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He shouldn't say things he will regret later.
And he'd better never lay his hands on an iPhone or any other Apple products!

Call me crazy, but I bought an Apple TV last month and I like it quite a bit. Just having my entire library of 2,000+ digital music tracks available to play on my home theater system was worth it to me. The ability to also view videos and photos is just a bonus. Plus we all know that Apple will be adding more features with future software updates.

Awww ... the non-HD content doesn't look any better on an HD screen and the screen-saver (why?) looks better than the non-HD shows. It's a Mac mini - Get Over It! Jobs never claimed it would make non-HD content look any better, just more available.

DLMeyer - the Voice of G.L.Horton's Stage Page Pod Cast

MW "soon" - as in ... Wait For It!

The Apple TV is nothing like the iPhone, it's essentially a remote version of FrontRow, whose biggest limitations are based upon the limitations of content - things that can only improve. The iPhone has a far more advanced and defined set of features - which are also expandable. The Apple TV's perceived success or failure is totally unrelated to the iPhone.

Not every product is launched as the figurehead one.

The iPod didn't break sales records in its first several years of existence. It took time and effort from Apple to get it to the product it is today. Plus, the content owners/creators are going to have to get off their behinds and actually let Apple sell some HD content via iTunes.

I love my AppleTV

The MDN take is a bit defensive. Who cares if it can be be updated over time. The review is correct at this time. It can't do much right now, and you can't easily get HD content.

Apple should have held off on this product for another year or two until the other peices were in place.


I do agree, however, that making a connection between the Apple TV and the iPhone is retarded

Amazing... I use my Apple TV every day. Have movies (ripped and purchased), pictures, music, podcasts... All of it. Even have my own HD camcorder movies on it. And the library's growing. Not shrinking.

As a matter of fact, just yesterday, I realized that I'm actually spending more time on Apple TV than on network TV. And I'm sure I'm not the only one getting the hang of Apple TV.

So, who is this guy kidding?

In the UK there is no legal movie content on iTunes and this is a problem, add to this that items like the xbox 360 can be used a a streaming option with a mac for the otherwise self encoded and or illegally downloaded and whilst no where near as sexy it does let you play games as well.

MDN, do you even own Apple TV?

AppleTV is a dud. Question: Zune reached 1 million in sales in 6+ months; when will AppleTV reach this mark?

iPhone success? Too much hype now, let´s wait for it to come out first.

Like MDN stated, it's clear that content producers have kept HD video off of iTunes until now. I wonder how long they can keep that up. They're in a catch-22-- miss out on sales or help feed the iTunes behemoth and lose more power.

The ability the watch Podcasts and view photos in my living room with my family is worth the price alone.

I like my AppleTV. It serves a purpose. However, having said that, I would really like to be able to purchase content from my couch, if I feel the need. It would be great if they put a huge harddrive in it and you could sync your iPod from it and buy all of your content from it. This would be a great solution for those without computers.

TV Fan, no-one owns "Apple TV". However, a person may own "an" Apple TV. Get thee back to elementary school.

Now with as much supporting evidence, you claim that Apple TV is a dud. Well, I claim that my shoes are black. Prove that they're not!

Comparing Apple TV and the Zune is the classic comparing apples and oranges tactic. It's a meaningless comparison.

iPhone success? No-one is claiming that the iPhone has succeeded!

Geez, TV Fan, is your day job working for the Associated Press doctoring photographs or something?

I love my ATV alot. I use it all the time. In no way is it a dud for me.

Right there with ya Realista. I love my Apple TV, and the content is just growing for it. I recently had an issue when my Tivo's drive went south and didn't get to record the "sweeps" season finalies while I was out of town. Apple TV and iTunes to the rescue.

Also, I have noticed that the encoding or something about the content is gettting less and less "fuzzy". The shows I got this week are pretty much as sharp as any 480i Tivo'ed show.

@TV Fan

Check your facts. According to Macworld UK, Microsoft has not sold one million Zunes yet. They only claim they are on target to sell one million by June.

MDN is apparently blinded to AppleTV's many faults.

It is Zune-like in how it underdelivers on capability.

No Blu-Ray, No ATSC tuner, No 1080i/p, No DVR, Small HDD

--> Airport Express with Video.

No much of a home media center which is what Apple ought to deliver. This thing is too iTunes specific for anyone but the Apple fanatic to purchase.

