02-04-2009, 08:37 PM
As someone who is still puzzling over the AppleTV, I wanted to add a few basic thoughts. I am using an older G4 mac mini as my media center attached to my Panasonic 50" plasma TV. I have digital cable box connecting to my main HDMI input, have the mac mini on the VGA 'PC' port. Looks great,
The mac mini media center was simple to add 1 TB of external hard drive storage directly, holding my entire family music, (photos if I wanted to), and DVD collection (converted via handbrake) plus has room to grow via either firewire or USB2 ports. I use Front Row as my software, adding a keyspan RF remote which works better IMHO than the Apple remote - has a simple sleep button to power down.
It has a built-in DVD player, serving us well for our netflix rentals or when someone brings over a DVD to watch. So, the footprint of the mini is less than an AppleTV plus even a small DVD player.
If it were a mactel mini, it would run the direct streaming software from netflix.
As a genuine Mac, it runs the full version of Safari or Firefox, what have you. Have not played with youtube too much - am still behind watching a series of DVDs I rediscovered when I converted my video collection - but would work well, I would think.
All of these capabilities are going to be in the next generation netbook (sans optical drive), if not already available in current machines. And for the basic price as an Apple TV.
I am ready to add an eyetv to my media center to add DVR capabilities, if Apple stays the course and does not offer such an option on either its updated AppleTV or mac mini lineup.
I'm not trying to bash the AppleTV, I am still genuinely puzzled how it fits in when a real mac does so much more. Maybe my household network is just not sophisticated enough; or maybe I'm the wrong demographic, as someone who purchased my videos as DVDs.
The mac mini media center was simple to add 1 TB of external hard drive storage directly, holding my entire family music, (photos if I wanted to), and DVD collection (converted via handbrake) plus has room to grow via either firewire or USB2 ports. I use Front Row as my software, adding a keyspan RF remote which works better IMHO than the Apple remote - has a simple sleep button to power down.
It has a built-in DVD player, serving us well for our netflix rentals or when someone brings over a DVD to watch. So, the footprint of the mini is less than an AppleTV plus even a small DVD player.
If it were a mactel mini, it would run the direct streaming software from netflix.
As a genuine Mac, it runs the full version of Safari or Firefox, what have you. Have not played with youtube too much - am still behind watching a series of DVDs I rediscovered when I converted my video collection - but would work well, I would think.
All of these capabilities are going to be in the next generation netbook (sans optical drive), if not already available in current machines. And for the basic price as an Apple TV.
I am ready to add an eyetv to my media center to add DVR capabilities, if Apple stays the course and does not offer such an option on either its updated AppleTV or mac mini lineup.
I'm not trying to bash the AppleTV, I am still genuinely puzzled how it fits in when a real mac does so much more. Maybe my household network is just not sophisticated enough; or maybe I'm the wrong demographic, as someone who purchased my videos as DVDs.