Old Apple TV will NOT get new features

One simple way would be to buy a Blu-Ray play. I have a Samsung that does this. Besides playing DVD, it provides internet service to NetFlix, BlockBuster, YouTube and Pandora Radio. I have mine setup to receive this signals via my home wifi, but there is also an ethernet option.

However, except for YouTube, I haven't tried the other options. I've seen advertisements that claim other Blu-Ray plays offer the same service.

If you're going this route, it might be best to get a player that is the same brand as your TV. Mine are both Samsung and there are interface features that are worth having. I can pop a DVD in my player and my TV automatically switches to the correct HDMI input which I think is cool.

GreekAviator wrote:
So how is everyone else (who had netflix) getting netflix to their tv without connecting the computer?

Roku makes a great standalone box that streams Netflix, connects to Amazon on demand as well as accesses other services such as Pandora. I found it to be a great companion to my original Apple TV.

Both Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's WII will stream Netfilx. The PS3 will also stream Hulu+, though you have to purchase a premium membership to the Play Station Network. There was some implication that this was only during the Hulu+ "preview" period but I don't know for sure.

If you have an iPad, you can connect that to your television.

Macaby wrote:
Mine are both Samsung and there are interface features that are worth having. I can pop a DVD in my player and my TV automatically switches to the correct HDMI input which I think is cool.

You would be referring to Anynet+. It is awesome isn't it? You pop a DVD in and it just works. Go figure 😉 It also gives me control of my Samsung DVD player from my Samsung TV remote. Not even sure if we still know where the DVD player remote actually is!

If you are going with blu-ray, I can testify to the quality of Netflix on a Samsung Blu-Ray player (with a beefy internet connection). Watched a movied at a family member's house the other weekend. Looks great. With the features these are gaining over time, might not need an Apple TV in the same room!

Guess it depends on what boat you are in as to how to go about getting Netflix in your living room. I'm in the "no more physical media" boat so I prefer to not go the Blu-Ray route at this point. I'd much rather see all my movies (video games, you're next!) go digital and buy disk space and not waste space with discs! Only problem is right now the only great facilitator of this strategy is the new Mac Mini connected via HDMI and running Plex (if you haven't checked plex out lately its time to take another look by the way). Mac Mini is just too darned expensive for what I would use it for.

If lack of Netflix were the only thing I didn't like about my current Apple TV, I'd get the new one. Since I have an Xbox 360 in the other room the new Apple TV is only compelling if my current ATV dies and we need a way to rent new movies without whoring it out at a RedBox... sorry folks the only time you will see me near a RedBox is when I'm walking past it! 😉

What I find most interesting in all this is that no matter who makes it, if it connects to your TV, it better get Netflix. Otherwise its just a thing that does whatever and isn't of much relevance at all.

by the way guys, choppy video is the result of hardware. buffering is the result of not enough bandwidth either on your end or the host end, has nothing to do with the hardware, unless if your are using something like wireless b or something.

so a few people have mentioned hacking heir ATV's...what exactly is that doing for you? i know it a naive question but im just trying to get up to speed, thanks!

Obviously the title of this thread infers that it's a bonafide fact that the old Apple TV will not get new features such as Netflix streaming, but I haven't seen any evidence to support this. The new Apple TV hasn't shipped yet - I have one ordered - at $95, the capabilities sounded great to me. I have an older Apple TV in every room & have given one of my older ones to my parents. I don't understand all of the uproar about the new machine, at $95 it's at a great price point for what it does. As many others have written here, I don't think that there should be a problem hardware-wise to stream video. The current Apple TV already streams video - from the internet via sites like Youtube & Hulu & locally via wifi. I can't see that Netflix streaming would be any different. Has it been verified that Apple will not upgrade the older Apple TVs or is this just speculation?

Meg St._Clair wrote:
If you have an iPad, you can connect that to your television.

Really? How?

With this http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB128LL/B?fnode=MTc0MjU4NjE&mco=MTc5MzExNjI

Never posted before, but I thought I'd offer my $0.02.

