Hello Fred, That's a great question. The answer is that modern digital video switchboxes do, indeed, have HDMI ports.
Mark -----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Fred Olver Sent: Friday, May 23, 2014 4:34 AM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: apple tv Very good idea, Mark, however, don't you have to have inputs for each of the devices on the switch box? and so the question begs, does the switch box have an HDMI input as well as other types? Fred Olver ----- Original Message ----- From: "M. Taylor" <mk...@ucla.edu> To: <viphone@googlegroups.com> Sent: Friday, May 23, 2014 3:00 AM Subject: RE: apple tv Hello Patti, I've only just tuned into this thread but it sounds like you've been given some excellent help. You know, we, as technology consumers, take so many things for granted these days. For example, I have my Apple TV connected to my big-screen television along with a DVD player, a digital cable box receiver, etc. And, when I want to switch from watching Cable to the Apple TV, I use the television's input selector. I am fortunate enough to enjoy a level of residual vision that allows me to do this comfortably. As I began reading this thread I asked myself what I would do if I lost the remainder of my vision and was totally blind. How would I reliably know which input on the television was selected? This question returns me to the statement that we technology consumers take so many things for granted. In this instance, I am referring to the fact that many consumers assume that using the television's input selector is the only way to determine what is being streamed out to the television set. I guess this stems from the law of conservatism. That is, most of us want to accomplish more and more tasks while using less and less hardware. This explains the ever increasing popularity of the universal remote control versus device-specific remote controls, among sighted people. As a low vision consumer, I find that the more devices I attempt to control with an off-the-shelf universal remote, (1) generally requires more effort and (2) results in less accuracy. Consequently, I prefer to use device-specific remote controls so that I can commit their various layouts to muscle memory. I employ the same philosophy when purchasing office equipment. No printer/fax/scanner combos here. Simply stated, my scanner can only scan, my printer only prints and my fax, well you get the idea. The primary benefit to me is that, since I only need to send a fax once or twice every two months or so, the fax machine, being only a fax machine, has remarkably few buttons. Therefore, even if I don't use the fax very often, all things being equal, all I need to do is place a sheet of paper in the proper place, dial the telephone number, and press the big button on the lower left. Get it? If I were to use a combination printer/scanner/fax machine, unless I faxed on a regular basis, it is highly unlikely that I would remember the proper sequence of non-accessible hardware-panel soft-control commands necessary to switch the device to fax mode. What does any of this have to do with your new Apple TV? Before all of these remarkably sophisticated digital televisions, with their multiple input channels, were introduced to the market, we old-timers, who wanted to view external media from remote devices such as VCR consoles, gaming machines, etc through one television, used hardware video switchboxes. In fact, I used video switchboxes for over ten years in order to accomplish what was then considered an amazing breakthrough in consumer consumption. The most relevant aspect of this for those of us who are either blind or low vision is that the switchboxes used good old-fashion hardware push-buttons. Allow me to digress for just a moment: At one time, I used a video switchbox along with an audio switchbox in combination with my television and stereo in combination with my Cable box, gaming console, and VCR recorder. The net result was that, among other things, I could watch and record my video games while simultaneously listening to the television broadcast of my choice, while at the same time recording a second show and seamlessly switch between the various audio and/or video, inputs, independently, with the press of one or at most, two buttons. Once, during that time, I had the cable company send someone out to my house in order to repair an outside connection. When the cable guy came into my living room and saw my setup, he offered to pay me to set his media center up the same way. My setup looked like something you'd find in a Frankenstein movie but it worked and it was the envy of all who saw it, back then. I do so miss those days (smile). Okay, getting back to the point. Patti, should you choose, you can go to your local RadioShaq, or someplace similar, and purchase a digital video switchbox which will allow you to use hardware buttons to select the various input devices to your television set, including your Apple TV. I hope you find this helpful. Mark -----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Sieghard Weitzel Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 9:42 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: RE: apple tv Yes, each time you want to watch cable or Apple TV you will have to select the correct input. -----Original