Watching Shows With Front Row is Awesome!
Finally got around to trying out Perian and Front Row on my laptop to watch television shows. All I can say is awesome! Front Row is the best way to navigate through all my multimedia content stored on my computer. And using the simple Apple Remote is absolutely great. I thought the remote was too simple to be effective, but boy was I wrong. It’s so much easier to use since it’s simple!
So getting a Mac iTV makes even more sense after seeing the Front Row experience first hand. Don’t got to transfer big files to my laptop and connect my laptop to the telly, the iTV takes care of all of that.
Technorati Tags: iTV, Macintosh, television
October 10, 2006 @ 7:54 pm
So when should we come over and watch this awesome technological breakthrough? I’ll even bring you some non-fat caramel macchiato.
October 10, 2006 @ 9:37 pm
No worry, I can bring my laptop and hook it up at your house. Just let me know what you want to watch.
October 10, 2006 @ 9:43 pm
But my neighborhood does not have star power like yours.
Plus on my TV the A/V hookups are in the back. Too much hassle. At least we know it works on your system. Too many unknown factors on mine.
October 10, 2006 @ 10:42 pm
If that’s the case then you might as well buy that new flat panel TV you got your eye on.
The Maui Invitational basketball tournament is going to be shown on ESPN you know. And WW still owes chips and salsa…
October 11, 2006 @ 12:54 am
This was before, what are the steps now?
Here’s what I do:
* Copy the show (300+ MB) to a removable hard drive
* Attach the removable drive to my laptop and copy the file to the laptop
* Take the laptop to the living room with the TV
* Attach audio and video cables from my laptop to the TV
* Change screen resolution on laptop for TV viewing
* Start the video
* Change audio volume
* Change screen size of video to full screen
* Now run to the couch to watch the show
* An interruption? Run to the laptop and pause the show
* Take care of the interruption
* Resume playing on the laptop
* Run back to the couch
October 11, 2006 @ 12:54 am
This was before, what are the steps now?
Here’s what I do:
* Copy the show (300+ MB) to a removable hard drive
* Attach the removable drive to my laptop and copy the file to the laptop
* Take the laptop to the living room with the TV
* Attach audio and video cables from my laptop to the TV
* Change screen resolution on laptop for TV viewing
* Start the video
* Change audio volume
* Change screen size of video to full screen
* Now run to the couch to watch the show
* An interruption? Run to the laptop and pause the show
* Take care of the interruption
* Resume playing on the laptop
* Run back to the couch
October 11, 2006 @ 8:20 am
The beginning 4 steps are all the same. Transferring the big files over Wifi is too slow so the hassle of the removable hard drive is worth the savings in time.
From step 5, change the screen rez, things get simpler. By default, Front Row maximizes to the entire screen (I got a regular TV, not one of those 16:9 aspect ratio wide screens).
Starting the video and controlling the audio is now all done via the tiny Apple remote. No need to fiddle with the controls of the software, laptop, or TV.
Because now I got a remote, there’s no more running back and forth to the couch.
And with Front Row, since all my multimedia (on the laptop at least) is available, I can change to a different show without having to get up and walk to the latop, find the file in the Finder, and open it with VLC. I just run through Front Row’s intuitive GUI to find the show (which has an awesome preview feature too if you don’t remember the file names). And can switch to pictures, playback tunes, or watch home videos too.
Once the iTV is in place, no need the laptop and transferring files. It’ll all be ready and waiting! Way cool!
October 11, 2006 @ 8:57 am
Glad you like Perian.