Accelerate Your Macintosh! News Page - 3/23/07 03/26/2007 04:28 PM

3/23/07 Friday's News: Last Updated: 10:44 PM EST

Miss a Day? See the previous 3 days' news summary or the Archives. = Recent Articles and Reviews = PriceMac.Com Transintl Memory and Hard Drive weekend Specials - (from sponsor Transintl) Price Compare Site Just for Macs " This is for XLR8YOURMAC readers only for the weekend. -Sid OWC SPECIALS! Transintl.com (click for complete list)

Memory and Storage Upgrades for Intel Dual Core iMacs, MacMinis, MacBook and MacBook 200GB Notebook SATA HDs Pro. $226!

3GB Kit (1 X 2GB + 1 X 1GB) DDR2 667 SODIMM $299.00 160GB Notebook HDs from 2GB Kit (2 X 1GB) DDR2 667 SODIMM $148.00 $118! 1GB DDR2 667 SODIMM $69.00 250GB Seagate ATA/100 or SATA $72/$71.50! Also: 500GB Hard Drive from Hitachi 100GB 7200RPM, 8MB Cache SATA $109.00 $129.50! Hitachi 120GB 5400RPM, 8MB Cache SATA $ 89.00 750GB Seagate $275! Hitachi 160GB 5400RPM, 8MB Cache SATA $109.00 " 100GB 2.5" 7200RPM $124!

250GB 7200RPM Neptune More on Apple TV item listings out of order - I don't have an Apple TV to test this but for FW Hard Drive $119.50! owners with TV episodes that are out of order on the Apple TV (but ok in iTunes), can you create ATI RADEON X1900 G5 a playlist of the episodes in the correct order and then use that as a workaround? If you try that, Edition $345! let me know if it works. Thanks. Update - within seconds literally a reader replied it doesn't work: G4 1.6GHz $230!

" I created a playlist consisting of the 6 episodes from season 1 and 1 episode from season 2 PL G4/1.2GHz w/2MB L3 $167.50! of the Office, but couldn't get the playlist to sync. Not sure if it only works with music playlists. Dual 1GHz/Dual 1.3GHz I think that the AppleTV is listing the episodes in reverse chronological order. The season 2 w/2MB L3 per CPU episode is at the top of the list, followed by the season 1 episodes in reverse order. My guess $275/$325! is that the system defaults so that the newest movies/episodes/etc. all show at the top and Apple ROM Pioneer DVR-109 are easy to get to, rather than having to dig down a huge list each time you add a new $29.50! episode or podcast of your favorite show and want to watch it. ~Chris " Dual Layer "SuperDrive" for PB G4 $115!

512MB PC-133 SDRAM Another later reply on the subject: $63.75!

" As far as Playlists for TV shows: 2GB (2x1GB) DDR400 $164! I can't find under TV shows where it will let you use Playlists - Playlists that are made up from NewerTech Replacement TV Shows do appear in the Music menu (but will not play - Apple TV says "There are no iPod Batteries - From $5.00! songs in this Playlist"), but there's nothing under the TV Show menu - I have no idea how to get the correct order for TV show episodes, or anything else for that matter - it is a bit EliteAL Case Kit $67.50 annoying. XLR8YourMac.com T-Shirts It does the same thing for music albums - they are sorted oddly, and not by album order or $15.99! alphabet. Even music playlists are reordered. Support this site by buying -Brian" a shirt!

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Notes on QT Pro Exporting 5.1 Audio Movies (but Apple TV not outputting multichannel...) - I can't verify it here, but I've updated the Apple TV feedback page here with a reader's guide to (QT Pro) exporting movies with "5.1" audio. (Source file must have 5.1 audio.) Update - although this does create a "5.1" file, a reader said based on the status info on his surround sound receiver, he's still not seeing multichannel output from Apple TV. (Chris also later confirmed this - only stereo output...) Xlr8YourMac Deals Maybe that's why no mention of surround sound, etc. is found on the Apple TV product pages. MacPro Memory With (The Apple TV page here has been updated with their comments on these tests.) Apple Spec HeatSink 2GB Kit $248, 4GB Kit $528 Apple TV vs MediaCentral on a Mac - (I've posted links to updates to MediaCentral many times but had forgotten about it lately until this mail today) MacBook/MacBook Pro Mac Mini/iMac Intel Core " AppleTV vs. MediaCentral... Solo/Duo I notice the AppleTV interface looks a lot like that of the program MediaCentral. Too much so. DDR2 667Mhz PC5300 I wonder if there will be a lawsuit, and who holds the intellectual property... SODIMM 3GB Kit $299, 2GB Kit I have MediaCentral on my macs, and it works well. It also plays your iTunes library (even $148, 1GB $79 protected music, but not videos). But it also does so much more, like playing movies and music you store elsewhere, including DVDs in the drive or VideoTS folders you put anywhere. G5 Dual/Quad Core, iMac As long as you alias it to the MediaCentral folder, it'll play it, and you can organize it how you G5 want. It also integrates Skype, IPTV, internet Radio, and things like that, though in my DDR2 PC4200 2GB $158, experience, it's not 100% there yet. 4GB $298

