Why I am not getting an AppleTV, yet.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
One might think that I'd be a little put off from Apple these days, considering Podcast Ready's recent and ongoing dispute. The fact is, I love Apple products. I have a MacBook Pro, an iMac, a video iPod, and two mini's.One of my mini's is the entertainment center in my living room; I put it there last December to replace a Pinnacle streaming system that I'd had for years. So I am no stranger, and am in fact a huge fan of streaming video on-demand in my home. (hint: if you do this, consider using something like MediaCentral instead of Frontrow - it handles large video libraries better and is even recommended by Apple.)
Here's the rub: #1 its HD only and #2 its not a DVR. That's it. Those are the only two reasons why I am not getting one now.
#1 its HD only. I don't really get this one. Producing the AppleTV for standard NTSC is not a big deal - my mini is already set for it. So why not support the largest install base in the US? My ginormous tube television works great, and for as little time as I actually spend in front of it I am quite happy. (Apparently I am not alone on this either.) I know that HDTV is the future, and some day I'll will get one. But I don't see that day coming anytime real soon, and so neither do I see an AppleTV in my future real soon.
#2 its got to be a DVR. Well, it does. That's seems a no-brainer, from a consumer standpoint at least. I know that most cable companies are providing DVR's now, and of course there is Tivo and the like, and it would mean that they can make more profit by using tiny $10 40gig hard drives in the AppleTV's, and I know that it would keep me out of the iTunes video store more... but still. Its got to have value to me as a customer, and to know how easy it is and still not have it in there makes it a bad buy for me.
Right now my mini can grab videos from my Tivo and iTunes, integrate them into its own library keeping everything all in one spot, and dump it all over to my iPod or my Mylo - piece of cake. (and not a big giant intricate wedding cake or anything... we're talking Little Debbie almost-perfect-out-of-the-wrapper kind of cake)
I'm quite certain that these things will be addressed in later versions of the AppleTV, possibly sooner than I expect (yes I am going to that). But for now, I personally will not be adding and AppleTV to my ever growing list of home technology gadgetry.
posted by Russell @ 1:14 PM,
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