I bought my ATV on August 1st. Imagine my shock in hearing that the price had dropped to $119 (in Canada) on Sept 1st. I almost brought it back to the store ready for a huge battle if they wouldn't take it back, and even did a factory reset to package it all up - all immediately after the announcement on Sept 1. Just before I left the house, I read that there was no storage, and decided to keep the old one for that reason.

I find myself agreeing with everyone in this discussion - on both sides. The way I see it, the real issue here is that they're two different devices with two different purposes and two different markets. Maybe cost/benefit dictated not continuing with the old product, and if so, fine. That's business. But if Apple was smart, they shouldn't have confused the issue by trying to brand one as the next generation of the other.

I love my (brand new) "old" ATV, but the new one looks great too. I've never understood watching shows multiple times -- why would you when you know what happens?? So I have to say, I think Apple's on to something by the shift to rentals. The only reason I've been buying shows on the ATV is that for the amount I buy, it's still cheaper per month than my HD Cable bill used to be!

So, I've ordered one of the new ones for my 2nd TV, and to be able to stream from my iPod touch when iOS 4.2 is out.

My big concern, though, is will the move to AirPlay in any way make AirTunes not work? For example, can I still stream music to both my old and my new ATV, even though one has "AirTunes" and the other has "AirPlay"? If anyone knows, that, I'd love an answer.

I'd also like to know if there is any way to do the TV rentals on the old ATV.

It was a power consuming POS to begin with. You had to unplug it to turn it off. Now, they wont allow us to get the software update either? It is officially a door stand. bad Job Apple. GREED rules.

Robin Schwartz wrote:
It was a power consuming POS to begin with. You had to unplug it to turn it off. Now, they wont allow us to get the software update either?

It wasn't meant to be turned off (only standby). However, feel free to unplug anytime you want. FYI, it's very easy to put into standby with one of the updates. Just page over on the menu to the right and then down to standby.

The old method of holding a key (right arrow?) for so many seconds WAS a PITA. And I believe the so-called software update has been answered several times here. In a nut shell, the old ATV processor is just not up to the job requirements for the new ATV with NetFlix, etc.

I'm keeping my old ATV as it works just fine for what I want and that's to view PPV movies. Get a new ATV if you can't live without NetFlix. I have absolutely no need for it.

Macaby wrote:
I'm keeping my old ATV as it works just fine for what I want and that's to view PPV movies. Get a new ATV if you can't live without NetFlix. I have absolutely no need for it.

Keeping ours until the wheels fall off. After that I might go try something different. Main reason is regardless of whats on the old or new Apple TV, the main feature every user will need on a regular basis is these forums
😉

MY CURIOSITY IS WHY THE **** IS APPLE GOING BACKWARDS?

THE ONLY REAL REASON THAT THE APPLE TV MADE SENS FOR ME WAS THE FACT THAT I DIDNT HAVE TO HAVE A COMPUTER ON CONSUMING UNNESSACERY POWER JUST TO STREAM MUSIC THAT I OWN..

APPLE GET ON THE BALL. ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE ADD A SMALL EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES FOR THOSE OF US THAT STILL WOULD LIKE TO SYNC ON THE NEW UNIT.

OVER THE YEARS I PERSONALLY HAVE OWNED OVER 10 IPODS, AND OVER 30 PERSONAL COMPUTERS. AND DID I MENTION 3 ORIGINAL APPLE TV'S.....

AS FAR AS THE (NEW APPLE TV) THIS IS THE FIRST THAT I WILL NOT SUPPORT!!!!! AND I WILL BE SURE TO LET FRIENDS KNOW WHY. ALSO......

WHAT ABOUT THE NEW FIRMWARE UPDATE FOR THE ORIGINAL INCLUDES NETFLIX? HELLO? WE ARE IN 2010

STEVE JOBS- PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE DARK AGES... WAKE UP IT IS ENTHUSIAST LIKE MYSELF AND OTHERS THAT SPREAD THE WORD AND MAKE THIS CULT STRONGER AND BIGGER.

THANK YOU

Gohawk09 wrote:
Apple complains about not selling enough Apple TV's so they punish their customers who do buy them by neglecting them for years and then cut them off completely from software updates.

Can't recall that Apple has EVER complained about not selling enough AppleTV's. As a matter of fact, Apple has never released any information whatsoever on the sales of AppleTV, positive or negative.