Then how can you expect me to dump Netflix? I own the apple tv and use it to stream music and photos. I also use it for Netflix. I switched to Amazon prime for 30 day trial and cannot use it through my system with surround sound. I will probably have to cancel Amazon prime especially since you are just pointing the finger at Apple without giving any positive information about moving forward.
Amazon just sells it; sheesh. They have no app for the iPhone/Droid, either, but I'm not complaining. Amazon Prime just added unlimited streaming for their customers as a bonus this year, so I'm not sure why you'd cancel the service. You get myriad other perks by subscribing, especially if you shop on Amazon quite frequently.
I can stream Amazon Prime to my TV. It's not the best quality, but works. I use a combination of Air Display and Airfoil on my Macbook Air to get it onto my iPad where I can then use Airplay Mirroring to send signal to ATV2. Again, it's not 720p but good enough for much of the content they offer. You can also go directly from your Macbook too I suppose.
As someone who owns and loves their iPhone and iPad2, whose kids have iPod touches and whose whole family have kindles and enjoy Prime instant streaming along with shipping benefits, and a kindle book a month loans, Apple TV , as cute as it is, just is not worth it to me......Netflix instant streaming =$8/month ($96/yr)......Amazon Prime $79/yr, unlimited free 2 day shipping, instant streaming and now kindle books to loan.....no comparison. (I was looking to buy Apple TV, until I got to the info that said Amazon streaming is not available...deal breaker, for now). If, or when, Apple adds an app for Amazon instant streaming to Apple Tv....then count me in! JMHO
I'm a happy Amazon Prime customer and a happy Apple devices owner. My brain is exploding that I can't get Amazon Instant through Apple TV. Getting my daughter a TV for Christmas. Her birthday is in February and I am planning to set her up with streaming equipment then. The iTunes connection would be great. Have to think about it.
Hey all, just my $0.02 but Apple TV does not stream Amazon Prime, never has and since there is such strong competition between Apple and Amazon, I wouldn't expect it anytime soon. However, Apple TV offers some features, most notably Netflix and getting all of your iTunes music plus any streaming apps from your phone, iPad or iPod Touch to your home theater system. It makes listen to music much easier. So, what I have done is I use the Apple TV for music and Netflix, and a networked Blu-Ray player(can be had for under $100) for streaming movies and TV shows from Prime. I know it's an extra box, but most of us need a DVD player anyway, so it's not too bad.
I can stream both Netflix and Amazon on my Sony Blu-Ray player, but the Netflix interface is awful. I'm thinking of getting an Apple TV for Netflix, and use the player or computer for Amazon.
Ditto Jeff...Fortunately, my Roku device will stream Amazon Prime. Unfortunately, I also have a Samsung smart bluray and NO Amazon Prime there but plenty of Netflix. I think what we're running into is exclusivity agreements between the hardware manufacturer and Netflix. For example, my Samsung BR has a NETFLIX button on the freaken remote! So I'm sure Netflix is paying Samsung plenty of cash to keep it there and to keep an Amazon Prime app off that device.
So far the only device that can provide ANY streaming option you want is a Roku.
Using AirPlay to send photos/videos from iDevices is an awesome experience though. Between the four of us we have two iPads, an iPhone, and two iPod touches and it's really great to be able to wirelessly send content to the Apple TV.
If you are comfortable with "jailbreaking" your Apple TV, then yes, it will stream Amazon Prime. Out of the box/from factory? No. Jailbreaking may void Apple TVs warranty. (Resetting the AppleTV back to factory defaults erases the jailbreak AFAIK).
Not directly via a channel. Roku doesn't do upnp or dlna yet. To get youtube and streaming from your local network you will want to use plex. You can learn more about it at www.plexapp.com. If you just want youtube then you can use the raterix channel. Neither is without some minor issues but both can work.
You CAN watch Amazon Prime videos on your Xbox 360, if you use a media-server-streaming program called PlayOn (http://www.playon.tv/playon). Basically, it runs on your computer in the background, and then streams the Internet stream across your local network to another device (Xbox360, PS3, Wii, etc.) It supports a lot of other Internet sources too: Netflix, Pandora, Hulu Free (so Hulu content on your TV without having to pay for Hulu Plus!),etc. You do have to pay for it, but the one-time fee is definitely worth it :)
I was researching this, too, since I've considered buying either a Roku or an AppleTV. My guess is that Apple most likely wouldn't add in a bunch of apps for a competitors' on demand video service. They want you to mainly buy/rent through them. Although, it's possible to get free streams from being a Prime member. I've tried to look through the free catalog and didn't see much that interested me, unless they've updated it recently. My thought was how I'd rather not pay a monthly fee for a service that only streams in SD (Netflix) to my HDTV. If I only rent one HD movie a month or every other month, the AppleTV would seem to be a better deal (plus, it would send a 720p signal to my 768p TV without much need for upconversion).