Apple TV with 40GB Hard Drive - MA711LL/A | List Price: $229.00
Discount Price: $215.51
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Platform: Macintosh, Windows
Brand: Apple
Binding: Electronics
Release Date: 2007-03-04
Features: - Mac + PC
- 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless
- 40GB hard drive for up to 50 hours of video
- Apple Remote
Pretty darn slick! [Posted on 2008-07-04]
The more I use it, the better I like it. It isn't perfect, but it does what it does very well. I see there is an "AppleTV for Dummies" book. Man, if you need a book to get this thing up and going, you have w-a-y bigger problems! You need a decently fast internet connection and an iTunes account. Then, open the box, plug in the power, connect the HDMI cable, and if you are wireless, wait a bit and you are ready to go. There are a few very simple steps the AppleTV walks you though. Piece of cake!
I am using this with a Comcast internet connection, that averages 5Mbps and bursts higher. I have an Apple Extreme Router set as "N" only, but have tried AppleTV with a good ole' reliable Linksys "G" WAP and it works just fine. I am using a Costo Visio 37" LCD - nothing very fancy.
Quality? This isn't for the purist videophile. The image quality is about the same as a DVD played on my Sony upconveting DVD player; in other words pretty good- less sharp than good broadcast HDTV, but very watchable.
We had a DirecTV account we have had for about 10 years. Ten years ago, that was pretty zoomy- today, not so much. There are very noticeable compression artifacts and other problems. I was already spending north of $60 a month with no HD and no premium channels on Directv. We also subscribed to the Blockbuster by mail movie rental. That works pretty well, by the way. At least for the summer, we dumped both Directv and BB mail rental. I really like the Apple TV arrangement that there are NO ONGOING FEES! for using it. You pay for what you rent or purchase - nothing more. At 4 to 5 bucks a movie from iTunes, we save money over DTV and BB combined. Five or 6 movies would be a big month for us, and that comes in in the $20-25 range. Plus, no hassles driving to get it, losing the dsk, late fees, driving to return the disk, etc.
Enjoy!
A great device - c'mon Apple, make it better [Posted on 2008-08-03]
First thing - I love my Apple TV. I've had it more than a month, and we use it often to rent movies. The selection is decent and getting better, and I'm not terribly bothered by the one-month wait for rentals to be available. I also like that I now can mark movies that I might want to watch later.
So what could improve? I don't like spending $2 for a 30-minute or 1-hour TV show. I would take a show with advertising for free.
That's a small nit, however. A great product.
Rushed to market [Posted on 2008-08-07]
The Apple TV sounded like such a good idea I had to have one but I have had nothing but trouble with it. The manual is grossly inadequate and when you ask for support, the tech is obviously reading off the website the same article that I just read. They do not seem to know any more about it than I do: and the store is worse. Obviously rushed to market but a good idea.
apple tv is not that great !! [Posted on 2008-08-09]
it's only a 720p resolution everything nowadays is 1080p, also it's just a scam for you to rent movies from itunes , it looks pretty cool and the wireless thing is cool but the remote is pretty wack,it is the same one you get with your lap top, the one you don't even think about using cause it is so small and simple. Bottom line if you have "Handbrake" which is a freeware that burns encrypted dvds to the apple tv format , it is alright otherwise enjoy paying for itunes.... oh by the you do get to watch youtube without your comp on the tv, which is the only thing I use mine for,,,...Dave m
Apple TV Amazes [Posted on 2008-08-14]
This product is quintessential Apple quality from it's sleek stylish design to it's incredible ease of set up and use right out of the box. This device offers a complete and seamless link from your computer to your TV to stream movies, music, TV shows, photos and more over your wireless network. The device delivers full 1080p video quality and Dolby 5.1 digital surround sound which means you get awesome video and audio performance when connected to an HD TV and a home theater sound system. Connections can also be by a single HDMI cable which provides both the video and the audio feed to the TV set.
While it is true that you can only connect to the iTunes store for content (or any computer on your wireless network) it is important to note that the iTunes library is adding new content on a weekly basis. It is also very nice to be able to watch movie trailers for films currently in the theaters. The delivery system is an excellent example of video on demand from the comfort of your living room without any trips to the local block buster or waiting on DVDs in the mail. The user interface is very intuitive and easy to navigate as well.
The ability to stream music and movies from your iTunes library from any computer on your wireless network, and to view your family photos on an HD TV is a feature that is somewhat understated. Originally, Apple TV could only be linked to one iTunes account, but now you can have multiple accounts connected to the device for even more content. You won't believe just how good your photos look on Apple TV. The ability to connect to Mobile Me and view internet photo albums from family and friends also really adds to the fun and magic of sharing your favorite images with everyone. You Tube videos and audio and video Podcasts can viewed and enjoyed as well. Apple TV is self-maintaining clearing the contents of the hard drive automatically of any rented movies that have exceeded their time limit. You have 30 days to watch rented movies and then you have 24 hours to watch it as many times as you like once you hit the play button. You can also purchase movies, TV programs and music right on the Apple TV or on your computer and the contents will be synced to the Apple TV. One word of advice, if you want to be able to watch movies or TV programs on both the Apple TV and your computer be sure and purchase them on iTunes from the computer and then sync the contents to the Apple TV. Movies and TV programs purchased from the Apple TV will not sync back to your iTunes library on your computer, but music content will. I'm not sure why this is the case, but it is important to know that up front in any case.
Overall, this is an amazing product that is fun and easy to use and really represents the future of TV entertainment and functionality. So far, Apple has added amazing new features and abilities through software updates which can be downloaded over the wireless network and installed without the use of any computer connection. The ability to do this makes this a truly dynamic product which means that new and improved features can be added to the device in the future thus increasing the value and enjoyment even more. I purchased one of these for my parents and they really seem to enjoy it a lot. I purchased the 160GB model for myself and I absolutely love it and use it all the time.
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