Granted, Apple may have dropped the price of its Apple TV while simultaneously adding much needed features (like HD support), but I have a less expensive alternative you might enjoy.
Head over to Monoprice, and buy a cable that’s compatible with your computer’s video out port. Connect that cable from your computer to your TV and you’ll be watching movies, HD or otherwise, on your big screen, all for the fraction of the cost of an Apple TV. (I have an iMac, which uses a mini-DVI port, so I needed this mini-DVI to DVI adapter before getting an cheap DVI-to-HDMI cable.)
Total cost: around $15 (I was able to buy the adapter for my iMac using a Best Buy gift card). $15 vs. $230?
Combine your setup with a little BitTorrent action and every night can be movie night, or The Office night or Lost night or…
Shocking low cable prices [Monoprice]
I got a MacBook. It has a mini DVI port (I think). I need to get video and sound to my HDTV. How about it?
Easy. Use the same mini DVI to DVI cable I linked to then connect to your TV. (If your TV has a DVI port you’re all set, but if it has an HDMI port you’ll need a DVI-to-HDMI cable. That’s like $5 on Monoprice.)
As for sound, just output the sound from the headphone/audio-out port to your TV’s speakers. If you have a surround sound setup, get this cable: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10229&cs_id=1022902&p_id=2834&seq=1&format=2 One end plugs into the Mac, the other into your audio receiver. That’s what I use to watch movies now. You’d be surprised how many rips comes with AC3 audio.
I’m glad this works for you, but to be candid, it’s a pain in the arse for me.
To get TV content/movies/etc that are saved on my MacBook to play on my projector, I have to 1) unmount my external usb drive; 2) unplug the headphone speakers and usb hub, 3) move the laptop from the bar to the barstool (my cords only stretch so far), 4) make sure the remaining power cord and EyeTV usb cord don’t pull anything over the bar onto the floor, 5) unplug the M1-DA/HDMI adapter from the projector, 6) plug the M1-DA/DVI cord into the projector and MacBook, 7) and plug an optical cord from the laptop to the optical switch connected to my receiver. Phaw.
I really only go through all this during the World Series or when Jack Bauer is kicking a$$….and I could solve this a number of ways. I’ve been debating awhile on getting a Mini as a video server, but now with the lowered cost of the aTV and iTunes rentals, I just might set up an automatic encode, plop down a couple hunnerd and pick me up a new aTV.