re: Questions about dropping Cable TV

Yeah I would recommend a google tv box or dongle over the Apple TV. Most of the time, they are cheaper than the Apple TV and can do more of what you are looking for without the hassle of jailbreaking and such since XBMC can be installed on them with ease for the most part. I own a few Logitech Revues. They are pretty outdated as far as specs but do the job perfectly for me