It's what AppleTV should be. On a mini, it costs 2x as much, but you do get a real computer PB G4 DDR333 SODIMM out of the deal... ;) 1GB $99 512MB $45 MediaCentral home page. Mike " DDR1 PC3200 1GB $79/ 2GB $158

100GB 2.5in 7200RPM PATA or SATA $119 More Apple TV user reports (Sync/Stream limits, Heat, No Photo Sync, Episode Order 250GB MiniG FireWire400 Issues) - I've created a separate page with new and previous Apple TV user reports, including $115 notes on Sync/Stream limits and impacts (with one user's workaround), Heat, No photo streaming (currently at least), issues with sorting/order of TV Shows (i.e. season/espisode listings not in STORAGE, RAM, correct order as they were in iTunes). Hopefully a later update from Apple will correct some of ACCESSORIES these issues, but as always, buying a 'first model' has its risks. Mac Pro MacBook First Feedback from 7448 CPU Upgrade user (Dual 1.8GHz in Digital Audio) - The Rate Your MacBook Pro CPU Upgrade database has been updated with the first user report on the Newer Tech 7448 CPU Mac Mini Upgrades - a Dual 1.8GHz 7448 in a Digital Audio G4/AGP tower. (Total reports to date: 10,299). PowerMac G5 I've also mirrored a copy of it on a static page. PowerMac G3 If you've upgraded the CPU on your Mac, send a review with your experience PowerMac G4 (performance/stability/installation, etc.), Mac Model/Upgrade brand info and overall rating (1= worst iMacs to 10=best). Search the database for entries from most every upgradable Mac model before you eMacs buy. (Searchable by mac model/upgrade brand). PowerBook G3 PowerBook G4 iBooks More swollen MacBook Pro Battery reports - (Updated with two more this afternoon..) Xserve

"on my MacBook Pro CD 2.0 (march 2006) i'm on my 3rd battery, the 1st was a swollen one, immediately replaced by apple, within 24h, the 2nd exchange wasn't swollen but lost power. Mac Help Now! after 4 months it only held 60% of it's original capacity. Freq. Asked -Frederic " Questions (Check First!) I have a friend with a brand new C2D MacBook (not Pro) discover his battery was wedged in Systems Info/Articles (after noticing some odd charge reporting behavior) and had it replaced recently (battery could not be removed without damage to the case so he recd a new system). If you had repeated battery CPU Upgrade Articles problems, the question in my mind is if this is a case of repeated bad batteries (battery fault, not properly reporting full charge, etc) or is it a problem with the notebook (where it's overcharging the Video/Card Articles battery/failing to recognize battery status, etc.) Normally the battery alone is the suspect, but with repeated failures I'd contact Apple support and have the notebook tested. Storage Articles

"Just a week ago I heard a pop under my MacBook Pro 17in purchased june 2006, followed Search the CPU Upgrade soon thereafter by a lack of response from the trackpad and keyboard caused by the battery Database swelling. Got a replacement battery under warranty from the local applestore (without first Search Mac Drive http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/index.html#S22555 Page 2 of 8 Accelerate Your Macintosh! News Page - 3/23/07 03/26/2007 04:28 PM

noting the sn). It seemed like the machine had been running warmer for about a week in Search Mac Drive advance but the weather was also warmer during that period. Compatibility Database

Had the power adapter replaced a couple months back as well due to failure of the strain Search the relief. Game/System Perf. Database I found out I could get the screen replaced because it's at the borderline of being too dim at max brightness. The illumination was also very uneven but changing the resolution and Read Game Reviews setting it back fixed that (as people on the apple discussion forums have found). -Joel K."