We have two TVs - one in our lounge room (living room) connected to a 52 inch HDTV and one in the sitting room in our bedroom connected to a 42 inch HDTV - hard wire via ethernet (not braodcast - even tho we could because we have a new Airport Extreme) and it is amazing to be able to watch movies, play music and listen/watch PodCasts. My only complaint (besides resolution - which will change) is that we can't play our music videos one after the other or shuffle them like other "music" like you can on your iPod. That would be nice for a dinner party or party that rocks the neighbourhood for that matter! Tha's it! I would have to say that bugalugs (Brent Schlender) has not been home much nor used the TV too much to make the comments he has made. They look like a check list that he received from Ballmer!

I am sure he will rue the day and eat the words he has written about the iPhone and TV - comparing it to a pile of brown Zune - all stinky and all.

@TV Fan - do you own an TV? And how do you count Zune sales? the ones forced into the channels by M$ but not sold or actual on the street playing muzac. You need to reread the article about the Zune sales, too. It was an estimate based upon projections. NOT REAL NUMBERS.

How many TVs have been sold - don't know - no fake numbers have been released!

mdn = written

While I won't claim that the Apple TV is a dud, I don't have a use for it. I have a Mac in the living room hooked up to my A/V system already, so the Apple TV doesn't add anything to my environment.

That said, if Apple updates the Apple TV and adds DVR capabilities, the ability to pull content from multiple computers, and the ability to purchase content from the iTMS, I can definitely see a use for it.

Maybe I got it wrong but wasn't the Apple TV the first product to become the best-selling item on Apple's online store that was not an iPod? Like the Zune was the first best-selling on, ehm.... ???

Be fair MDN, in my country the Apple TV has been reviewed by the national Mac periodic and they also said it is to iTunes restricted to be the general TV solution. But, we all know Apple learns fast ...

The analogies with Zune are just stupid. In the Zune analogy, where is the equivalent "ipod"?

Zune would be damned impressive if it were coming out at the time the first ipod did. (Well if its software worked reliably anyway.)

Apple TV is an extension of a brand new market Apple is establishing in digital media. At best, Zune has added a feature or two. For all our criticism of the Zune, it's real issue is timing. Apple built the market and MS wants it's piece.

This is a fundajmentally new thing. It has limitations. Fine, criticize. Don't be an early adopter. The Zune is a fundamentally derivative thing. Comparing Apples to Chevys.

This guys smokes Redmond crack.

iPhone, in its' currently demoed form (from MWSF) is killer. Only a retard would think otherwise. It's why ever cell manufacturer and service provider are scrambling to catch up. It's why there have been a zillion offerings to unload smart phones at less than cost. They all know the iPhone has raised the bar in a huge way.

Now take into account that obviously Apple will be increasing specs and apps by the June launch. Such things as:

1) Increased Flash Drives (up from 4gb/8gb)
2) Wireless N (hmmm could the iPhone work with the Airport Extreme? Could it work with AppleTV directly. You bet.)
3) Ability to order iTunes content from the iPhone directly. Of course. (and this means that the AppleTV will be able to do the same - as it functions like a bigger iPhone/iPod like device)
4) User-replaceable battery? Most likely but I am not sure I believe this hype as much as other items.
5) iWork compatibility? As I said back in January, this would be a given. It will also allow MS Office (Word/PPT, and with the new iWork spreadsheet program set to be released, Excel) files to be viewed on the iPhone.
6) Couple #5 with TV out capabilities, and the Yahoo Push email and this slick little gizmo becomes a business powerhouse. If they can integrate with Outlook, it would help dramatically further in the conversion from MSFT.
7) Java/Flash/Quicktime capabilities in the Safari browser. True multimedia internet content in the palm of your hand.
8) Hints that a firmware upgrade may make the iPhone usable on Cingular AT&T;'s 3G network. It would be interesting if this was a user-selected option depending on the area in which they live. EDGE/3G? Think of the BUZZ if Apple announces the iPhone is now 3G compatible at launch? Obviously coming but whether it will be at launch or not remains to be seen. Keep in mind that unless Apple can switch to 3G easily, it would be strange that they went the EDGE route. Apple likes to embrace new tech much faster than other companies: integrated wireless N, dropping the floppy drive from all computers, AppleTV requiring HDTVs, etc.. To not have forward compatibility to 3G, when Cingular has a 3G network, seems crazy. They obviously have a strategy in place here.
9) GPS - coming, only a matter of when.
10) Lots of Google apps coming. Crazy to think there are not more apps coming from other companies.

This launch will be bigger than most people have predicted.

Apple TV rocks. Live with it for a couple months and you realize the power of it!

So, dude says, "Apple could turn off customers if the pricey device can't really do what it promises because of little gotchas like insufficient bandwidth or short battery life or an unusable virtual keyboard."

Um, duh?

