See the full thing here. Or, here’s what’s relevant:
I wrote that Apple TV can’t actually play high-def video, which is weird, considering that it requires a high-def (or “enhanced definition”) TV. There’s an almost-exception, though: if you have a high-def camcorder like the Canon HV10, using that Apple TV export option can convert it to 720p, 24 frames per second. That’s just barely HDTV quality–and Apple TV can play that.
(I think the reason that the Apple TV can’t do high-def video is that Apple’s being conservative here. It knows that Apple-holics would never stand for stuttering video caused by a slowish network, for example–so it capped the video data rate to ensure smooth playback always.)
It matters that it doesn’t output at 1080p because on a 1080p TV, it’s going to look like crap.
Moreover, if the whole point Apple TV is to make it easy for “the rest of us” to port iTunes content to our TV, suggestions that users can download various software to make existing video compatible with Apple TV’s format restrictions are nonsensical. Are they expected to know that? Try explaining to your dad why it can play 720p at 24 fps but not at 30.
If Apple sells more than 10 million Apple TVs, which would be as many Xbox 360s as Microsoft has sold, I would be impressed. Apple TV requires a subsequent and significant investment beyond an iPod. Odds are, if you have a 360, you have a computer. Investment is essentially over, barring niggling issues like perhaps a wireless bridge for the 360–but if you’re going to count that, you have to count Apple TV’s total lack of AV cables. Finally, Apple TV requires either an HDTV or an enhanced definition TV, restricting it to a small segment of the population–it’s not a given audience of 118 million. Besides, how many of them want iTunes on their TV? I don’t.
Quite honestly, with coming IPTV and subsequent DVR, VOD and already present media streaming capabilities, I think the 360 is the most complete yet consumer friendly convergence device in the pipeline.
Oh, and it’s much easier to get traffic by praising Apple. See: digg.com
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Check out these two relevant articles:
Ten Myths of the Apple TV: Myth 1
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/147048D8-D8B7-45E7-9A97-3CD5B4C2B75A.html
Ten Myths of the Apple TV: Myths 2-10
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/RD/RDM.Tech.Q1.07/58FDAFCD-8549-4406-8ABD-2339995CFFFA.html
The guy from Roughly Drafted would pimp a child rape device if Apple made it. He seems to live in this delusional world where he thinks everyone is out to get Apple, ignoring that the vast majority of Apple press is positive.
I think I’ve been fair in my assessment: it’s limited, and in some ways, doesn’t satisfy what it sets out to do. That is, to fully access all features (like porting HD video) requires knowledge beyond what they purport the target audience to be.
Before you start screaming I’m an MS fanboy, read this and my review of Vista.
I’m totally buying the Xbox 360 Elite though.
>> The guy from Roughly Drafted would pimp a child rape device if Apple made it.
Matt,
I guess you think a snarky ad hominem attack is a substitute for actually addressing issues. Did you even read the articles?
> Before you start screaming…
Nice pre-emptive slur… I didn’t, and wasn’t going to “scream” anything. You’re entitled to your opinions. Lucky for you that you have a soapbox on WSN.
Whatever…
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