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Hacking the Apple TV

Daniel Fleshbourne   on 30 March 2007 - 09:23 · 8 comments & 3948 views

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Think the Apple TV lacks functionality? Think again. Specifically, some people were bothered that Apple TV could only play few video formats or that it didn't have enough features for advanced users; others thought that the device's 40GB hard drive was too small. Those criticisms continued, even as Apple TV began shipping to customers.

But then something happened: People started receiving their Apple TVs, and some of those people--including myself--started taking them apart. In fact, within days of the first Apple TV being delivered, new sites sprung up focused on hacking the set-top box. It turns out the Apple TV isn't so "limited" after all--at least not when it comes to the hardware inside.

View: The full story
News source: PCWorld

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(3 replies) #1 HawkMan on 30 Mar 2007 - 09:35
I hate link stories where I have to go to other sites to read the story.

Anyway, does it mention you can no longer connect it directly to iTunes after it's hacked... as Appee plans to check for modified units and "fix" them. and being that iTunes connectivity is supposed to be it's big thing(and according to apple, only thing)

And if you're goign to modify the thing and upgrade the HDD and such, it would seem better to just buy a a cheap HTPC that allready does everythign and comes with alarger HDD.
#1.1 NightmarE D on 30 Mar 2007 - 11:28
Quote - (HawkMan said @ #1)
I hate link stories where I have to go to other sites to read the story


I know man. I hate when I have to move my wrist about an inch to move the cursor then press a button to load a site. It's a real pain in the ass and makes my wrist hurt from all that moving around and I get blisters on my finger from pressing that button.

/end sarcasm
#1.2 HawkMan on 30 Mar 2007 - 11:39
Well it's mroe the fact that I need to load a whole new site, wich I'm not really itnerested in, I dn't really care for the ad infested news sites like PCWorld and all those.

and my page loading at this work PC isn't exactly fast. anway my point is that it's pointless to make a new article that's just the intro and then link to the actual article, then make the full article line on the frontpage go tot he other site, or quote the whole damn thing here.

if I wanted to load PC world, when they I would go to PC world.
#1.3 roadwarrior on 30 Mar 2007 - 16:43
Quote - (HawkMan said @ #1)
Anyway, does it mention you can no longer connect it directly to iTunes after it's hacked... as Appee plans to check for modified units and "fix" them.


Hmmm, do you have a link to back up those statements, or are you just pulling that out of your behind?
(1 reply) #2 MeWhOeLsE on 30 Mar 2007 - 10:23
Hmm... as a windows user I think I'll jsut wait untill the v2 media extenders come out? MY modded xbox already does more than this. I dunno I just feel a little let down. I don't see why xvid is a dirty word
#2.1 sirghost on 30 Mar 2007 - 10:41
Quote - (MeWhOeLsE said @ #2)
Hmm... as a windows user I think I'll jsut wait untill the v2 media extenders come out? MY modded xbox already does more than this. I dunno I just feel a little let down. I don't see why xvid is a dirty word


xvid is a dirty word according to apple simply because thier is no DRM.
#3 +CrimsonRedMk on 30 Mar 2007 - 10:57
^Which explains why you can play mpeg files without DRM on the AppleTV^
#4 zivan56 on 30 Mar 2007 - 13:55
I am considering buying one to use as a small HTPC. Hopefully with a USB hub and external HD and tuner, it should work quite nicely running Linux...

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