Official XBMC on Apple TV (version 2) Thread

Thats the same cable my Android Phone and Kindle 3 use, so many people probably already have one handy.

So forgive my ignorance, but does this mean that XBMC can directly access network shares (like a NAS)?

Yes

Yes, it should. For me, For me the question is will it be able to bitstream hidef audio formats like TrueHD and DTS HD-MA?

At present it sounds like:

- only outputs 720p

- only stereo audio

- buffering issues with some 720p and 1080p content


I would jump on this setup as long as the devs could say that these issues CAN be solved at some point soon...especially the buffering as for my needs 1080p output and stereo audio are not problems (I would be putting this in a bedroom)...the question is whether the buffering issue is a hardware limitation (cpu can't keep up with transcoding, etc) or not...

No USB Drive support ...

For the curious it's a USB micro B plug. Camera cables are often a USB mini B plug 5-pin. The annoying confusing thing is the USB mini B plug 8-pin which is smaller than the mini B 5-pin, but those are rare.

My mobile phone, my ATV-2g and my Blue Tooth earpiece all use the micro B plug. My camera and backup battery use mini B 5-pin.

There's a reasonably clear comparison photo on Wikipedia.

The plug is the "male" end and the socket is the "female" end.

I'm anxious to hear how smooth the menus are with fanart and thumbnails. The only videos I've seen are browsing in file mode, not library mode.

Also hearing reports that stereo audio output only.

Installed on my ATV2 last night and loving it so far. Previously, I was switching between the ATV2 and my Revo running XBMC. ATV2 was serving Netflix stuff and ATV2 was streaming everything else from my NAS and home computers.

Now, I can keep it on the ATV2 much of the time. Things will only get better from here.

A few quick observations:

XBMC on ATV2 will decode 1080, but output at 720@60p

The interface looks pretty good for a v1.0 release. There is a transparency bug where you can see the hidden menu beneath. And it's not super smooth with the fading transition effect. Not sure if it's related to the bug or not.

From the ATV2 lowtide GUI, starting XBMC only takes 5secs. So it's super fast and actually much faster than starting Netflix and waiting for it to log into the service.

I haven't ran into any buffering issues with 1080 or 720 content yet.

Strangely what is stopping me from doing this is the IR remote...I have a Boxee Box and would switch to this cheaper, more open option except it would need to go in my master bedroom closet...the Boxee remote is RF so it has worked perfectly...

To use the ATV2 I would end up spending money on an RF remote w/ IR blasters and by then I would be spending more than the Boxee costs...and I don't have an iPhone/iPod so I can't use the wifi apple remote...any such thing as an Android Apple TV remote app?

For anyone that has run XBMC on the ATV1 (Sean!) what are the differences that you are aware of at this point?
(I dont believe the ATV1 had Netflix but I could be mistaken.)

Thanks Sean you answered my questions perfectly.

Per this guide, it says it only works with v4.1. If i go to apple and pick up a ATV2 and it comes with the lastest (4.2?) what guide can we use?

people using this... would you recommend this or boxee box? I don't have anything yet and trying to decide what to buy. Appletv is cheaper and I already have a jailbroken iphone 4. Advantages of going with the boxee or this?

thanks Sean - is there a Windows version when using 4.2.1

thanks! I will!

Yes...but would it control an Apple TV as well?