Apple TV rotten? - Techwatch Support Forums: Digital & Satellite TV, FTA, Cable, Computers, Mobile Phones, Apple and General Tech Forums

BGonaSTICK · 05-06-07, 10:06 PM

In one of the first reviews of the very few Apple TVs out there, Fortune magazine isn’t impressed with the $300 box. The June issue is quoted at length on CNN:

"Apple TV's most highly touted feature is its weakest one: It requires an HDTV, but the video you download is so low-res that it looks as fuzzy as plain old broadcast TV. There's no way to order a movie directly from the iTunes store via your TV, even though Apple TV has its own connection to the Internet. Instead, you have to download it to your computer first. Apple TV lets you show photos only from a single computer, even though photos are the one source of HD content everyone has, and are easy and legal to share over a network. That is especially odd, because Apple TV does allow you to share digital music from multiple PCs.

There are even shortcomings that even Microsoft would not have overlooked: Apple TV doesn't have a DVD drive or a volume control on its minimalist remote or ... but enough. You get the feeling that Apple didn't create this thing because it was insanely great but in order to freeze competitors out of downloadable video.

Apple TV could have been a versatile transitional product that not only made it easier for people to use their computer-based content in the living room but also helped unclutter their home entertainment systems. Apple got the shape of the box right, and the screensaver is pretty nice, but that's about it."

Gav · 05-06-07, 10:36 PM

Strange about the quality, its 640x480 (480p?) Methinks that this isn't a bad quality picture for a TV, its Standard Definition for America anyway?

Unknown user #1 · 07-06-07, 03:47 PM

The US got NTSC, which is 720x480. In Europe it is PAL and SECAM, which is 720x576. Either way, Apple sucks.

05-06-07, 10:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
BGonaSTICK Dodgy Geezer Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Brighton Posts: 9,718 Thanks: 3 Thanked 166 Times in 60 Posts	Apple TV rotten? In one of the first reviews of the very few Apple TVs out there, Fortune magazine isn’t impressed with the $300 box. The June issue is quoted at length on CNN: "Apple TV's most highly touted feature is its weakest one: It requires an HDTV, but the video you download is so low-res that it looks as fuzzy as plain old broadcast TV. There's no way to order a movie directly from the iTunes store via your TV, even though Apple TV has its own connection to the Internet. Instead, you have to download it to your computer first. Apple TV lets you show photos only from a single computer, even though photos are the one source of HD content everyone has, and are easy and legal to share over a network. That is especially odd, because Apple TV does allow you to share digital music from multiple PCs. There are even shortcomings that even Microsoft would not have overlooked: Apple TV doesn't have a DVD drive or a volume control on its minimalist remote or ... but enough. You get the feeling that Apple didn't create this thing because it was insanely great but in order to freeze competitors out of downloadable video. Apple TV could have been a versatile transitional product that not only made it easier for people to use their computer-based content in the living room but also helped unclutter their home entertainment systems. Apple got the shape of the box right, and the screensaver is pretty nice, but that's about it." __________________ Dreambox 7000, Skystar2 PCI, Skystar USB, Fibo 90cm on Moteck SG2100, Triax TD110 multi-LNB. Sky + ART cards. 45.0°E - 58.0°W

05-06-07, 10:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
Gav Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 542 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Apple TV rotten? Strange about the quality, its 640x480 (480p?) Methinks that this isn't a bad quality picture for a TV, its Standard Definition for America anyway? __________________

07-06-07, 03:47 PM	#3 (permalink)
Unknown user #1 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 536 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Apple TV rotten? The US got NTSC, which is 720x480. In Europe it is PAL and SECAM, which is 720x576. Either way, Apple sucks.