If the native hackability of the version of OS X on the Apple TV isn't enough for you, there's now a convenient boot loader that allows you to install linux. This also opens up the possibility of running linux based video software, particularly MPlayer, Myth TV, and XMBC. Further, since there are linux drivers for the NVIDIA hardware decoder in the Apple TV there's also the possibility of higher resolution 1080i output as opposed to the 720p it's normally limited to. Unfortunately, this is project is still in the early stages and none of this is working perfectly yet. Nonetheless, it's a interesting development on the Apple TV hacking front.
[via Apple TV Hacks]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-30-2008 @ 11:31AM
MacBookUser said...
Whoa, what is with the huge interstitial advertisement, TUAW??
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4-30-2008 @ 11:33AM
Frank Furter said...
Look out - I bet they'll be beating the doors down to take advantage of this. I know how much I detest the overall quality and functionality of the AppleTV and have wished for a way to clunk it up with some hacked Linux goodness.
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4-30-2008 @ 11:44AM
david said...
please tell me there's a convenient way to make this into a DVR. The only thing it lacks is a USB cable input, right? Feel free to mock me if the answer is obvious.
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5-01-2008 @ 4:24AM
matt said...
MythTV does support a few USB tuners, so it is possible. However, the hardware severely limits the AppleTV's use as a DVR--slow CPU and limited RAM.
It would work for a dedicated device like a cable box, but MythTV is fairly resource-hungry and I would never run a backend with less than 1GB of RAM (four times what is available in AppleTV).
Getting acceptable performance would require an optimized version of Myth (not to mention needing to get the IR hardware supported through the mess that is LiRC). The other problem is that the CPU overhead of running even a hardware-based USB encoder and storing to a USB drive at the same time might limit quality.
Recording in HD is out of the question entirely.
4-30-2008 @ 11:51AM
jus10 said...
I think this is a good thing. It means that once my AppleTV is obsoleted as a rental box, I can do some quick work and have a nice, completely silent Linux.
Of course, I already have a Mini-ITX box next to my Macbook for that purpose. Doh!
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4-30-2008 @ 11:55AM
Devon said...
The AppleTV already can output 1080p, it's just upscaled.
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4-30-2008 @ 12:30PM
Rob said...
By the way, you can easily install mac OS X onto an AppleTV making the AppleTV the lowest cost Mac available.
You might want to get an external USB hub. The one USB port on the AppleTV is pretty limiting.
If you are looking for a low cost Mac, look at the AppleTV!
(And with a linux bootloader, you can also turn your AppleTV into a capable linux box. MythTV is SO MUCH better than the AppleTV as a multimedia set top box).
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4-30-2008 @ 1:46PM
Daddy said...
The Apple TV has always been able to output 1080i, as I understood it. And with the V2 software it will upscale to 1080p too (as mentioned by Devon).
Its a somewhat complicated area, but a good way to think of p and i is that p (progressive) shows you a series of discrete pictures (like a flickbook) whereas i (interlaced) updates the image more often.
One could think of 1080i as being actually the same rez as 720p, at any given moment.
The difference is that progressive video will look crisper whereas interlaced video will show motion as being 'smoother'.
Sorry for the lecture but I'm a film engineer so am a little obsessive about this kind of thing!
As you were...
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4-30-2008 @ 7:31PM
thethirdmoose said...
Actually, progressive makes motion looks smoother. Interlaced video makes moving objects look comb-y because 1/2 the lines are drawn when the object is at position A and the other 1/2 are drawn at position B.
Also, 1080i is not = 720p at any given time. 1080/2=540, so there are more pixels/frame for 720p than for 1080i.
However, 1080i looks better on 1080p TV's.
5-01-2008 @ 8:37AM
Daddy said...
@ thethirdmoose
I disagree on all counts.
I disagree because you are wrong. Simple as that.
Getting confused over how interlaced fields update vs progressive images is understandable, though.
Look it up or work in feature film and TV drama postproduction for seven years and THEN correct me.
5-04-2008 @ 11:26PM
Likkie said...
Daddy,
You may disagree with "thethirdmoose" but that doesn't make you right. At 1080 lines interlaced, that means that only half the lines are updated at a time. Last time I checked half of 1080 was 540 not 720.
I also agree that 1080i looks better on a 1080p display than 720p does.
4-30-2008 @ 2:23PM
John said...
not really understanding the upscale technology... plainly is upscalling the same image quality as 1080 native. What am i losing with upscalling?
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