Culo69
join:2003-08-12
Antioch, CA
| reply to rugby
Re: It's good but not great
try using Handbrake »www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/12987
HandBrake is a GPL'd multiplatform, multithreaded DVD to MPEG-4 ripper/converter. HandBrake was originally available on the BeOS, but now has been ported over to MacOS X and to GNU/Linux.
* Supported sources:
o Any DVD-like source: VIDEO_TS folder, DVD image or real DVD (even encrypted)
o PAL or NTSC
o AC-3, LPCM or MPEG audio tracks
* Outputs:
o File format: MP4, AVI or OGM
o Video: MPEG-4 or H.264 (1 or 2 passes or constant quantizer encoding)
o Audio: AAC, MP3, Vorbis or AC-3 pass-through (supports encoding of several audio tracks)
You can copy your dvd'S on put them into your itunes and watch on your apple tv |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
 ·Cox HSI
 ·Verizon FIOS
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| reply to Authority
Some claimed 1080P sets can display static images at full rez but can't do motion at full rez.
»gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-enterta···3558.php |
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NOCMan
Verizon Fios User
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Flower Mound, TX | reply to Pictor Guy
Surprised people are not suing for false advertising then. |
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NOCMan
Verizon Fios User
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Flower Mound, TX
| reply to foobar9idfp09sd4
Dont get me started. Some idiot at Best Buy tried selling me gold plated FIBER cables when I grabbed the el-cheapo ones. Said the gold helped the light move.
I install fiber all day long at work. I wanted to beat this guy down. Course I want to do that to most sales people because they usually just bug and lie to customers just to get a sale. Especially when they pull that crap on the elderly. |
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NOCMan
Verizon Fios User
Premium
join:2004-09-30
Flower Mound, TX | reply to Mike
720p is just fine. |
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Count Zero
MD2Be
Premium
join:2007-01-18
Warner Robins, GA | reply to Authority
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) recommends that its members use 720p50 with the possibility of 1080i50 on a programme-by-programme basis and 1080p50 as a future option.[2][3][4]
From that article. |
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Count Zero
MD2Be
Premium
join:2007-01-18
Warner Robins, GA
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
| reply to Dogfather
The point you're missing is that DVR = free and Apple doesn't want you to record someone else's content - they want to become your cable company. Apple's long-term goal I think is to offer people all of their shows for sale ala carte (which doesn't bother me) and instead of channel surfing you'll iTunes Store surf.. |
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Authority
Obama Biden '12
join:2000-03-29
Beverly Hills, CA
·AT&T Yahoo
·Packet8
·magicjack.com
| reply to AVonGauss
said by AVonGauss  :I think you mean 1080i... A 1080p set has a native resolution of at least 1920x1080, otherwise it's not a 1080p set...  1080i and 1080p have the same resolution. That's what "1080" is...the lines of vertical resolution.
»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1080i
--
"When Apple Care fails, when all hope is lost, there's one last thing to try... take your issue straight to the top: sjobs@apple.com" |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
·Cox HSI
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4 edits | reply to Pictor Guy
said by Pictor Guy :said by Dogfather :But right now it's like an iPod that ONLY plays Apple protected tracks. You do realize that the iPod and AppleTV will play non-Apple protected tracks right?  You mean like DivX, xvid, AC3 and WMV? Bzzzt, WRONG.
It's plays they very, very few codecs that Apple wants it to play. If you want to play what YOU and everyone BUT teh Steve wants to play, as in, the most popular codecs for downloaded video you'll find, you have to start hacking and patching or reencoding.
