2011 iLounge iPod/iPhone/iPad Buyers' Guide

ipods, iphones + iPADS
2011 Buyers’ Guide
Apple TV
8 GB - HD Videos - Netflix - YouTube - Streaming Photos - Streaming Music - $99 US
Although Apple repeatedly failed to make its 2007-vintage predecessor a
mainstream product, the second-generation Apple TV - an iTunes media player
for HDTVs - enters the market with three advantages: a much lower price tag, a
smaller, cooler chassis, and access to more affordable video content. Redesigned
as a pure streaming device with no hard disk, the new Apple TV has a small
amount of onboard storage for buffering content from the Internet, a computer
running iTunes, or even certain iOS devices. Users can’t manually fill that storage
space; Apple TV quietly manages it by loading and dumping content as needed.
Armed with access to Netflix, which is also available through competing devices,
the new Apple TV becomes an unlimited source of third-run movies and past
seasons’ TV shows for a $9 monthly subscription fee. Apple also offers video
rentals from the iTunes Store, including a handful of films currently in theaters,
and a terribly small collection of TV shows. That’s because a number of major
studios have signaled that they won’t support the device, which could keep
it from fulfilling its potential as a next-generation way to skip movie theaters
and cable subscriptions while still paying content creators - a compromise that
Apple and consumers would both love, but Apple TV just isn’t doing right now,
the reason it missed a higher rating. Still, it’s nice for $99: Apple ships it with a
cool aluminum remote, but it also works with universal remote controls and a
free Apple-developed iOS Remote app. When iOS 4.2 debuts, music, photos, and
videos will stream from iPads, recent iPhones and iPod touches, making Apple TV
more useful even without Hollywood’s help. Then, it’ll be worth reevaluating.
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