(FYI: This post is Part 2 of an exploration. See Part 1 here.)
I fooled around with the PC for the whole weekend a week ago. I got XBMC loaded. I tried to get Ubuntu working and finally got it to connect to my network but then couldn't get it to access my music library. And then I just stuck the thing downstairs connected to the home theater, still running Windows XP, still slow as Moses, and I'm going to use it as a glorified jukebox when I want some music in the HT.
The Apple TV was just so simple to setup up. And the Remote app makes it so easy to control it's just a no-brainer. I've watched a couple movies streaming and they're great. Watch Netflix with no problems. But for me the big win is that my whole music library is now available upstairs. And the Apple TV even knows what I last listened to at the PC. Pretty darn slick.
Most--no all--of the reviews I've read about the Apple TV focus on the video viewing capabilities of the Apple TV. Yes, it is more limited than other options (Roku, etc.), but it is the only set-top that will stream music as easily as this thing. And for me, that's the most important thing. I can now sit on my couch upstairs and enjoy music again without hooking up my phone.
Thanks, Apple TV! You're swell.
Trying to jerry rig an old PC into a media streaming behemoth gets 2 Wallet Moths, mostly because it was fun to mess around with, but ultimately a waste of time.
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