9 ms·

Neat! But it's in essence nothing more than an Apple TV?

by jstsch 15y ago

drumdance 15y ago
If it really does what they say, I think the metaphor flips. "This Apple TV thingy, isn't it just an oversized HDMI Dongle?"
- Samuel_Michon 15y ago
  AppleTV lets you choose from tens of thousands of movies and TV series to rent or buy. It can stream any file you have in your iTunes library on your Mac and PC, over WiFi. It can wirelessly stream from an iPad or iPhone. It can even show an iOS game on your TV, turning your iPhone or iPad into a controller and your TV into a game console. I don't see how an Android dongle will allow you to do any of that.
  - pak 15y ago
    If this device can stream 1080p content, the hardware is powerful enough to do anything you said. The rest is just software. If you're implying that Android cannot get behind the iron curtain of iOS APIs, then you are missing the gist of GP's point, which is that this device suggests that Apple could make something smaller than Apple TV. (I didn't downvote you.)
    - Samuel_Michon 15y ago
      "The rest is just software." And the reason the iPad is the only tablet that sells well is also "just software". In consumer electronics, the quality of the software makes or breaks the user experience. "you are missing the gist of GP's point, which is that this device suggests that Apple could make something smaller than Apple TV." Agreed, I'm sure they could. However, Apple wouldn't make a dongle that sticks out of your TV, simply because it looks ugly. And given that the HDMI and USB ports are placed differently on every TV, I foresee that many users of that dongle will also have a USB extension cord dangling from their TV. I do see a use case for this dongle in situations where you want to temporarily turn a TV into a useful device (showing content you actually want to see) in a setting where you usually don't have an extra power outlet. The French guy in the video showed this well, plugging it into a TV at a Best Buy and in a hotel room.
      - pak 15y ago
        If you think Apple has something against selling dongles because they are ugly, have I got a page to show you. I think every Mac owner (including myself) winds up having 2 or 3 of these alternately sticking out of their computer or slowly disintegrating in the back of a desk drawer. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/mac_accessories/cables http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/mac_accessori...
        Samuel_Michon 15y ago
        I see mostly adapters and cables on that page, and some dongles from third parties. However, I thought of one example of an ugly Apple dongle that is meant to protrude from an Apple device: the iPad's Camera Connection Kit [1]. The reason I think Apple made an exception there is because it's meant to be attached only during the importing of photos. [1] http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A
  - handelaar 15y ago
    "I don't see how an Android dongle will allow you to do any of that." Then you didn't watch the video on the article, which showed most of exactly that happening with this dongle and its accelerometer-enabled remote.
    - Samuel_Michon 15y ago
      I did watch them, though. I was careful in writing my comment about iOS and iTunes Store support, not about gaming and video content in general. The dongle will definitely not run iOS games and apps, and it probably won't play video from the iTunes Store. The doubleTwist app mentioned by another commenter can't read iTunes FairPlay DRM. AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad would need a third party app, and is currently limited to just audio.
      - CJefferson 15y ago
        Complaining specifically about iOS and iTunes seems unfair in the extreme. An AppleTV won't run Android games and apps, and it won't play video and films bought from the Android Market.
        Samuel_Michon 15y ago
        "An AppleTV won't run Android games and apps, and it won't play video and films bought from the Android Market" Agreed, but you wouldn't want to, if you were using an AppleTV. There is less content available in the Android Market. There are less apps and games (let alone for big screens), most contain ads and frankly, just aren't as good as iOS counterparts. If the marketplaces were comparable, I wouldn't have commented in the first place. (NB: from what I understand, you can't buy movies from the Android Market, you can only rent them.)
        drivebyacct2 15y ago
        Your points seems to be that your prefer the iOS/iTunes ecosystem. I think we get that.
  - JangoSteve 15y ago
    Really? "It brings Android to your TV". Have you ever used an Android device? I'll be your tour guide. AppleTV lets you choose from tens of thousands of movies and TV series to rent or buy. The Android Market [1] is the "app store" of Android devices (we also have the Amazon App Store [2]). You can buy from tens of thousands of apps, movies, and books. It doesn't have TV shows, but the Netflix [3] and Hulu [4] apps do. Also, the Kindle currently supports Amazon's Instant Video streaming [5], so it's probably only a matter of time before other Android devices support it. Then there are all the less conventional apps for streaming TV [6]. It can stream any file you have in your iTunes library on your Mac and PC, over WiFi. It can wirelessly stream from an iPad or iPhone. AirSync by doubleTwist [7] can do that as well, works with Mac and PC. If you just want iTunes support directly, there is the iTunes Remote [8] which can control the music on your computer or stream it to your Android device with AirBubble [9]. There's also Twonky [10] and tons of other such apps to choose from. It can wirelessly stream from an iPad or iPhone. It can even show an iOS game on your TV, turning your iPhone or iPad into a controller and your TV into a game console. This kinda overlaps with the last point, but a couple more apps that I think get close to this include Plex [11] and Skifta [12]. I don't see how an Android dongle will allow you to do any of that. It brings Android to your TV. So replace "your Android device" with "your TV" in the above examples. [1] http://market.android.com http://market.android.com [2] http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011 http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149... [3] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.netflix.mediaclient https://market.android.com/details?id=com.netflix.mediaclien... [4] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.hulu.plus https://market.android.com/details?id=com.hulu.plus [5] http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/ontv/devices http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/ontv/devices [6] http://www.androidauthority.com/best-android-apps-for-streaming-tv-movies-12188/ http://www.androidauthority.com/best-android-apps-for-stream... [7] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.doubleTwist.androidPlayerProKey https://market.android.com/details?id=com.doubleTwist.androi... [8] https://market.android.com/details?id=hyperfine.hftunes.release https://market.android.com/details?id=hyperfine.hftunes.rele... [9] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bubblesoft.android.airbubble https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bubblesoft.android... [10] http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/twonky-wireless-media-streaming-from-android-to-tv-pc-dlna-devices/ http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/twonky-wireless-media-st... [11] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.plexapp.gtv https://market.android.com/details?id=com.plexapp.gtv [12] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.skifta.android.app https://market.android.com/details?id=com.skifta.android.app