How the HELL is it that analysts can essentially write, "...if the product does not live up to expectations, it could disappoint customers..." and get FREAKIN PAID FOR IT??!?! Could that statement not be any more self evident? I wish to God that my job was that easy.

I agree with the criticism's but not the conclusions. I love my AppleTV and see two features as needed to make it live up to it's potential:

1. Movie rentals (preferably a subscription) - I rent more movies than I buy, but Apple has the perfect setup to kill Blockbuster and netflicks and become the media rental king.

2. DVD ripping capability. This is a legal issue not a technical one, you can use handbrake to RIP your DVD's but then you find yourself in the grey area between DMCA and fair use. I like most people buy DVD's because I can carry them anywhere - and I feel more comfortable they will last forever (I don't have to back them up).

MDN THE APPLETV SUCKS BECAUSE...

The "Studios" won't sell HD content because, DUH!! the ACSS has been throughly CRACKED!!

And DRM of the Future will be installed in EFI on Intel based Mac's.

People ARE NOT GOING TO LIKE THAT.

EFI IS A POWERFUL OS LIKE FIRMWARE THAT CAN DO WHAT IT WANTS REGARDLESS OF THE OPERATING SYSTEM AND WITHOUT IT!!!

Apple is placing hardware in the marketplace because certain domino's are going to fall and everything will fall.

ATV is not a runway hit nor is the boom brick ( our name for the hifi). I work at an AppleStore and we can't move them like the rest of the products. Daily we get questions such as the ones listed here and there is really no answer, nobody knows if it will be upgraded, it is wishful thinking. the product is very handicaped in performance with no Apple solution in sigth, it might not be similar to Zune but we can safely call it a dud when comparing it to other apple products

AppleTV rocks. For those of us that have a ton of home movie content, listen to our music through our home theatre stereos, etc. get great value. The fact that more features and items will be continually added to it, makes it an investment that will keep on giving. It's the price of an iPod for pete's sake.

Plus, it works slick with my Slingbox. Wait to see if Miglia is either bought by Apple or comes out with a killer add-on.

Plus, until Leopard is launched, we won't even know from the WWDC what the final apps are going to be. I expect some exciting stuff in the areas of AppleTV and the iPhone.

Once live streaming is available via iTunes for news and sportsm the broadcast TV network days will begin the inevitable decline.

@TV fan:
1 million Zunes sold is the editing error heard around the world. I guess that makes it an internet urban legend. Mentioned here and blogged about extensively, should you really care about facts.

To others: No apple should not have held off. Selling movies to ipods and computer screens only was silly. It's almost like the lore of the ipod has apple making perfect products. Nooo... what Apple does is make technology accessible without pain.

And I can't think of a product that launched with more limitations than the Apple product that changed computing completely: The mac. (If you've never operated an original macintosh, you would be shocked. It had the look and feel and idea, but it was so underpowered it was just barely usable.) But Apple got something out of the lab and into the marketplace and made history. If only MS had copied it a little bit better.... ::sigh::

I work at Cupertino and the previously 'claimed' Apple Worker is really a Redmond employee who is working on the Zune Squirt 2 (also known affectionately around the world as the brown poop brick).

No Apple solution in sight? Are you on drugs? Haha. Your FUD is pathetic.

Embrace the future. MSFT will lose (and are losing) the hearts and souls of consumers and as a result, business users will start to convert faster.

BustingTheSkullsOfIdiots
Tip: Never criticize anyone´s grammar when you can´t figure out where to put a space between words.
And what facts did you give to back up your blah, blah, blah? Just more blah, blah, blah.
You own an AppleTV?

It is a flop, dud, non-starter. It is a solution looking for a problem.
AppleTV? Don´t own it, doubt I ever will.

Thank you covering the AppleTV, but it does not require a high definition set as you wrote. Rather it requires component, DVI or HDMI input. My 6 year old 14" Toshiba sitting in my bedroom has component inputs and works great with AppleTV and is not high definition. AppleTV could use improvement, but so could your journalism.

*** "Zune-like dud" ***

this is Microsoft's TRUE legacy with the Zune - the addition of a phrase to the English language that everyone immediately understands

I'm sure there's a similar phrase that's been coined in other languages too

last time I checked the appleTV was like the second most sold device at the apple store... where do these dipshits get there data??

at least he knows that a big failure is "zune like"

I too love my AppleTV. It's a lot more flexible then most reviews suggest. Here's my favorite tips:

1. Movies: Rented a new movie but don't have time to watch it before returning it? Use Handbrake to rip it to mp4, drag it into iTunes movie folder where you can add album art & actor/director info that shows up on the AppleTV. At a bitrate of 1325 kbps movies take up around 1GB and are virtually indistinguishable at 720p from the DVD itself. Don't forget to delete the file when you've watched it!

