Apple TV is a brilliant product, that has all the potential in the world. Apple calls Apple TV a “hobby product,” this is clearly not an correct description. Apple TV is more of an experiment
It could be fitted with Pandora integration, a Last.fm module and even a TV tuner. I, for one, would just love a TV tuner.
In addition to providing access to YouTube videos, Flickr and .Mac photo streams, and all other iTunes content, Apple's revamped set-top box now brings high-definition and standard-definition video rentals from the iTunes Store to your TV. But it still tries to keep you in Apple's backyard, as it lacks support for popular non-Apple video standards such as DivX and Windows Media files.This device links only to wide-screen TVs, via an HDMI, component, or analog connection. It decodes movie files at up to 720p resolution, and it can upconvert them to 1080i and 1080p.
For instance, entering a five-digit code into your
computer gives the Apple TV access to your PC's iTunes content. Interoperability issues between some current draft-n products forced me to use Apple's own AirPort Extreme Base Station to get the Apple TV to operate over an 802.11n network. Also easy to use (but easy to lose) is the bundled, minimalist remote control, which has a ring-shaped section for playback control and a Menu "go back" button.
Apple uses free software updates to improve the Apple TV's features over time. Since the original release, the company has added support for YouTube, Flickr, and movie rentals, as well as the ability for users to purchase content without a computer. Meanwhile, a number of free but unofficial Apple TV hacks have surfaced online.With the addition of downloadable movie rentals and a further streamlined interface, the Apple TV is a much more compelling device. For now, however, you may be better off continuing to rent your movies on disc. The selection of flicks is worse than that of your neighborhood video store, though the situation will improve over time, and prices are similar: New HD (1280 by 720 resolution) movie rentals cost $5 and library titles go for $4; standard-definition (720 by 480 resolution) movies are $1 less.
The new screen offers options to rent movies and TV shows, to buy music or podcasts, to look at photos (on your PC or over Flickr), or to watch whatever you find on YouTube. Pick the Movies option, and you can select the Top Movies category (which includes current hits and classics), browse through genres, see what's in HD, or search by a keyword. For instance, I searched for "Ford," and got John Ford, Harrison Ford, and the more obscure Ford Rainey. But the library's only film directed by the great John Ford was the minor work The Horse Soldiers. Apple needs to do some work in the classics division.
Apple uses free software updates to improve the Apple TV's features over time. Since the original release, the company has added support for YouTube, Flickr, and movie rentals, as well as the ability for users to purchase content without a computer. Meanwhile, a number of free but unofficial Apple TV hacks have surfaced online.With the addition of downloadable movie rentals and a further streamlined interface, the Apple TV is a much more compelling device. For now, however, you may be better off continuing to rent your movies on disc. The selection of flicks is worse than that of your neighborhood video store, though the situation will improve over time, and prices are similar: New HD (1280 by 720 resolution) movie rentals cost $5 and library titles go for $4; standard-definition (720 by 480 resolution) movies are $1 less.
The new screen offers options to rent movies and TV shows, to buy music or podcasts, to look at photos (on your PC or over Flickr), or to watch whatever you find on YouTube. Pick the Movies option, and you can select the Top Movies category (which includes current hits and classics), browse through genres, see what's in HD, or search by a keyword. For instance, I searched for "Ford," and got John Ford, Harrison Ford, and the more obscure Ford Rainey. But the library's only film directed by the great John Ford was the minor work The Horse Soldiers. Apple needs to do some work in the classics division.
The HD video quality didn't compare to what Dish Network beams to my home (to say nothing of Blu-ray or HD DVD), and the standard-definition content is sub-DVD quality.The Apple TV also uses iTunes to transfer selected video and music to its built-in hard drive. You can transfer photos by directing iTunes to a folder on your PC, or by using software such as Adobe Photoshop Elements.
When you click a movie, you receive a brief synopsis and options to view the trailer, rent the standard-definition version, and, if the service has it, rent the HD version. Once you've downloaded the film, you have 30 days to begin watching it; once you've started it, you have 24 hours to finish it.
A download can take hours, and you may have to wait quite a while before you can start--or finish--watching a flick. With my 1.5-to-3.0-megabits-per-second DSL service and an ethernet connection to the Apple TV, I had to wait more than 2 hours before I could start watching the first movie I rented (the HD version of Doctor Zhivago). That accurately reflects the estimates given on Apple's Web site. When I switched to a Wi-Fi connection, however, I was in for a bigger surprise. My wife and I attempted to watch the standard-definition version of Once. Although the selection started almost immediately, we had to stop twice during the viewing to let the Apple TV catch up.
If a technical problem interrupts the download, restarting it may lead you to wonder where Apple's reputation for ease of use came from. In my tests, where the screen had previously said 'Downloading' or 'Press Play', it suddenly said 'Download Error'. Eventually I learned that restarting an interrupted download was possible, but I had to search Apple's forum discussions to find out where that option is.
Limitations
The first limitation is the speed at which such deliveries can be performed.
The second limitation is the Vista of DVDs, or, in other words, the introduction of Blu-Ray.
Apple TV, so far, does not offer anything to compensate for the lack of films on iTunes and give potential users the feeling that the transition can be managed. Certainly, the device is easy to pair with a DVD player, but the solution is not part of the Apple package.
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