An earlier report follows:

" I have had the same problem on my 17" MacBook Pro. Battery swelled up and popped right out of the bottom of the machine. Scary. I already turned it in so I can't give you any (serial) numbers. I bought the computer in July of last year, but it was refurbished. -Leesa F. "

Last June the MacBook Pro feedback page here had a photo of a 17in user's battery that had swollen to where the casing had split. It's a good idea to check for any overcharging/swelling in the battery every so often. The first sign is often that you can't easily remove the battery. And although rare as far as I know, as mentioned in the news here a week or so ago one MacBook owner (bought in June 06 he said) had his MacBook battery burst into flames (from overcharging), almost burning down the house.

Xvid hack on Apple TV? Hard Drive Upgrade? - Ed sent a link to a forum post titled We just got xvid working on the Apple TV - "I just officially got xvid/everything else supported by Perian working on the Apple TV." (I asked Ed if he knew if this was for real as even the original post now has a "Fake Fake..." comment)

" Don't know. That you can take the drive out and add files to the OS is amusing. But unless 1080P is a firmware update, I'm not interested in this item. Not yet. As for the FAKE FAKE... I'm confused too. Needs more research..

I read about a guy putting a 120G HD in but only sees about 107GB. (I asked for more info on the drive upgrade - cloned original drive? or did system/factory restore?) Apple TV 120GB HD upgrade No details yet. I'll keep checking. Sounds like just took out drive and either mirrored it or like I would, DiskJockey one to larger then repartition (Volumeworks). -Ed "

Other News/Misc. Software Updates - (Updated 7PM Eastern)

"Review: Apple TV Just Plain Works" (PC World) "4Flix.Net announces 100% Compatibility with AppleTV, Free Downloads (for March)" CPUTest 0.2 - Stress test a CPU Starz Sues Disney TV Arm Over iTunes Deal Music publishers accuse XM of copyright infringement ("encouraging piracy through "iPod-like" devices capable of recording and playing back on-air tracks...")

Recently Upated Apple Support Docs Apple TV Tip: Initial content sync over an 802.11b or an 802.11g network Airport Extreme (802.11n): Base station displays a blinking amber light (LED) iMac (Early 2006), MacBook Pro, MacBook Pro (17-inch) may stop responding when external display is rotated to 90 degrees Portable Computers: Troubleshooting power adapters Mighty Mouse: Some features require Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later iPhoto, Aperture: How to Change Your Shipping Address for Photo Orders

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= Thursday's News Follows =

More Apple TV users first Impressions, Complaints, Photos/Setup Screens, etc. -

" Hey Mike, Well I got my AppleTV today and played with it all day, used every feature. Everybody's excited but me, I was expecting more from an Apple product, several features I would love that it does not have:

1. Does not play Dolby Digital 5.1 sound only AAC3 stereo (The Apple TV Specs page Audio section doesn't mention surround sound or 5.1 and I didn't see any mention of it on any Apple TV page. Bottom line, if you don't see it mentioned anywhere in a product's info (I suspect they wouldn't be quiet on a feature like that) - assume it's not supported or at least contact them to ask before buying. Apple had a note about iTunes store movies that "Movies include audio which is encoded using Dolby Surround which delivers multichannel audio when played using Dolby Pro Logic systems." On the older page w/comments on iTunes movies here, one reader thought you needed to use optical audio out for surround sound, as someone else had said the audio appeared to be only stereo otherwise. I don't know of anyone that said they had "surround" sound with iTunes content to date in any setup but I could have missed it. Ken sent a reminder this is not true/discrete 5.1, it's basically 'matrix audio'/pseudo-multi-channel if you have a compatible receiver.-Mike)

2. Will not play a streaming radio station from iTunes even if its in your play list

3. I purchased a lot of music video's, will only play 1 at a time, cannot shuffle music videos as is from the menu.

4. Will not play movies from your movie folder they must be imported into iTunes. (I hadn't thought about that, although the Apple TV front page says "Apple TV puts your iTunes library - movies, TV shows, music, and podcasts - plus movie trailers from Apple.com on your TV." So that means even the apple "movie trailers" have to be in your iTunes Library?)

These are just a few flaws that I found with Apple TV. Every review, every article, nothing but praise. (Some of the articles I've seen do mention some cons/limitations (even before it was released there were common complaints on limitations/restrictions, missing features, etc.) but most reviews so far were very positive in general, focusing on the highs rather than the lows. But then the 'reality distortion field' is always in effect on new apple products. But after all the comments from day 1 on Apple TV limitations (see Jan 9th posts here w/notes on other options), I assumed anyone buying one knew its primary purpose was to play iTunes content on (compatible) TV. But you mentioned some missing features (like net radio playback) that I hadn't thought about. And check out Apple's forum on Apple TV, there's some other complaints about things that were expected to be a given - like TV show series/episodes not shown in correct order on Apple TV for instance.-Mike)

I have purchased every Mac product since 1984, this by far was the least exciting. I am the type of purchaser who stares out the window waiting for FedEx to pull up so I can play with my new toy.

