01-15-2008, 11:46 PM
Guitarist,
I definitely understand the sofa-bed analogy except in my case, the ones my family own are incredibly comfortable. They are definitely as comfy if not more so than many regular couches and beds I've used over the years. the mom specifically chose high quality models because she wanted them to be uber-comfy. Believe it or not, I'm actually using one near-full time right now because I'm moving into a new apartment and it is in the process of being renovated. That and I haven't bought a new bed yet.
That said, even an AppleTv, which I know is small, is still _another_ device in my stack of home entertainment gear, one that isn't offering enough new features to justify the space and additional cost. If I buy another piece of hardware, it has to prove itself cost effective and reduce space and cable clutter.
What does the AppleTV offer me that I don't already have with a TIVO (which also doubles as a DVD recorder), a cheap VCR, a cheap DVD player, and a cable box? Not much. The only compelling feature that it offers now is rentals from the itunes store.
At this point, I don't want to spend upwards of $200.00 on another device whose only compelling feature is rentals from the itunes tv/movie store. If the appleTv could replace the TIVO, maybe it'd be onto something. But, it can't. It can't even compete with it on features.
If I'm going to spend upwards of $200.00 on another home theater device, I'll drop the bucks for machine with greater functionality such as a TIVO HD. At least that can replace my existing TIVO and a cable box, something the AppleTV can't do at this time. And, if I want, I can transfer content to a computer, my existing TIVO DVD recorder (My TIVO has a built in DVd recorder) or my VCR/DVD recorder for archiving to DVD. The VCR/DVd recorder is in a different room but easily transportable.
Robert
I definitely understand the sofa-bed analogy except in my case, the ones my family own are incredibly comfortable. They are definitely as comfy if not more so than many regular couches and beds I've used over the years. the mom specifically chose high quality models because she wanted them to be uber-comfy. Believe it or not, I'm actually using one near-full time right now because I'm moving into a new apartment and it is in the process of being renovated. That and I haven't bought a new bed yet.
That said, even an AppleTv, which I know is small, is still _another_ device in my stack of home entertainment gear, one that isn't offering enough new features to justify the space and additional cost. If I buy another piece of hardware, it has to prove itself cost effective and reduce space and cable clutter.
What does the AppleTV offer me that I don't already have with a TIVO (which also doubles as a DVD recorder), a cheap VCR, a cheap DVD player, and a cable box? Not much. The only compelling feature that it offers now is rentals from the itunes store.
At this point, I don't want to spend upwards of $200.00 on another device whose only compelling feature is rentals from the itunes tv/movie store. If the appleTv could replace the TIVO, maybe it'd be onto something. But, it can't. It can't even compete with it on features.
If I'm going to spend upwards of $200.00 on another home theater device, I'll drop the bucks for machine with greater functionality such as a TIVO HD. At least that can replace my existing TIVO and a cable box, something the AppleTV can't do at this time. And, if I want, I can transfer content to a computer, my existing TIVO DVD recorder (My TIVO has a built in DVd recorder) or my VCR/DVD recorder for archiving to DVD. The VCR/DVd recorder is in a different room but easily transportable.
Robert