Message----- From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Patti Johnson Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 9:07 PM To: viphone@googlegroups.com Subject: Re: apple tv Oh rats. I didn't know all this, t hough I had heard earlier there could be changes, but then nothing happened, grin. I bought it from Best Buy and it was a few dollars off the regular price. Well, I guess I'll just ha ve to have some one help me know which port to use and change the menu on the tv. So does this mean I ha ve to change the menu back when I want to watch my Cable? Thanks for everyone's help, I'm sure I'll get there with this thing. Patti On 5/22/2014 8:20 PM, Sieghard Weitzel wrote: > Hi Patty, > > As Larry already pointed out, the Apple TV gives you access to iTunes > for renting and buying movies and if you are a Netflix subscriber then > it's probably the nicest and most accessible way to consume Netflix > content. It's also great for Youtube. > > If your TV has multiple HDMI inputs you do have to be able to select > these depending on what you want to watch. For example, let's assume > you have your cable box connected to HDMI 1, a blueray DVD player to > HDMI 2 and your Apple TV to HDMI 3, then you do have to be able to > select your input on the TV depending on what you want to watch. Often > this is done via a single button which invokes a menu on the TV and > you then have to arrow to the input/source you want and select it. > This may not be the most accessible thing to do, but you would have to > maybe aska sighted friend or family member to help you with this. > > Now, as for the Apple TV, had you posted to the list that you were > looking to get one I would have advised you to wait until Monday, June > 2. This is when Apple will have it's world wide developer conference > and when iOS 8 will be introduced. > There are a lot of rumours according to which Apple may announce the > next generation Apple TV during this event and that it will be much > more advanced. There will most likely be an app store for the Apple TV > which means you can get apps for various services and maybe games and > so on and the talk is also that the Apple TV may very well become a > complete replacement for your current set top box. > There are also rumours that the Apple TV will have SIRI and that the > remote may accept voice commands. > Now, having said all this, they are of course rumours and I guess > we'll find out in a week and a half if any of them are true. Did you > purchase your Apple TV from Apple directly? If so you probably have > time to return it should something really cool be announced. If not at > least the apple TV only costs $99 which is not so much compared to > what most other Apple devices cost. > > > Regards, > Sieghard > > -----Original Message----- > From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On > Behalf Of Patti Johnson > Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 12:16 PM > To: viphone@googlegroups.com > Subject: Re: apple tv > > Oh! I see. I did get the hdmi cable or howevery ou spell it; I have > 3 ports on the tv to choose from, not sure which to use though. > I didn't think there was a battery in the remote but I got a sighed > friend to look at that and she said there is. > So given that there is one maybe I need to work with it some more. > I am still a bit confused a bout how it works on the tv in conjunction > with cable, does it overide the box, do I need to switch menus on the tv? > Patti > On 5/22/2014 2:57 PM, Larry Lumpkin wrote: >> Hi. You don't need the remote app at all. The apple tv has its own > remote >> which you can use to turn on voice over in the unit. I think it is >> three clicks of the menu button but there is a good podcast on >> techtalk > describing >> getting the apple tv going. You go into wi fi settings on the apple >> tv > and >> turn it on and connect your network. You connect the little apple tv >> box > to >> your tv using an HDMI cable and setting >> Your tv to play through this port. If you want sound through a >> stereo receiver/sound system, you need a tos link or fiber optic >> cable. We love ours and use it all the time to listen to KDFC >> classical in san Francisco from here in Texas, smile. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: viphone@googlegroups.com [mailto:viphone@googlegroups.com] On >> Behalf Of Patti Johnson >> Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2014 1:02 PM >> To: viphone@googlegroups.com >> Subject: apple tv >> >> Hello. I just got mine yesterday. I hooked it up but not sure I did >> it correctly. >> I downloaded the remote app and it said to sync with your computer, >> but > when >> I did I couldnt' find anywhere on the Itues after hooking my phone up >> to > the >> computer anything about the remote or Apple TV. >> I know there is a code to put in, it gave me one then another; so I >> will > put >> the first one in when I figure how. I just want to know how this is >> supposed to work in con junction with a Cable Digital box. >> Do I turn the box off? >> I looked forr something to read on the setup and just found so much >> to > wade >> through I didn't know where to look or start. >> Any tips please? >> Patti >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the viphone > list. >> All new members to the this list are moderated by default. 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