02-04-2009, 06:41 AM
sekker wrote:
I, too, am still puzzled - does it do anything well except allow one to order movies from iTunes?
Why, yes, it does! In fact, everything it does, it does well. Regarding what it does, this is a posting I made to a prior thread:
Apple TV
Here's a quick summary:
- Movies jukebox for your own movies and videos
- Movies rental and purchase (including HD with full multi-channel audio)
- Movie trailers
- TV show purchases (including HD show versions)
- Music playback (both stored and streamed from host libraries with built-in support for Genius and On-The-Go playlist creation and album art display)
- Music purchases (with automatic sync to the specified host's iTunes library)
- Music videos purchase and playback with playlist support
- Podcast streaming and download (both audio and video podcasts including HD for the latter)
- Photos (individual and slideshows) from the following sources:
--sync'd
--streamed
--flickr
--MobileMe
- YouTube videos (best quality and best interface)
These features are all provided in a small, silent, self-contained box that accommodates the simplest possible hook-up (power+HDMI cable only--no 'wall wart' or power brick and no network cable required because WiFi capability is built-in) and very simple setup, interface, and remote control. Operation--including synchronization--is highly automatic.
Apple TV can be remotely controlled with a GUI interface by the iPhone or iPod touch.
Nothing improves TV like Apple TV. The use of disc-based media seems so clumsy and primitive once you've used Apple TV...