Editorial Product Review:Item Description:Your computer is the center of your digital life. Your TV is the center of your entertainment life. Apple TV brings them together. What if you want to play movies from your iPod or computer on your TV? Apple TV brings iTunes Music and Videos to your TV and home-theater system. With up to 200 hours of video, 36,000 songs, or 25,000 photos at your command, there's always something good on TV. With Apple TV, you can browse and watch thousands of free YouTube videos streaming directly from the Internet. Apple TV connects to your TV via an HDMI port or component video and audio ports. Its built-in, superfast 802.11 Wi-fi wireless capability syncs your iTunes library from any Mac or PC in the house. Best of all, what's on Apple TV stays in sync: Anytime you change your library in iTunes, it changes on Apple TV ? wirelessly, automatically. Audio formats supported - AAC (16 to 320 Kbps); protected AAC (from iTunes Store); MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps); MP3 VBR; Apple Lossless; AIFF; WAV Photos formats supported - JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, PNG TV compatibility - Enhanced-def or high-def widescreen TVs capable of 1080i 60/50Hz, 720p 60/50Hz, 576p 50Hz (PAL format), or 480p 60Hz System requirements - Mac or PC, iTunes 7.1 or later / Mac OS X v10.3.9 or later / PC - Windows XP Home/Professional (SP2), 32-bit edition of Windows Vista (requires iTunes 7.2) AirPort Extreme, Wi-Fi 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n wireless (wireless video streaming requires 802.11g or 802.11n); iTunes 7.1 or later Unit Dimensions - 7.7 by 7.7 inches (197 by 197 mm), Height - 1.1 inches (28 mm); Weight - 2.4 pounds (1.09 kg) Built-in 48-watt universal AC power supply
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Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
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Very Good Product
I really love this thing. I have it connected via component cables to a home theater reciever for audio and seperately to my tv for video, controlled with a Logitech Harmony Remote (also iPhone / Apple Remote App ).
Music
Entire 4,000+ CD library hooked up to my home stereo, no weird techy workarounds to get music playing on my home stereo, no wizzing fans, no running into the other room to change a song. iPod dock was fine but nothing can touch the easy of use and convenience of using the Apple TV as a Network Audio Server. Turn the TV off after the music gets going and you can control it with iPhone or iTouch (entire playlist is right there on the luxurious iphone screen in your pocket).
Video
I have a 32" HD-LCDTV, at 32" the normal resolution of video from iTunes video store is virtually the same as TimeWarner HD Cable Channels. HD vids are available, only necessary for larger screens I think.
I usually rent movies rather than buy, better selection than cable on-demand. Can do it right on the TV, great selection of stuff I actually want to watch. Rentals are $3-$5 - play in about 30 sec. Good surround sound, indistinguishable from a DVD. I cancelled Netflix a few weeks after getting this.
Pros
Techphobe Spouse actually likes and uses it (she looooooves the slideshow feature)
Easy Apple Interface
Plug it in and it works instantly (configuration with a LAN could be taxing if you're unfamilliar with how to set one up)
Cons
Apple Universal Remote went right in the garbage, as always.
Entering text via Apple Remote remote is brutal.
Hates Firewalls
Limited storage
Wishlist
Pandora (without hacking) on the AppleTV, just like the iPhone version
Let me type in text with an iPhone or Touch
Expandable Storage
Customer Rating: 
-
Works Great!
It works Great! It is a very good way to have access to podcasts, youtube, and your music and photo library in your tv.
Customer Rating: 
-
On my 3rd unit already...Lots of flaws
Let me state right up front that I really do like this product, or at least the idea anyway but I'm on my third one in less than two years and I have spent countless hours wrestling with it and it has never performed 100% fully. Sometimes it syncs, sometimes it doesn't...while sometimes it streams and sometimes it doesn't. I have lost my media several times (thankfully it's all backed up on a Western Digital 2 TB ext HD). I have reset as well as factory restored innumerable times too, and let's not forget to mention the dozens of hours spent on the phone with Apple's tech support. FYI: Apple tech support can be very "hit or miss" depending who answers the call.
The original 40Gb model ended up on eBay for sale, then I learned within a few weeks that Apple released a whole new version of Apple TV that allegedly fixed the bugs. So, being the techno-obsessed that I am, I ordered a brand new 160GB model directly from Apple. Sadly, I must report it is less than a year old and it's gone back to Apple for a replacement.
Final thought: if you're thinking about buying an Apple TV product...be sure to spend the extra $49 for Apple's Care plan...otherwise they won't even talk to you.
Customer Rating: -
An fancy looking hotplate for mom's casserole
Geez steve, wtf?! No looping function?! Choppy playback for large files?! Pain in the rear to update the playlist from Itunes. Might be great for people sitting at home that are boycotting cable pay per view or someone that wants to watch youtube all day. For any serious professional or corporate use, this thing is worthless. Like anything apple, wait for the third generation, maybe they'll get it all figured out by then.
I still can't believe there is no looping function, my walkman back in the eighties had a looping function. Big dissapointment.
