I guess at least they set the expectations in the written specs, so they weren’t misleading, but yeah I get your disappointment.

Now if my CRT would just die I could get a new TV and try this out.

Vern,
I’m on the fence about this. I have a problem with expecting a new device to support a video standard that’s been replaced not once but twice.

A 480p plasma television obviously won’t handle a signal designed and advertised with a 720p minimum. And you’re right, it is like writing software for a PPC. What’s the point? It’s not like it’s coming back. It’s got a diminishing (rapidly) audience.

TVs are again advancing at a disproportionate rate. From 720p 60Hz models that were the standard 3 years ago, we’ve gone to 1080p 240Hz models and now 3D televisions.

Heck, the fact that the interface port still has the same plug is amazing considering the multitude of interfaces that are on electronics. Look at USB with no less than four and FireWire/IE1394 with at least four variants. HDMI sticking with the same simple plug is amazing. Yet, the standards have changed as they’ve evolved. And they do evolve forward. Not backward. At some point, you give up the ghost. Five years seems pretty reasonable. It’s nearly a lifetime for some electronics.

The other side of the fence for me is that they “could” do it if they chose.

But, I think it’s a huge waste…of resources, money, and brainpower!

I still don’t see a use for the AppleTV (or GoogleTV). Paying MORE for what I’m not watching on TV? It’s not like there’s a whole new world of content I’m missing. More like, I’m avoiding. There are only 24 hours in a day, I’m working 10 of them, getting about 7 hours of sleep on a good day, leaving just seven more hours of time for everything else in my life. That’s less than 1/3 of my day for everything else.

And new recent studies show Americans watch an average of 5 hours of television per day. That would leave 2 hours to do everything else. Two hours?

Here’s to keeping your wife happy. That is at least a good purpose in life. And I’m sure, an unending task.

I never understood why people fell for the EDTV marketing.

If I had a compatible TV I would get the AppleTV just for the hooks it has into iPhoto and iTunes and the ability to stream stuff to it from iPhones or iPod Touches. With our devices overflowing with baby pictures it would be a super easy way to bore my guests.

Wow. So now we have to upgrade our TVs every two years too?!?

I have an Apple TV and am happy with it. I watch Netflix, mainly, play my iTunes music library, and watch pictures from my Aperture/iPhoto library. The system is simple in setup which is rare in today’s living room electronics world. I agree with the other poster about the lack of time. I have disconnected cable TV (and land line phone service - my iphone handles phone and so much more) and only get internet access. The many good movies (foreign, independent, and hollywood, too) and documentaries on Netflix is enough. I get to spend more quality time with my significant other. The unification of cloud-based digital media is not the future any more. It is the present.

While the quality upgrade from 480i (SD) to 480p (ED), the upgrade from ED to HD is pretty subtle, particularly on a smaller screen. But now that prices of HD screens has dropped substantially ED has become an obsolete standard, as HD is now just as cheap.

Vern,

According to this
http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12363861
attaching an hdmi-to-dvi cable/adapter will cause output to be 480p. If your tv doesn’t have a dvi input, then you can add a dvi-to-hdmi adapter. Since dvi doesn’t fairy audio you’ll have to use the audio-out of the appletv. Kludgey I know, but it might support your case.