Apple TV

[admin_exported]

Hi

I have seen this product crop up a lot in What HiFi recently. From what I have read there and on the Apple Website, it talks about streaming video and music from your computer to your TV set.

What I want to be able to do is easily stream my itunes library from my iMac (G4 / OSX 10.4.11) to my HiFi system (in the same room, I dont need multi room) rather than my TV. Video content is not important to me.

Is Apple TV my solution ? Anything else I need ?

I am happy to use my iMac as the interface for now.

Thanks for any assistance.

 

[cram]

Presuming you can't actually connect your iMac to the HiFi directly then take a look at airport express. Cheaper than an AppleTV

 

[Anonymous]

Cram's suggestion is good.

I'll add another though, for a long time I had my iMac in the same room as my main system. I ran a 8m optical cable into a DAC placed in close proximity to the amp. I now have a Mac Mini plugged into the TV to deliver sound to my main system.

 

[Superaintit]

andy444:
Hi

I have seen this product crop up a lot in What HiFi recently. From what I have read there and on the Apple Website, it talks about streaming video and music from your computer to your TV set.

What I want to be able to do is easily stream my itunes library from my iMac (G4 / OSX 10.4.11) to my HiFi system (in the same room, I dont need multi room) rather than my TV. Video content is not important to me.

Is Apple TV my solution ? Anything else I need ?

I am happy to use my iMac as the interface for now.

Thanks for any assistance.

If all you need is a link from Imac to Hifi, airport express (and optionally an iphone or ipod touch as remote..) is what best suits your needs for now.

If, somewhere in the future, you want to play your tunes without having your Imac on, the apple tv seems best suited. Add a touch or iphone if you don't want a tv as an interface.(http://www.apple.com/uk/appletv/whatson/music.html)

Finally, there is a big difference in price: airport express 64pounds, apple tv 195 pounds (either with an ipod touch at 165 pounds should you want to operate by remote).

 

[Anonymous]

Or get a Mac Mini off eBay. Same price as Apple TV but can do a whole lot more.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the responses guys.

I did look at Airport Express when it first came out, but I think I recall I couldnt use it because my imac had no Airport Wireless Capability (its about six yrs old....). I will check it again. Does this restriction mean I can't use Apple TV too ?

The idea of not having to have the computer turned to access the music in the long-term does appeal, which kinda pushes the Apple TV solution in front of the Mac Mini idea for me maybe. My old 3 Gen ipod is probably due for an upgrade and I was looking at the Classic but I might now make it a Touch so I can use that as the UI long-term instead of the iMac.

 

[Anonymous]

Is it the one with the metal arm? If so then no it doesn't have a wireless card.

The main difference between an Apple TV and a Mac Mini is the Mini can perform and behave like your iMac. The ATV is very much a beta device whilst the Mini is an alpha.

 

[Anonymous]

Metal arm ? I thought you meant my turntable for a minute !

Yes that's the one, so it seems Airport Express is out.

A mac mini perhaps makes sense as I could move my music off of my paltry 80GB hard drive on the imac and archive the rest of my CD collection which is only about 10% done so far.

 

[Anonymous]

The Mini has a larger hard drive, though not massive. You may need to plug an external USB or firewire drive into it as your collection expands.

The real advantage of using the Mini is the brain. An Apple TV is stupid. It will slur a question such as "whaa film ya wanna watch?".

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Whoa, hang on a second - your mac doesn't need wireless as long as you have it connected (by ethernet) to a wireless router.

As long as it is, Airport express will work fine - in fact that is how my setup is configured. Desktop PC > ethernet cable > wireless router > wirelessly connected AE.

 

[Anonymous]

fatboyslimfast:Whoa, hang on a second - your mac doesn't need wireless as long as you have it connected (by ethernet) to a wireless router.As long as it is, Airport express will work fine - in fact that is how my setup is configured. Desktop PC > ethernet cable > wireless router > wirelessly connected AE.

Quite right, that makes it the obvious solution if you have a wireless router in your room.ÿ