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Thread: Opinion - Apple TV media player now available in UK. But why?

  1. #17
    Editable... jimbouk's Avatar
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    It does just seem like they didn't think it through well enough - a proof of concept box instead of a full retail product.

    Maybe it was a response to the Xbox 360's media extender capabilities?

    Essentually it's a half power mac mini for half the price, it's a real shame it has so much less then half the usefulness. I'm torn between saying it's overpriced because it does so little, or it's cheap because there's a hd capable computer in there just waiting to be used to it's full extent!

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    Quote Originally Posted by autopilot View Post
    Probably depends if they see the hackability increase sales. They dont really need to officially endorse it, just be a bit more relaxed about leaving it open enough for hackers to truly exploit it. A lot of companies do that, although officially they don't support it for legal reasons etc..
    Apple aren't really known for their 'open' products are they tho? I doubt (very much) they'd do a topfield - Apple would rather sell you all the extras!
    Crosshair VIII Hero (WIFI), 3900x, 32GB DDR4, Many SSDs, EVGA FTW3 3090, Ethoo 719


  3. #19
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    Apple TV does support SD TVs

    Any assertion that Apple TV doesn't support SD TVs is just wrong.

    All you need to connect it is a RGB to Scart cable or a set of component cables and an RGB to Scart adaptor. There is one of these bundled with the Xbox 360 btw. It also has the necessary mode support as pointed out on rogueamoeba.com (576i and 576p for PAL).

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    Quote Originally Posted by JamesBulman View Post
    Any assertion that Apple TV doesn't support SD TVs is just wrong.

    All you need to connect it is a RGB to Scart cable or a set of component cables and an RGB to Scart adaptor. There is one of these bundled with the Xbox 360 btw. It also has the necessary mode support as pointed out on rogueamoeba.com (576i and 576p for PAL).
    If you read the article thoroughly, you will see I mention the possibility of using a component-to-RGB adaptor as a cheaper (but not cheap) alternative to an HDMI-to-RGB adaptor.

    RGB is the common denominator in each case because most half-decent TV sets in the UK can bring in RGB via Scart - and that's necessary in the case of Apple TV cos, contrary to what you're thinking, RGB and component are not one and the same thing.

    So, unless the SD TV set you want to use with Apple TV has dedicated component inputs (rare), a DVI input (rarer still?) or an HDMI input (not fitted to SD sets), you'll need to convert Apple TV's output to something the set can handle - and that's likely to be RGB.

    If you just stuff component into a TV on its RGB inputs, it's not going to work - though, hopefully, it's not going to damage to the set either (though, with luck, someone else will comment here soon to let us both know if there is any likelihood of damage).

    What's confusing you, I guess, is the fact that Xbox 360 uses the same pins for RGB as it does for component - but that does NOT mean the RGB and component are one and the same thing.

    These URLs might help you get things sorted out in your own mind:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_video

    http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Article...Connectors.asp

    http://www.projectorcentral.com/component.htm

    Oh, and though this is your first posting and, consequently, I was a bit dismayed with your "I know better than you tone" - don't worry too much, I'm not going to be holding it against you (don't want to catch anything - nah, only jokin').

    Fact is, I do regularly get found out (ie get correctly corrected) in these forums - and consequently learn a lot from them myself.

    As a result, the articles in which errors occur gets corrected (which far more important than my ego) and, hopefully, I don't repeat the cock up!
    Last edited by Bob Crabtree; 27-03-2007 at 05:05 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by nichomach View Post
    Either that, or they sit back, wait to see if the idea has any traction and then co-opt it, just like they did with Bootcamp. Also, it's worth seeing http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03...tv_and_sd_tvs/ - apparently Apple TV DOES support SD, as long as the TV has component inputs; or you can use a component to RGB converter.
    Tsk, tsk, not like you to not read the HEXUS article before commenting!

    I say all this and more in the piece!

  6. #22
    Will work for beer... nichomach's Avatar
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    *cough*
    Quick-scanned the article after seeing the lead-in here.

  7. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Crabtree View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by moby_matt View Post
    Hopefully this product will break Apple's arrogance enough to make them realise they are not as good as they think they are - after all, not everybody wants an iPod!
    I'm not quite sure why why articles like this should make people react in such an anti-Apple way.

    I wrote it genuinely believing that Apple would struggle to sell the product in anything like the volume it would have achieved if it had supported SD and also if the company had made available some HD content for owners of HD TV sets to play through it.

    I was, therefore, sort of wondering aloud why the product had even been launched right now and was rather hoping that folk would pile in explaining that I'd missed something screamingly obvious.

    Don't get me wrong, Steve Jobs and Apple do come over to me as arrogant at times, but so, too, do Microsoft and its top people; Intel and its top people; and a whole lot of other top firms and their top people - though certainly not all firms and certainly not all the time.

    With that out of the way, does anyone have any clues about what Apple might actually be thinking it's going to achieve with Apple TV?
    Sorry if that sounded anti-Apple Bob - not quite worded as I would usually...

    I have to agree in that I fail to see why Apple have released this product when it doesn't appear to do anything ground-breaking. Perhaps they should have looked at producing a PVR with twin tuners instead that could rival the Humax 9200 (which is about the same money) ?

    In fact I guess it won't be long until Humax release a Hi-def version of the 9200, then the Apple will be even less appealing.

    What do you think?
    The world is a great big Onion - try to cut it, and you are likely to cry...


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    Surely the better money is spent buying an XBOX 360? More functionality by the sounds of things !!
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    I would expect a much better remote from a dedicated media unit.

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    Hi Bob

    There are reports that 3rd party software runs on their with minimal hassle. I've no idea how intended that is... I'd post a link but your forum doesn't trust me yet. "Members are required to have a minimum of 5 posts before they can post any URL's"

    Searching on either of "joost_successfully_run_on_apple_tv"
    or "hacking-the-apple-tv" should find the links...

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    Quote Originally Posted by danbri View Post
    Hi Bob

    There are reports that 3rd party software runs on their with minimal hassle. I've no idea how intended that is... I'd post a link but your forum doesn't trust me yet. "Members are required to have a minimum of 5 posts before they can post any URL's"

    Searching on either of "joost_successfully_run_on_apple_tv"
    or "hacking-the-apple-tv" should find the links...
    How did you know what I was up to; are you a mind-reader?

    I've just done a news story rounding up all the key developments - Hackers turning Apple TV damp squib into hot item?

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