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XBMC FTW - $99 ATV2 now runs XBMC (along w/iphone & ipad) - 1080p? Yes


akg4y

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XBMC.org boasts the following for Apple TV:

*Full XBMC install, this is not a remote or thin client streamer.

*No longer is your AppleTV2 chained to iTunes.

*Who wants transcoded video anyway?

*Share files on your network your way.

*Full hardware decode for 720p/1080p movies.

*Everything else you know and love about XBMC.

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Never tried a blu-ray ISO Im not sure if it supports them yet. It does handle MKVs but note that MKV is a container not a video encoding format so it may not work with some MKVs but in my experience it works with 95-99% of them.

It is an ARM processor as mentioned above, so it remains to be seen how good the 1080p playback is.

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This is some of the most exciting news I've seen for a long time.

I still dont know why everyone insists on 1080. All my content is SD and I'm happy with that. I think 720p woul be great. 1080 takes up even more storage apace.

Definitely makes me want to jailbrake my iPhone and iPad. I use the original ATV still since I distribute video turlough my home using component over Ethernet baluns.

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And C4 already ties into XBMC fairly neatly, but with some hassle as far as I have heard.

So, once jailbroken, do you guys think that this could be a good route to go as an alternative or something like the NTV550 for access to photo, local video files, as well as Netflix and YouTube streaming?

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Not sure about Netflix but YouTube, photos, and video files are the bread and butter of what it can do.

Dang about the 720p output.. old AppleTV was the same way, I think it has something to do with the AppleTV OS which they have not fixed. You can get true 1080p output with the old AppleTV with Crystal HD card which is what I have (2 of them actually) but occasionally I still get a little stutter on 1080p files (Id say once per movie on average, and occasionally when I pause and restart).

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This is some of the most exciting news I've seen for a long time.

I still dont know why everyone insists on 1080. All my content is SD and I'm happy with that. I think 720p woul be great. 1080 takes up even more storage apace.

Definitely makes me want to jailbrake my iPhone and iPad. I use the original ATV still since I distribute video turlough my home using component over Ethernet baluns.

Yeah I actually only get 720p for the most part with rare exceptions (Avatar, Gladiator, etc).

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I was thinking of getting a NTV550 + NAS. Now this is leaning me towards Apple TV + NAS. However, the apple tv processor may turn out to be pathetic. Maybe it's better to just get a decent (rack-mounted or not) server with enough drive space as a NAS. Dump XBMC on it and we're good to go. Sometimes it sucks to have too many choices.

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Just did the jailbreak and installation of XBMC. It does work but the unit requires tethering to a computer to load the modified OS (that is every time power is removed from the unit) . It also has a few issues not loading some video files, and it is a little choppy with others. Maybe wait for a jailbreak that doesn't require tethering which will make it a bit more viable. The 720p is a bummer though. Definitely a hobby type of thing for the more tweaky type of individual but not a solution for the masses.

In my opinion I would say go with the Netgear as it is a solution that works at a good price point.

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The network didn't have anything to do with it. Once it is jailbroken it needs a USB connection to the computer, you have to put the AppleTV into DFU mode and an application must be run to have it load the modified iOS. If your power goes out or you unplug the appletv you will have to repeat the process. There is apparently an untethered jailbreak coming out possibly next month which will make this option a bit more attractive. I just have to toy around a bit more when I have time to see what it can do.

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  • 1 month later...

Just did the apple TV2 jailbreak using greenpois0n RC6. It's real easy to do and doesn't require a usb tether when rebooting. It's been out for a couple of weeks, but I just now noticed it.

http://www.appletvhacks.net/2011/02/16/how-to-jailbreak-apple-tv-2-with-greenpois0n-rc6/#more-954

With XBMC installed it's a nice little media player for $99.

edited to add:

Hulu is working for me also.

http://www.appletvhacks.net/2011/03/02/how-to-watch-hulu-on-apple-tv-2/#more-979

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I have had it working for a while as well untethered. It seems to actually work ok, but I have to reboot it on occasion for various reasons. On the weekend I installed XBMC on my iPad and iPhone. It is pretty slick. I do find the iphone screen a bit small but on the iPad is very watchable.

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