connect

I know that I am a bit behind on the curve on this one but last week, 7 minutes after downloading the trial version of Connect360 by Nullriver, I bought a license ($20). I had been considering buying an AppleTV since its release but was never able to pull the trigger. Thank goodness!

Connect360 is an application that will sync the Movies folder on your Mac with your XBOX 360 over a wireless network (or ethernet port) and allow you to play them in the Media Player tab on your XBOX.

Advantages

1. Price - $20 vs. $229, Connect360 gives similar functionality at 1/10th the price.

2. Functionality - While similar, I feel that Connect360 has a couple of major advantages. The first being that it is not necessary to add any content you wish to view to your iTunes library. For example movies, if I want to watch a movie with AppleTV, it must be found in my iTunes library. However, with Connect360 your entire movies folder is indexed and synced, this includes the movies and podcasts in your iTunes library. Secondly and beyond iTunes is iLife. Connect360 can access iPhoto and display your photos and slideshows just as AppleTV does.

Disadvantages

1. A couple of features - With Connect360 you do not have access to the iTunes store and cannot rent or buy movies. You also do not get the YouTube nor the Flickr features.

2. XBOX 360 - If you do not already have one, obviously that will set you back a little more than the $20 for Connect360.

These are the main reasons for me personally for not dropping over $200 on AppleTV and solving my media center issue with a piece of software.

FYI: Nullriver also has an application that provides the same functionality for all you PS3 owners out there. They call it MediaLink.