http://www.apple.com/appletv/

Anyone trying this contraption?  The concept is fascinating.

Been wanting to get one since last year. My Mac and my Sony HDTV are only 20' away from each other.

Maybe I am missing something....

So you have to buy this box for $230

- Then you have to rent TV shows for $2 to $3 a pop you could have and probably did DVR for "free"

- Rent movies for $4 to $5 a pop. How is that any better than going to Blockbuster? Or better yet Netflix? For $9 a month I get 2-3 DVDs in the mail a week plus there is a bunch of movies I can watch online.

- Play your iTunes through your home stereo ... If that's your main reason for purchasing, wouldn't an iPod be a better choice there

- Look at pictures on your TV ... There is lots of other ways to accomplish that

- Watch YouTube videos on your TV ... give me a break

I will be the first to say I don't know much about Apple TV, but on the surface it seems kind of dumb. Am I missing something?

Maybe I am missing something....

So you have to buy this box for $230

- Then you have to rent TV shows for $2 to $3 a pop you could have and probably did DVR for "free"

- Rent movies for $4 to $5 a pop. How is that any better than going to Blockbuster? Or better yet Netflix? For $9 a month I get 2-3 DVDs in the mail a week plus there is a bunch of movies I can watch online.

- Play your iTunes through your home stereo ... If that's your main reason for purchasing, wouldn't an iPod be a better choice there

- Look at pictures on your TV ... There is lots of other ways to accomplish that

- Watch YouTube videos on your TV ... give me a break

I will be the first to say I don't know much about Apple TV, but on the surface it seems kind of dumb. Am I missing something?

Way to go KU! >

Thanks for bringing common sense and reality into the thread. ;D

Seriously, it's going to go to something like this eventually.  I think it might have been Philips that had web TV a few years ago.   Apple is just the first with this concept.

Maybe I am missing something....

So you have to buy this box for $230

- Then you have to rent TV shows for $2 to $3 a pop you could have and probably did DVR for "free"

- Rent movies for $4 to $5 a pop. How is that any better than going to Blockbuster? Or better yet Netflix? For $9 a month I get 2-3 DVDs in the mail a week plus there is a bunch of movies I can watch online.

- Play your iTunes through your home stereo ... If that's your main reason for purchasing, wouldn't an iPod be a better choice there

- Look at pictures on your TV ... There is lots of other ways to accomplish that

- Watch YouTube videos on your TV ... give me a break

I will be the first to say I don't know much about Apple TV, but on the surface it seems kind of dumb. Am I missing something?

As far as TV goes, it is a good thing if you do not have HD locals.  As for renting movies, unless you live beside a Blockbuster, $4-5 is less than you'll pay for the drive to BB and a 1 day rental.

$9 a month for Netflix?  Did you leave out a digit?

As far as TV goes, it is a good thing if you do not have HD locals. As for renting movies, unless you live beside a Blockbuster, $4-5 is less than you'll pay for the drive to BB and a 1 day rental.

$9 a month for Netflix? Did you leave out a digit?

Hmm ... I didn't know that some areas didn't have their CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. in HD yet. Thought by now if you have cable, then HD is available. HD via satellite is available for everyone though ... right?

I still don't get whole movie rental thing. IMO if you are a person that watches a lot of movies, a subscription plan is the way to go. I went back and checked my Netflix plan. It's $8.99, and $9.67 with tax. I had no clue there was tax on that. :-/ Call it $10 if you would like.

1 day rental from Blockbuster? I haven't been to one in over a year probably, but ours around here were either 3 or 5 day. Which was really 6 and 10 before you got hit with any penalties. I personally am not a fan of Blockbuster though. Their subscription plan similar to Netflix used to be great. Then they hiked the prices up and limited the rentals. With all these other alternatives the Blockbusters around here are dropping like flies.

Oh yeah, and then there are the $1 a night Redboxes. I was using that quite a bit before I started my Netflix back up.

So I guess for me personally I think the idea is kind of cool and could definitely see it going to something like this in the future, but IMO this is not IT.

So pretty much this is like buying a Mac with no real internet, word, excel, etc.? It's like buying a Mac only installed with iTunes? I feel like I can do all of this on my PC with iTunes installed. I can watch and listen to my computer through my TV just with a simple cord.

Hmm ... I didn't know that some areas didn't have their CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. in HD yet. Thought by now if you have cable, then HD is available. HD via satellite is available for everyone though ... right?

Nope.  There are many markets in which HD locals are not available via sat.  Unless things have changed, Comcast in this area only offers around 10 HD channels.  And then it isn't much more than an upconverted signal.

Hmm ... I didn't know that some areas didn't have their CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. in HD yet. Thought by now if you have cable, then HD is available. HD via satellite is available for everyone though ... right?

Nope. There are many markets in which HD locals are not available via sat. Unless things have changed, Comcast in this area only offers around 10 HD channels. And then it isn't much more than an upconverted signal.

KU,

Remember to keep in mind that Burley DOES live in Virginia!  

JK Burley!

Hmm ... I didn't know that some areas didn't have their CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. in HD yet. Thought by now if you have cable, then HD is available. HD via satellite is available for everyone though ... right?

Nope. There are many markets in which HD locals are not available via sat. Unless things have changed, Comcast in this area only offers around 10 HD channels. And then it isn't much more than an upconverted signal.

KU,

Remember to keep in mind that Burley DOES live in Virginia!

JK Burley!

Yep.

One of these days they'll finally get all them wires strung and he can finally get rid of his phone.