A great product that far exceeded my expectations. The picture and sound are excellent on my HD TV and sound system. If you love your iPod and your Mac you'll love Apple TV. Apple was very helpful with questions about wireless set up. Be sure to check system and wireless requirements. This is the future!
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I wanted a device that serves up my computer media (for me, that's photos and music files). I don't surf the web, etc. on my TV...I watch the TV while using my laptop. Therefore, a media center PC provides too much functionality at too much cost for my uses. I also have a DVR for recording, so this device doesn't need that capability. I like the simplicity.
1. Set up. This was very simple. The password interface is a bit awkward, as there is no keyboard, but so far that's the only time I'd need a keyboard. The Apple TV linked to my wireless network quickly and the connection is solid. I like that my media is on the device, as I'm not increasing my network traffic when I use it, only when I synch with my computer...which is done via iTunes. It's a very familiar process. 5 stars here.
2. Performance. Music serving is very smooth. The iPod style interface is very familiar. I like it. If you don't like the iPod interface, you will not like the Apple TV. Photo serving is also very smooth. It's a nice touch that the screen saver for my plasma TV during music playing is my own photos. Movie downloading has gone well. Movies look great on my 720p plasma at a 10 foot viewing distance. At that distance, my eyes can't tell 720 from 1080. Maybe fighter pilot eyes could, but my old eyes can't. If you want 1080p, you need Blu ray. With DSL, an HD movie is an overnight download. That's a fact of life for me. I'd like a faster internet connection, but I can't get one....that is not a fault of the device. I give 5 stars here, too.
caveats: If you want higher resolution, look elsewhere. HDMI cables are not included, but I got mine from monoprice for about $6. No DVR capability...it serves up media from your computer or iTunes (okay, or youtube, but that's not as good on an HD TV as it is on a computer in my humble opinion.
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If you don't mind paying a ridiculous price (unfortunately typical of Apple products) for an antenna quality picture running on a device that will crash approximately once a week, and runs so hot you'll want to place it high enough so the kids can't reach it; then AppleTV is the product for you!
Pros:
1. Easy WI-FI integration.
2. HDMI connection (for those of you who don't like lots of wires)
3. Integrates very well with iTunes
4. Easy to use, intuitive interface (typical of Apple products)
Cons:
1. Not nearly enough disk space for a multimedia device. For $40 more, Apple could have easily put an additional 360 GB!
2. No HDMI Cable Included
3. Runs very hot.
4. Before the first few firmware updates, this device crashed daily requiring me to manually unplug it, then plug it back in to the wall. Following the firmware updates, crashes have been reduced to only about one per week!
5. Don't be fooled by the new 'HD' content offered by Apple -- we're not exactly talking Blu-Ray quality here, folks.
6. Extremely over-priced. If you're an Apple fan, you're either used to this or oblivious. Don't worry.
7. Five button remote control is not only limited in function, but easily lost.
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I've had a 160 GB Apple TV for a year now and have a real love-hate relationship with it. Unfortunately, after a year, the hate is winning out. I've used macs for years and am savvy with OS X so you'd think this would be pretty easy for me to deal with the problems related to the Apple TV. Sometimes, yes. But even after a year with this product I am confounded by how itunes "loses" it, how I have to reconnect (and reload all the data onto it) and how much time this sucks away from my life. And I'm not even beginning to mention the fact that if things go as the RIAA and others would like them to, the only "legal" content you can put on one of these things is what you buy in digital format outright. Thus, no converting legally purchased movies to AppleTV (or ipod/iphone) formats lest you risk being labeled a criminal by corporate america.
This machine is a waste of money and Apple needs to give everyone who bought it there money back.
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i am not sure why apple does not spend more money advertising this product. it is just that good. easy to use. great quality 1080p HD picture. very happy with this gadget.
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