Comments on: ATVDigiframe plugin to use AppleTV as a DigitalFrame (updated)

By: nito

nito — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:45:45 +0000

Ask and ye shall receive: nitoTV 0.7.0 has this preference tweak added in its settings section, looks like we struck a nerve with the other “developers” pity.

By: Babbe

Babbe — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:02:48 +0000

I bought the registration code and can now use the full version.
It looks like a simple plugin, but it does the job exactly as I want. I really love it.
Looking forward to use it this weekend on our housewarming party to show off my work 😉

By: TB

TB — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:24:31 +0000

This has got to be a joke… It’s just a matter of time before it’s included in the free atv-bootloader and similar enterprises.
Look at the iPhone, until there was a legit way of installing apps on the iPhone (App Store), there was hardly anybody to buy the few hacks being sold through Installer/Cydia.

Now, some dimwits might think that $70 won’t buy you a digital picture frame so this has got to be a good deal but that’s what my grandma thinks when she sees the infomercial about those awesome knives that cost you not $99, not $69 but $49!! Great deal! Until you realize you’ve just bought a couple of knives…

By: fluffy

fluffy — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:04:14 +0000

Also, I might add that their “value proposition” is a bit off, seeing as how they’re not including the cost of the TV (which, as The Dude points out, will be ruined pretty quickly) in the total cost when they compare it to e.g. using an iMac. Also, quite a few TVs come with built-in “digital picture frame” functionality anyway (I know pretty much all Samsungs and Sonys do, and I think a lot of the cheaper ones do as well).

By: fluffy

fluffy — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:58:06 +0000

So, I got an email from the plugin developers, asking me what price I think would be reasonable. Since they seem so intent on selling overpriced solutions to trivial problems, I’ll just repost what I told them here:

Their email:

we read your comment on appletvhacks regarding the in your opinion high price for our plugin.
We are confident we can satisfy our customers and we want them to feel good about the atvdigiframe plugin purchase.

So we ask you, what price would you consider reasonable?
Please let us know – we are sure, we will come to an agreement regarding the price.

My response:

I don’t know, $free? It’s not like the cost of producing a “digital picture frame” plugin for someone else’s platform is at all comparable to producing a physical digital picture frame product. Look at how many excellent *free* plugins exist for AppleTV that do far more.

I think the likelihood is that if someone else cares enough about producing that functionality, they’ll be coming up with a much cheaper alternative. Especially if it’s possible to just do it by hacking the preferences to the “slide show” screensaver, which is what the writeup led me to believe is all you did.

The fact that you assume that anyone using a plugin would be a “customer” is pretty telling where your mindset is.

Good luck with your business venture.

Of course their updated price of “only” $30 is still ridiculous.

By: Babbe

Babbe — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:34:31 +0000

I like the plugin and considering it can save you several hundred up to a thousand dollars, I don’t think the product is overpriced. I’ll check it out and report back.

By: The Dude

The Dude — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:14:04 +0000

This price is just rude. Besides, which normal consumer would be interested in leaving his or her Plasma/LCD switched on 24/7 just to use it as a picture frame?

The power consumtion is enormous and with an average lifespan of a plasma or LCD of 40.000 hours you will have wrecked your TV in about 4 and a half years.

On the upside, you probably won’t have to turn on the heater in winter anymore, since you got your radiator mounted to the wall.

By: fluffy

fluffy — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:39:57 +0000

You had me until the price. $60 for what amounts to a preferences tweak?!