2. Photos: Go through your iPhoto library and assign ratings to your pictures. Then create a smart folder that just includes pictures over 3 stars. Sync this smart folder to your Apple TV. As long as you rate new pictures as you import them, all your favorite photos just automatically show up on your AppleTV. Great for slide shows or the screen saver.

3. Streaming music: Want access to more music then the internal 40GB HD allows? You can connect up to 5 Macs or PCs to the AppleTV for streaming media. Even over 802.11g the AppleTV can easily stream & play your entire music colelction, with great looking album art etc.

As others have said though, downloading movies / music etc has to be the future. I don't even mind if I had to do this from iTunes instead of the AppleTV. Personally I'd want to pay $20 a month and be able to rent whatever music/movies/games I want - kinda like Netflix or Blockbuster. In the past I've bought & own at least 600 DVD movies and 1/3 of them completely suck! I never want to accidentally own "The Hunted" ever again ;-D

Coops-

"Don't forget to delete the file when you've watched it!"

Funny. Good one. I'm sure you did that.

I dunno. I still find it hard to muster any excitement for the AppleTV. It's certainly affordable, but every time I find myself drawn to purchasing one, the same two thoughts go through my head:

-- I don't want to buy videos from the iTunes store.
-- Converting other video formats for the AppleTV is too much work.

Sorry, but Apple's reputation for ease-of-use has made me lazy. I want drag-and-drop. I want instant gratification. I don't want to have to use Handbrake (whose interface I hate) or some other piece of software and jump through a bunch of hoops just so I can watch the Doctor Who episode I downloaded. I know me. I'd do the work a couple of times, and then the AppleTV would just sit there gathering dust.

Plus, the thing runs hot. Really hot. I touched one at an Apple store over the weekend. Ouch!! With that kind of thermal output, I don't dare put this thing in the most convenient place, the entertainment center behind a closed glass door. I'd have to figure out somewhere else to stick it.

I don't know. Everytime I see an AppleTV, I think "Maybe... maybe... naah." It could be that something would change my mind. The ability to rent HD content from iTunes might help. Playing XviD natively would also be a big help.

I think a better comparison for the AppleTV would by Sony's PSP--both are neat pieces of hardware which would have been much better off if the manufacturer didn't intentionally hobble them.

The gap between what the AppleTV could do if permitted by Apple and what it can do as shipped by Apple is huge.

Hackers have addressed some of the problems, but only if you're happy tearing open the AppleTV, pulling out the hard drive, etc. just to get started.

There's no reason, other than Apple being a pain in the goddam ass, that you can't--without busting open the device--install other codecs and attach a 1TB or whatever size drive full of media to the USB port and go to town. Or plug your iPod into the USB port and watch content off the iPod. Or, again without having to hack into the the thing, mount a server full of media. Or order iTunes stuff directly with the AppleTV.

I had planned to use the AppleTV to replace my Mac mini, since all I was using the Mac mini for was media stuff with it hooked up to my HDTV. No dice. The AppleTV should have the same functionality as a mini, but without the optical drive. It has the hardware to do it. The software to do it --Tiger--is already written and ready to go.

Except Apple was afraid people would use the AppleTV as a cheap mac, so Apple intentionally hobbled the device.

Sure, MDN, the AppleTV might be a lot better someday with functionality added to it. Or Apple might discontinue for poor sales. Or decide to shift to selling the AppleTV as a cup warmer (it is the right size, and hot enough.) Defending the thing over what it COULD do someday is idiotic.

Yep, the Apple TV sucks. Whatever.

That's why I bought one for my living room, ripped out the 40GB drive and replaced it with a 160GB drive. Then I ripped my entire DVD collection using HandBrake and MacTheRipper. Apple TV works so good that I just ordered a second one for my bedroom and i'm going to buy a new HDTV for my bedroom this weekend.

The interface is fantastic. I've bought nearly $300 worth of TV Shows and music videos from iTMS and look just fine.

I think people are just looking for a product to bitch about this week, and their focus is clearly on the ATV.

Jeezus.

I'm not very impressed with Apple TV in it's current configuration. Maybe the next gen will fair better.

I will admit that some of the demos I've seen at the Apple Stores I've visited isn't the most flattering for the Apple TV. But from my own personal experience, the Apple TV has been great so far, and when more features and functionality come online, it can only get better!

butt monkeys like this that can only think of Apple TV in terms of downloaded content. These are the same semantic thinkers that think iPods only play downloaded content.