This is basically an iPod for your TV. Not trying to be negative, just thought I would shed some light for those who think they are going to get something only to be disappointed. It makes no sense to put your movies on Apple TV. Video looks great, awesome on my 65 inch TV, however, the sound is lacking.

To summarize, if you are going to view photos, listen to music in the background through your stereo, this is a great product. If you want to purchase TV shows and movies, buy the DVD for the Dolby Digital sound. I would give this 3 out of 5 stars. -Steven "

Some people still feel that the (more expensive) Mini (or a HTPC homebrew) is a better choice (more flexible content wise) than Apple TV, especially if a lot of your content needs re-encoding and/or you're not a big user of iTunes content. A friend said the NY Times had a comparison of Apple TV vs Xbox 360 vs the Netgear Entertainer HD (mentioned before here) that convinced him to not buy an Apple TV in its current form.

" Mike, Received my Apple TV today. Setup was very easy and I am very impressed with the quality of this product so far. I had converted some movies using the new Apple TV export option in QuickTime and they look better than when played on my Divx player. I've got an HD cable box and everything is routed through my A/V receiver which has HDMI http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/index.html#S22555 Page 4 of 8 Accelerate Your Macintosh! News Page - 3/23/07 03/26/2007 04:28 PM

and component switching. I have put some photos up showing the out-of-box experience, Apple TV setup screens and some clips playing here for anyone that may be interested: http://www.vitalnet.net/apple_tv/Site/Photos.html Thanks, Andy "

I tempted to get one of these this weekend (although I honestly can't see paying $15-$10 for iTunes store full length movies when I can get a DVD for less). I was trying to hold off for a later model in hopes that it would have more codec support, larger drive, maybe a port for connecting an external drive, etc. but it would be nice to have one to play around with. (For those that are waiting for their Apple TV to arrive, there's a ton of Apple TV docs below on setup, networking, etc. .)

Newer Tech 7448 based CPU Upgrades - I knew these were in the works but didn't know they were posted for sale yet, but Rob G. sent a note that OWC has several Newer Tech 7448 CPU Upgrades listed on their site now - Dual 1.7GHz, Dual 1.8GHz, Single 1.8GHz and Single 2GHz models for G4 AGP (Uni-N 7 or later) "Sawtooth", Gigabit Ethernet, Digital Audio, and Quicksilver/Quicksilver 2002 Systems. 7448's have 1MB of on-chip L2 cache vs the 7447A's 512KB L2. Each 7448 CPU Upgrade page there has benchmarks with the upgrade vs stock (100MHz bus) G4/400 to G4/500 base systems. They also offer trade-in/rebates on your original CPU. (A reader had been testing one but was not able to comment publicly due to an NDA - but after seeing this post that they were now being sold, he sent comments on it that I'll add to the CPU upgrade user reviews database tomorrow.)

Apple TV Internal Photos - Techrestore sent an email with a link to their page on Apple TV Dissection (w/2 photos as I'm typing this) and a link to a photobucket page with more AppleTV internal photos. From the photos you can see the hard drive is a 2.5in standard IDE (PATA, not SATA) and the wireless card is the Broadcom chip based 2 antenna model like the Mac Pro card.

AppleTV First Impressions - Crave has posted a page of Apple TV: First impressions. As these are arriving now to end users, if you buy one let me know what you think of it. (To get you primed, see below for a long list of Apple docs on AppleTV setup, networking info, troubleshooting, diagnostics, etc.) BTW - Matthew called (got his Apple TV today) and wanted to remind anyone else getting one to make sure they had updated to iTunes 7.1.1 before setting up the Apple TV. He also said that he didn't turn off his HDTV before connecting the HDMI cables, which resulted in him having to call Comcast to reset something on his cable setup. (Not sure how that would have messed with his cable box/setup but that's what he said...)

