Is Apple TV any good?

I was just browsing the Apple Store online today and I saw that Apple just introduced their Apple TV. It seems pretty cool and convenient (comes with a remote), but I was wondering if it's actually worth it to pay $299 to buy it? I've been looking for ways to connect my laptop to my TV, and this seems to be pretty good!

 

Any suggestions? They would be most appreciated!

Apple TV is just another digital media streamer that is becoming a big rage among the Consumer Electronics industry. Without experiencing it directly, the only thing I can say Apple's offering would offer over other company's is probably a "nicer" interface and the cool remote. That's it. It's actually quite a bit more gimped compared to other media streamers since you're limited to your iTunes library.

The box looks nice, so if you care about aesthetics then that does count for spending extra money. However, if you just care about watching movies and tv on your tv instead of on your laptop you have a lot of other cheaper options. 99% of laptops come with an S-Video out connection, so for $10 you can buy a cable and connect your laptop directly to your tv (as long as your tv was made in the past 10 years and has an S-Video input). You can also pick up an Xbox for $100 and mod it to become the Xbox Media Center, which is the greatest media streamer EVER and for a long time to come. The only issue with XBMC is that it can't handle HD, but for downloadable stuff, most people don't download HD anyway, so it's not an issue. You also get the extra benefit of being able to play Xbox games :)

Outside of that, there are other media streamers available that'll be coming in the near future such as the SlingBox MediaCatcher and really just a ton of new ones, each offering their own little differentiating factors, so it's a matter of finding which one is right for you for the right price. But honestly, it's going to be EXTREMELY difficult to beat out the trust Xbox Media Center.

Seriously, Xbox is the best thing in the world. You can get a remote for the Xbox so you don't have to use controllers, and it plays basically everything. I use it all the time and I've yet to be disappointed (except when it blew up...)

It's true, the Xbox/XBMC solution is tough to beat. It's cheap, versatile, and has a great interface. The downside is that it takes some upfront setup to get it going. Here are the links to some media streaming products: Apple TV, Sling Media SlingCatcher, and the Netgear Digital Entertainer.

Has anyone actually bought one, or even used one yet...?


Bruce Wagner
New York City
http://brucewagner.com

It seems as if the only option is to get the Xbox. I really don't want to buy an Xbox because I already have a PS2. I just don't feel I really need another video gaming station, even if it plays everything off my laptop.

I think I'll just wait and see if other new inventions come out. :(

Actually, if you're not a stickler for picture quality and you have a wireless connection then the Nintendo Wii is actually the best thing for watching internet video on your television. Surprised? So was I. But it's honestly so awesome, it almost makes the console worth it on its own.

This is possible through the combination of a few things. Wii + WiFi + Internet Access + Wii's Web Browser + www.alluc.org. Ok, it sounds more complicated than it actually is, but most people already have Internet Access and a Wireless home network, so those are just standard requirements I wanted to get out of the way. It's really simple. All you do is load up the Opera browser on your Wii, head over to www.alluc.org and watch whatever the heck you want, full screen, instantly and in real time. It's freaking FANTASTIC.

Actually, if you just want to watch stuff on your computer when you're bored or just want something to do, they have pretty much every single episode of all popular shows up there, along with a lot of popular movies (though they're a lot better with shows).

In fact I think a lot of these new media streamers coming out in the future will start interfacing with YouTube and other video streaming sites. Heck, a few of Sony's Bravia televisions that they'll be launching later this year will come with an ethernet port where you can watch internet content directly from your TV using grokker or grobber, I forget the site's name, and Sony's own video service.