Apple TV Makeover
The Apple TV was released in 2oo6, and even with a subsequently updated interface, added features, and price cuts, it was never what we’d call a success. Part of that can be attributed to the fact that Apple considered it a -hobby” and never really devoted the time or resources to make it a better product; but as Steve Jobs admitted during his introduction of the new Apple ‘IV, the product also didn’t give customers what they wanted.
It lacked content and quality, cost too much (both the device and the downloaded media), and was too complicated…the Apple ‘IV reboot is an attempt to address those issues and make it a well-respected member of the Apple ecosystem. (We say attempt because it’s too early to tell if new model will satisfy current owners or convince those who’ve never used an Apple TV to take the plunge.)
Radical Change
This new Apple TV certainly wins on the hardware front: It’s a quarter the size of the original, a tiny black box that will likely run cool and quiet due to its lack of a hard drive. You can pick it up and hold it in the palm of your hand. easily. On the back is a small selection of ports, far fewer than on the previous model. If you don’t have a TV that supports HDMI, forget it—this device has only an HDMI port for video out. It also has an optical-audio port. an ethernet jack (along with built-in 8o2.11n networking), and a USB port that Apple says is designed for support use only and not for end-user functions.
The Apple TV’s video features rely heavily on an iTunes Store rental model: Movies in I-ID will cost S4 for library titles and 53 for new releases; TV shows will go for just Sr. Apple also offers standard- definition movies for S4 for new releases and $3 for library titles. As was previously the case, you must watch rentals within 3o days; once you begin watching a movie. you need to finish it within 24 hours. With TV shows, on the other hand, you get a 48-hour window for viewing. The Apple TV will also track which television episodes you’ve watched. (You can’t buy stuff anymore—you can only rent movies and TV shows. If you want to buy something and keep it forever. you’ll need to do that on your computer and then stream it to the Apple TV.)
On the inside, the specs have been updated to support 72op video at 3o frames per second (the previous model could hack only 24fps, and even then there were often issues). This is a big deal because a lot of TV content is delivered at 3o frames per second. and Apple wants everything on the new Apple TV to be in H D, including TV rentals (although Apple does offer some standard-definition TV show rentals—for any content not available in HD—at the same Si-an-episode price).
Welcome, Netflix
As for the interface itself, it will he pretty familiar to current Apple TV users. It’s the same remote-driven UI, featuring a series of menu items from la to right, though some of the details have changed. And Apple has incorporated Netflix streaming into the device: The instant-watch implementation Apple has added is very much in keeping with the Apple TV’s design philosophy, rather than looking like every other Netflix implementation we’ve U seen on various stand-alone and embed-ded devices. (Previous Apple TV models won’t gain Netflix-streaming capabilities.)
We’ll have to wait and see if the price drop to $99 is low enough to entice the curious who would never have dropped -$200-plus on such a device.
The Apple TV was released in 2oo6, and even with a subsequently updated interface, added features, and price cuts, it was never what we’d call a success. Part of that can be attributed to the fact that Apple considered it a -hobby” and never really devoted the time or resources to make it a better product; but as Steve Jobs admitted during his introduction of the new Apple ‘IV, the product also didn’t give customers what they wanted.
It lacked content and quality, cost too much (both the device and the downloaded media), and was too complicated…the Apple ‘IV reboot is an attempt to address those issues and make it a well-respected member of the Apple ecosystem. (We say attempt because it’s too early to tell if new model will satisfy current owners or convince those who’ve never used an Apple TV to take the plunge.)
Radical Change
This new Apple TV certainly wins on the hardware front: It’s a quarter the size of the original, a tiny black box that will likely run cool and quiet due to its lack of a hard drive. You can pick it up and hold it in the palm of your hand. easily. On the back is a small selection of ports, far fewer than on the previous model. If you don’t have a TV that supports HDMI, forget it—this device has only an HDMI port for video out. It also has an optical-audio port. an ethernet jack (along with built-in 8o2.11n networking), and a USB port that Apple says is designed for support use only and not for end-user functions.
The Apple TV’s video features rely heavily on an iTunes Store rental model: Movies in I-ID will cost S4 for library titles and 53 for new releases; TV shows will go for just Sr. Apple also offers standard- definition movies for S4 for new releases and $3 for library titles. As was previously the case, you must watch rentals within 3o days; once you begin watching a movie. you need to finish it within 24 hours. With TV shows, on the other hand, you get a 48-hour window for viewing. The Apple TV will also track which television episodes you’ve watched. (You can’t buy stuff anymore—you can only rent movies and TV shows. If you want to buy something and keep it forever. you’ll need to do that on your computer and then stream it to the Apple TV.)
On the inside, the specs have been updated to support 72op video at 3o frames per second (the previous model could hack only 24fps, and even then there were often issues). This is a big deal because a lot of TV content is delivered at 3o frames per second. and Apple wants everything on the new Apple TV to be in H D, including TV rentals (although Apple does offer some standard-definition TV show rentals—for any content not available in HD—at the same Si-an-episode price).
Welcome, Netflix
As for the interface itself, it will he pretty familiar to current Apple TV users. It’s the same remote-driven UI, featuring a series of menu items from la to right, though some of the details have changed. And Apple has incorporated Netflix streaming into the device: The instant-watch implementation Apple has added is very much in keeping with the Apple TV’s design philosophy, rather than looking like every other Netflix implementation we’ve U seen on various stand-alone and embed-ded devices. (Previous Apple TV models won’t gain Netflix-streaming capabilities.)
We’ll have to wait and see if the price drop to $99 is low enough to entice the curious who would never have dropped -$200-plus on such a device.
