Comments on: Hacking an AppleTV: I reached my limit http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:32:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: geoffrey http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/#comment-29176 geoffrey Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:24:19 +0000 http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/#comment-29176 Hi, uh, Frank, Yeah, the AppleTV is at best a modest success - certainly not a home run - and an analogue tells the story: imagine an iPod without mp3 support. The video codecs iTunes supports are not the ones in widest use. In the future I think there's a case for consumers buying season passes to shows and renting movies over the wire a la carte instead of paying a monthly fee for a cable firehose of content, and that would be where the ATV comes in. But the market for weirdos with TBs of video in various formats on servers who want to stream that content to a box hooked up to a big TV (like me)...very small. I don't particularly begrudge Apple their attempt; I just feel dumb for thinking this was a smart platform to try to hack. That said, good luck with Linux! Hi, uh, Frank,

Yeah, the AppleTV is at best a modest success - certainly not a home run - and an analogue tells the story: imagine an iPod without mp3 support. The video codecs iTunes supports are not the ones in widest use.

In the future I think there’s a case for consumers buying season passes to shows and renting movies over the wire a la carte instead of paying a monthly fee for a cable firehose of content, and that would be where the ATV comes in. But the market for weirdos with TBs of video in various formats on servers who want to stream that content to a box hooked up to a big TV (like me)…very small. I don’t particularly begrudge Apple their attempt; I just feel dumb for thinking this was a smart platform to try to hack. That said, good luck with Linux!

]]> By: frank zappa http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/#comment-29175 frank zappa Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:46:25 +0000 http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/#comment-29175 I use my appletv primarily as a paperweight awaiting a stable linux build after going through these sorts of headaches time in and time out. I should also have done my homework and read the device was intended really only to be a portal to apple purchased itunes certified purchased through itunes as long as its itunes content. Considering the pricepoint of the unit I think smb support, easy plugin codec support, and the freedom to escape apple's limited view of .mov, I mean media content would make it a very attractive and flexible front end. There is a subtle but key difference between supporting and suggesting a particular media configuration, and requiring it. The former makes a good device potentially better, the latter makes a good device potentially better for a subset of the market and a frustratingly unsuitable device to the rest. It feels like Apple is taking a 'if you don't like our way, don't buy our products' stand which really offends me as a long time apple user who has suffered necessary compatibility struggles and is now forcefed unnecessary ones :(. Looks like linux can turn this brick into a mythbox tho :) I use my appletv primarily as a paperweight awaiting a stable linux build after going through these sorts of headaches time in and time out. I should also have done my homework and read the device was intended really only to be a portal to apple purchased itunes certified purchased through itunes as long as its itunes content.

Considering the pricepoint of the unit I think smb support, easy plugin codec support, and the freedom to escape apple’s limited view of .mov, I mean media content would make it a very attractive and flexible front end.

There is a subtle but key difference between supporting and suggesting a particular media configuration, and requiring it. The former makes a good device potentially better, the latter makes a good device potentially better for a subset of the market and a frustratingly unsuitable device to the rest. It feels like Apple is taking a ‘if you don’t like our way, don’t buy our products’ stand which really offends me as a long time apple user who has suffered necessary compatibility struggles and is now forcefed unnecessary ones :(.

Looks like linux can turn this brick into a mythbox tho :)

]]> By: sb http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/#comment-27354 sb Wed, 21 May 2008 04:15:36 +0000 http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/#comment-27354 I hear ya. I would be embarrassed to admit to anyone how many hours I spent this past weekend trying to get SSH installed. I couldn't get the Patchstick to work at all, then I removed the drive and couldn't get it to work and then I went back to the first tutorial for Patchstick. There was one detail missing that would have saved me hours and hours of my time, but I had figured it out. Three attempts and I had a ready Patchstick. I'm keeping that USB key and never deleting what's on it now that it works. It's sad Apple was bullied by the Film and TV networks into putting such measures into their products, but couldn't they have left a hole here and there. I couldn't believe that even Apple Remote Desktop 2 or 3 wouldn't connect to it. Kept giving a 'not supported' error when trying to connect to the AppleTV through ARD. Crazy. I want to have the AppleTV connect to a drive I have connected to my iMac that holds all my video. My XBox360 can already stream that stuff through a cool app called 'Connect360', but I wanted to use the AppleTV for that kind of thing 'cause I like the interface/YouTube/screensaver photo show. I do Mac Support for a living and I'm having as much trouble and as frustrated so don't feel like a failure. And thanks for letting me vent. :) I hear ya. I would be embarrassed to admit to anyone how many hours I spent this past weekend trying to get SSH installed. I couldn’t get the Patchstick to work at all, then I removed the drive and couldn’t get it to work and then I went back to the first tutorial for Patchstick. There was one detail missing that would have saved me hours and hours of my time, but I had figured it out. Three attempts and I had a ready Patchstick. I’m keeping that USB key and never deleting what’s on it now that it works.

It’s sad Apple was bullied by the Film and TV networks into putting such measures into their products, but couldn’t they have left a hole here and there. I couldn’t believe that even Apple Remote Desktop 2 or 3 wouldn’t connect to it. Kept giving a ‘not supported’ error when trying to connect to the AppleTV through ARD. Crazy.

I want to have the AppleTV connect to a drive I have connected to my iMac that holds all my video. My XBox360 can already stream that stuff through a cool app called ‘Connect360′, but I wanted to use the AppleTV for that kind of thing ’cause I like the interface/YouTube/screensaver photo show.

I do Mac Support for a living and I’m having as much trouble and as frustrated so don’t feel like a failure. And thanks for letting me vent. :)

]]> By: geoffrey http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/#comment-24643 geoffrey Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:47:07 +0000 http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/#comment-24643 I don't know, I just haven't hit a wall like that in a long time. I wanted to remember the moment. I don’t know, I just haven’t hit a wall like that in a long time. I wanted to remember the moment.

]]> By: Andy http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/#comment-24638 Andy Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:06:24 +0000 http://www.litwack.org/2008/04/01/hacking-an-appletv-i-reached-my-limit/#comment-24638 C'mon, how about some cognitive restructuring here? "Total, personal failure"? "Small task"? C’mon, how about some cognitive restructuring here? “Total, personal failure”? “Small task”?

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