Apple TV...

[jenic]

Is it me or does it seem like some very unfair marketing from apple with this?

I cant for the life of me find the minimum required speed for streaming content, in bothh sd and hd?

I have asked their support and all they can tell me is it needs a broadband connection!

Anyway, here is the online chat thing i just had:

Hi, my name is Joni D. Welcome to Apple!
i am looking at the new apple tv, but nowhere does it state what the minimum connection speed is required to stream movies?
Hi there
hi
So you are shopping for the new Apple TV? Let me check here.
Now do you have a wireless network?
yes
Okay, let me research here for you.
It will require 802.11 b g or n,.
Here are the tech specs.
Specs for the Apple TV
I am wanting to know the minimum internet connection speed required?
Can you tell me this or are apple trying to hide the fact it wont stream hd for most people?
Or do you have some new clever compression you are using?
Do you have that type of wireless network? The 802.11 b, g, or n?
Yes, but that is not the point, my network supports all 3 of those, but thats not my question?
What type of speed do you currently have through your network? I do not see those specifics on the tech specs, but I will try and find out if what you have will be suffficient.
I currently average 2mbps, surely this information should be public so people know if it will work or not?
Let me check.
?
Thanks, I do not have a specific speed, just that it does require a broadband connection.
Is their a technically competant person there?
Do you have a broadband internet connection?
Yes, so are you saying if I do it will work perfectly?
Yes, it is designed to stream HD videos and music.
Ok.

Surely many people are going to buy it, and not going to be able to stream? All I can find is an american forum batting around the figure of 10mbps for faultless hd streaming?

 

[word_easy]

I thought you had to be a genius to work for apple?

 

[Revels]

It'll work fine. The slower your connection, the longer you'll have to wait until the film starts.

 

[David]

It just uses normal buffering technology like youtube, so it is in fact you that is technically incompetent.

 

[Tom]

Well its a good point badly made IMHO.

They need to clarify a connection speed.

 

[jenic]

It'll work fine. The slower your connection, the longer you'll have to wait until the film starts.

Buffering times on my connection for a 720p youtube video is roughly the length of the video before it can start playing, and even then if someone else uses the connection it will be further slowed down. 4OD will sometime fail to work in its lowest quality

Well its a good point badly made IMHO.

They need to clarify a connection speed.

Thats what I was getting at yes, they need to say you will need a speed of x mbps in order to be able to stream hd movies instantly.

 

[tc3nitro]

I get about 6Mbps at home and we can nearly stream HD on apple TV.
We buy HD movies on a regular basis and if you start the download about 15 mins before you want to watch it we normally get no interuptions. Although this can vary according to the time of day !

Oh and remember to purchase the item on your Apple Tv, not your iTunes or you won't be able to watch it until you have downloaded it in full and synced your Atv.

Mark

 

[jimbo666]

I'm looking into maybe buying an Apple TV. Now, im confused. Can I sit there and rent a film and it'll stream it direct from itunes? or will it have to stream from my macbook?

 

[jenic]

It will stream from either, but streaming from the internet will require a decent broadband speed.

After a lot of research I have decided I wont be getting one until I am getting near 10Meg BB

 

[jimbo666]

Excellent thank you. I should be ok with my BB connection. I streamed kick ass in HD on XBL the other night with no issues.

I've just been into the apple shop in MK with tue intention of picking one up, all they had was the old ones. Damn!

 

[jenic]

In that case it should be fine, I cant even stream low quality stuff on sky for xbox

Iplayer/4od/itv player are all ok though