Over 40 Apple Knowledge Base Docs on AppleTV - (Updated 3PM) Here's a (long) listing of AppleTV related Apple kbase docs:

Apple TV Fast Start: The New User's Guide to Apple TV (*Read First*) Apple TV: What You Need Apple TV: Connecting the Cables Apple TV: How to run diagnostics Apple TV: Tips and Basic Troubleshooting Apple TV Tip: Initial content sync over an 802.11b or an 802.11g network Apple TV: Sync or stream differences and set up Apple TV: Syncing time and streaming performance dependent on the speed of wireless network Apple TV: Where to find the Ethernet and wireless ID Where do I set my computer's name for Apple TV? Troubleshooting Apple TV not recognized in iTunes Apple TV cannot join networks that use high ASCII or double-byte characters in their name or password Apple TV: Switching between wired and wireless networks Apple TV: Connections through proxy servers are not supported Apple TV: HDMI takes precedence over component video connections if both connected Apple TV: HDMI video is too dark or too light Apple TV: WPA-Enterprise encryption does not ask for a user name Pairing and Unpairing the Apple Remote with Apple TV Apple TV: Initial Configuration Import, Sync, or Stream Your Content to Apple TV Apple TV: What kinds of music and movies can I play on Apple TV?

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Apple TV: Syncing Photos via iTunes Apple TV: HDMI audio no longer working Apple TV: Guide to ports and connectors Apple TV: Adding Podcasts via iTunes Apple TV: No picture using component video Apple TV: Internet connection required to playback purchased iTunes Store content Export your iMovie projects to use on Apple TV How to perform a Factory Restore on your Apple TV Apple TV: Change from Vivid or Dynamic picture setting for best color display TCP and UDP ports and protocols used by Apple TV Apple TV: About the Status Light Apple TV starts up to a flashing question mark Apple TV: Paired remote stops working What does the USB port do on the Apple TV? Apple TV: Wireless networking list does not display my wireless access point's name Apple TV: Some languages may not display correctly Sync is temporarily paused when Apple TV is playing video content iTunes Mac 7.1 Help. Playing home movies on your TV using an Apple TV iTunes Mac 7.1 Help: Playing your iTunes library on your TV over a network Plus and minus on Apple Remote do not control Apple TV volume Some photos may not be rotated correctly when viewed on Apple TV Apple TV does not play purchased content after "deauthorize all"

They've also updated the doc of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Movies.

Rate Your Mac CPU Upgrade Reports Database Updated - The Rate Your CPU Upgrade database has been updated with 2 new reports today. Total to date: 10,298. Here's a summary of the latest addition (search database by upgrade brand, mac model, etc. for a complete list/comments of all user reports on matching criteria - latest reports first).

Powerlogix G4/1.2GHz (7455) in (Sawtooth) G4/AGP (rated 10) (upgraded a sawtooth G4/350 tower bought for $125) XLR8 G4/600 (5xxMhz rated CPU) in B&W G3 (rated 9) (detailed report with notes on install, firmware patches, etc.)

(Full reviews of G4 and G3 upgrades compared to stock CPUs, including real world apps/game tests, install info, etc. are linked at the G4 upgrade reviews and G3 upgrade reviews pages. OC/CPU module articles are on the Systems page.)

You can find the full reports by searching the database selecting the indicated Mac model and upgrade card brand/type. If you've upgraded the CPU on your Mac, send a review with your experience (performance/stability/installation, etc.), Mac Model/Upgrade brand info and overall rating (1= worst to 10=best). Search the database for entries from most every upgradable Mac model *before* you buy. (Searchable by mac model/upgrade brand).

Other News/Misc Software Updates - (Updated 3:30PM)

Top Ten Reasons You Don't Need Apple TV (Yet) DFG/1394-1 Driver 3.01.02 (Video to FireWire converter driver) Ancient Empires Lux 1.0.1 VisualHub 1.23 ConceptDraw Lab changes the way you brainstorm with software Apple Store Rome: new rewards for the opening Geekbench 2.0.1 (added Rosetta tests, bug fixes.) Site wants to become YouTube of games World of Warcraft' bans raise players' ire Microsoft says Xbox security wasn't breached New Wii Games Have Control Issues Broadcom to U.S.: Ban Phones With Qualcomm Chips Creditors May go After BenQ

Revised Apple Kbase Docs (See above for listing of AppleTV specific docs) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Movies Troubleshooting the Apple Remote About the Apple Remote Control How to replace the Apple Remote battery iTunes 101: Browse and Buy Videos About white MacBooks' palmrest area Charging your iPod battery

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Recent Articles and Reviews - Listing/links to recent articles and reviews you may have missed.

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