Apple TV owners' thread. - Page 55

Today I've been playing around with the Splashtop app on my iPad and Splashtop Streamer on my iMac. This software allows me to access my iMac desktop from my iPad, so that I can control my Chrome browser. In particular, I can now change the radio station I'm streaming to my bedroom speakers while lying in bed with my iPad. If I don't like what's playing on the "radio," I can pause the stream or close the browser, thus releasing the lock on the Master Bedroom AirPlay device. Then I can use the Remote app to play music from the iTunes library on my iMac through the bedroom speakers. It's quite amazing, how much variety and control we now have with Apple TV and Airport Express.

Have you looked into the Global Cache devices to control IR devices from your iPad? They are used to convert network (IP) signals into IR. There are a few apps (iRule and Roomie come to mind) that will allow you to change those settings.

EDIT: I just noticed, you're about 40 minutes up the turnpike from me. Hey neighbor!

Quick question regarding movie rental PQ. How is the quality? When I watch the previews I am not impressed with what I am seeing compared to Vudu. Are the previews in a lesser quality? I really don't want to spend $6.00 to find out that the PQ is the same as the previews.

HD PQ for the actual rental is visibly better than the previews. It is comparable or slightly better than an HD cable channel IMO. Vudu HDX is a higher bitrate and probably a bit better but you'd need a really good TV at an optimal viewing distance for its size to notice it, and even then only if you have really good eyesite.

Having said all that, my problem with AppleTV is that it doesn't support proper HD movie framerates/refresh rates and causes judder on some content. Same for most Vudu players though too.

Thanks JMG! Exactly the reply I was looking for. I have a new Sammy ES7500 and definitely do notice the difference between the HDX and HD on Vudu, but I was a bit hesitant to try ATV just due to the previews. Will give it a shot now.

True but one thing I've noticed since getting my ATV 3 couple of weeks ago is that it has better bufferring capabilities for Apple pay-per-view movies than with the VUDU implementation on my LG BD5XX series bluray player.

The other thing to remember, is that quality can vary based on the movie. Some just are better quality than others and this goes for pretty much all the streaming services.

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked up the Global Cache devices. One vendor had the 3-port IP-to-IR converter for about $89. I'll keep this in mind. Right now I think we can get along without remote control of our devices. Two rooms contain the electronics that serve them, and the other two rooms are served entirely from their Airport Express units. I was wrong about needing an IR signal to turn off the amps. An electrical signal from a pre-amp (or other source) is required instead.

It's another beautiful day in New Jersey, isn't it?

Yes, I have 1.5 Mb. Last weekend I waited 7 hours for an HD movie rental. That simply don't work for me. The Saturday night movie was watched Sunday night....

They need to improve it, is so frustrating press play and read a message: 7 hours to play...

Does anybody know if streaming photos are stored in ATV? If so, how many memory the ATV has?

I have a lot of photos but never said nothing about space...

And with those horizontal black bands. My tv is 1080p. Why those bands?

ATV can view Photos that is linked inside iTunes. Remember, iTunes does not share photos well but it can be done and ATV will see these. ATV memory will fill up, especially, if you use photos inside screen saver slideshows. The easy way to clear all of this memory is to unplug it and plug the power back in to do a cold boot. Try not to use screen saver slideshows with all your photos, just too messy with memory usage. Normal slideshows are ok.

Ok and do you know about photo streaming service? Where are stored? Seems to be stored in ATV because I can watch them without iTunes

Thanks

Yes, it does what it's supposed to. But I mean is very impractical to use that way, unless in my case...

So, this cache is nonvolatile since the photos always are here. Even if I reboot the ATV. Right?

I'm referring the photos in streaming service, those that you take with an iOS device and then are sent to the cloud. So this photos seems to be stored in ATV.

It's clearly geared towards people with faster Internet connections.

Apple always places a premium on quality, however, even at the expense of convenience, so don't count on them offering a "low quality" mode for low speed connections any time soon.

Yes. I know... But what kind of link do you need for start to watch in an acceptable time?
If I wait 7 hours, someone with a better speed will have to wait 1:30 hour?

And why those black bands? Not full screen. I have everything set to 1080p.

Oh, so is normal to watch with those bars?
Tks

Yes, with a 16x9 monitor you'll get those bars. Movies are shot in diff. "formats" (think frames around the picture) and are called "scope". Both Phillips and Vizio have new 21x9 monitors which promise to display scope movies in their proper format, aka without black bars. I haven't seen one personally yet but it sounds great.

back to the thread...

The only problem with this format is that if you were to watch a 16:9 movie, it will be so small and would probably have black bars on the sides!

A properly formatted 16:9 movie will not have black bars on the side.

How could that be?

It depends on the width of the movie and how they formatted it for disc. Ben Hur, How the West Was Won, etc. will always have bars on a 16:9 tv(I prefer it that way).

I just realized that the new 1080p ATV's optical audio output appears to work even if the HDMI isn't connected to a display. Is anyone else running the new unit completely headless that can confirm?

It just dawned on me while I was working on construction in my theatre that I had been listening to the thing even though the projector isn't hooked up yet. The HDMI cable is connected to the ATV but it's not connected to anything on the other end (no hot sync).