alternative to apple tv?


I recently bought a new apple tv. Most of my music is on the iMac in my study. I wanted music in my living room, so I set it up to download wirelessly from the iMac to the apple tv and from there by component video to my 60" hdtv and by toslink to a dac and then to my integrated amp. I did it that way because I wanted to be able to read and control my music library (which was on the iMac in my study) while seated about 12 feet from the speakers in the living room. Because the apple tv displays this on the big tv, even I can read it, and can control it with the remote. It works well - when it works.

But today the apple tv crashed (no audio or video from it), and apple's "expert" told me that it crashed because it overheated. He said it has to be turned off regularly or it will get too hot. There is absolutely nothing in the manual about overheating - and in fact no instructions as to how to turn it off. Even the trouble shooting section has no mention of overheating. There is plenty of air around the apple tv. I can leave any other component on without it overheating. I think apple should be ashamed to put out a product with such a problem and hide the problem from consumers.

I just got the thing and can send it back. Here's my question: is there something else I can get that will do the same thing - (1) receive and store music wirelessly from the computer, (2) display the music library on my tv, (3) connect to my dac, and (4) allow me to control the music library remotely?
twilightround

Showing 1 response by gdoodle

I put my appleTV on some little rubber grommet spacer things - one on each corner to raise it up 1/4 inch so air will circulate under it. The thing does get really alarmingly hot. I turn it off at night sometime by switching off the power supply. But who know if that is an issue or not. I was thinking of adding a giant aluminum heatsink - but alas a very low SAF...

or a USB powered fan.