Excellent deal for m0f0 to use as paper weight for the tent

good stuff.

I've got 5 of these hooked up together in a Raid-6 configuration. There isn't anything it can't do.

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I needed something like this, but ended up getting Netgear EVA8000 instead. I don't need Apple telling me I need to use their containers and their codecs...
To be fair though, the limited number of format AppleTV supports is a minus, but support for 802.11n is a big plus in my book. I'm using wired (CAT6) network behind my TV anyways, so when any of these 'general living room entertainment' machines supports gigabit, I'd consider selling my EVA8000. Obviously since Apple TV doesn't even do 1080p, gigabit - or 802.11n for that matter - would be pretty much wasted bandwidth..

With the latest software update, this thing will do 1080p and does have 802.11n. But, no gigabit. Converting all your video over to MP4 does blow. Especially from mkv HD video files. Anybody have a good mkv to MP4 converter they are using?

I will buy it if it play MKV right off it, please hack it soon....

i read somewhere you could get the flip for mac and perian codecs and install them on the apple tv, this allows for playback of nearly everything, avi, xvid, divx, and wmv. Maybe this isn't possible right now with the latest software, but i'd imagine it wouldn't be long before someone finds a way again. I guess this requires some hacking.

Spend $429 for a refurb Mac Mini and play just about anything. I rip all my DVDs using DVD2pod and use Front Row to watch everything by remote (Monster Central remote by Logitech). My 3 year old can use it.

My Raid-6 Apple TV plays all the video codecs, EVERY SINGLE ONE! *smirk*

This product is a complete fraud!

I've put Perian and ATVFiles on mine and I can play .MKVs no problem.

Just keep in mind the hardware isn't *that* powerful - it supports h.264 Baseline and Main profiles, up to Level 3.1; 1080p and High Profile 720p won't work.

Most 720p torrents out there are High Profile, so playing them on the Apple TV means transcoding to Main Profile.

I'd suggest the free MeGUI utility for converting files (it can produce iTunes-ready MP4s), though there are inexpensive commercial apps (including QuickTime Pro) which simplify the process.

But Main Profile 1280x720 looks great, and a 1GHz Pentium M is more than enough to decode XviD/DivX/etc (though you'll need Perian to do it), so the Apple TV is powerful enough for most uses.

If 1080p isn't that important to you, and you think you might use the Apple TV for its intended function (content on demand) I'd highly recommend it. The interface design and level of integration with iTunes - both the store and the application - is superb. You can play content from any computer on the network, buy content and later sync it back to your PC, or even use your home entertainment system as remote speakers for your notebook. It has YouTube and Podcast support included, and can be extended fairly easily.

But if you're looking for a completely independent media library device to play 1080p content and HD torrents, look elsewhere. The Popcorn Hour NMT A-100 seems perfect for the job, but good luck getting one.

If you want to play HD material, and also MKV format containers, the Network Media Tank (aka Popcorn Hour) is the way to go. There's a wait list if you sign up. Mine will be shipping shortly after I ordered it a month ago (wasn't charged til now). Reviews on it are quite good, it'll play just about anything you throw at it.

Read this month's Maximum PC Review and the sidebar - theirs reached 140 degrees F - hot enough to cause permanent sterility if you put it between your legs.

#12, are you sure you're in the right forum? This forum is normally laden with rodeo cowboy who think they're funny (and aren't), and yet here you come posting something substantive. Hell has frozen over. Thanks for the info.

apple haters unite!

anyone have any luck hacking the usb drive on these things yet?

You can hate on it all you want, but for a home movie aficionado, this is a great product. I can take video, edit it on my computer, and have it sync (or stream) to my TV to watch it whenever I want (at higher resolution than a DVD, no less). That's good stuff.

#18, I don't think many people hate AppleTV for the sake of hating it. Well, at least not as much as iPods.. I just turned away from this product even though it looked prettier than any other media boxes out there - which I can appreciate - because of its limitations in spec. What's so frustrating is that I didn't even want that many 'advanced features' from my media box, and AppleTV still couldn't deliver - expecting not to en/transcode every single content I have in the format that Apple approves of, was just simply out of question for me, as I'd expect is for most of 'home movie aficionado' that you mentioned. According to John_Foxen, there are apparently some 3rd party applications that allow for some flexibility, but that obviously takes away from the direct and intuitive experience that Apple so emphasizes.
As John_Foxen said, I'm sure this box does enough to satisfy a good percentage of home theater users out there, but that's obviously not enough for some of us.

M0F0, DO YOU WANT TO KISS MY ASS FOR FREE?