There are a LOT of online reviews, so this will be based on what I've found that's not been covered well.

1) This baby is TINY. so small it can be trivially put on the back on most flat screens. There's no reason Apple needs to make special TVs; this is just the size of a couple coasters!

2) Netflix software implementation is sweet. MUCH better than understudy installed in Front Row on a media center, for example. Or trying to use a web browser for Netflix on a TV.

3) The Remote app for ipod touches and iPhones is VERY nice and intuitive. Apple should find a way to not bother including a remote.

4) The home sharing app has a bug - it does not see playlists. There may be a way to program this, I do not know. But it's almost unusable to find files within my home video library.

5) Can't wait until air sharing is activated! Should add a new dimension to this tool.

Quote
sekker

4) The home sharing app has a bug - it does not see playlists. There may be a way to program this, I do not know. But it's almost unusable to find files within my home video library.

Is there no preference choice for music or all playlists like there is in the 1st gen ATV?

---

Quote
olnacl

Quote
sekker

4) The home sharing app has a bug - it does not see playlists. There may be a way to program this, I do not know. But it's almost unusable to find files within my home video library.

Is there no preference choice for music or all playlists like there is in the 1st gen ATV?

Great tip. I turned on all playlists, and now there movie lists show. This is a video machine, for Pete's sake! Why would Apple put the default to only show music playlists?!

Got me. I was fooled at first when I got my 1st gen. Glad to hear it solved your problem.

I wonder if they ever fixed the sorting issue…

---

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2010 09:03PM by olnacl.

Are these available at retail?
I want one!
(shoulda pre-ordered, I know)

Edit: Fry's claims to have 'em.
Maybe I'll take a trip out there tomorrow.

---

I am not Ryan Seacrest, and I do not approve this message.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2010 09:10PM by Seacrest.

I wish Apple could have added volume control; maybe in version 2.1

Great tip about Frys... I just called Fountain Valley... running down to get one. They had two, they put my name on one...

Quote
sekker
I wish Apple could have added volume control; maybe in version 2.1

Not sure if serious...

---

I am not Ryan Seacrest, and I do not approve this message.

Yes! Thank you Seacrest, I just called and got the other one Fountain Valley had!











Just kidding. I live in Philly.

---

[www.zeemaps.com]

Quote
Seacrest

Quote
sekker
I wish Apple could have added volume control; maybe in version 2.1

Not sure if serious...

Serious! Unless I'm missing something...no volume control like 1st generation.

However, the biggest disappointment for me is you can no longer use album art as a screensaver!

In our house ATV is first and foremost a means to listen to an extensive music collection. Part of the fun when entertaining was to watch thousands of album covers float by and reminisce! Always a great discussion starter. I sure hope they bring it back or I might be begging one of you to swap my 2nd generation for your 1st generation.

-Bo

The first generation appletv did have volume control but it could be turned on and off.

I can't believe that you are not able to use your pictures as a screen saver while listening to music. I agree that it is was a HUGE hit at family functions using my appletv 1st gen.

Quote
Bo

Quote
Seacrest

Quote
sekker
I wish Apple could have added volume control; maybe in version 2.1

Not sure if serious...

Serious! Unless I'm missing something...no volume control like 1st generation.

However, the biggest disappointment for me is you can no longer use album art as a screensaver!

In our house ATV is first and foremost a means to listen to an extensive music collection. Part of the fun when entertaining was to watch thousands of album covers float by and reminisce! Always a great discussion starter. I sure hope they bring it back or I might be begging one of you to swap my 2nd generation for your 1st generation.

-Bo

Got my New AppleTV, hooked it up. Wow, pretty cool.

Controlling it from iPod is nifty.

Have not had Apple TV before. So, I won't be missing anything if something is different than earlier versions.

Quote
sekker
3) The Remote app for ipod touches and iPhones is VERY nice and intuitive. Apple should find a way to not bother including a remote.

So you mean Apple should tell people to go ahead and spring for a Touch or an iPhone when they buy their AppleTV?

---

__________________________________
There’s a guy wearing overalls with no shirt.
Which I think we all know is the International uniform for the last guy you’ll ever see.

Quote
lazydays

I can't believe that you are not able to use your pictures as a screen saver while listening to music. I agree that it is was a HUGE hit at family functions using my appletv 1st gen.

Just to clarify...you can still use pictures from iPhoto library as a screensaver, you just can't use album cover art from iTunes as a screensaver. The cover art shows as you are playing a particular album just not once it goes to screensaver mode.

-Bo

Can you specify a photo album for the screen saver? Currently my first gen appletv uses a photo album that only contains pictures from the last year. So without my intervention it drops out pictures and adds pictures as time moves on.

Quote
lazydays
Can you specify a photo album for the screen saver? Currently my first gen appletv uses a photo album that only contains pictures from the last year. So without my intervention it drops out pictures and adds pictures as time moves on.

After choosing an iPhoto library you can specify by all photos, events, photo albums or faces. Each of these options mirrors whatever you have created on your computer in that you can choose any of your events or albums.

One strange thing I'm seeing right now is that I've specified an event with 369 photos as a screensaver but the ATV seems to be fully ignoring half of the images while showing others multiple times.

Quote
bazookaman

Quote
sekker
3) The Remote app for ipod touches and iPhones is VERY nice and intuitive. Apple should find a way to not bother including a remote.

So you mean Apple should tell people to go ahead and spring for a Touch or an iPhone when they buy their AppleTV?

Sure! (Not). But seriously, if your household has a mix of iPhones and iPod touches around, this is one aspect of those devices that is far superior to the silly built-in IR remote.

Quote
Bo

Quote
Seacrest

Quote
sekker
I wish Apple could have added volume control; maybe in version 2.1

Not sure if serious...

Serious! Unless I'm missing something...no volume control like 1st generation.

-Bo

I have not found any volume control option so far. I'll explore more. If you use a Harmony remote and plug the ATV into a speaker system, that remote should do both the ATV AND volume at the same time. Getting that all setup will be a project for another weekend.

I use my Harmony 880 with my 1st gen ATV and it offers chapter skip as well as FF, Rev, volume (thru my amplifier) changes the TV input, etc., etc., etc. I installed the Remote app on my iPod Touch today and can't see anything to write home about. Back it goes into the dock to gather more dust.

---

this is one aspect of those devices that is far superior to the silly built-in IR remote.


That's not particularly surprising, now, is it?

How much is a 'Phone or Touch compared to the IR remote? One needs *something* in the box, and Apple certainly won't be tossing in any iDevice.

---

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

Everybody matters or nobody matters.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

-An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

Mister, that's a ten-gallon hat on a twenty-gallon head.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Isn't there a folder with all the iTunes artwork? I thought that was how it use to work. Maybe, I just kept a separate folder when downloading artwork in past.

If that folder exists, you could drop that into a place and choose it for screensaver?