Filed under: Macworld, Apple TV
Apple TV Take 2
The Apple TV has hardly been the most successful Apple product. In fact, you could say it has been kind of a flop. Even Steve Jobs admitted in his keynote address that the Apple TV has failed to meet expectations and truly link online content with the television. So what is Apple's plan to try to change that? Welcome to Apple TV Redux!While the Apple TV's form factor remains the same, the software interface has changed significantly. The most notable feature is the ability to buy music, movies and iTunes rentals directly from the device, no computer required. Frankly, this is something I think should have been included from the very beginning. The Apple TV will be able to playback HD and standard definition movies and support Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.
Additionally, Apple TV will now support interactive slideshows via Flickr and .Mac accounts.
There's one more change - one I also think is a big improvement to the overall product - the price has dropped. The 40 GB entry model is now just $229 USD (down from $299) and the 160 GB model is $329. Now that users actually have the ability to buy content directly from the device, and that HD content will be readily available, it has suddenly become much more attractive.
Current Apple TV owners can get the additional benefits via a software update
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
required said 3:02PM on 1-15-2008
I'm vaguely interested but wonder if 160 GB is enough space. Is it timecapsule compatable? They both share the same footprint.
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edwardkimuk said 3:06PM on 1-15-2008
yeah but the price hasnt gone down in the uk still £199
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mvan said 5:02PM on 1-15-2008
UK might get moving pictures from the tunes store in a couple of years! Its taken a long time to get a few US TV imports, until then ATV is just an expensive ipod extender...
Michael Rose said 3:09PM on 1-15-2008
sold. I'm getting one, preferably refurb but this is a no-brainer now.
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Galley said 4:57PM on 1-15-2008
Refurb prices have dropped to $179, and $279 for the 160 gigger.
DistortedLoop said 3:10PM on 1-15-2008
Seriously, as the not-so-satisfied owner of an AppleTV (purchased the first day of sale), I wouldn't recommend this device to any one, even with the new features they're said to be offering.
It's almost twice the cost, but buying a Mac Mini and hooking it up to the Tv will give you all the features of this AppleTV, plus all the features it doesn't give you for playing video (like QT, VLC applications and the ability to play far more file formats than AppleTV does).
The enabling of 5.1 sound finally is a nice touch, at least.
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loshombres said 3:11PM on 1-15-2008
While I love my iPhone, I can't really see myself putting down $249 for the Apple TV while the Xbox 360, for $299, does even more. Download movies? Yes! Stream movies from my PC? Yes! Play Ghost Recon II? Yes! Play regular DVDs? Yes! Browse photos from my camera or PC? Yes! Listen to music from my PC? Yes! Maybe the Apple TV is quieter (big 360 complaint) and sexier (opinion), but I believe Apple is a day late to this party.
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ballpein said 8:40PM on 1-15-2008
I agree with most of this. But Microsoft XBox has only a smattering of video content, no option to BUY tv shows, and a very limited (and expensive to upgrade) hard drive. And the annoyingly clumsy XBox Live interface.
The ATV will become really enticing in a week or two when it's hacked to allow VLC playback... I think it will look great right on top of my Xbox.
Captain Obvious said 11:10AM on 1-16-2008
@ballpein
The XBLM has the option to buy TV shows. And you've obviously never used the interface if you find it clumsy.
Kelemor said 3:12PM on 1-15-2008
didnt the say the update would be in 2 weeks not today.
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MattH said 4:07PM on 1-15-2008
still no update here .... I keep trying. I bet it's in 2 weeks
OpticalSerenity said 3:13PM on 1-15-2008
I thought they said the software update was going to be available in two weeks? You say today? I Hope today.
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ibnabouna said 3:16PM on 1-15-2008
Hello,
I have an XBox 360 and an Apple TV, and honestly, the comparison isn't even close. Microsoft did have an early advantage with its integration and compatibility with Windows Media Center, but now that the iTunes ecosystem is more complete, I feel Apple TV is much better solution for movies in my home. Between our two Macs, our two iPhones, and an Apple TV that now supports HD and surround sound, I would much rather purchase and rent movies through iTunes. The announcement was especially pleasant for us knowing that these features would be given to early adopters of Apple TV. I was fortunate enough to pick up a 160 GB version from Costco last month for less than Apple's new price.
Moving to another point, this article states the Apple TV software update is available now, but I am not sure that is accurate. My Apple TV does not report anything new, even when I do a manual update. Also, I thought Steve Jobs said the update would come in two weeks' time...
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Graham said 3:27PM on 1-15-2008
A small note, but if you look at the new quicktime video explaining the rentals, you'll see what appears to be another "Beatles" tease.
When the video shows a quick glance at the music menu, the very last album cover, which never comes to the front, is "Magical Mystery Tour." I know, it is silly, but it struck me when I saw it.
Anyway, as a happy Apple TV owner who has been using the Netflix/Handbrake system, I am happy with the rental option finally arriving. I think I'll retain Netflix for the foreseeable future but it will be nice to be able to DL HD content without planning ahead.
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iMachias said 3:39PM on 1-15-2008
All the Apple products in my house are updating instead of the AppleTV. I think that update doesn't come for another two weeks.
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Brian Baute said 3:39PM on 1-15-2008
Count me among those with no real interest in AppleTV until it can be used as a DVR as well. Why have to buy or rent all the content for it instead of also recording the content I'm already paying for via cable/satellite?
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Grog said 4:04PM on 1-15-2008
Exactly. Until it also records television signals, it's relatively useless. For anyone who goes through a lot of movies/TV DVDs, Netflix is still the better deal: wider selection, lower price per rental (for more than a couple rentals/month). Why would I buy or rent movies from iTunes when this is available to me?
On the other hand, if this also recorded TV shows for me (specifically OTA digital content), I would be very interested. But since this is more of a DVD player-replacement right now, not so much.
D98 said 4:08PM on 1-15-2008
It would be nice if the AppleTV were a Tivo competitor, but honestly, our Tivo Series 3 takes care of that issue.
We bought an AppleTV strictly to stream our music library through our primary HT system, so that we could move our giant CD jukebox out of the way. As a music-streaming device, it's a showstopper. You can set a playlist for an entire evening, and with the album art drifting past... people just can't believe how beautiful the UI is.
I agree with you, however, that the TV offerings just haven't been necessary - especially b/c it's less than SD quality, and b/c the Tivo is picking up pretty much everything we'd ever want to see.
Movie rentals are a nice addition, and HD video is a phenomenal addition. But I'm primarily happy to see that we can now purchase music directly through the AppleTV.
caleb said 8:18PM on 1-15-2008
I thought this was pretty obvious:
1) *Cancel* your cable/satellite.
2) Save a fortune.
StanleyCup99 said 3:44PM on 1-15-2008
I was thinking that a Mini makes a bit more sense even with the updated AppleTV. I have a 52" LCD HDTV that I would like to connect to this puppy and use iTunes Movie rentals. Can anyone comment on what would be the main benefit of using the AppleTV vs. just connecting the Mini? As far as TV inputs go, I can go anywhere from HDMI to VGA. Thanks!
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