Apple TV would be good if it supported more than Apple's own proprietary codecs by default, and didn't require a HD TV
I may be wrong, but doesn't it have composite and RGB out (SD) ports on the back?
It has HDMI and Component (not RGB) video outputs, as well as analogue audio and optical audio outputs.
The component outputs can be SD 576i/480i as well as HD. If you connect the Y component output (which is coloured green) to a composite input you will get a black and white image in 576i or 480i mode as standard.
It is possible to hack the Apple TV in two ways to get this in composite colour (as the video chip supports composite output).
1. Use an HDMI to DVI cable with a VGA converter plugged into it. By unplugging this at the right point you can get colour composite output.
2. You can hack your Apple TV and upload a script that enables colour composite output.
Both are detailed on the web.
However Apple are definitely aiming the Apple TV at HDTV owners not those with SCART/Composite only inputs - though their "HDTV" is pretty poor quality (low bitrate, 720/24p stuff)
Apple TV would be good if it supported more than Apple's own proprietary codecs by default, and didn't require a HD TV
A far better and cheaper option is to hook up an XBox360 to the TV, and stream video content to it via your router from
your PC using the
standalone Windows Media Connect software
running on Windows XP with Media Player 10.
However it is trivial to hack an Apple TV to support XBMC - allowing most SD video and some HD video to be played. It also supports DVD ISOs and network streaming. Very neat.
Apple TV would be good if it supported more than Apple's own proprietary codecs by default, and didn't require a HD TV
A far better and cheaper option is to hook up an XBox360 to the TV, and stream video content to it via your router from
your PC using the
standalone Windows Media Connect software
running on Windows XP with Media Player 10.
But of course, you can't sell that sort of solution to the general public. My mother wouldn't know where to begin with that! But she could probably get an Apple TV up and running, it's so straight forward.
I wonder what Apple's plans are for the device. I wonder if it's worth emailing Apple, or the BBC, and demanding they team up!
Over here the Apple TV is next to near useless, thanks to iTunes unwillingness/inabillity to offer any video content (other than music videos) to Irish users. Not surprisingly, the device is not selling very well - I know nobody who has one, even Mac users - you get much the same result with an AV cable for your iPod, if it is fully synced with your iTunes library.
I have one, some 2 years now. I really only use to watch video podcasts, online radio, photostreams and converted DVDS. There is no content in the Irish apple store - I'm willing to rent movies/buy shows etc, but there is nothing. Massive shame.
..
I wonder what Apple's plans are for the device. I wonder if it's worth emailing Apple, or the BBC, and demanding they team up!
why wait?
download a simple application like boxee (a free XBMP varient) put it on a USB key, into apple tv usb port and poof.. a better interface than apple and play ANYTHING including (not DRM managed) like iplayer streams.
of you have an apple tv, i don;t know why anyone would wait??
I wonder what Apple's plans are for the device. I wonder if it's worth emailing Apple, or the BBC, and demanding they team up!
Ashley Highfield mentioned Apple TV in regard to iPlayer (when iPlayer started to offer rentals - i.e. time limited DRM) but since he left I've heard nothing.
I think that the Beeb are keen to avoid too many proprietary DRM systems, and I doubt Apple would want to host free BBC content in the iTunes store, as it offers them no revenue stream (unlike paid BBC content)
Couple that with the very different nature of iPlayer and iTunes store in navigation etc. and I don't see it happening short-term. If Apple TV opened up and included a Flash or AIR capable browser then that might change things - but I don't see that happening. (You can install a version of Safari on Apple TV unofficially)
.......... also remember that some immediately transmitted material becomes paid content on iTunes whilst still available free (within the DRM permissable window) on the iPlayer. That'd be a conflict too.
I think that the Beeb are keen to avoid too many proprietary DRM systems, and I doubt Apple would want to host free BBC content in the iTunes store, as it offers them no revenue stream (unlike paid BBC content)
Apple TV allows streaming of Youtube videos though, so an iPlayer plugin probably wouldn't be a technical impossibility, especially when it works on iPhone which itself runs on a 'cut back version of OS X' so I'm told.
And whilst I'd have no trouble installing Boxee, I'd like to see it happen officially because, once again, the general consumer (my parents for example) wouldn't know where to begin downloading software and putting it on a USB pen drive.
I think that the Beeb are keen to avoid too many proprietary DRM systems, and I doubt Apple would want to host free BBC content in the iTunes store, as it offers them no revenue stream (unlike paid BBC content)
Apple TV allows streaming of Youtube videos though, so an iPlayer plugin probably wouldn't be a technical impossibility, especially when it works on iPhone which itself runs on a 'cut back version of OS X' so I'm told.
Yep - the iPhone streaming iPlayer uses H264 in a different wrapper to the On2 and H264 compression used for the two quality levels on the streaming iPlayer. HOWEVER - the iPhone also has a web browser to navigate the iPlayer site, which the Apple TV doesn't.
Any iPlayer on the Apple TV currently would require either the BBC content to be hosted on the iTunes area, or a new iPlayer app to be coded for Apple TV, like the YouTube one already there, and Apple to include it in the Apple TV OS (for a single territory - or so that it is hidden when it realises its not in the UK?), which I don't see happening immediately.
If Canvas happens then a Canvas app for the Apple TV - if possible - would be neat, as it would support a common UK IPTV platform - which ITV/C4/Five could use if they wish as well?