New Apple TV - Jailbroken: now with a Flash browser, Last.fm, and Plex

[silentsim]

If you really want TV show rentals an option is to create a US account (you can buy iTunes USA gift cards online with Paypal) and do it through that route.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Picked one up at Market Mall yesterday (Chinook was out). Super impressed with the Netflix implementation. iTunes movies start playing almost immediately.

One thing though - ane maybe this was obvious and I completely missed it - but are TV shows not available through the AppleTV in Canada? The "TV Shows" menu item is just not there. I can watch my purchased iTunes shows through Home Sharing but I can't seem to browse the shows available for purchase/rent through the AppleTV.

ETA: Yeah, no TV show rentals in Canada means no TV Shows on AppleTV. For some reason I figured you could purchase shows through the AppleTV but of course it doesn't store them so that doesn't happen. Boo.

Both Burninator and Silentsim offer options ... you can purchase it from your computer (not as slick) or get an American account (can be a hassle getting funds off ebay).

It could be worth just getting a $50 gift card off ebay and using that, but again what kind of hurts is that the major networks aren't all there for rentals. I suppose if you were really into FOX shows, otherwise the best option is still to buy them.

I'm curious to see how the 4.2 media streaming will work for apps outside of Apple's core. My guess is that it won't be available (which would suck as something like gamecenter or the citytv app would be awesome). Much like the features of the airport express or the VGA-out cable, I expect it to only work with the native apps. To be fair, the VGA cable was usable in other apps, but the devs had to code it in ... hopefully that's the same as media streaming.

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by Russic

Both Burninator and Silentsim offer options ... you can purchase it from your computer (not as slick) or get an American account (can be a hassle getting funds off ebay).

It could be worth just getting a $50 gift card off ebay and using that, but again what kind of hurts is that the major networks aren't all there for rentals. I suppose if you were really into FOX shows, otherwise the best option is still to buy them.

Yeah, the US store is significantly better then the Canadian one IMO. This includes some apps for iOS devices too

[Devils'Advocate]

I use the U.S. iTunes store all the time.

Star Trek - DS9 isn't even available on the Canadian store, but was on sale in the U.S. store for $13 per season!! (Sale is unfortunately over) Most shows are cheaper even after taking into consideration the exchange rate and the extra $5 I throw to person across the border feeding me my gift cards.

[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by silentsim

Yeah, the US store is significantly better then the Canadian one IMO. This includes some apps for iOS devices too

*cough* Pandora *cough*

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by Russic

Both Burninator and Silentsim offer options ... you can purchase it from your computer (not as slick) or get an American account (can be a hassle getting funds off ebay).

It could be worth just getting a $50 gift card off ebay and using that, but again what kind of hurts is that the major networks aren't all there for rentals. I suppose if you were really into FOX shows, otherwise the best option is still to buy them.

I'm curious to see how the 4.2 media streaming will work for apps outside of Apple's core. My guess is that it won't be available (which would suck as something like gamecenter or the citytv app would be awesome). Much like the features of the airport express or the VGA-out cable, I expect it to only work with the native apps. To be fair, the VGA cable was usable in other apps, but the devs had to code it in ... hopefully that's the same as media streaming.

In beta, airplay works on all apps. However video isn't enabled yet but who knows. I think what is happening is apple will provide an airplay code or something to devs where they will have to enable it.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by silentsim

If you really want TV show rentals an option is to create a US account (you can buy iTunes USA gift cards online with Paypal) and do it through that route.

Awesome. So there's no IP checking at all for rentals that you know of?

[MickMcGeough]

Has anyone tried this with a MasterCard gift card? I've read you can pick one of them up at Shopper's Drug Mart and you can follow the same process as with a US iTunes gift card.

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by MickMcGeough

Awesome. So there's no IP checking at all for rentals that you know of?

Nope just based on store account . Another benefit of a US Store account is more freebies. for example a bunch of new pilots have free HD episodes to download on the US store, while the Canadian store charges for some of them.

No idea about the Mastercard thing, I usually just hit up ebay. Costs a few bucks more(but i think those prepaid mastercards have a service charge too?) and is very quick.

I was hoping best buy and futureshop's online site would have them in stock as of October 6th (which was what it indicated) but today it was pushed back to October 15th. looks like im stuck with waiting for my apple order =(

[Devils'Advocate]

I initially set up my US account with the Mastercard gift cards, but have since switched to using US gift cards.

