Apple TV

[Brother John]

Does anyone have an Apple TV? If so what are your thoughts on it?

 

[Tripel]

I don't. I opted for a Roku.

But I've used the Apple TV. It is a really good device with a great user interface. It would be a comfortable fit for someone who likes Apple products and who uses iTunes for movie and TV purchases.

But the reason I opted for Roku is because of the much greater selection of channels. I was particularly interested in Amazon Instant Video and Pandora radio... neither of which are available on Apple TV.

 

[fredtgreco]

It is like anything Apple. It is more expensive, has no real options (you can't even modify the home screen), offers less channels, but is incredibly ease to install and use.

I would not buy one for use with my tv, because all media bought through iTunes is much more expensive. But we have one at church and may get a second one. It is absolutely spectacular for use with a projector and screens. I can mirror iPads, iPhones, and macs for use with PowerPoint and video presentations. I can do slide shows. I can show videos easily. With a little cheap app called Airparrot, I can do the same from PCs. I think it is absolutely the best product you can get for that type of use.

 

[jogri17]

It's a hundred bucks, Rooku is 70. Not a huge difference. iTunes has a lot more content and the prices are not more expensive than Amazon or Google. That is just nonsense. I do not know why anyone thinks that concerning movies and tvs. WHen it comes to music, amazon is the cheapest. If you have amazon prime, you get a lot of content through streaming, but if not its not worth it. So it really depends on if you want to go with amazon and pay for a streaming subscription or if youd rather own your content through itunes (with options of buying in SD, HD, and renting). I personally say itunes because the content is more universal, while amazon streaming has yet to make it to all devices. With a netflix subscription you get most of amazon's stuff anyways.

 

[fredtgreco]

It's a hundred bucks, Rooku is 70. Not a huge difference. iTunes has a lot more content and the prices are not more expensive than Amazon or Google. That is just nonsense. I do not know why anyone thinks that concerning movies and tvs. WHen it comes to music, amazon is the cheapest. If you have amazon prime, you get a lot of content through streaming, but if not its not worth it. So it really depends on if you want to go with amazon and pay for a streaming subscription or if youd rather own your content through itunes (with options of buying in SD, HD, and renting). I personally say itunes because the content is more universal, while amazon streaming has yet to make it to all devices. With a netflix subscription you get most of amazon's stuff anyways.

Movie Rentals:

Flight: Amazon $4.99, Google $4.99, iTunes $5.99
Ferris Bueller's Day Off: Amazon $2.99 (free with Prime), Google $2.99, iTunes $3.99
SkyFall: Amazon $4.99, Google $4.99, iTunes $5.99
Hitchcock: Amazon $4.99, Google $4.99, iTunes $5.99
Dark Knight Rises: Amazon $3.99, Google $3.99, iTunes $4.99

So in about 5 minutes on the main iTunes page, I have 5 movies from all different genres (and one being an older one) where Amazon and Google are the same in every instance, and iTunes is $1 more (that is, 20-25% more), just for being iTunes.

Both Amazon and Google give you HD and SD purchasing options, and rentals. In almost every case they are 10-25% cheaper than iTunes. The same is true for digital music downloads. Apple just charges you more. You can pretend it is not true, but you'd be wrong. I don't know what world you live in, but AppleTV is 30% higher than Roku, and it does not play the same number of streaming options Roku does (a quick Google search will yield hundreds of complaints about that). It is especially true about other free streaming services.

 

[Edward]

A couple of guys at work were discussing the pros and cons last week. One uses Apple computers and tables, but opted for the Roku (just ordered his second.) The one advantage that Apple TV had was Airplay, which he didn't need. The advantage that the second Roku had was an earphone jack on the remote, so he can listen without disturbing the household. Amazon Prime and the lower prices were just lagniappe.

 

[littlepeople]

I would add another voice to what's already been said: Apple TV is great if you need to stream from an iOS device. If you are only looking for a streaming box, then practically anything else will be better. Especially if you have an older TV and run into HDCP issues with the ATV. nightmare

 

[Brother John]

Thanks for the input. We do not have cable or dish so anything we watch is either DVD, digital tuner or Netflix. The TV is new and so there are no problems there. We actually have a DVD player that streams Netflix and YouTube. I have a MacBook Pro so I was thinking about getting it so that I could mirror my Mac and watch Internet video. But I don't know if I would really get enough out of any streaming device since we already have Netflix through the Blue Ray player. More to think about...

 

[jogri17]

Both Amazon and Google give you HD and SD purchasing options, and rentals. In almost every case they are 10-25% cheaper than iTunes. The same is true for digital music downloads. Apple just charges you more. You can pretend it is not true, but you'd be wrong. I don't know what world you live in, but AppleTV is 30% higher than Roku, and it does not play the same number of streaming options Roku does (a quick Google search will yield hundreds of complaints about that). It is especially true about other free streaming services.

I believe Amazon sells music in mp3 format, Apple sells it as AAC (which is considered better quality for identical bitrates). Amazon video is streaming whereas iTunes video is a file download and streaming. With streaming you require a constant, fast Internet connection and have to stream again with each time you watch it. With file downloads you can take it anywhere (e.g., airplane). Plus your contant is more universal with the apple ecosystem. Amazon is very much USA, and UK centric relative to their digital content (they are improving to be fair).

 

[fredtgreco]

Both Amazon and Google give you HD and SD purchasing options, and rentals. In almost every case they are 10-25% cheaper than iTunes. The same is true for digital music downloads. Apple just charges you more. You can pretend it is not true, but you'd be wrong. I don't know what world you live in, but AppleTV is 30% higher than Roku, and it does not play the same number of streaming options Roku does (a quick Google search will yield hundreds of complaints about that). It is especially true about other free streaming services.

I believe Amazon sells music in mp3 format, Apple sells it as AAC (which is considered better quality for identical bitrates). Amazon video is streaming whereas iTunes video is a file download and streaming. With streaming you require a constant, fast Internet connection and have to stream again with each time you watch it. With file downloads you can take it anywhere (e.g., airplane). Plus your contant is more universal with the apple ecosystem. Amazon is very much USA, and UK centric relative to their digital content (they are improving to be fair).

Sorry - incorrect again:

Amazon Instant Video: Download the Unbox Player

Amazon Instant Video on Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch

 

[jogri17]

Sorry - incorrect again:

Really I am incorrect about the music quality aspect also?

 

[littlepeople]

AAC has a theoretical edge at low bitrates. 256+ and you would have to have "golden ears" to tell the difference. But then people with golden ears don't listen to compressed music. 99.9% of the population are not capable of hearing any difference, myself included. Both formats are lossy.