Apple TV Video

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Created: 02/12/2008

Video description: The 2008 update to the Apple TV adds some major new features, including movie rentals, HD video, and direct on-screen access to the iTunes Store.

Apple TV Video Transcript

[ music ] ^M00:00:01

>> Hi, I'm John Falcone, Senior Editor at CNET.com and this is the Apple TV. It's kind of like an iPod for your living room that you attach to your wide screen TV. The box itself is just a simple sort of eight inch square, only an inch high. It's very compact and very clean looking and it has a 40 gigabyte hard drive in it, as well as wireless 802.11N networking and video and audio output so you can hook it to a big screen TV or your home stereo system. Setting this up is really simple. You just plug it in, go to the right input and follow the on screen prompts and what it does is kind of automatically log onto your wired or wireless home network and seek out any PC or Mac running iTunes. One of the other big advantages of the Apple TV is that it has this really slick looking user interface. You pick the song or playlist you wanna listen to, go right into it and it starts right up. On your TV meanwhile, is the Alvmart for the corresponding song and after a few seconds it'll start initiating several screensavers. Where the Apple TV's real strength is is in streaming video from network computers. And it's pretty much the only product in it's class that can stream purchased TV shows and movies that you buy at the iTunes store. Same for music. Going into movies we see two movies that we bought on the iTunes store, The Incredibles and The Royal Tannenbaum's. Actually going into the movie itself is as simple as clicking a button and if you've already been watching, it lets you resume and you're watching the movie. The Apple TV can also stream in real time all this content off up to five other connected PC's or Mac's on your home network. All in all, the Apple TV delivers an experience that is about as close to having a big iPod hooked up to your big screen TV as you could expect. It delivers the same elegant interface and ease of use that you get with the iPod, but it does limit you to the media that you have in iTunes. I'm John Falcone for CNET and this is the Apple TV. ^M00:02:34 [ Music ]

Apple TV (40GB) Review

Editors' rating

8.0

out of 10

Price range

$227.62

Amazon.com Marketplace

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The good: Provides access to a variety of free and premium media content--including movie rentals, TV shows, music, photos, podcasts, and YouTube videos--on your living room TV; streams media from networked Mac or Windows PCs; purchases and rentals can be done directly through iTunes Store on your TV; movie rentals from all major studios include some in HD and surround sound; sleek external design and elegant user interface; simple, streamlined setup; includes state-of-the-art 802.11n wireless networking; smooth, hiccup-free streaming.

The bad: Doesn't work with older, non-widescreen TVs; movie rentals must be watched within 24 hour timeframe; no subscription payment options; lackluster file support for non-iTunes video formats; oversimplified remote can't control other devices; no built-in DVD player.

The bottom line: With its enhanced iTunes video offerings, PC-free operation, and a lower price tag, the updated Apple TV is a compelling Internet-enabled entertainment device for the living room.

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