Ian Morris
Ian Morris loves televisions so much he's been banned from wedding chapels in Las Vegas for trying to marry them. When he's not romancing technology, he can be found watching American TV. Ian likes roast potatoes, but he doesn't like digital rights management.
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Thursday 13 March 2008, 3:26pm
Steve Jobs is right, Apple TV is a failure
There have been some reports in the press recently that Steve Jobs considers Apple TV to have been something of a failure. I say he's totally correct.
Despite its current high level of fail, there are many promising aspects to Apple TV that give me some hope for the future. The machine itself is stylish, works well and is, of course, easy to use. It's powerful enough to handle 720p -- which is more than enough for Internet-derived content, for the time being.
The problem is, once again, that Apple refuses to accept the world doesn't begin and end with QuickTime and the iTunes Store. Whether or not his proprietaryness Lord Jobs likes to admit it or not, there's oodles of video online, most of it encoded in DivX, XviD or H.264/x264. None of these formats would present a massive problem for Apple TV -- even the HD variants. So why doesn't the hardware support them?
I could live with using iTunes -- a program I really hate with every fibre of my being -- if I was allowed to import all the other media on my computer and play it through Apple TV, without first hacking the whole thing.
The other problem in the UK is that there are no movie downloads or rentals available. That's totally inexcusable, because Microsoft has managed it for the Xbox 360 -- and, I might add, allowed DivX support. So the problem clearly isn't the licencing, it's the conditions Jobs Inc places on the media it hosts. Pull your finger out Steve, we expect better.
Articles by Ian Morris
The best media streamers
Round-up If you've got video on your computer from DVDs, home movies you've shot or TV programmes you've recorded on a TV capture card, you might want to watch them on your TV through a media streamer. We've rounded up the best on the market at the moment, so read on
Oppo DV-980H
Review First things first -- we love this DVD player for ignoring DVD region coding. But that isn't all it does: the Oppo DV-980H does just about everything else, too, including producing 1080p pictures. It may be expensive, but for what you're getting, it's great value and will be worth it for those who want to watch their DVDs in amazingly high quality
LG 50PG6900: 50-inch plasma goodness with built-in Freeview+
Crave LG wants to reduce the horrid black boxes amassing beneath your TV ready to commence some sort of horrific technological uprising as soon as their numbers reach sufficient levels
Onkyo TX-NR906: Darth Vader endorses this AV receiver
Crave If Darth Vader wanted 7.1 surround sound, which AV reciever would he choose? We spoke to his press people, and found out he's got an Onkyo TX-NR906 -- ours has just arrived too
Onkyo HTX-22HD: Three is a magic number
Crave Gurt massive CRTs with built-in decoder and speakers have gone the way of the dodo, so here's a quality 2.1 system with a combined amp and sub to make your puny flatscreen sound good
Humax PVR-9300T
Review If it wasn't for the appalling fan noise, we'd suggest this is the best PVR we've seen in a long time. The operation is simple, the picture quality is very good indeed and the new style is fantastic, with a more modern look than the previous generation. Plus we're big fans of the addition of HDMI output
Loewe Connect 32 Media Full-HD+ DR+
Review If you've got the money and you want a small, but very well-built TV with stunning HD picture quality and some of the most remarkable sound you'll ever hear come out of a TV, this is for you. Features include a twin tuner 160GB Freeview PVR, a network media streamer and a high-definition satellite tuner
Sharp Aquos LC-32XL8E
Review If you want a smart-looking TV that supports 1080p resolution, includes 100Hz picture processing and has plenty of inputs, the Sharp Aquos 32XL8E is for you. The 1080p screen is great for gamers, but do keep in mind that the price, at around £850, could be prohibitive
