Apple first announced the launch of the Apple TV at one of their trademark press conferences in late 2006, and started shipping the new devices in early 2007. Initially only a 40GB version was available, but the much more accommodating 160GB version followed later that year.
The Apple TV is essentially a hard drive and network device capable of playing music, video and displaying pictures onto any TV with a component input - this means it will work on any HD televison and some older LCD and Plasmas too.
The device synchronises with the iTunes library on a computer over a shared wireless network, allowing the user to view any videos that are stored on their computer on your televison easily and quickly. The user has the option of either copying files from the Mac or PC onto the device where they will then be stored, or the media can be watched directly from the library over the network without the need for transferring, providing the iTunes library is open.
It's worth mentioning that owning a computer or having iTunes installed isn't essential to get full use out of the Apple TV. As long as the user has the device connected to the internet, then they can purchase all the music and video they want through the iTunes store, which is accessable on the device. There's also the ability to subscribe to podcasts, watch videos on YouTube and access photos on MobileMe and Flickr.
To Buy or Not to Buy
Whether it's worth buying an Apple TV depends entirely on your personal needs and budget. For users who already own a Mac computer and have a TV with a VGA or DVI (computer) input then plugging the computer into the TV will produce pretty much the same effect. The Apple TV's software is very similar to the Coverflow feature found on Macs but there are a few differences that make the Apple TV software more preferable. So, for people looking to save money that have a Mac laptop already, the Apple TV may be an unnecessary expense.
However, for those who don't own an Apple computer this is a great, affordable way of getting Apple's superb Coverflow features without forking out for a full computer set up. It's also great ifor those with a Mac desktop set up in another room that want to have their iTunes library available in their living room or bedroom. it's incredibly easy and quick to set up and very reliable too.
Downside/Limitations
Like most Apple products there are a few annoying limitations which make one wonder why on earth they didn't design things a little differently. The main one presents itself when there is an iTunes library synched with the device. Basically, if the Apple TV is set up in this way then the computer will act as a master archive. This can be a good thing, as it backs up anything that's been downloaded directly onto the Apple TV onto the computer when a synch is performed. However, it also means that whatever is stored on the Apple TV must also stay stored on the computer. Anything that's deleted from iTunes will be deleted from the Apple TV when the next synchronisation is performed. This can be a little annoying in terms of storage (twice as much is used than is strictly necessary) but it does ensure that nothing gets lost or deleted.
Join the Conversation