I never should say this but my computer media setup feels like it is “complete”. For so long we are always looking for the “one more thing” to make our home computer/media life just right. I am glad to say that I think (and I could be wrong) I am there.
Let me describe the beauty of my setup.
We have two main rooms in the house with the following equipment:
1. The Main Lounge with a Samsung 40″ HD LCD Television and Apple TV with version 2 software installed
2. The Playroom with an iMac with 2GB Ram, 500GB Hard drive and EyeTV 400 plugged into aerial socket
Here’s how it works:
EyeTV with software version 3 allows me to use various “smart” guides to sift out the shows I want to watch. So, I want to watch all new episodes of “Torchwood” that are not repeats. A simple two line smart guide sets this up for me. I select the option for exporting to Apple TV format and walk away knowing eyetv will confidently record the show when it is on and immediately export it into Apple TV format and drop it into iTunes for me. This is smarter than series link because you can set up in advance eyetv to record things you don’t want to miss. I know “Doctor Who” will be on TV again at some stage… I just set up a smart guide to find it and as soon as it appears in the listings it will be recorded for me. I want to catch the film “Tombstone” if it is ever on – no problem a smart Guide will sort it for me even if it isn’t in current listings.
The system I have means that in either room I can watch either live TV using Eyetv on the iMac or the built in Freeview on the Samsung LCD but I also have access to all my recorded shows on BOTH systems, in both rooms. All content I have on iTunes on the iMac is available at the far end of the house be that music, podcasts, photos, movies or TV shows. My kids can be watching Shrek for the 100th time using front row in the playroom whilst I access the same iTunes library in the front room and watch the latest purchased Lost show from iTunes or a DVD I have ripped from my collection with Handbrake and added to iTunes. Or of course we can watch the same shows but in different rooms.
The result is seamless availability of all my recorded media and the ability to have live TV in both rooms.
I’m also impressed with the new ability to purchase directly on the Apple TV. We decided to rewatch the West Wing this week and purchased it directly from Apple TV on the big screen. The download was slow but that’s my crappy 1Mb (out of the possible 8, yes 8 I’m supposed to get) broadband’s fault. The next day I noticed that all the new episodes also showed up in the playroom on the iMac…without me having to do anything.
I heartily recommend an iMac as a central media server, combined with the power of EyeTV and Apple TV makes me something my friends might never expect: Satisfied with the number of Apple products I own.
Shocking, I know!
February 22, 2008 at 1:48 pm |
You may be satisfied with the number of apple products you have but how about adding a slingbox into the mix? Then you’d have your perfect media setup no matter where you where in the world …. plus it’s coming to iPhone.
February 25, 2008 at 1:23 pm |
yeah im supposed to get 8mps too.. i only get about 1 or so… really annoying.
My media set up is very imature i must admit.. though sky+ does meet all my TV needs… i havent really found the music option i want… i’d get mac if it wernt for iTunes.
Also i fear buying apple you end up having to only buy apple if you want things to work together.
February 29, 2008 at 2:10 pm |
I too was only getting 1Mb out of a possible 8 with BT. It all happened when I installed the BT Homehub, up to then I’d just used a BT modem and connected it to my own airport extreme wireless router and was getting great speed. The internet connection also kept cutting out altogther. Anyhow, I was pissed off and phoned up tech support many times. The long and short is I quit and in the end, when I complained, they didn’t charge me the whopping £190 because I was still in contract. Nipped over to Virgin and only have a 2Mb line but I get great TV, V+, broadband and phone for £30 a month.