Neat! But it's in essence nothing more than an Apple TV?

by jstsch 15y ago

Neat! But it's in essence nothing more than an Apple TV?

If it really does what they say, I think the metaphor flips. "This Apple TV thingy, isn't it just an oversized HDMI Dongle?"

Samuel_Michon 15y ago
AppleTV lets you choose from tens of thousands of movies and TV series to rent or buy. It can stream any file you have in your iTunes library on your Mac and PC, over WiFi. It can wirelessly stream from an iPad or iPhone. It can even show an iOS game on your TV, turning your iPhone or iPad into a controller and your TV into a game console. I don't see how an Android dongle will allow you to do any of that.
- pak 15y ago
  If this device can stream 1080p content, the hardware is powerful enough to do anything you said. The rest is just software. If you're implying that Android cannot get behind the iron curtain of iOS APIs, then you are missing the gist of GP's point, which is that this device suggests that Apple could make something smaller than Apple TV. (I didn't downvote you.)
  - Samuel_Michon 15y ago
    "The rest is just software." And the reason the iPad is the only tablet that sells well is also "just software". In consumer electronics, the quality of the software makes or breaks the user experience. "you are missing the gist of GP's point, which is that this device suggests that Apple could make something smaller than Apple TV." Agreed, I'm sure they could. However, Apple wouldn't make a dongle that sticks out of your TV, simply because it looks ugly. And given that the HDMI and USB ports are placed differently on every TV, I foresee that many users of that dongle will also have a USB extension cord dangling from their TV. I do see a use case for this dongle in situations where you want to temporarily turn a TV into a useful device (showing content you actually want to see) in a setting where you usually don't have an extra power outlet. The French guy in the video showed this well, plugging it into a TV at a Best Buy and in a hotel room.
    - pak 15y ago
      If you think Apple has something against selling dongles because they are ugly, have I got a page to show you. I think every Mac owner (including myself) winds up having 2 or 3 of these alternately sticking out of their computer or slowly disintegrating in the back of a desk drawer. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/mac_accessories/cables http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/mac_accessori...
      - Samuel_Michon 15y ago
        I see mostly adapters and cables on that page, and some dongles from third parties. However, I thought of one example of an ugly Apple dongle that is meant to protrude from an Apple device: the iPad's Camera Connection Kit [1]. The reason I think Apple made an exception there is because it's meant to be attached only during the importing of photos. [1] http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A
- handelaar 15y ago
  "I don't see how an Android dongle will allow you to do any of that." Then you didn't watch the video on the article, which showed most of exactly that happening with this dongle and its accelerometer-enabled remote.
  - Samuel_Michon 15y ago
    I did watch them, though. I was careful in writing my comment about iOS and iTunes Store support, not about gaming and video content in general. The dongle will definitely not run iOS games and apps, and it probably won't play video from the iTunes Store. The doubleTwist app mentioned by another commenter can't read iTunes FairPlay DRM. AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad would need a third party app, and is currently limited to just audio.
    - CJefferson 15y ago
      Complaining specifically about iOS and iTunes seems unfair in the extreme. An AppleTV won't run Android games and apps, and it won't play video and films bought from the Android Market.
