How to Buy Apple TV

When Apple TV was introduced, it failed to take the market by storm, but the 2008 upgrade may realize its potential. With the new Apple TV software and iTunes content, Apple TV is no longer just "an iPod for your TV," but a device to give Netflix a serious run for its money. This page explains what it is, its capabilities, and how to buy Apple TV.

Introduction

Unless you spend all your online time on eBay, you've probably streamed or downloaded video content from the Internet, whether from YouTube, iTunes or elsewhere. It might have occurred to you by now that your personal computer really isn't the best substitute for a TV. For one thing, it usually has a smaller screen. For another, it's not exactly comfortable: if you've ever watched a DVD on your laptop or at your desk, you know that much. Apple TV, which entered the market in March 2007, was a device meant to answer the demand for something better. In essence, it routed video content from your computer to your television. However, the 2008 software upgrade allows the device to operate independently from your computer—and along with iTunes' new online movie rentals, it has the potential to revolutionize home video.

What Apple TV Can Do

This sleek, notebook-sized gadget has been called an iPod for your TV. With the 2008 update, it's something more. Here are some of Apple TV's capabilities:

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveils Apple TV. (Creative Commons photo by Francis Storr)
Rent movies online
In his January 15 keynote to Macworld Expo 2008, CEO Steven Jobs announced deals with every major film studio to add thousands of online movie rentals to iTunes. You can now "rent" streaming movies for your Apple TV on a video-on-demand basis.
- From Apple.com: "Rent a movie and you have 30 days to start watching it. Hit Play, and you have 24 hours to finish it — or play it as many times as you want."
- Studios participating include Touchstone, Miramax, MGM, New Line, Lions Gate, Fox, WB, Disney, Paramount, Universal and Sony.
- Movies can be rented directly from your Television, using Apple TV's onscreen menu.
- Films rentals are available for $2.99 from the film library, or $3.99 for new releases.
  - For an extra dollar, films can be rented in HD with 5.1 surround sound.

Download and Stream other iTunes Video Content on your TV
Besides movie rentals, all other iTunes video content can be accessed with Apple TV, including:
- Feature-length films: available for download at about the price of a DVD each.
- TV shows: available for download by episode (usually $1.99) or by season (each for about the price of a DVD set).
  - Music videos: thousands available for download at $1.99 each.
  - Video podcasts: Hundreds of free regular podcasts, including offerings from The New Yorker, Radiohead and CNET, as well as the gamer-themed sitcom The Guild. 30 HD video podcasts are also included.

Play Third-Party Content
Apple TV can store and play video content that you either find on the net, or upload yourself. As long as you can play it with iTunes, you can play it on your Apple TV.
- This requires, however, that it be converted to .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats.

Sync to your iTunes library
The entire contents of your iTunes library can be synced (or automatically copied) to your Apple TV's hard drive.
- Apple TV is available in two models, one with a 40GB hard drive (approximately 50 hours of video), the other with 160GB (around 200 hours).
- With the Apple TV remote, you can browse your library directly on your TV screen, through the on-screen Apple TV menu.
- Apple TV allows you to play iTunes music, as well as video, through your TV system.

Stream YouTube Videos
With Apple TV, you can browse and stream YouTube videos directly on your TV, using the Apple TV menu.

Show Photos on TV
Among Apple TV's incidental benefits is the ability to show your photos on a big screen, just like an old-fashioned slideshow, but without the projector, glare and constant noise.
- Photos can be synced to Apple TV through iTunes, either from iPhoto or any folder on your hard drive.

Support Widescreen and HD
Apple TV is designed to work with widescreen TVs, and can support resolutions including 480p enhanced-definition and 720p high-definition.
- It can also work with standard, old fashioned CRT televisions, provided you have a recent model with component video inputs.

Support Surround Sound
Apple TV originally offered audio in Dolby Surround Pro Logic, prompting an online storm of controversy from adherents of "true" 5.1 Surround Sound. However, the 2008 Apple TV update does in fact unequivocally support 5.1.

Operate Without a Computer
With the 2008 update, Apple TV is no longer just an appendage of your computer, but an independent device. No computer necessary.

Mahalo Daily: The Steve Jobs 90 Minute Keynote (in 60 Seconds)

What Apple TV Can't Do

Devices like Apple TV are probably the future of home video, just as portable media players have become the reality of audio. Most movies and TV programming will be downloaded or streamed. However, there are limitations. Here are some things it can't do:

Expand
Apple TV has a hard drive, but you cannot expand its storage capacity like you can a MacBook.
- Whichever model you get, the 40GB or 160GB, that's the storage you're stuck with, unless you want to risk hacking into the machine and voiding your warranty.

Support 1080p HD
Your wide screen TV may be capable of ultra hi-definition 1080p resolution (or 1920×1080 pixels, but at maximum, Apple TV only handles files encoded up to 720p (or 1280x720 pixels).

Apple TV reflects the company's commitment to sleek, savvy design. (Creative Commons photo by Chris "Mojo" Denbow)
Sharpen YouTube
Due to its formatting and file space limitations, YouTube's content is low resolution, with some files being lower than others.
- If you've ever maximized a YouTube video to fill your whole computer screen, you know how great that looks: kind of like an impressionist painting—on your widescreen, it will only get more abstract. Only when YouTube itself upgrades will it look better on a big screen.

Work as a DVR
Apple TV is not a digital video recorder capable of recording and playing back television programs, though the addition of this feature has been rumored.

Which Model to Buy

Two models of Apple TV are available, differentiated only by the size of their hard drives and prices. Before you buy, you'll need to decide whether the extra storage capacity of the pricier model is worth the extra expense.

40GB
The base model has a 40 gigabyte hard drive and lists for $229.
According to Apple.com, it is capable of storing:
- 50 hours of video content (at 640x480 pixel resolution)
- 9,000 songs (assuming 4-minute songs encoded with 128-Kbps AAC format)
- 25,000 photos (the maximum transferable from iTunes)
This model would be appropriate if you plan to use Apple TV mainly to stream video from the Internet, rather than store it. iTunes' streaming online movie rentals make this an attractive option.

160GB
The upgrade has a 160 gigabyte hard drive and lists for $329.
According to Apple.com, it is capable of storing:
- 200 hours hours of video content (at 640x480 pixel resolution)
- 36,000 songs (assuming 4-minute songs encoded with 128-Kbps AAC format)
- 25,000 photos (the maximum transferable from iTunes)
This would be the more appropriate option if you're more of a digital pack-rat and intend to store a large amount of downloaded content.