do u mean, is it made for noobs only.

QuickTime leaves the lower resolution at their native sizes and just changes the format if need be. And anyway, no one is stopping you from having your cutom resolution and format when encoding a video. Apple just makes sure that there is an easy and fail-proof way to get things done. And they take care of the details for you so you don't have to.

In other new, Apple is now either remotely disabling AppleTV hack by invading the privasy, & going after the AppleTV modders. Wow, so now they won't give a feature & won't even let the user have it. I do understand modding is illegal but hey, moding voids your warrenty & the user will get no support, isn't that enough already

No, they are doing no such thing. The original posters assessed the situation wrongly. The Apple TV is just scheduled to run scheduled cronjobs and repair file permissions etc. to make sure that it works properly.

Apple shouldn't have done this

It is a shame that of all the people in the world, you found only this guy as a reliable source of Apple related news. Please look up the facts on Google in future before believing him! Or better still, just assume that the opposite of whatever he says is true.

 

[goobimama]

just assume that the opposite of whatever he says is true.

I like that. I think that'll be my mindset when reading his posts...

 

[nepcker]

It is a shame that of all the people in the world, you found only this guy as a reliable source of Apple related news. Please look up the facts on Google in future before believing him! Or better still, just assume that the opposite of whatever he says is true.

Now I'll cross-check before believing in what he says!

 

[aryayush]

There are many times that users have low resolution mpeg or DivX Videos & while exporting to Apple TV they are interpolated to higher resolution totely changing the aspect ratio & size.

To quote The Macalope, please do not talk "out of orifices that were not meant for such purposes"! (Advice to you, just skip this, it needs a marginal grasp of the language to understand it.)

Anyway, two images are attached to this post. You can see the properties of the original file and the properties of the file it is converted to using QuickTime's simple option. And I purposely did it using Windows to avoid stupid comments like "oh, but it not work well widnow".

I know it might be a bit difficult to comprehend, but it is fairly easy. The second last line on both images (the one that reads "Normal Size") gives you the resolution of the file. A resolution is the number of pixels the video constitutes of on both dimensions. A pixel is... well, you can use a website called Google to know about it. (You have to bring that small thing called a mouse over the word Google and press the button on the top left.)

As you can see, the resolution of both files is the same which means that QuickTime has not been made by Microsoft. In other words, the minutest details have been taken care of and it does not interpolate the video to a "higher resolution totely changing the aspect ratio & size."

Hope it is about halfway clear now. I am sure I can make you understand it fully once you have posted this same thing repeatedly in fifteen different threads.