      - Samuel_Michon 15y ago
        "An AppleTV won't run Android games and apps, and it won't play video and films bought from the Android Market" Agreed, but you wouldn't want to, if you were using an AppleTV. There is less content available in the Android Market. There are less apps and games (let alone for big screens), most contain ads and frankly, just aren't as good as iOS counterparts. If the marketplaces were comparable, I wouldn't have commented in the first place. (NB: from what I understand, you can't buy movies from the Android Market, you can only rent them.)
        drivebyacct2 15y ago
        Your points seems to be that your prefer the iOS/iTunes ecosystem. I think we get that.
- JangoSteve 15y ago
  Really? "It brings Android to your TV". Have you ever used an Android device? I'll be your tour guide. AppleTV lets you choose from tens of thousands of movies and TV series to rent or buy. The Android Market [1] is the "app store" of Android devices (we also have the Amazon App Store [2]). You can buy from tens of thousands of apps, movies, and books. It doesn't have TV shows, but the Netflix [3] and Hulu [4] apps do. Also, the Kindle currently supports Amazon's Instant Video streaming [5], so it's probably only a matter of time before other Android devices support it. Then there are all the less conventional apps for streaming TV [6]. It can stream any file you have in your iTunes library on your Mac and PC, over WiFi. It can wirelessly stream from an iPad or iPhone. AirSync by doubleTwist [7] can do that as well, works with Mac and PC. If you just want iTunes support directly, there is the iTunes Remote [8] which can control the music on your computer or stream it to your Android device with AirBubble [9]. There's also Twonky [10] and tons of other such apps to choose from. It can wirelessly stream from an iPad or iPhone. It can even show an iOS game on your TV, turning your iPhone or iPad into a controller and your TV into a game console. This kinda overlaps with the last point, but a couple more apps that I think get close to this include Plex [11] and Skifta [12]. I don't see how an Android dongle will allow you to do any of that. It brings Android to your TV. So replace "your Android device" with "your TV" in the above examples. [1] http://market.android.com http://market.android.com [2] http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149011 http://www.amazon.com/mobile-apps/b?ie=UTF8&node=2350149... [3] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.netflix.mediaclient https://market.android.com/details?id=com.netflix.mediaclien... [4] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.hulu.plus https://market.android.com/details?id=com.hulu.plus [5] http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/ontv/devices http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/ontv/devices [6] http://www.androidauthority.com/best-android-apps-for-streaming-tv-movies-12188/ http://www.androidauthority.com/best-android-apps-for-stream... [7] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.doubleTwist.androidPlayerProKey https://market.android.com/details?id=com.doubleTwist.androi... [8] https://market.android.com/details?id=hyperfine.hftunes.release https://market.android.com/details?id=hyperfine.hftunes.rele... [9] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bubblesoft.android.airbubble https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bubblesoft.android... [10] http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/twonky-wireless-media-streaming-from-android-to-tv-pc-dlna-devices/ http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/twonky-wireless-media-st... [11] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.plexapp.gtv https://market.android.com/details?id=com.plexapp.gtv [12] https://market.android.com/details?id=com.skifta.android.app https://market.android.com/details?id=com.skifta.android.app