Apple TV Relevance in NZ?

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Super8

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Master Geek
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Topic # 12620 27-Mar-2007 21:00

Is Apple TV for NZ just an expensive audio and photo streamer? Hard to believe with global TV and movie rights that anything useful would be provided for the NZ market? Am I missing something?

alasta

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Reply # 65221 27-Mar-2007 21:14

As others have noted, the Apple TV is very dependant apon TV show downloads from the iTunes Music Store which are currently unavailable in New Zealand, and one of the disadvantages of Apple's closed economic model is that they can't rely on third parties to fill in the gaps. I expect that a few gadget freaks with money to burn will buy the Apple TV for the purpose of playing music videos and material that they have ripped from other sources, but it will not have any mainstream appeal in the immediate future.

It's a shame, because I've always considered broadcast television to be achaic considering that those of us from the microwave generation want to be able to download and view content on demand. The Apple TV is a great concept, but we just don't have the necessary services or infrastructure for it to be useful at this point in time.

neilinnz

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Reply # 65224 27-Mar-2007 21:29

It was in The Herald business section today that TVNZ are trying to work with Apple to get their programs in iTunes so Apple TV may become more relevant then if you have a big LCD TV.
Apparently they are 40th in the queue to just open up discussion so maybe wont happen any time soon.

stevenz

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Reply # 65225 27-Mar-2007 21:30

The Apple TV is fairly useless in its standard form, unless you take it apart and upgrade the (very limited) codec support, it's almost a complete waste of time. Nice UI, and tiny footprint. but a bit limited.

You'd save yourself a lot of money by buying a modchipped Xbox and using XBMC. It'll give you 720p output over component, and support for nigh on every codec known to man. It might lot look as pretty but it's a lot more functional. People on this forum will probably advise against it as modchipping is so massively illegal and evil. Personally I think my XBMC box is fantastic though.

Failing that, buy a mediagate or something similar, much the same functionality but again, better codec support and a lot cheaper. The only thing you'd be losing is direct itunes interface, which currently is of no use whatsoever in NZ as there aren't any (that I can see) videos available for download. The alternative is just to wait for a year or so until something is actually made available to us over here.

lokinz

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Ultimate Geek
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Reply # 65231 27-Mar-2007 22:06

Great strides are allready being made with Apple TV (www.awkwardtv.org), Once they figure out how to load Xvid support without opening the case and the iTunes - Apple TV sync issue (incompatable videos won't sync) sorted, I will buy one to replace my current XBMC

P.s Stevenz, There are now "soft mods" for the xbox, no more soldering on your $25 mod chip :)

cokemaster

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Reply # 65234 27-Mar-2007 22:22

Apple TV. It is an interesting concept and the implementation is quite interesting as well.

Not too sure how it will work out because there are so many factors including (one including lack of content)... however on a site such as geekzone I think you'll find that many people probably won't like the Apple TV. Most more technically aware people are aware of solutions that fit one better than a limited (but simple and easy to use) appliance. Once more content comes out things will pick up though (the joys of DRM), I guess.

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lokinz

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Reply # 65241 27-Mar-2007 23:33

Limited? Have you looked at that site? I hardly think running firefox or playing WoW on it is limited.

stevenz

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Reply # 65248 28-Mar-2007 07:12

P.s Stevenz, There are now "soft mods" for the xbox, no more soldering on your $25 mod chip :)

I know, I've done several of them. Upgrading the HDD while doing a softmod is a major hassle. Doing it with a chip is a piece of cake as long as you've got a bootable disk. Also, as with one I had to fix last week, if someone does something they shouldn't and alters anything in the boot partition, a softmod will break completely, and you'll need to chip it to get it going again anyway.

Plus the biggest bonus with chipping them, you can change the bootup logo to another colour! ;)

lokinz

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Reply # 65256 28-Mar-2007 08:28

Thats handy to know, I have only done physical chips. Plus I have only done one HDD upgrade, as I and most others I have done run on a network.

Nightwyrm

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Reply # 65257 28-Mar-2007 08:33

My take on the ATV (as previously blogged) is that it is too heavily reliant on iTunes and the iTMS for its content, and should be able to create its own content like a PVR. THis means you're still subject to the limitations of iTMS and your broadband connection.

We already know that not all record labels or bands have bought into iTMS (Tool anyone?) and who's to say how many film companies or distributors will come on board - especially for a small market like NZ. The last bit I read said that Sony Pictures definitely won't jump on the iTMS wagon (and why woudl they?) and their holdings include Columbia Pictures (The Da Vinci Code, the Spiderman movies), TriStar Pictures (Jerry Maguire, Silent Hill), Destination Films, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (the Rocky series, the James Bond series, Stargate), not to mention their television production holdings. Without a company that size on board, how is ATV expected to deliver a good service? Also, what's going to happen with the Apple FairPlay DRM?

Now, I haven't actually downloaded a movie form the internet but I hear tell that a DVD-quality movie is upwards of 1GB. I get decent download speeds at my place but that would still take roughly an hour for me. Who sits at home of an evening and thinks, "I fancy watching a movie tonight. If I start it downloading now, I can sort out dinner, get lotto, and put the kids to bed, then I can sit down and watch my movie." What'll happen once they start offering HD-quality movies? I get visions of NZ's aging copper network grinding to a halt.

That's my 10 cents (plus GST)

Post-geek, opinionated mediaphile, and natural born cynic. Jack of all genres, master of none.

cokemaster

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Reply # 65273 28-Mar-2007 14:31

lokinz: Limited? Have you looked at that site? I hardly think running firefox or playing WoW on it is limited.

On a apple tv appliance?

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lokinz

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Ultimate Geek
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Reply # 65286 28-Mar-2007 16:47

Who sits at home of an evening and thinks, "I fancy watching a movie tonight. If I start it downloading now, I can sort out dinner, get lotto, and put the kids to bed, then I can sit down and watch my movie."

Yeah pretty much, but I don't have any kids.

On a apple tv appliance?

Yes, on an Apple TV. It's basically a computer running OS X

stuzzo

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Reply # 65362 28-Mar-2007 21:20

lugh:
The last bit I read said that Sony Pictures definitely won't jump on the iTMS wagon (and why woudl they?) and their holdings include Columbia Pictures (The Da Vinci Code, the Spiderman movies), TriStar Pictures (Jerry Maguire, Silent Hill), Destination Films, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (the Rocky series, the James Bond series, Stargate), not to mention their television production holdings. Without a company that size on board, how is ATV expected to deliver a good service?

Also I assume they'd prefer to market content via the PS3

stevenz

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Reply # 65713 31-Mar-2007 12:47

And it now supports standard USB mouse/keyboard.

http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/Main_Page

It's getting more useful.