The Mastercard gift cards are a pain in the ass.
First, there is the extra step of having to register the card to a US address, so you use a friends address or do what I did and borrow an address off the internet. They do check that your address matches the zip code.
Secondly, iTunes will put a charge the account *AND* put a hold on the account. So I purchased something for $30. So iTunes put a $30 charge and an additional $30 hold on the account. The hold stays there for about a week. I asked Apple why they do this and they said that they do this on all credit cards, not just the gift cards, to ensure that there are adequate funds. They recommended that if I didn't like the holds, that I should switch to gift cards.

I think they knew what I was doing as most using the MC gift cards are foreigners ... and he immediately suggest gift cards rather than a regular credit card.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

I initially set up my US account with the Mastercard gift cards, but have since switched to using US gift cards.

The Mastercard gift cards are a pain in the ass.
First, there is the extra step of having to register the card to a US address, so you use a friends address or do what I did and borrow an address off the internet. They do check that your address matches the zip code.
Secondly, iTunes will put a charge the account *AND* put a hold on the account. So I purchased something for $30. So iTunes put a $30 charge and an additional $30 hold on the account. The hold stays there for about a week. I asked Apple why they do this and they said that they do this on all credit cards, not just the gift cards, to ensure that there are adequate funds. They recommended that if I didn't like the holds, that I should switch to gift cards.

I think they knew what I was doing as most using the MC gift cards are foreigners ... and he immediately suggest gift cards rather than a regular credit card.

Thanks a bunch - you just saved me a bunch of time. I'll just wait for a gift card.

[MickMcGeough]

Just finished watching Kick-Ass through iTunes movie rental and I was really surprised at how good the quality was. Easily the highest quality "live" stream I've used, noticeably better than the Netflix HD movie I watched (albeit with a sample size of, well, one each).

I'd watched HD TV Shows through iTunes previously and wasn't impressed, but Kick-Ass was close enough to a good 720p x264 BD rip encode.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by silentsim

In beta, airplay works on all apps. However video isn't enabled yet but who knows. I think what is happening is apple will provide an airplay code or something to devs where they will have to enable it.

Wow really? That's wonderful, can you elaborate? So it works with something like pandora?

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by Russic

Wow really? That's wonderful, can you elaborate? So it works with something like pandora?

As of iOS beta 4.2 this is how Airplay can function.

Double tap home from lockscreen, and you can choose a remote speaker. Then all audio (including system audio) comes from the remote speaker rather then the iPad. Can also choose multiple speakers.

Also, from within any app that uses Apple Player, there is an airplay icon, which can choose the speaker(s) to use. As of now it has no restrictions, so I think if an app uses the Apple API's it has Airplay. This may change due to licensing and such by the time 4.2 rolls by though, not sure. Some apps may not be able to use Apple's default player API and instead use their own, which would not have Airplay.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by silentsim

As of iOS beta 4.2 this is how Airplay can function.

Double tap home from lockscreen, and you can choose a remote speaker. Then all audio (including system audio) comes from the remote speaker rather then the iPad. Can also choose multiple speakers.

Also, from within any app that uses Apple Player, there is an airplay icon, which can choose the speaker(s) to use. As of now it has no restrictions, so I think if an app uses the Apple API's it has Airplay. This may change due to licensing and such by the time 4.2 rolls by though, not sure. Some apps may not be able to use Apple's default player API and instead use their own, which would not have Airplay.

That is very cool, I had no idea.

[Bob]

The AppleTV is essentially an iPod touch without a screen. It loads an App called "Lowtide" on startup (rather than Springboard on a iPod/iPhone) which provides all the interface and playback functionality for the AppleTV. Someone has already managed to get Lowtide running on an iPod, but the interface is a bit wonky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTJ5y...layer_embedded

[silentsim]

I've been re-encoding my videos (bought an app called iFlicks, since it automates everything including putting the new file into iTunes) for a bunch of my catalog.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by silentsim

I've been re-encoding my videos (bought an app called iFlicks, since it automates everything including putting the new file into iTunes) for a bunch of my catalog.

I. Love. That.

Just checked it out. Dragged a tv show into the window and it auto-tagged everything, applied that cover art AND sorted it into the proper category (TV). That all has to be done manually in iTunes usually. What a glorious little program, thank you!

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by silentsim

I've been re-encoding my videos (bought an app called iFlicks, since it automates everything including putting the new file into iTunes) for a bunch of my catalog.

Originally Posted by Russic

I. Love. That.

Just checked it out. Dragged a tv show into the window and it auto-tagged everything, applied that cover art AND sorted it into the proper category (TV). That all has to be done manually in iTunes usually. What a glorious little program, thank you!

I'm looking at this too. Will it convert mkv to mp4 as well?

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I'm looking at this too. Will it convert mkv to mp4 as well?

Mkv to mp4 takes really long, i emailed the dev and he said he's working on a new beta where mkv to mp4 will speed up significantly.