• Welcome to the Off-Topic/Schweb's Lounge

    In addition to the Mac-Forums Community Guidelines, there are a few things you should pay attention to while in The Lounge.

    Lounge Rules
    • If your post belongs in a different forum, please post it there.
    • While this area is for off-topic conversations, that doesn't mean that every conversation will be permitted. The moderators will, at their sole discretion, close or delete any threads which do not serve a beneficial purpose to the community.

    Understand that while The Lounge is here as a place to relax and discuss random topics, that doesn't mean we will allow any topic. Topics which are inflammatory, hurtful, or otherwise clash with our Mac-Forums Community Guidelines will be removed.

Anyone else order an Ouya?

Joined
Sep 30, 2007
Messages
9,962
Reaction score
1,235
Points
113
Location
The Republic of Neptune
Your Mac's Specs
2019 iMac 27"; 2020 M1 MacBook Air; macOS up-to-date... always.
I decided to pre-order an Ouya a month or so ago when I read that Plex (HTPC software) would be coming to it. I've gotten pretty aggravated with the Apple TV 2 for a variety of reasons, chiefly the lack of DTS support and a very "weak" UI, especially compared to Plex. I'm curious if anyone else is looking at one. They just started shipping to the Kickstarter backers and mine should come later this month (I wasn't an initial backer). It's being marketed as a console gaming platform, but that's just a bonus since I'm looking at it primarily as an ATV replacement. Basically it promises to be everything I want in a device like this... a media streamer for my living room that can play a few casual games. I last tried a Roku, but it performed so badly that I returned it. I have higher expectations of the Ouya and am really looking forward to it. I've never been interested in console gaming, and even my desktop gaming days are largely behind me. I've picked up a few indie titles recently via Humble Bundle that I really liked, and with Ouya being an indie project itself, my curiosity is really piqued in what the future may hold for it. Heck, even my wife is excited and she's not a gamer by any means, though she likes some of the competitive games she plays with her friends' kids on their consoles.
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
4,301
Reaction score
124
Points
63
Location
The lonely planet
Your Mac's Specs
Too many...
I donated for the fund when it was first available, but not enough for the console. I'm not sure if I want to be the "tester" for it this early in the stage. I'm not sure if you've been reading any reviews on it, but there seem to be a good amount of issues with it right now. I'll wait for the better version to come out later. I can't do with a slow/laggy UI and input system, sticking buttons, and poor fitting parts.
 
OP
L
Joined
Sep 30, 2007
Messages
9,962
Reaction score
1,235
Points
113
Location
The Republic of Neptune
Your Mac's Specs
2019 iMac 27"; 2020 M1 MacBook Air; macOS up-to-date... always.
I donated for the fund when it was first available, but not enough for the console. I'm not sure if I want to be the "tester" for it this early in the stage. I'm not sure if you've been reading any reviews on it, but there seem to be a good amount of issues with it right now. I'll wait for the better version to come out later. I can't do with a slow/laggy UI and input system, sticking buttons, and poor fitting parts.

I haven't seen any reviews, but I'll check around for them. My primary interest is as a media streamer, so hopefully it'll do well enough as that. If not, I'm going to give the Mac mini another whirl as an HTPC.
 
Joined
Mar 17, 2009
Messages
3,626
Reaction score
111
Points
63
Your Mac's Specs
2018 15" MBP, 2019 11" iPad Pro, iPhone 11 Pro
I'm not sure if you've been reading any reviews on it, but there seem to be a good amount of issues with it right now. I'll wait for the better version to come out later. I can't do with a slow/laggy UI and input system, sticking buttons, and poor fitting parts.

I read some of those reviews and it seems Ouya are working to address those before retail versions are available.
OUYA promises improved responsiveness, simplified game installs for June retail launch
 

RavingMac

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
8,303
Reaction score
242
Points
63
Location
In Denial
Your Mac's Specs
16Gb Mac Mini 2018, 15" MacBook Pro 2012 1 TB SSD
The interface isn't elegant at all, but for my needs I find the iOS APP 'FileBrowser' to work fairly well. It essentially gives you 'Finder' on any Network Drives.

I scroll through the Media files on my NAS or Shared Drives using my iPad, and use Airplay via an ATV2 to watch it.
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
4,301
Reaction score
124
Points
63
Location
The lonely planet
Your Mac's Specs
Too many...
OP
L
Joined
Sep 30, 2007
Messages
9,962
Reaction score
1,235
Points
113
Location
The Republic of Neptune
Your Mac's Specs
2019 iMac 27"; 2020 M1 MacBook Air; macOS up-to-date... always.
The interface isn't elegant at all, but for my needs I find the iOS APP 'FileBrowser' to work fairly well. It essentially gives you 'Finder' on any Network Drives.

I scroll through the Media files on my NAS or Shared Drives using my iPad, and use Airplay via an ATV2 to watch it.

RavingMac? Name change? Got something against Razors all of a sudden? ;)

Handling it the way are requires at least one stream more than it would if you simply streamed from iTunes off your Mac. The way you are doing it, it streams from the network drive through the router to your iPad; back to the router; then from the router to the ATV. If your network drives are wireless, then you basically have 4 wireless transfers going at once. And if you are suggesting this as a way of getting DTS support, it actually doesn't work that way. DTS tracks are downmixed to AC3 on the fly.
 
