Hi,
I recently bought me an Apple TV 2 streaming client. I made the jailbreak and installed XBMC for IOS from the GIT trunk tree.
I know this is the VOMP forum, but I'm now searching so long for a device after MediaMVP that I assume a lot of you maybe interested in this report.
Apple TV 2
http://store.apple.com/de/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/apple_tv?mco=MTAyNTQzMzg:
- it's available for €120-130
- has WLAN and ethernet
- has only HDMI port for connection of TV
- has already support for e.g. YouTube
For jailbraking you need a Micro-USB cable (not a Mini-USB). For connection to the TV a HDMI cable is also needed extra.
Jailbraking can be frustrating, as it may not work the first time you try it and you don't know what went wrong. I needed 4 hours, others can do it right with the first try. It's an untethered jailbreak, no connection to pc needed after it.
Installing XBMC is rather easy afterwards, i.e. when you are used to apt-get.
Getting the right XBMC is on the other hand tricky.
For VDR support you need the unstable PVR branch.
For Apple TV 2 support you need the unstable IOS branch.
Both have nightly builds but not the combination. None of both is available in the current stable branch.
One dev was so kind to compile one for us test users so I was able to install and test it.
For VDR you need the VNSI plugin, also available from a GIT tree and must fit to the same PVR branch of XBMC (protocol is still changing).
VOMP and VNSI can work in parallel.
Situation:- XBMC starts and runs
- Most non video functionality is working as expected with some crashes here and there. So it is still alpha status (did you expect something else?) but already usable for potential shows to satisfy the WAF - legitimate the investment
- Video: I have no HD card installed, so I cannot test it atm. But HD with H264 is the only format currently supported with hardware acceleration by the box.
SD is not supported through the accessible hardware (even that the chip should have support for it, it is not accessible through the software library).
But it is sayed that the CPU should be able to do it in software.
On my box, it always stutters, through wireless or cable, recordings or live-tv. But this seems to be a known issue, some tell it works for them, some not..
I have updated to the latest version, changed one setting and can now confirm that SD is working without stuttering as well. But it is not deinterlaced.
What is supported in PVR module:- Live-TV in fullscreen also with channellist and current epg
- EPG with possibility to set timers
- Recordings, playing, deleting. Markers are not yet supported by the PVR plugin but I'm sure it will be.
- Timer: Set, Edit, Delete, all supported already
- Search: You can search through the EPG for entries
So everything that VOMP has is/will be supported and IMHO much more appealing.
For sure you also have a Linux, Windows and OSX client already available through XBMC normal support. Other IOS hardware (IPad, IPhone) is working similarily.
Performance:
VNSI is as responsive as VOMP is (if you use XBMC on e.g. Windows). The usage on Apple TV 2 is not the same. But I wouldn't say it's way to too slow. Just that you feel some delay here and there but not everywhere. I read some comments that the big areas are already addressed, so huge improvements are not forseen anymore atm.
Now to the bad:- Development is on Apple only and you need (afaicr) 10.3 at least. So no cheap dev environment possible as long as you don't have a Mac already. No cross compiling possible from Linux or Windows boxes.
- Nothing else than H264, so if you have any HD else than H264 you are lost
- MPEG2 is still
a risk, if it will ever be completely without stuttering/buffering unclear, if it will ever be shown deinterlaced - Jailbreaking maybe not possible in the future anymore in case Apple is really fixing it the hard way
If you have any question, I will help answering them or even test them if needed/possible.