While I am a big Apple fan, at this time I have to agree with
Critic
"The MDN take is a bit defensive. Who cares if it can be be updated over time. The review is correct at this time. It can't do much right now, and you can't easily get HD content.

Apple should have held off on this product for another year or two until the other peices were in place.


I do agree, however, that making a connection between the Apple TV and the iPhone is retarded".

Maybe not waiting another year, but atleast till all the parts where in place.

Owned one for a couple months. It now sits idle most of the time. It plays music fine, but it doesn't synch photos well at all, and I agree with some of the above comments - this thing not having a DVR or the ability to easily play DVDs is criminal.

I didn't think I'd care about that when I first got it, but the more I used it the more I wanted to record my own shows without the extra cost of iTunes, & the less I wanted the hassle of ripping DVDs. I have a huge DVD collection, and it's getting bigger b/c DVDs cost less than stuff you buy from itunes, WITH extras (iTunes vids have no extras - just movie), and DVD even has a better picture. I'm considering an HD-DVD player, as they will have all the same advantages sooner or later and the picture is phenominal. So I'm left asking myself what the point of AppleTV & itunes actually is, when other/better/cheaper alternatives are so readily available? I really wish I had thought it through like that in the first place, but ... I admit it ... I got into the hype.

Second, DVR recording, at least of over the air free TV, would be a great addition. I have cable, but my roof antenna in NJ area can get well over 15 channels. I probably watch 6 or 7 'antenna' channels regularly, and about three or four 'cable only' stations regularly. And frankly those cable channels are watched only because they happen to have one or two shows each that I'm interested in - the over the air channels actually have more shows that I watch/per channel - Mon & Thurs nights especially.

So basically, I look at it like this: If Apple sold the cable shows I watch (which they do, but since I have cable I ain't gonna buy them again) AND gave me the option of recording stuff off the antenna (local & national) that I actually watch more often, I could finally drop the monthly extortion that is my cable bill and give the proceeds to them. As it stands now, I use my VCR to time shift and/or archive for both types of programming, continue paying for cable cause I really like those few shows, and Apple gets nothing.

I tell my friends all the time - AppleTV is a luxury toy. It does some neat stuff with music, but that doesn't really occupy my 'video life', and the video streaming stuff AppleTV can do isn't nearly as engrossing to me as Apple seems to think it should be. They could have made it great. With just a disc player & a software app to do DVR (isn't Apple supposed to be this great software company? shouldn't be too hard ...) the thing could be everything I really want & use 24/7. Certainly I'd be willing to buy individual shows off of iTunes instead of paying for cable fees - cheaper for sure. But I want the flexibility of recording what I want when I want for stuff I don't have to pay for too. I just do. I don't care what Steve Jobs or any of you fanatics thinks I SHOULD be doing - that's what I am doing and I like it. And so does everyone else I know.

So I'm probably gonna eBay the AppleTV and go get a decent DVR (hard drive or disc based - haven't made up my mind) from Sams with the proceeds. I tried it. It's not quite there yet. Apple needs to stop trying so hard to reinvent the wheel on this one and just give the thing the basic abilities that people have come to expect from a video device over the last 30 years (recording), as well as an easy way to keep our DVD collections from collecting dust. And if HD is the future, then get that shit on iTunes ASAP.

So to recap for the mentally challenged - an AppleTV that records, plays my discs, and allows me to buy HD content direct from the iTS a) lets me save money (no cable), b) gives me the opportunity to get rid of one or two devices I already own (player and/or recorder), and c) would prevents me from buying another (HD player). In other words THAT kind of AppleTV would be the perfect solution to everything video. The kind we are stuck with ... not so much.

...and now we've got YouTube on the AppleTV...

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/live/steve-jobs-at-d-now-264586.php

The YouTube thing is very exciting.

Soon you will be able to stream to your TV video that is of even less quality than the downloads iTunes offers. L:

For what it's worth, I love my Apple TV. No, it isn't a DVD player. I have one of those. No, it isn't a DVR. I have one of those too. For me, it's an iPod for my livingroom, and for that I love it.

Would I like it to do more? Sure. I also wish my $5,000.00 Saturn would park itself, but alas, it doesn't. Apple TV does exactly what it promises, it's cheaper than a Mac mini, and I do expect more to come over time. For now, the $300.00 is well-spent.

Read up. If it seems like it will do what you want buy it. If you want a Lexus, then buy a Lexus.

Could this guy have picked a worse time to slam the AppleTV. Was it like 3 hours later Steve Jobs basically blew the folks away with the YouTube announcement and now we here that they may be working with AT&T;on an IPTV connection. Suddenly analysts are saying its the key to the future.... nice job Fortune.