Apple TV, has your day come?

GuyClapperton 0 449 Views

I have to admit it - I'm one of the people who uses an Apple TV occasionally. It's a very nice box and sits under my television. Apple has done uncharacteristically little with it.

There is speculation, following Wal-Mart's entry into the television streaming world, that Apple might be prompted to get off its corporate backside and make this box work. It's only speculation so far, but if it happens here is my wish for the next version of the product.

1. A less jerky picture. In common with all streaming and hard disk based TV technology the picture motion is slightly downgraded. I can see it if nobody else can...

2. A TV tuner. It makes no sense at all to have a box under the TV that won't double up as my digital box or preferably my Sky+ box as I'm in the UK (this is like a TiVo but you get to pay Rupert Murdoch a subscription). Could involve input for a satellite and yes, I know this will make it a larger box but then I could get rid of the satellite box.

3. Hard disk that relates to this TV tuner (see the TiVo and Sky+ references above).

4. DVD writer for archiving video as copyright permits. Also allows me to play my DVDs and guess what, I can get rid of another unsightly box.

5. Get synchronisation right - I'd rather not see my Apple TV appear on my list of things synchronising with my computer's music collection one day and watch it vanish the next, thanks.

Get all of this right, include the download store, YouTube and other functions you have on it at the moment and you might have the hit on your hands that this box so richly deserves to be.

Dani AI

Generated

raised the right practical complaints about the one‑box vision — a streaming appliance that doesn’t behave like a proper living‑room hub. If the motion looks “off” the quickest wins are local: enable Apple TV’s frame‑rate and dynamic‑range matching (Settings > Video & Audio > Match Content) and test your TV’s supported formats; also use a quality HDMI cable and a wired network for high‑bitrate streams. These steps often remove judder that people blame on the player rather than a refresh‑rate mismatch or bandwidth hiccup. (support.apple.com)

If the objective is a true DVR/tuner replacement (Sky+/TiVo style), the pragmatic path is network tuners plus a DVR server rather than waiting for a single new appliance. A network tuner (for example HDHomeRun) captures antenna/cable signals on the LAN and hands them to DVR software (Plex, Channels, etc.) that records to attached storage; the Apple TV then becomes a client to watch live or recorded shows. This keeps the Apple TV small and lets a NAS, small PC, or low‑power server do the heavy lifting (transcoding, storage, guide data). (silicondust.com)

For disc archiving: adding an optical drive to Apple TV is unrealistic — use a Mac/PC with a burner/ripper workflow (HandBrake or MakeMKV for ripping, then store on NAS) and stream the files to the TV (Home Sharing, Plex, Infuse, etc.). Be careful about DRM: circumvention of copy‑protection can be illegal in many places, so check local law and the U.S. Copyright Office guidance before using tools that bypass protections. (handbrake.fr)

Summary workflow readers can use today: antenna/cable → HDHomeRun (or provider box where required) → DVR server (Channels/Plex) on always‑on NAS or mini‑PC → Apple TV app for playback. That gives tuner+DVR+archive without waiting for Apple to redesign the hardware.

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