OP
L
Joined
Sep 30, 2007
Messages
9,962
Reaction score
1,235
Points
113
Location
The Republic of Neptune
Your Mac's Specs
2019 iMac 27"; 2020 M1 MacBook Air; macOS up-to-date... always.
I read some of those reviews and it seems Ouya are working to address those before retail versions are available.
OUYA promises improved responsiveness, simplified game installs for June retail launch

Some of those early reviews are pretty discouraging. I don't really like their excuse... saying it's pre-release software and it will all get fixed. How do they know they can fix it? How do they know they will be able to adequately address lagginess and other issues? If they know it will be fixed, why do these problems exist in the first place? And how the heck are developers supposed to be preparing their games for the official release when they are working on bug-riddled software? Well anywho, my expectations are to use it as a media center. Anything else is a bonus. Even if the Ouya team flounders and can't make this work, I expect "someone" will strip their software off entirely to make it a media center running on Linux with Plex or XBMC.
 

vansmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
19,924
Reaction score
559
Points
113
Location
Queensland
Your Mac's Specs
Mini (2014, 2018, 2020), MBA (2020), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone 13 Pro Max, Watch (S6)
Even if the Ouya team flounders and can't make this work, I expect "someone" will strip their software off entirely to make it a media center running on Linux with Plex or XBMC.
Linux support for ARM just got considerably better with the 3.7 release (late last year) and it should be able to run Ubuntu since the Nexus 7 can (both use Tegra 3s and they each have 1GB of RAM). So, I imagine that the process of doing this should be relatively trivial assuming the Ouya has an unlocked (or unlockable) bootloader.
 

RavingMac

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
8,303
Reaction score
242
Points
63
Location
In Denial
Your Mac's Specs
16Gb Mac Mini 2018, 15" MacBook Pro 2012 1 TB SSD
RavingMac? Name change? Got something against Razors all of a sudden? ;)

Handling it the way are requires at least one stream more than it would if you simply streamed from iTunes off your Mac. The way you are doing it, it streams from the network drive through the router to your iPad; back to the router; then from the router to the ATV. If your network drives are wireless, then you basically have 4 wireless transfers going at once. And if you are suggesting this as a way of getting DTS support, it actually doesn't work that way. DTS tracks are downmixed to AC3 on the fly.

Name change was quite a while ago . . . couple of months?

I have no idea what DTS is. I just find this more convenient than using the iTunes interface to find and play movies. And, regardless of how many transfers there are, I haven't noticed any lag or loss of quality.

EDIT: name change was 9 Dec last year ;P
 
OP
L
Joined
Sep 30, 2007
Messages
9,962
Reaction score
1,235
Points
113
Location
The Republic of Neptune
Your Mac's Specs
2019 iMac 27"; 2020 M1 MacBook Air; macOS up-to-date... always.
Linux support for ARM just got considerably better with the 3.7 release (late last year) and it should be able to run Ubuntu since the Nexus 7 can (both use Tegra 3s and they each have 1GB of RAM). So, I imagine that the process of doing this should be relatively trivial assuming the Ouya has an unlocked (or unlockable) bootloader.

It's supposed to be unlocked. It's being marketed on the premise that it is 100% open and hackable, including the option to overwrite their software.

Name change was quite a while ago . . . couple of months?

Well I haven't been participating much lately. :Oops:

EDIT: What does it take to approve a name change? My name is really more like a sentence and rather awkward when reading it when in the context as a name. I used it when I signed up here because it was my email address and figured "eh... that'll do".

I have no idea what DTS is. I just find this more convenient than using the iTunes interface to find and play movies. And, regardless of how many transfers there are, I haven't noticed any lag or loss of quality.

DTS is a surround sound format with considerably more fidelity than Dolby Surround Sound (aka AC3). AC3 is 16-bit audio capped at 640 kbps while DTS is 24 bit audio at 1510 kbps. My AV system is good enough to tell the difference. More importantly, DTS tracks that are downmixed to AC3 sound poorer than a native AC3 track. I have a couple Blu-Rays with AC3 and DTS tracks, and after ripping them and downmixing the DTS to AC3 for comparison, the downmixed DTS tracks clearly are lacking some fidelity (mostly in the low frequencies) than the native AC3 track off that same disc.

As an aside... I no longer buy videos off the iTunes Store. They don't always even come with surround sound tracks, and those that do are further limited to 384 kbps AC3. It's just very disgusting to pay more for less.
 
Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
148
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Midwest
I thought the ohyeah was based on android? My friend said we gotta wait until Apple releases a gaming console, which they most likely will someday.
 
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
3,494
Reaction score
204
Points
63
Location
Going Galt...
Your Mac's Specs
MacBookAir5,2:10.13.6-iMac18,3:10.13.6-iPhone9,3:11.4.1
I must be one of the few who is pleased with ATV. I am still running the first version (big white box you can fry an egg on) and the first version of the new one (small black puck). For watching movies placed into iTunes, podcasts, Netflix and Hulu, it works great for me. Even my 85 year old mother-in-law can use it to watch YouTube videos. Maybe I'm just lucky, or maybe I'm not using it hard enough?
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top