Apple TV

Which is best to stream media content?

  • Apple TV

    Votes: 6 42.9%

  • Xbox 360

    Votes: 3 21.4%

  • Playstation 3

    Votes: 1 7.1%

  • HTPC

    Votes: 4 28.6%

  • Other (Please Explain)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    14
If your hoping to get streaming through your xbox360 especially 1080p using your laptop. The media center on my xbox 360 will only stream dvd quality from my laptop and even then it would freeze and drop signal here and there. Sorry but the xbox 360 does not have 1080p support. Maybe with streaming your personal videos if you can get it to work properly but MS does not provide any 1080p services through there software cause max 720p or 1080i. Not to mention very few xbox games are 1080p.

I agree with the others, if you just want to use the videos on your laptop get a netbook, way better.
 
DMGrier said:
I would go with the apple TV, it does everything that the 360 can do with the exception of gaming and it cost less for both the unit itself and it says HD movies as low 3.99 which know for a fact the 360 there are no HD movies that are only $3.99. Plus even in the latest design of the xbox 360 model they are still known to have a 10% failure rate in the first year.
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Actually, HD movie rentals on the 360 are 320 Microsoft points, which is $4. Also, how do you have the "first year" failure rate of a console that hasn't even been out for a year?

Back to the OP:
I'm a huge XBox fan, but if you're looking exclusively for streaming media the Apple TV is probably the better choice, or better yet, a custom HTPC. The Xbox does have a couple things the Apple TV doesn't: ESPN Streaming, and Zune Marketplace (which does have some free content). Of course, the iTunes Marketplace is much more robust and Apple TV does have MLB/NBA TV, so you do get some sports.

Basically, if you don't think you're going to want it for games, Apple TV is the better choice.

EDIT:

DMGrier said:
If your hoping to get streaming through your xbox360 especially 1080p using your laptop. The media center on my xbox 360 will only stream dvd quality from my laptop and even then it would freeze and drop signal here and there. Sorry but the xbox 360 does not have 1080p support. Maybe with streaming your personal videos if you can get it to work properly but MS does not provide any 1080p services through there software cause max 720p or 1080i. Not to mention very few xbox games are 1080p.

I agree with the others, if you just want to use the videos on your laptop get a netbook, way better.
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A few things here. I just grabbed about a dozen 360 games at random to check, and all except for one of them supported 1080p. Also, the streaming problems you're talking about have more to do with the quality of the video than the actual video mode it's meant to be displayed at. Video encoded at a higher bit rate is going to have issues streaming wirelessly. I've encountered this myself, but found that there is no issue when working off of a wired network. Also, you can move your videos to some form of external storage and then hook them up to the 360.

I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's not half as flawed as you make it sound. PS3 has the same issue if you're trying to stream high quality video and both devices are connected wirelessly.
 
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DMGrier said:
If your hoping to get streaming through your xbox360 especially 1080p using your laptop.
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Just a clarification I will be streaming from my Windows desktop


Basically, if you don't think you're going to want it for games, Apple TV is the better choice.
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That's my issue either I add the small ATV box to my living room setup or I replace my orginal xbox with the new one to reduce clutter and have the possibility to play newer games.
 
tlarkin said:
Very much so. When I played God of War III on my 46" 1080P LED TV I almost crapped my pants it looked so damn good. Well, not really, but I definitely sat there and just stared at the screen for like a full minute not even playing the game.

When I watch blurays on my PS3 over my HTPC, I feel the PS3 does look better in some regards. I used to be a PS3 hater because I thought it was ridiculous sony was going to fit a cell processor in that little box, and well, they did it. Now I really like my PS3.
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Ah, I thought you meant for watching movies. I agree though, God of War 3 is one insane pretty game.
 
FXB said:
Just a clarification I will be streaming from my Windows desktop




That's my issue either I add the small ATV box to my living room setup or I replace my orginal xbox with the new one to reduce clutter and have the possibility to play newer games.
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Yes I know what you are going to stream from I get it, I did the same thing when I owned my xbox 360, I streamed to the 360 from my windows desktop and constant lost connection, and from what I had read online it was a major issue.
 
DMGrier said:
Yes I know what you are going to stream from I get it, I did the same thing when I owned my xbox 360, I streamed to the 360 from my windows desktop and constant lost connection, and from what I had read online it was a major issue.
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Which Xbox were you using? Is the issue with the wireless card?
 
This last generation of xbox 360, this what I am going to say. Why would you buy a product that has a major failure rate. You can go into any gamestop and they will tell the failure percentage. Why would you buy a product with so many bugs and is famous for the red light of death? I hate to say this but the apple Tv is just quality.
 
Do you have info to support it? I haven't heard of any issues with the new xbox 360 slim.
 
I would go to the Apple TV, regardless of how soon the next Apple TV will be released, but now the Apple TV is used one of my home movies centre with the help of iFunia DVD tools, and get many apps to stream videos to it, and I also can watch hulu on it!
Well, know more about the Apple TV: http://wiki.awkwardtv.org/wiki/AppleTV_2
 
FXB said:
Do you have info to support it? I haven't heard of any issues with the new xbox 360 slim.
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Well I told you where you can get your red light of death numbers. I just don't understand, apple tv won the pole and a majority has either pushed for the apple tv or a alternative to the 360 and you are still wanting the 360 which means you have already made up your mind which means to keep this thread going is pointless.

We are just trying to help you push in the correct direction for your needs.
 
mep916 said:
voted and added a few additional poll options.
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Aw- awww, can I change my vote then? :P

My vote would be -1 for the X360 and +1 for HTPC

If that's completely a non option I personally would run and ethernet and get the western digital thing.
 
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I would also choose a PS3 over an xbox. For one the PS3 auto detected my torrent client on my network and offered to hook up and stream media from it, which sort of freaked me out.
 
FXB said:
Then how is that good?
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It is good because the PS3 just works. Like I said my TV remote works on my PS3, with zero configuration. I found out by accident once by hitting my remote with my foot and it pausing the movie I was watching. I noticed my TV remote did it and that it fully worked.

I think the overall quality of the PS3 is better than the 360, but it is just my opinion.
 
In my opinion the PS3 is far better then the Xbox 360. It goes up to a 320 GB HDD, Bluray, huge movie/game online store, better ability to stream videos from laptop and remote controller's have built in batteries. From what I have read online you can also just format a external HDD to one the PS3 reads and load all your movies on there and just plug it in and it will play all your AVI or MPEG4 movies.

I have also owned both products.
 
DMGrier said:
In my opinion the PS3 is far better then the Xbox 360. It goes up to a 320 GB HDD, Bluray, huge movie/game online store, better ability to stream videos from laptop and remote controller's have built in batteries. From what I have read online you can also just format a external HDD to one the PS3 reads and load all your movies on there and just plug it in and it will play all your AVI or MPEG4 movies.

I have also owned both products.
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This is true. For my friend without cable/internet, he just gives me an sd card and tells me what tv show he wants and I just load it up for him. The PS3 is a very good media player.
 
Sorry for the inconvenience, I will not get a PS3. mep916 was going to change the poll options. Seems they haven't taken affect.
 
FXB said:
Sorry for the inconvenience, I will not get a PS3. mep916 was going to change the poll options. Seems they haven't taken affect.
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I've changed DMG and speedyink's votes. What other changes did you want? You didn't mention anything about the poll options afaik.
 
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