The Apple TV is a great add-on device for any computer user who uses iTunes to manage audio and or video content, and they want to bring that content to their home AV system. Lack of support for DivX and XviD is not good, and the frame rates listed in the specs are less than ideal for TV content - but I'll reserve judgement until I see one in operation first hand.

FrontPage on steroids is how the Apple TV interface looks to me. I would like it if Apple updated FrontPage to have the same interface.

I will not be buying an Apple TV though. Why you ask? Simple, I am looking at solutions that replace my home AV system, not for a device which is yet another component to add to my system. Apple TV doesn't even have a DVD player built into it. You may be shocked to hear this as somebody who is a Mac and Apple fan, but my home AV system is powered by Microsoft Media Center 2005, and it's a great setup. Vista MCE a huge step forward making it even better.

As nice as Apple TV looks, it doesn't target the same features and functions as MCE. Our family uses an 'MCE Server' running in the office and we access all the content through an extender. It is our single source for Live TV, Recorded TV (MCE has fantastic DVR functions), photos, music, and more. Single Source, those are key words for me.

I only hope that Apple TV is the first entry into the home entertainment market for Apple and that they decide to take on MCE. Similarly to how Apple only operates music as a pay per song model instead of also offering a subscription service - I see Apple staying the course with their current model in regards to TV and that is to continue offering pay per downloads instead of serving the DVR market. Maybe Apple will see the light, I would certainly be extremely happy with the possibility of running an Apple based MCE'esque system powering my home AV system, as good as MCE is, it still runs on Windows which does cause me some concerns and actual problems from time to time - I have to think an Apple Mac OS X based 'MCE' system would be more stable and secure and hopefully more elegant.

Now take my dream Apple TV DVR unit, and bake it into a 37" or 42" LCD monitor and I'd be in heaven.

-MacSeven


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