One nearly free alternative to buying an Apple TV

Oct 24, '07 07:30:00AM

Contributed by: surfgeek

I didn't want to spend £200 on an Apple TV, and after some work, I was able to get much the same result for the price of a cable and adapter (about £20).

I have connected my G5 iMac directly to my 32" HD TV via the mini-VGA output. (Newer Macs have the mini-DVI connectors.) Sound is connected from the audio-out directly to my TV's PC audio-in connection. My Mac did not have a screen spanning mode, so I downloaded Screen Spanning Doctor, which solved that problem.

Then for the software. I downloaded the latest version of iTheater. This is a Front Row alternative that allows you to choose what screen to use, and enables playback of DVD, Video_TS folders, iTunes, iPhoto images, and even weather info. It's Universal and free.

[robg adds: I thought this might make for some interesting conversation on other alternatives to Apple TV. I hadn't heard of iTheater before reading this post, and I haven't tested it. Alternatives that I'm aware of today include Media Central and XHub. Neither are free, however, and I haven't tested these, either. Am I missing any other Front Row alternatives?]

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