Apple TV Digital Media Streamer (MA711LL/A)

Your computer is the center of your digital life. Your TV is the center of your entertainment life. But what if you want to watch movies, TV shows, movie trailers, podcasts, and photos from your computer on your TV? Apple TV brings iTunes to the big screen.

It will surely be a huge phenomenon

saved by monica | reviews.digitaltrends.com

Whether you jump on the Apple TV bandwagon or sit this one out, there's no escaping the fact that the Apple TV is a huge phenomenon that will challenge conventional thinking and may even spur video content providers to think a little more about catering to the individual consumer's habits and desires.

More and better content

saved by monica | ilounge.com

In our view, Apple TV isn’t, as some have suggested, a solution in search of a problem, but rather a partial solution in need of being completed. More and better content - particularly free, easy tools for user-created and -converted video files - would go a long way towards that goal, and software updates to fix its current bugs and hopefully add video format support could make Apple TV a big success. But in its current form, as user-friendly as it is when you turn it on, it’s not as friendly when you try to fill it up with great-looking content. For that reason, it deserves its widespread labelling as a somewhat impressively executed but ultimately niche product - one that has done enough on ease of use and interface to earn better than the limited recommendation (B-) it would otherwise have merited.

It is a mixed bag

saved by monica | thetechlounge.com

Overall, it's a mixed bag. Considering how little digital media I purchase from Apple's iTunes Store, the $300 price tag is steep for essentially letting me listen to my music collection and look at photos on my TV, which both my Series 2 TiVo and Xbox 360 could already let me do. Even the video capabilities are something that the Xbox 360 already matches and exceeds, since it can output HD video without limitations on resolution or frame rates.

Great device

saved by monica | macintouch.com

Apple TV is a great device which integrates easily into an existing home network and living room. Setup is incredibly easy, and the simple Apple Remote and elegant user interface are a snap to use.

Very good

saved by monica | pcmag.com

Moving the functionality of the iPod onto widescreen TV is a great idea. The fact that it works, even better. Still, it's disappointing to not be able to play some video content on Apple TV that I can play in iTunes.

Apple TV Just Plain Works

saved by monica | pcworld.com

As good as Apple TV is, I was still left thinking it could do more. For instance, it's got an Internet connection and a hard drive, so why do I have to download a video or album to my PC, then have it sync to the Apple TV? Despite those reservations, though, Apple TV is more than just the tallest midget out there. It's the first media streaming device I could imagine recommending to a non-geek. And I wouldn't be surprised if it evolves into something even more powerful.

Big on hype but short on functionality

saved by monica | winsupersite.com

The Apple TV is a typical Apple product: It's big on hype but short on functionality. It surrenders usability for design, and comes in the smallest form factor possible. It's tied to Apple's other products in a way that is arguably anticompetitive, though fans of Apple's services and devices should have no issues with that. For these reasons, Apple TV is recommended only for those people who have drunk the Apple Kool-Aid and decided they really like the taste and can afford the upscale lifestyle. General fans of digital media or those who are interested in accessing PC-based media from their TVs should know that there are better solutions out there.

Great at everything

saved by monica | engadget.com

The Apple TV is great at everything it was built to do -- serve as a plug and play solution to interact with your iTunes media. But it isn't called the Apple HDTV for a reason. Sure, it technically supports 720p, but not in any meaningful way. Anyone who cares about high quality video will not be happy -- the 5Mbps limit is just too low.

Simple and elegant media streaming solution

saved by monica | reviews.cnet.com

Although the current lack of high-quality video at the iTunes Store is a major shortcoming, the Apple TV delivers a simple and elegant streaming media solution.

Quite elegant and great product

saved by monica | laptopmag.com

The Apple TV isn't the first media-streaming set-top box on the market, but it's the first one from Apple, and is therefore the one to bring what was once an early-adopter technology to the masses. For those of you still catching up, the Apple TV wirelessly grabs your iTunes content-including videos, music, podcasts, audiobooks, and photos-from your PC and makes it available on your HDTV or home theater system. It's the most elegant digital media adapter yet, and one that we assume will only get better with age.