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I've got two systems setup (home and work):

Home:
A Mac Pro (could just as well use a Windows PC, but this is my home server) running iTunes. AirPort Express with AirTunes units in my bedroom, office and kitchen, with powered speakers attached to each. AppleTV (ehem - "enhanced", of course - http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/) in my lounge, hooked up to the TV and hi-fi. I use an iPhone or iPod Touch with the Remote app to control it, and it works great. You could get more functionality with a Sonos setup, but I already had the server and AppleTV, so it only cost me about $70 with eBay AirTunes units.

Office:
A VM running on our office server with Squeezebox Server, serving the tunes. A mixture of Squeezebox devices and PCs running the software player throughout the office. A whole load of apps and web interfaces to control the server, and the multiple streams coming out of it. With the exception of the Squeezebox hardware, it was free to setup, and you don't even really need those if you're happy to use spare PCs.

By and large, both arrangements work well - the aim was to have systems that we could just setup and forget about, and save the odd server reboot, that's what we've got.

1. The hack doesn't improve HD content support.
2. It's a bit of both.

There's the issue of container formats - the Perian plugin doesn't decode Matroska efficiently enough to play 720p. The built-in Quicktime player obviously doesn't support Matroska at all.

The ATV *can* do 720p (in an mp4 container), but not if it's high-profile h.264. That's a hardware limitation.

Of course, since the majority of 720p content on the net seems to be high-profile in Matroska, the ATV falls short.

But if you're willing to transcode (to a lower-profile and switch containers), you can get smooth 720p.

Some one wrote a plugin for AppleTV to do this (even though the latest version comes with similar functionality)

http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/ASeriesOfTubes

I think there are ways to make plugins that work for AppleTV to run in FrontRow

So hack it. I currently have an XBMC, but I'm eyeing an AppleTV for my next rev of hardware (and maybe by then XBMC will even be stable on linux which runs on Apple TV)

http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/Mount_a_Remote_Drive_via_NFS
http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/Mount_a_Remote_Drive_via_SMBFS

So hack it. I currently have an XBMC, but I'm eyeing an AppleTV for my next rev of hardware (and maybe by then XBMC will even be stable on linux which runs on Apple TV)

http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/Mount_a_Remote_Drive_via_NFS
http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/Mount_a_Remote_Drive_via_SMBFS

Actually, you got it right on the 2nd try.
You can enable full network access via SSH, or boot another OS, just by booting from a USB drive these days, without opening the AppleTV.

Just run Linux on it, then you can run mythfrontend.

How's free for a pricepoint?

Given we had OSX running on the AppleTV back on March 30, I'm not surprised that the article missed Linux is running with full nvidia hardware acceleration. After 5+ years, the journaled HFS support in the kernel is basically worthless though (FIXME).

As usual, AwkwardTV has the scoop--

http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/Linux_on_Apple_TV

thanks gimli!

Why bother when you can just run Linux.

http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/Parts

Processor
1.0GHz Intel Pentium M-based "Crofton" CPU, based on SSE2 Dothan model # 7645A966 0159

I've been keeping a close eye on this from the beginning and I find it amazing how quickly they are figuring things out. It almost looks like this thing was made to be hacked. This thing might even replace Xbox Media Center one day.

I've been keeping a close eye on this from the beginning and I find it amazing how quickly they are figuring things out. It almost looks like this thing was made to be hacked. This thing might even replace Xbox Media Center one day.

This "install VLC" article discusses the installation of an SSH server and Perian, NOTHING about VLC.

Indeed, I started following the SA thread yesterday, and there was nothing about installing VLC on the device there.

The people behind the SA thread have started a Wiki, which also deserves to be in the summary.

I'll be following this closely - I was thinking of picking up a Mini (if they ever slap a Core 2 Duo in the fucking thing), but the Apple TV would be sufficient if it'll play DivX/XviD.

over at awkwardtv.org we're basically doing the same thing. wiki at http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/

over at awkwardtv.org we're basically doing the same thing. wiki at http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/