I don't understand why I don't know of any box I can connect to my TV, which will pick up video files of any format from my Mac via wifi and play them on my TV. (I could assign folders on the Mac it could copy them from.)
My Apple TV can to some extend, but it has to go via the iTunes app, and there are so many formats it just won't play.
It should be so simple, just a cheap little PC box designed to do this, all the technology is there...
?
(I should note: I want something userfriendly, I don't want to mess around with Linux and specialized hardware and such.)
Update: a friend tells me somebody hacked her Apple TV so it now will play any video file. I'd no idea that could be done. Why the heck would they cripple it like that.
My partner hacked my Apple TV so I can see all the files on my computer and so it now plays any format.
ReplyDeleteNot quite sure how easy that is or if I could tell you what to do. Will investigate and get back to you :)
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I'd no idea that could be done.
ReplyDeleteIt's a Mac! You could run Pong on it. You need to contract Nicola to hack your unit. (There may have been a pun in that last sentence, I'm not sure.)
I have an Xbox connected to my TV that can pull video files from my mac off the network. It's equally as crippled in terms of video formats. Seems like Microsoft and apple don't play nice.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.hurl.ws/2slv
ReplyDeleteThe major hurdle is that to do any of this so that it encompasses every resource you are likely to want to run requires a level of tech savvy above that possessed by most users.
Agree 100% - and I'd even settle for a hard drive that had an HDMI output. Or even a box with a USB slot on one end and HDMI out on the other.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know about TVs that have USB slots. Mine doesn't.
There are plenty of boxes with USB on one end, possibly a slot for HDD, and HDMI (S-Video, component, SPDIF, you-name-it) on the other. Western Digital' one is just $99 here, you can also check PopCornHour.com - they play almost everything, and do not require anything above average audio-geek abilities.
ReplyDeleteAs for why Apple are crippling AppleTV - so that you are struck with s'''ty iTunes...
I just recently bought a Mac Mini to use as media center among other things.
ReplyDeleteI installed Perian (http://www.perian.org/), and can now play any format. It comes with Front Row, and works perfect with the Apple remote.
You don't have to register all your movies in iTunes. I have all my movies on an external hard drive, and to access them from Front Row, I have created an alias to it from the Movies folder under my profile.
Using a Mac Mini allows me to use the TV as a monitor for sorting pictures, surfing and a lot of other things - a lot more freedom than the Apple TV.
Only disadvantage is that it only has a DVI out and no HDMI. Depending on your television, this might and might not be a problem.
ttl said...
ReplyDelete"...You need to contract Nicola to hack your unit. (There may have been a pun in that last sentence, I'm not sure.)"
GOOD ONE, ttl! FUNNY! lol! :-)