Got Apple TV

[audreyh1]

We finally got an Apple TV. 2nd generation which is quite different from the original. We'd been waiting for a while - the product finally "made sense" IMO.

It's really cool. We can remote control our stereo from my iPad or my husbands iPod Touch, and play any of the music on either device from anywhere in the house - even volume control. This is really great, because up until now we had iPods tethered to the stereo and you had to go over there make selections, start, stop, etc. Now if you are listening to something on your iPad/iPod and you decide you want to hear it over the stereo instead, you just push a button!

We can browse youtube videos from the TV.

View any of our own videos and photos on our TV.

A lot of people watch Netflix movies this way, but we haven't gotten into using Netflix yet.

The Apple TV has it's own highspeed ethernet connection for accessing the internet (for movie downloads, youtube etc.), but the stuff shared from our iPod Touch and iPad is streamed over our local WiFi.

The integration is really neat. $100.

Audrey

 

[GregLee]

Now if you are listening to something on your iPad/iPod and you decide you want to hear it over the stereo instead, you just push a button!

That sounds useful. I have an iPad on order, and I would like to hear sound from it on my 7.1 sound system. But I gather that I would limited to just 2 channel stereo -- is that right?

 

[audreyh1]

That sounds useful. I have an iPad on order, and I would like to hear sound from it on my 7.1 sound system. But I gather that I would limited to just 2 channel stereo -- is that right?

Right - the music on your iPad/iPod is just stereo. But your receiver might be able to convert that to 5 channel surround if you want. Ours does.

Audrey

 

[walkinwood]

We just got a Roku. I don't know much about Apple TV, but if you want to watch video from the internet, including netflix movies in HD, it is a great solution. Paid $67 on Amazon for an XD model.

We don't have any apple devices except for old iPods. So, will not enjoy the vaunted integration.

 

[ERD50]

We just got a Roku. I don't know much about Apple TV, but if you want to watch video from the internet, including netflix movies in HD, it is a great solution. Paid $67 on Amazon for an XD model.

I plan to buy that Roku HD through amazon soon. DW wants netflix/hulu for the TV upstairs (old set, no HDMI), and the Roku has composite out. I've read the "instant playback" button works well. One thing that bugs me with netflix on our medium-speed connection is to 'rewind' a few seconds, it spends another 10 seconds rebuffering (probably less, but it seems like it), then you find out you still missed it and need to go back a little further. It's almost as bad as rewinding old VHS tapes to find a spot.

From what I've read, the Roku has more history buffered, so it really is instant to go back 7 seconds at a time. Plus it does Pandora and such. Not sure that playing something from my iPod to the stereo by push button is a big deal for me. I just don't use it that way, but everyone has different use patterns.

-ERD50

 

[FIREd]

I still have the old Apple TVs. For me, the main attraction with the new generation Apple TV is the ability to stream Netflix, but I can already do that with the Wii. I can also stream music to our home theater sound system from itunes and for now that's all I need.

 

[DangerMouse]

We have been thinking about the Apple TV so it's good to hear from a user that it works fine.

 

[audreyh1]

Originally we were waiting for the new for streaming and renting videos.

But then it turned out we really needed it to solve a problem with our home audio system. We have two zones controlled by the same receiver/amp - one for the main living area, and one for a separate workout room. But in the workout room there was no way to control the audio since the receiver couldn't "see" the remote. And the iPod was tethered to the receiver, so you had to get the music started from it before going to the other room and return a time or two to adjust the volume.

Now we just have to turn on "zone 2", and go in the 2nd room with our respective iPod/iPad and control everything else from there - including volume! Yay!

Audrey

 

[GregLee]

Right - the music on your iPad/iPod is just stereo. But your receiver might be able to convert that to 5 channel surround if you want. Ours does.

Audrey

Yes, my receiver converts 2.0 to 5.1, or 7.1. Since I have no interest in sending video from my iPad to my TV, instead of getting an Apple TV, I decided to get an Pioneer accessory, AS-BT100, for my AVR for $50 that uses Bluetooth to connect the iPad to the AVR. I see that Belkin also has a "Bluetooth receiver" to do the equivalent thing.

 

[kyounge1956]

We just got a Roku. I don't know much about Apple TV, but if you want to watch video from the internet, including netflix movies in HD, it is a great solution. Paid $67 on Amazon for an XD model.

We don't have any apple devices except for old iPods. So, will not enjoy the vaunted integration.

I hope it's not too much of a thread-jack to ask a question about Roku here. My brother gave my parents one for Christmas. I'm over at their house on a New Year's visit and we were going to watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit? on Netflix, but the movie doesn't come up on the Roku search, even though the Netflix website says it is available for immediate viewing. My dad & I looked on the website (I forget now whether it was Roku's or Netflix) and there is something there about entering a code to link to your Netflix account. It seems this code was provided on original setup of the Roku player....my dad didn't write it down and neither of us can figure out how to retrieve it either from the player or from his account on the Roku website. Can anybody help us get access to this movie? What are we doing wrong?

 

[BigMoneyJim]

Many Starz Play Netflix instant movies became unavailable today. I just looked, and Roger Rabbit is not available for streaming. Perhaps its availability expired 1/1. They rotate availability. I haven't noticed if the normal Netflix stock of instant streaming movies rotate or not, but Starz Play titles definitely do.

I am looking at my instant queue, and a couple of the instant movies that I think just expired have disappeared off the main list and are now below under "Saved Instant" with availability "Unknown".

If you can find any movies on Netflix at all, then your code is probably set up correctly. I have several Netflix-capable devices, and when I toy around sometimes I have to reactivate my main one. Somewhere you get the device to generate a code and then you type it into Netflix when logged into the appropriate account.

http://www.netflix.com/NetflixReadyDevicesDetails?pdid=2
http://www.roku.com/netflixplayer/