Digital Trends

Apple TV (160GB) March 25th, 2007 | by Jason & Marshal

Conclusion

Apple's entry into the living-room entertainment market has been one of the most talked about phenomena in recent tech history. The Apple TV is one of those products that you either love or shun. There are a great number of positive attributes - it plays 16:9 content beautifully, it's a pleasure to use the interface, it makes for gorgeous iPhoto slideshows, it's a wonderful way to stream iTunes music to an entertainment center and it'll undoubtedly appeal to a great number of TV and home-video enthusiasts. On the other hand, it seems to truly be a niche product. Only people who buy iTunes movies and TV shows, or those who prefer to back up their entire DVD collection to MPEG-4 format for DVD-free use, may find the product indispensable. Personally, I think the Apple TV is a pretty neat product - something worthy of a lot of attention and respect. I also feel that it's not necessarily something I absolutely need to have or use all the time. I don't see it revolutionizing my world (but that's just me).

To find out if the Apple TV is right for you, or if it'd make a well-appreciated gift for someone special, it is necessary to really evaluate whether or not you need iTunes or home-converted video content streaming from your computer to your TV. Is this your niche? Are you willing to make peace with some of the Apple TV's shortcomings? If so, by all means buy the product.

If you're really not sure if the Apple TV is right for you, get yourself to an Apple store or some other retailer where the Apple TV is available for handling and testing. You may find yourself passing on the $299 expense. You may also find yourself in love and going home with an exciting new source of entertainment.

Whether you jump on the Apple TV bandwagon or sit this one out, there's no escaping the fact that the Apple TV is a huge phenomenon that will challenge conventional thinking and may even spur video content providers to think a little more about catering to the individual consumer's habits and desires.


Pros:

• Easy to use
• Uses 802.11b/g/n
• Most video content is gorgeous

Cons:

• High $299 price
• Runs very hot
• No cables included
• Limited video formats
• Some video content is sub-par