I have just set up a AppleTV in Sands room, connected to her 32″ Samsung flatscreen HDTV.
I have written before about why I don’t need a AppleTV so this is a bit of a turnaround. Our set up remains as previously explained but having now ripped all our DVD’s to hard drive in AppleTV format it sort of made sense to test out the AppleTV.
Of course that meant getting the 160GB one as I have no desire to stream film content over the network when I want to watch it – wireless or ethernet!
This post isn’t a review of the AppleTV. If you read this blog you more than likely know all about it, and if you don’t here is a link so that Apple can explain it to you.
Of course it was packaged beautifully and looks great in and out of the box. In fact it is a lot slimmer than I imagined and has a classic simplicity to its design that spills over into the way it works.
What I do want to tell you is how incredibly easy it was to set up:
- Plug into mains
- HDMI cable from AppleTV to HDTV
- Power On
- Switch to channel on HDTV
- Enter WiFi access code with Apple Remote on the on screen keyboard
- Enter the required code in iTunes to sync with the AppleTV
- Set the sync settings in iTunes
I have set up a smart folder in iTunes that contains all our unwatched films and it is this folder and the photos that we sync. Initially I had 85 films to sync which took about 24 hours over the wireless network, but once on the AppleTV the interface is exactly like Leopard and scrolls really really fast.
The benefits to us?
- It will make us use Sands room which was originally the Media room more
- It will make us watch the unwatched movies more
- Although Sands iMac is hooked up to the HDTV it is nice to watch the HDTV without the iMac screen active
The quality of the picture is great. The ease of set up and use is impressive. I am very impressed with the AppleTV. Far more than I thought I would be.
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It’s the ease of the Apple TV that makes me really love it. Yeah sure it can be a pain converting your content to .mp4 but once that’s done you can just sit back and enjoy the movie. Podcasts on the TV is awesome too especially stuff like TRS.
Yep, it really is easy!!!
I will get round to testing out podcasts, but to be honest over the last month or so I have hardly listened to any at all. Sands has become addicted to them – but likes them on her Nano as she plays with Moreno on the roof, lies on the bed, irons (well I made that last bit up – the ironing bit not the listening to podcasts!!!)
And you are the person who was making fun of me for getting an appletv. Ha I say, ha!! 🙂
Guilty as charged!!
I said I didn’t want an iPhone and got one.
I said I didn’t want an AppleTV and got one.
Hmmm – you know I have absolutely no desire for a Porsche 911 🙂
Hmm that overpriced VW? If that’s all you have to do that I can test it out for you.
So kind that is such a weight off my mind 🙂
Why are you getting all the stuff that you don’t want but I do????
Chris, just out of interest, what software were using for the DVD conversion? VisualHub? Just curious as to what settings you were using to get a decent quality picture, now that you have a true HD set up.
Have the prices fallen on the ATV yet? I want one but Im not really willing to pay its current price for it.
[quote comment=”17141″]Chris, just out of interest, what software were using for the DVD conversion? VisualHub? Just curious as to what settings you were using to get a decent quality picture, now that you have a true HD set up.[/quote]
Yes, Visual Hub with the H.264 Encoding and All options checked – works perfectly
[quote comment=”17143″]Have the prices fallen on the ATV yet? I want one but Im not really willing to pay its current price for it.[/quote]
Not that I am aware of – it is still pretty expensive, but to be open and honest, this was given to me by Miglia as part of my contract with them.
[quote comment=”17134″]Why are you getting all the stuff that you don’t want but I do????[/quote]
I think the above may answer that for you Wayne 🙂
Ha! We should have known 🙂
Yes, for me it has always been something I would like but have no real need for.
But watching podcasts on my TV would be damn fun!
Handbrake works very well for DVD Ripping it has a lot of presets you can use depending on what the output device is going to be including an Apple TV preset.
You know what – it was way too early for me to be replying to comments – I use Handbrake!!!!!
I used Visual Hub several times and it was very good, but I just ripped 200+ DVD’s with Handbrake so you would have thought I would remember!!!!
Haha, no problem it’s too early for me too, only reason I’m up is cos I’m writing a damned essay….
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