[dante01]

Originally Posted by bpsmith

As said, HD Audio is all it misses in addition to 24 frame playback in my mind.

Really?

Not that sure that you are trying a very varied range of formats on a non jailbroken ATV to be able to make such a claim? The simple fact that the ATV is not DLNA certified and is heavily reliant on iTunes rules it out for most. It is a very iTunes/Applecentric product that assumes you only buy all your listening and viewing content via Apple. If you've an non jailbroken ATV, turn iTunes off on you computer and see how far you get. You'll have no access to any of your films or music files. There are boxes out there that do much the same as the ATV and more, but without the restrictions the ATV imposes. Worst thing is, there's no real reason for all the bad points other than Apple's desire for you to use iTunes and the iTunes store. Apple even went as far as ceasing support for front row in order to stop people using Macs and Mac Mini's as media centres. Apple are now obsessed with selling you stuff via iTunes and the app store and unfortunately they also impose too many restrictions on those who do shop there and on what you can purchase there.

All I can assume is that you are easily pleased?


Apart from that, the ATV is lovely

[bpsmith]

It all boils down to what kit you already have I guess. It's no problem for me to run iTunes on my Mac Mini Server. It's no problem using IVI to simply change containers for use via iTunes either tbh.

Yes, I need the Mini on to use the ATV, But it's no different to using a NAS instead. In fact it probably uses less power too.

I have never bought TV or Movies via Apple and got access to my complete library via the ATV no problem.

Regularly use the Mini on my Panny GT50 with Plex and it beats FrontRow hands down and costs nothing. Probably why Apple ditched theirs as others were so much more advanced nowadays. If Apple didn't want you to use your Mini on your TV then why did they add HDMI!?!

[dante01]

Originally Posted by bpsmith

It all boils down to what kit you already have I guess. It's no problem for me to run iTunes on my Mac Mini Server. It's no problem using IVI to simply change containers for use via iTunes either tbh.

Yes, I need the Mini on to use the ATV, But it's no different to using a NAS instead. In fact it probably uses less power too.

I have never bought TV or Movies via Apple and got access to my complete library via the ATV no problem.

Regularly use the Mini on my Panny GT50 with Plex and it beats FrontRow hands down and costs nothing. Probably why Apple ditched theirs as others were so much more advanced nowadays. If Apple didn't want you to use your Mini on your TV then why did they add HDMI!?!

I notice you've jailbroken your ATV. Why was that then????

[bpsmith]

I jail broke my ATV2 to try out the look of Plex after moving from using it on my Mini. Didn't try anything else on there.

As you have clearly taken a keen interest in my prior Threads, you will also have noticed that I have long since updated to the latest FW and am using all of my ATV's as Apple intended. But you knew that already, right? ;-)

[dante01]

Originally Posted by bpsmith

I jail broke my ATV2 to try out the look of Plex after moving from using it on my Mini. Didn't try anything else on there.

As you have clearly taken a keen interest in my prior Threads, you will also have noticed that I have long since updated to the latest FW and am using all of my ATV's as Apple intended. But you knew that already, right? ;-)

No, I didn't take that much notice of your previous ATV experience.

I can only comment on my use and experience of my ATV3. As it stands it cannot fulfil my requirements and I cannot do away with my other streaming components. It is not a bad product, just too Applecentric for my needs or liking

I would like to jailbreak my ATV3, but even this isn't an option. I will still continue to use it for Podcasts and I'm looking forward to AirPlay Mirroring when Mountain Lion is released.

[Spoonhead]

A Macbook pro tablet. Wow.

Pressure sensitivity as well.

Would expect that to be very expensive, but very cool all the same.

New Pen-Based 'Modbook Pro' Tablet Launching in Early Fall - Mac Rumors

Gazza

[NewBeetle]

Originally Posted by gazzared_typer

A Macbook pro tablet. Wow.

Pressure sensitivity as well.

Would expect that to be very expensive, but very cool all the same.

New Pen-Based 'Modbook Pro' Tablet Launching in Early Fall - Mac Rumors

Gazza

Nasty.

[bpsmith]

Originally Posted by dante01

No, I didn't take that much notice of your previous ATV experience.

I can only comment on my use and experience of my ATV3. As it stands it cannot fulfil my requirements and I cannot do away with my other streaming components. It is not a bad product, just too Applecentric for my needs or liking

I would like to jailbreak my ATV3, but even this isn't an option. I will still continue to use it for Podcasts and I'm looking forward to AirPlay Mirroring when Mountain Lion is released.

Was tongue in cheek as you referenced my JB from old posts. :-)

It totally depends on your needs at the end of the day. It doesn't fit for you, but suits me great. Doesn't mean it's rubbish, or that it's the best device out there for everyone.

[sparkie1984]

Would recommend you read an article on macrumors about the rmbp struggling to maintain a smooth experience.

It says the discreet and integrated chips are pushing far more pixels than ever intended.

They give an example of a Facebook feed running at 50fps on a standard mbp and 20fps on the retina. Which apparently can make for a choppy experience.

Is there a better card apple could of used? Or is what's in it top of the line??

Seems they're pushing hardware to the limits currently.

Apparently mountain lion should help a bit..

[dejongj]

Interesting, I still have to go back and see if it smooth now but my initial experience as documented on here was a bad one as well.

