Stuff ‘n Junk, 2011
Some cool things I discovered this year…
[Reblogged] 2010/2011 Wishlist
Re-posting this from the old blog, dated 25th May, 2010. It’s great to see so many items on the list becoming a reality. Still waiting for iTunes.com though…
Re-posting this from the old blog, dated 25th May, 2010. It’s great to see so many items on the list becoming a reality. Still waiting for iTunes.com though…
Update: It looks like this issue will be resolved in the iOS 4.3 update. Currently, beta 2 has an option to change the HDMI mode. Switching the mode to RGB High prevents the display issue from occurring.
Over the holidays, I was lucky enough to receive a Sony Bravia KDL-32EX401 TV as a gift. I’m finally able ditch my old Bush HDTV, with it’s wacky array of non-HDMI ports.
This has reduced clutter behind my set, as I can now use a single HDMI cable instead of all the cables I previously used to work around the Bush TV’s lack of HDMI.
The Sony TV is wonderful - the picture is great and the TV firmware is actually quite usable. It’s also upgradable via USB, which is a nice touch.
Unfortunately, I’ve encountered a serious display issue with the Apple TV when it’s hooked up to the Sony TV. The display randomly flickers and the colours become inverted (see image below). The only way to resolve the issue is to switch the HDMI input source and back again. This is infuriating when watching a movie or TV show.
Since purchasing the new Apple TV, my old grey Apple TV has been collecting dust on a shelf in my office. With the new model retailing for $99 / €119, there’s not much point in trying to sell it (especially with the lack of updates for it).
Currently, I’m streaming my media to the new ATV from iTunes on my MacBook Pro. All of the content is on a network drive, so the only reason for needing the MBP is for the iTunes library / Home Sharing features.
Seeing as the old ATV is a low-power, Intel-based Mac, I figured I’d have a go at installing Leopard on it and using it as a media server for the new ATV to stream from. That way, I can move all of the video-related tasks to a dedicated machine, which frees up my MBP for other tasks. It also means that the iTunes library will still be accessible when my MBP is offline or out of the house.
As mentioned previously, I use an Elgato Turbo.264 HD stick to quickly encode movies for use with my Apple TV.
I’m now in the process of looking into ripping all of my DVD content into H.264, so that I can also watch it on the Apple TV. My current DVD player is an Xbox 360 and the fan noise on that thing is incredibly loud. Besides, it’s nice to have all of my content in the one place.
Seeing as the new Apple TV has just been released and is winging its way to lucky TV addicts around the globe, it’s only a matter of time before this question crops up again.
The Apple TV is a lovely device, but content selection outside of the USA stinks. In some cases, it’s non-existent. So, let’s show you how to set up an account, which will let you get the most entertainment out of your new toy…
