AppleTV Alternatives? - GoFuckYourself.com

cranki · 01-12-2008, 07:16 AM

I'm currently checking out alternatives to AppleTV, does anyone own a "tv-compatible harddrive" such as this one:

http://www.amazon.com/TrekStor-Movie...471 22&sr=8-1

Brujah · 01-12-2008, 07:29 AM

The Phillips DVD 5960/5982 or something like that comes with a USB connection. It's about $40 or $50 and you can use a USB hard drive with it to play movies. Total cost for a 500GB drive + DVD player would be about $200.

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-DVP596...481 33&sr=1-1

cranki · 01-12-2008, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brujah

The Phillips DVD 5960/5982 or something like that comes with a USB connection. It's about $40 or $50 and you can use a USB hard drive with it to play movies. Total cost for a 500GB drive + DVD player would be about $200.

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-DVP596...481 33&sr=1-1

that's a pretty good solution... all these standalone hard drives are missing hdmi and this allows me to use my current external HDs

thx!

Brad Gosse · 01-12-2008, 08:52 AM

I have the real thing and I love it

camgirlshide · 01-12-2008, 09:05 AM

just install MythtV on a linux machine

Brujah · 01-12-2008, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad Gosse

I have the real thing and I love it

Don't you have to convert almost all your movies to a specific format to use the AppleTV with it's smaller hard drive too?

I wish they'd open it up and allow divx, etc..

cranki · 01-12-2008, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brujah

Don't you have to convert almost all your movies to a specific format to use the AppleTV with it's smaller hard drive too?

I wish they'd open it up and allow divx, etc..

yeah, what bugs me is that it only comes with a 160 GB HD... I'd love to have the fancy itunes menu for browsing though

Concerning divx and xvid playback - I guess there are some hacks around...

gleem · 01-12-2008, 10:43 AM

I am in the same boat, I want Apple TV but I want to use it to play divx/xvid files, I've read you can basically just create containers for em to play in Itunes, but I've never tried. Gonna do some tests soon.

cranki · 01-13-2008, 10:19 AM

anyone got their appletv hacked?

u-Bob · 01-13-2008, 10:27 AM

lacie lacinema

DateDoc · 01-13-2008, 10:44 AM

Wait a few days - one of the rumors is that Apple will have a complete media solution to be announced on Tuesday. Sort of like apple TV on steroids.

drjones · 01-13-2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cranki

anyone got their appletv hacked?

Yea, its really easy to do now... just download the hack on onto a usb thumbdrive, plug it in to the apple tv and reboot.

Then you can install all the third party plugins etc to play any kind of media you want.

The apple tv, even with all the hacks, isnt all that spectacular, but its ok, and the price is decent. And if you arent familiar with the unix command line at all, I wouldnt recommend buying an apple tv to hack it... you'll still have to fall back to that sort of thing every once in a while. You can install vanilla OSX on it though, and linux.

You can also put mythtv frontend on it.

candyflip · 01-13-2008, 02:42 PM

I had a MythTV box but bought a few AppleTVs for giveaways and ended up cracking one open to play with here at home. It's simple to use and absolutely NO HASSLES. It was simply Plug and Play.

cranki · 01-14-2008, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by candyflip

I had a MythTV box but bought a few AppleTVs for giveaways and ended up cracking one open to play with here at home. It's simple to use and absolutely NO HASSLES. It was simply Plug and Play.

mythtv looks good, what kinda system did you install it on?

candyflip · 01-14-2008, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cranki

mythtv looks good, what kinda system did you install it on?

Not sure of the specs, but it was my old (18 months or so) HP desktop.

poornpig · 01-14-2008, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cranki

mythtv looks good, what kinda system did you install it on?

You can run MythTV on Linux or on osX (current svn seems to work) e.g. on a mac mini currently there is some work on running the Frontend on a windows OS.
I run it on a Hiper Group hmc-2k53a with a Gentoo Linux on it. The VFD works, but could be bigger.

Brad Gosse · 01-14-2008, 12:22 PM

No need to use the internal HD, I simply stream from itunes without copying anything and it works well.

RandomNinja · 01-14-2008, 02:08 PM

Xbox Media Center installed on an old Xbox. Works amazingly well and won't cost much at all, especially if you already have an old Xbox laying around.

01-12-2008, 07:16 AM	#1
cranki Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Café del Mar Posts: 5,162	AppleTV Alternatives? I'm currently checking out alternatives to AppleTV, does anyone own a "tv-compatible harddrive" such as this one: http://www.amazon.com/TrekStor-Movie...471 22&sr=8-1

01-12-2008, 07:29 AM	#2
Brujah Beer Money Baron Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: brujah / gmail Posts: 22,157	The Phillips DVD 5960/5982 or something like that comes with a USB connection. It's about $40 or $50 and you can use a USB hard drive with it to play movies. Total cost for a 500GB drive + DVD player would be about $200. http://www.amazon.com/Philips-DVP596...481 33&sr=1-1 __________________ Free Premium Domain Lists and Tools at Clickmojo.com For Sale: Obscenity.com

01-12-2008, 08:52 AM	#4
Brad Gosse Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Carpal Tunnel Posts: 2,616	I have the real thing and I love it __________________ Free Clipart

01-12-2008, 09:05 AM	#5
camgirlshide Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,558	just install MythtV on a linux machine __________________ Useful adult webmaster links - Alphabetical list of solo models with webcam Stats on my best converting affiliate programs - camgirlshide webmaster blog complete list of affiliate programs I use.

01-12-2008, 10:43 AM	#8
gleem Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Sunny Land Posts: 5,593	I am in the same boat, I want Apple TV but I want to use it to play divx/xvid files, I've read you can basically just create containers for em to play in Itunes, but I've never tried. Gonna do some tests soon. __________________ Contact me: \\// E: webmaster /at/ unprofessional.com

01-13-2008, 10:19 AM	#9
cranki Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Café del Mar Posts: 5,162	anyone got their appletv hacked?

01-13-2008, 10:27 AM	#10
u-Bob there's no $$$ in porn Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: icq: 195./568.-230 (btw: not getting offline msgs) Posts: 33,063	lacie lacinema

01-13-2008, 10:44 AM	#11
DateDoc Outside looking in. Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: To Hell You Ride Posts: 14,243	Wait a few days - one of the rumors is that Apple will have a complete media solution to be announced on Tuesday. Sort of like apple TV on steroids. __________________

01-13-2008, 02:42 PM	#13
candyflip Carpe Visio Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: New York Posts: 43,064	I had a MythTV box but bought a few AppleTVs for giveaways and ended up cracking one open to play with here at home. It's simple to use and absolutely NO HASSLES. It was simply Plug and Play. __________________ Spend you some brain. Email Me

01-14-2008, 12:22 PM	#17
Brad Gosse Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Carpal Tunnel Posts: 2,616	No need to use the internal HD, I simply stream from itunes without copying anything and it works well. __________________ Free Clipart

01-14-2008, 02:08 PM	#18
RandomNinja Confirmed User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 802	Xbox Media Center installed on an old Xbox. Works amazingly well and won't cost much at all, especially if you already have an old Xbox laying around. __________________