Apple vs. Google TVs

This SFGate article begins, "Apple and Google just kicked off the first round of their battle for the living room. Based on what we've seen so far, Apple is in the lead. It's still early, and this could change, but it looks like Apple is making an all-around smarter bet than Google." I haven't tried out the Google device yet. The Apple unit is decent, but it's so focused on TV rental that it makes it difficult to work with an existing library of media; between the transcoding, and tedious menu navigation... well, it's a good thing it's only $99. It's a dang cheap way to get your stuff on your bigger screens, provided you're willing to jump through the necessary hoops.

Comments

Based on what I saw in the article

[Wrexs0ul]

If I don't buy a palm-sized AppleTV, Steve Jobs may crush me with it. Seriously, billion-dollar company and that's the best picture they'd allow?

Although in all honesty, why are we talking AppleTV? Mac mini's are a little more expensive, but that (+boxee) has been my awesome set-top box for over a year now.

-Matt

Re:Based on what I saw in the article

[mldi]

I have an Asus Eee nettop box (atom+ion) running XBMC that's running fantastic for me. Costed me about $250. Plus, it can actually output 1080p, not to mention being able to play literally everything I've tried to throw at it, including all my MythTV recorded content. I looked at AppleTV, but it couldn't do hardly anything I needed it to do, but I guess that's what I'd expect out of something that costs $99. For that price, I'd opt for an even cheaper streaming media player (like O!Play) that can play a lot more content but with less of a pretty interface.

Missing the point.

[Tackhead]

initially available as part of a $300 set-top box from Logitech, or as part of a high-end line of TV sets from Sony.

...initially available as something that costs more than a decent HTPC, or as part of a $2000 TV that (given that you paid $2000 for it) you'll probably keep for 5-10 years, or long after Google TV has been replaced with something else.

Desktop: I run a formerly high-end 1600x1200 CRT that I could get for free at the curbside these days. The computer to which it's attached has been replaced (motherboard) at least three times during that CRT's life. We just had our discussion of "why can't I find LCDs at 1200 vertical pixels" a few days ago.

Connectivity: Dialup, DSL, cable, 4g wireless. Even these technologies have tended eclipse each other over periods of 3-5 years - still shorter than the time period you'd expect to get out of a $2000 TV.

Content Distribution: Ten years ago, you'd want Napster built into your stereo. Five years ago, you'd want a Gnutella client built into your TV. Three years ago, people who bought subscription music offerings got PlayedForSure.

Content Playback: Ten years ago, it was .MPGs and .AVIs. Five years ago, a DiVX at sufficiently high resolution could drag a single-core CPU to the ground. You really think that Google TV's gonna be able to render 3D-mega-HD-whatever in 2015-2020? :)

The things you use to get content have far shorter lifecycles than the products you use to view content. Embedding one within the other is a WOMBAT: Waste Of Money, Brains, And Time.

Why not run Boxee on the old Apple TV?

[name_already_taken]

Or buy a device that actually fits your needs, right out of the box?

I just bought a second Apple TV (the old model, it's only $149 on clearance with a 160GB hard drive)*.

The first thing I did was patch it using the readily-available patchstick software and it now has Boxee and XBMC on it. I get way more usage out of XBMC than Boxee, but that's just me. Presumably the new Apple TV will have similar hacks available for it real soon now.

The thing is, our main use for the Apple TV boxes is to use them as designed - to play our iTunes library of music, and look at our pictures from iPhoto. Honestly I've never even tried to watch anything other than a music video via the Apple software on the box. We have a library of videos and movies on a 1TB WD MyBook World Edition on our network, and we use XBMC to watch those.

The Apple TV is a great product, if you want to use it for what it's designed for. If, on the other hand, you want an open, hackable device, look elsewhere.

I have never understood why people think it's worthwhile to complain that a product that is marketed as a closed box, is actually a closed box, especially when there are other alternatives out there. It's like if I went out and bought a really expensive electronic toothbrush and then complained to everyone that it can't be easily modified to wash my car or polish furniture.

* I wanted the older model of the Apple TV because it actually stores all of your iTunes/iPhoto content on its internal hard drive, so you don't need a computer to be on in order to watch that content.

Re:Why not run Boxee on the old Apple TV?

[Chyeld]

No, it's as if you went out and bought a really expensive electric toothbrush and found out that half the cost was the extra gadgetry they've introduced to ensure that you can only use their brand replacement heads and toothpaste.

I don't mind closed boxes being closed. I mind extra effort being put into keeping the closed box closed, after I buy it, for no good reason and plenty of bad ones.

If I decide to turn my toothbrush into an electric buffer, I'll take the heat for the appropriateness of the task. If I can't decide to turn my toothbrush into an electric buffer, simply because the manufacturer has included a sensor that detects the surface being brushed and refuses to allow the motor to run if the composition is anything other than calcium, then that's not a problem with my expectations, that's a problem with the manufacturer.