If you want something that gets your music and photos on your tv with zero hassle (especially if you are a mac user I suspect) the I think aTV is a winner. It doesn't have the functionality that doing this through a mac mini will give, but that depends on how long you want to spend doing this, your technical ability in this area and getting it to work.

I bought an aTV when it first came out at 6pm from the local apple store. In the early evening I was watching stunning photo albums and playing my iTunes library through my BV6 - and I am not a computer whizz at all.

 
It depends if you want low hassle and something that does what it says on the packet (and no more) I think its a winner. Plus the YouTube addition is something I can play on long into the night - and the videos look something else on my 22" B&O screen compared to a laptop.
 

Justin, the Mac mini will give you almost the exact same user interface as the Apple TV, with the same commands and functions - including the ability to purchase content, through the Front Row window. This is what it looks like on mine.

Apple TV is very capable and handy, I just prefer having the ability to configure my own setup, and also appreciate the built in optical drive, which makes storing content very simple. But both are great products. 

 

The AppleTV interface is about to change completely, for the better within the next few weeks.

Apple are COMPLETELY refreshing the interface (while FrontRow in OS X will stay the same). They're also adding the ability to rent movies in DVD quality and/or HighDefinition with Dolby Digital 5.1, which you won't be able to do with a MacMini.

I like my aTV the more I use it. It's just so 'hassle' free and simple to use, despite the fact there are only 6 buttons on the remote.

Yes, as I mention above the Apple TV will give exclusive access to HD-quality movie files and that may be a dealmaker for me; and the Apple Remote is sheer brilliance. With Remote Buddy I am controlling every single application on my Macs with that little remote and its six buttons.

However, I'm still very pleased with my Mac mini, and fully aware that the Apple TV is Apple's Gillette grip, which Gillette gives away, knowing you'll be spending quite a bit of money on the razor blades. In Apple's case, we'll be spending money on downloading files of music and movies - only hope the resolutions will be of truly high quality (it appears the record companies are coming around on that one.)
 

if i was buying my mac again , i'd choose a mini over my pro in a heartbeat

since they're both equally un-upgradeable ( the grate mp video card debacle ) , in the mini's favour - the mini's silent and so much more affordable , plus it looks nice and stylish and visually disappears

 tiny too - i mean REALLY small

the mini is a fantastic bit of kit imo , and miles better vfm than the appletv 

considering an apple tv, but i have a question or two...

my g5 will remain the "repository" of my itunes library. i am looking at the atv as being a "static ipod" so...

how does the synch work? is it akin to playlists so i can be selective about what i transfer from the g5 to the atv? can i then "clean it out" and reload w/ new stuff from my library?

re: if that is the case, then why not go for the 40g ilo of the 160g? besides having more frequent tranfers?

thx!

also -anyone note any drm issues while outputting audio from (atv -> hdmi -> tv -> digital optical out -> receiver) vs. (atv -> hdmi -> tv -> analog out -> receiver).

i can't imagine there would be like on a dvd player, but... ?

any pref for one or the other tv outputs? (digital optical) vs (analog)


thx again!

Beojeff,

Please can you tell me how you connected your Apple TV to your Avant.  How much did it cost?  How much was the software update to the avant and how well does it work.

This is the solution I have been waiting for.

Many thanks

Peter G