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Apple TV as music source

post #1 of 121
6/3/07 at 6:21pm
Thread Starter 
Now that there is a 160gb "Apple TV", I have ordered one to use as a music server. Since it has a digital output, I will connect it to my Rotel pre/pro so it will use the Rotel's excellent DACs. I will have 160 gigs of lossless music in my stereo this way - pretty fired up. For a 160 gig music server, $399 is a stone cold bargain.

Anyone else doing this?
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post #2 of 121
6/3/07 at 6:39pm

I'm trying...

Got the 40GB unit when it shipped for the same reason. Picked up a 120GB drive and am trying to get my hands on a cheap Mac to format the new drive.

The original postings said Linux would be able to repartition the drive but I've had no luck doing so.

The sound quality from the ATV is acceptable through my monitors/subwoofer via the optical out. My sound processor (Anthem) is very neutral.
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post #3 of 121
6/3/07 at 6:47pm
Thread Starter 
That is great to know - the Anthem is a well-regarded processor. This will be mostly for background listening, but I still want it to sound good.

Plus I can use the "Coverflow" on the TV during parties
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post #4 of 121
6/3/07 at 7:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skylab View Post
Now that there is a 160gb "Apple TV", I have ordered one to use as a music server. Since it has a digital output, I will connect it to my Rotel pre/pro so it will use the Rotel's excellent DACs. I will have 160 gigs of lossless music in my stereo this way - pretty fired up. For a 160 gig music server, $399 is a stone cold bargain.

Anyone else doing this?
No but it's a great idea. I tend to be skeptical of Apple's recent consumer electronics foray, outside the iPod. Do you have to have a TV to use this thing?
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post #5 of 121
6/3/07 at 7:11pm
Thread Starter 
At least to set it up you do, but I am hoping I can get it to shuffle songs without the TV (using the remote).
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post #6 of 121
6/4/07 at 12:08am

Apple TV as music source

Quote:
Originally Posted by Skylab View Post
At least to set it up you do, but I am hoping I can get it to shuffle songs without the TV (using the remote).
You probably can; I turn on the TV initially to start the shuffle, after that it isn't necessary.

A couple of things I found out with the 40gb setup:

It is always powered up. If you disconnect it via a wall switch, it takes a few minutes to boot up.

There is no fan so it is quiet. There is no fan so it can run hot. I wouldn't put it in an enclosure unless you have a box fan to draw in some cool air.

You can only sync to one computer (from iTunes to ATV). It isn't a backup device if your system crashes; there's no way to restore it back to the ATV.

It will stream to up to 5 computers. You would need a video screen to pick the streaming computer via the remote.

The video isn't the greatest (I've heard). I don't know of a way to take a DVD and dump it to iTunes then send it wireless to the ATV.

You have optical, not coax spdif, or standard analog RCA jacks (which I haven't tried). An adapter can probablycovert the optical to coax if that is a requirement.

The wireless port works well with my Netgear router.
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post #7 of 121
6/4/07 at 6:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by itsborken View Post

The video isn't the greatest (I've heard). I don't know of a way to take a DVD and dump it to iTunes then send it wireless to the ATV.
Try http://www.freemacware.com/handbrake-2 to rip DVD's to Itunes.
Apparently the video streaming is excellent but you need the fastest wireless spec available to get it to stream HD properly.
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post #8 of 121
6/4/07 at 10:01am
Hey, thanks Memepool, I'll give that a shot when I get that upgraded disk running. I doubt I'll end up using the ATV for video as I figure the CDs will barely fit on it to begin with.

I bought it with the idea that I could travel with the laptop and still let my wife listen to the music without flipping cds. That and the hope that it would function as a backup to the laptop (restore music to crashed CD). Alas, that is not in the cards as far as what I've found so far.
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post #9 of 121
6/4/07 at 10:51am
Thread Starter 
Mine just arrived! But I have a question - do I have to sync it to iTunes using Ethernet, or can I plug it into my PC via USB to sync it with my iTunes library?
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post #10 of 121
6/4/07 at 11:11am
Skylab,
We need pics of your setup with this thing!
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post #11 of 121
6/4/07 at 11:38am
My understanding was that the apple tv is a wireless device, not that
I have one. I think thats a great idea for a music server.
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post #12 of 121
6/4/07 at 3:37pm
I've had one since they 1st came out. I'm using it as my main source for CD-quality music. I ripped all my CDs to an extra computer (with an external drive) in Apple lossless & I just set my Apple TV to stream the remote library instead of syncing files to the small internal drive. I'm using the Toslink to feed a Lexicon MC-12B.

To connect the Apple TV to a computer, you need a network connection. I'm using an Ethernet cable for speed/immunity to interference, but it also supports 802.11n wireless.
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post #13 of 121
6/4/07 at 3:50pm
Thread Starter 
OK, I got mine all set up, but the iTunes library just sits there and says "Syncing Apple TV" but nothing is on my Apple TV yet...been this way for 40 mins...
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post #14 of 121
6/4/07 at 5:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skylab View Post
OK, I got mine all set up, but the iTunes library just sits there and says "Syncing Apple TV" but nothing is on my Apple TV yet...been this way for 40 mins...

I take it you configured wireless or direct ethernet. I think the USB is just for future use (or maybe they use it to repair).

If you look at the iTunes screen on your laptop, it should tell you at the top what song X out of Y is syncing and how far along it is (if memory serves). I just set it up at the end of a day, let it sync overnight, woke up and I was in business. But, that was 33GB worth.

Oh yeah, one other thing, you won't get the full 160 available for songs. There's OS partition overhead in there. How much total do you have available out of 160?
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post #15 of 121
6/4/07 at 5:31pm
Thread Starter 
Rats. I am stuck somehwere. Everything looks perfect, I see the Apple TV in iTunes, and it says "Syncing" but it really isn't. It has not loaded one single song on in over 3 hours. I have the playlist down to 143gb, and the Apple TV will hold 144GB, but it doesn;t even start to actually sync - just spins. iTunes and the Apple TV "make contact", but there is no file transfer. Any ideas? I am searching Apple's site...
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