[RobM]

Originally Posted by sparkie1984

Would recommend you read an article on macrumors about the rmbp struggling to maintain a smooth experience.

It says the discreet and integrated chips are pushing far more pixels than ever intended.

They give an example of a Facebook feed running at 50fps on a standard mbp and 20fps on the retina. Which apparently can make for a choppy experience.

Is there a better card apple could of used? Or is what's in it top of the line??

Seems they're pushing hardware to the limits currently.

Apparently mountain lion should help a bit..

I can see the logic, but the 27" iMac has had a resolution not too far away and has run just fine on 3+ year old technology. I've got a mid-2010 iMac with the HD5670 GPU and it shows no lag like the Retina MBP does, same applies to older iMac models.

The Kelper chipset should have no troubles at all. My guess would be the scaling is at fault, by not making best use of the hardware on offer. I don't think the same lag problems exist when running native resolution or Windows.

[bbasra]

Do you think this is a software related issue then?

..... so much for the perfect Mac. Maybe I ought to wait for the next revision.

Here a direct link

Retina MacBook Pro Pushes the Limits of its Graphics Capabilities - Mac Rumors

[RobM]

I just find it hard to believe that the current generation GPU and CPU combination in the RMBP cannot push that many pixels, yet the A5X in the iPad can smoothly run a similar number on a mobile chipset and the iMac on 2009/2010 hardware can do similar things. Yet throw in the very latest generation of hardware and it struggles? Sure those two examples have less pixels, but they are still really high resolution on far inferior hardware.

I'd be willing to bet a future firmware or software update will make a difference by making the scaling more efficient.

[hutch]

Considering people using ML are saying they dont have the issue it would appear that its a scaling software issue with Lion. There is no way the hardware cant deal with that resolution as Rob says i've been running pretty much that resolution on my 27" i7 iMac for about a year and have never had issues in fact its as snappy as anything.

[GuitarGuy]

Originally Posted by hutch

Considering people using ML are saying they dont have the issue it would appear that its a scaling software issue with Lion. There is no way the hardware cant deal with that resolution as Rob says i've been running pretty much that resolution on my 27" i7 iMac for about a year and have never had issues in fact its as snappy as anything.

You say that but these are ulv chips with battery conservation in mind, they must have been crippled to come under the ultra low voltage line.

[NewBeetle]

Originally Posted by esaglik

You say that but these are ulv chips with battery conservation in mind, they must have been crippled to come under the ultra low voltage line.

The RetMBP has 'full fat' quad core IvyBridge CPU's, not ULV at all.

[GuitarGuy]

Originally Posted by NewBeetle

The RetMBP has 'full fat' quad core IvyBridge CPU's, not ULV at all.

Both interesting and surprising :O but what about the graphics card? That's what's pushing the pixels not the CPU?

[dejongj]

Also the 650m is not that fast a card anyway. Heck my comparison to replace the desktop with a 5870 and it is becoming clear why I found it slow in places. So I am not surprised about these finding.

It does make me wonder why apple didn't go for faster versions.

[NewBeetle]

Originally Posted by dejongj

Also the 650m is not that fast a card anyway. Heck my comparison to replace the desktop with a 5870 and it is becoming clear why I found it slow in places. So I am not surprised about these finding.

It does make me wonder why apple didn't go for faster versions.

I get the feeling it will run smooth as butter once they work on scaling. I really don't think it has anything at all to do with hardware.

[Timbo21]

Originally Posted by NewBeetle

I get the feeling it will run smooth as butter once they work on scaling. I really don't think it has anything at all to do with hardware.

Indeed, with the great minds that must work on these things it can't be conceivable that the hardware wasn't capable of delivering.

I'm not into gaming, so not up on the graphics cards, but why have Apple now gone with Nvidia when they have been using AMD for so long?

From what little I know, AMD was usually the best bet for HTPC stuff (bit streaming, etc), but I dare say the intel chips would still handle that area.

[nigelbb]

It cannot be a pixel count problem as the Mac Pro will handle multiple monitors. My wife has a 30" 2560x1600 plus two 24" 1920x1200 screens which is more pixels in total than the RMBP & all driven from one ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics card. The 27" iMac can be paired with one (possibly two if daisy-chained?) more Thunderbolt 2560x1440 monitors

[Sartios]

Originally Posted by dejongj

Also the 650m is not that fast a card anyway. Heck my comparison to replace the desktop with a 5870 and it is becoming clear why I found it slow in places. So I am not surprised about these finding.

It does make me wonder why apple didn't go for faster versions.

My point entirely, they could of at least stuck a 670m in there I mean come on, the 650 doesn't have even the slightest bit of power to run games at native resolution in decent settings and good frame rates, such an expensive machine but lowest of the Kepler mobile GPUS? Doesn't make sense to me.

Ok it's capable of the other things most consumers will probably want the MacBook for, video editing etc etc... But still a better GPU wouldn't of hurt.

Still an amazing bit of machine though without a doubt and I'll be buying one soon.

[sparkie1984]

Just to bump this Argos finally got some stock and the mrs has ordered me a rmbp with her 10% off (not tons I know but better than nothing!!)

My mates has his some launch and his only criticism of it is that some of the apps arent updated.

Personally I'm looking forward to clawing my desk back from a mac pro (that's vastly over the top of what I need)!

Edit: after reading post above apparently the card is slightly overclocked, not sure by how much or what that means in real world usage.