That's fine by me, but most people looking at this box will be dissuaded from buying it because of lack of real codec support just like they would be dissuaded from an iPod that wouldn't play MP3s. |
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alchav
join:2002-05-17
Palm Desert, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
|  reply to rugby
said by rugby :Here's what Apple's bringing to the table: 1) your music. Got iTunes on a computer in your house? AppleTV can either sync or stream the music directly. can Tivo do that? 2) Pictures. Got iPhoto? AppleTV can sync iPhoto albums or your entire library. 3) Ease of use. No getting out the mouse to control the AppleTV. I have a windows HTPC using BeyondTV, so when I want to stream something from netflix I have to get out the mouse and hope that MS's DRM doesn't decide to lock me out (for some reason it does that with the streaming feature every now and then). 4) cross platform compatibility. Does Netflix streaming work with Macs? Does Tivo support anything advanced on Macs? I've had a Buffalo Link Theater DVD Networked Player for years that does all this with a Remote. It streams DVD quality video at 1080i from PC or Server over Ethernet. It does not play DRM protected video well, even though it does try to work with Microsoft Windows Media Connect. This unit came out years ago, and I think it is way better than AppleTV. |
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mdrift
join:2003-08-15
Spokane, WA
| reply to Pictor Guy
said by Pictor Guy :said by Dogfather :But right now it's like an iPod that ONLY plays Apple protected tracks. You do realize that the iPod and AppleTV will play non-Apple protected tracks right? Most likely neither do. However, several hundred millions units of iPod makes it clear that most people do. |
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foobar9idfp09sd4
@verizon.net
 from:
Snickerdo
| reply to Mike
said by Mike :What's so hard about 1080i? 720p = no thanks. Because it goes great with your $200 gold-plated Monster HDMI cables, right? |
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Pictor Guy
join:2004-06-21
Sammamish, WA
| reply to Dogfather
said by Dogfather :But right now it's like an iPod that ONLY plays Apple protected tracks. You do realize that the iPod and AppleTV will play non-Apple protected tracks right? |
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rugby
I think I know it all.
VIP
join:2000-09-26
Camby, IN
·Comcast
·Callcentric
| reply to RadioDoc
Here's what Apple's bringing to the table:
1) your music. Got iTunes on a computer in your house? AppleTV can either sync or stream the music directly. can Tivo do that?
2) Pictures. Got iPhoto? AppleTV can sync iPhoto albums or your entire library.
3) Ease of use. No getting out the mouse to control the AppleTV. I have a windows HTPC using BeyondTV, so when I want to stream something from netflix I have to get out the mouse and hope that MS's DRM doesn't decide to lock me out (for some reason it does that with the streaming feature every now and then).
4) cross platform compatibility. Does Netflix streaming work with Macs? Does Tivo support anything advanced on Macs?
I know the AppleTV isn't fully featured and I would LOVE for Apple to buy ElGato, fix up eyeTV, and integrate the entire thing into a Mini with built-in digital tuners HOWEVER, it's not happening yet.
I use my AppleTV for hours each day for pictures, music, shows, etc. Once rentals are available on it I could even see getting a movie every now and then. I have clients who have gotten rid of their Comcast because all of the shows they want to watch and record are available through iTunes. |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
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| reply to alchav
Agreed. Even without something good like DVR service, it would be a much more attractive product as a media extender that supported codecs that you currently have to add as hacks (eg DivX).
If it would for example behave as a media center extender as well as do what it currently does, they would certainly sell more. And it wouldn't be strange for them to embrace Microsoft as they bent over backward for Boot Camp.
But right now it's like an iPod that ONLY plays Apple protected tracks. |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA | reply to Mike
I'll take good quality 720p over 1080i any day of the week. |
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alchav
join:2002-05-17
Palm Desert, CA
·Pacific Bell - SBC
|  reply to Dogfather
The only thing that AppleTV does is wet people's appetite to play Movies on a Network. Apple products are all about Apple, and this is fine for The Company, but people want more flexibility to watch, store, and play on what ever they want. Just like with Music, remember when the 8 Track or Cassette were invented, you could record what ever song or mix you wanted. This is what people want now with the Movies, the ability to record and play when ever they want on what ever they want. |
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Pictor Guy
join:2004-06-21
Sammamish, WA
| reply to AVonGauss
I mean real world (motion) 1080p.
»www.hometheatermag.com/images/ar···Vrez.jpg
Keep in mind I would still rather have a 1080p TV vs a 1080i set. but when it comes to 720p vs 1080p the issue gets a little more complicated. For source material I would still invest in 1080p if I'm owning the material (Blu-Ray for example) but for a rental it's another issue and 720p is okay for me at least until TVs get a little better. |
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Count Zero
MD2Be
Premium
join:2007-01-18
Warner Robins, GA
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
| reply to Mike
Until this year I don't think 1080p was 'the norm' and I'm not sure that's still the case. The 55" Sony LCD I bought last year only does 720p - I think most LCDs and plasma from the last several years (excepting of course the very high end ones) only do 720p. Looks good enough to me after 20+ years of 480i TV... |
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AVonGauss
Premium,MVM
join:2007-11-01
Boynton Beach, FL | reply to Pictor Guy
I think you mean 1080i... A 1080p set has a native resolution of at least 1920x1080, otherwise it's not a 1080p set... |
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