05.10.2010

A Look at the New Apple TV: Our Review

Steve Jobs has always described the Apple TV as a 'hobby', and to be frank it's been a bit of a dud compared to Apple's big hits. Criticism has centred on its poor usability, slow performance, and too-basic remote (although this was fixed to some extent by an app).

With no stand-out features, and devices like the  XBox, Playstation, Wii and various cable TV boxes also offering film rental and purchase options, the fact that it was the only TV device that could access iTunes was not much of a draw when companies like Amazon, Netflix and others all offered access to the same content.

So what's new for 2010?

How does the new Apple TV compare to its predecessor?

The major change is that there is no longer a hard drive; all content is now streamed from a computer or mobile device. Losing the hard drive means that the new TV is just 4 inches square (half the size of its predecessor) and weighs in at a little over half a pound (a quarter of the former weight).

A smaller device typically means less connectors, but there is still HDMI, optical audio, Ethernet, and a micro USB. Wireless 802.11n is supported and the 'home sharing' feature means content can be accessed from multiple computers wirelessly. Apple's existing remote app (introduced with version 2.0 of their mobile operating system iOS) also allows text to be entered from a virtual keyboard, iPhone or iPod touch.

The bad news is that you cannot attach an external hard drive or connect to network storage devices!

There is 256Mb of RAM and an 8Gb flash drive. The flash drive is that already used in the iPad, as is the WiFi chip, and the processor is that from the iPad and the latest iPod touch.

What can you watch or listen to with the Apple TV?

Videos, music, and pictures from iTunes (obviously); YouTube videos, Netflix rentals, internet radio, and Flickr photos are amongst the supported features. With AirPlay (Apple's new wireless standard which will arrive on mobile devices with iOS 4.2) streaming from iOS devices is supported, meaning that content from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch can be accessed via Apple TV - and viewing will apparently be uninterrupted if you switch from small screen to big screen or vice versa.

Remember that with no hard drive, there is no more downloading; you only rent content. TV shows must be watched within 48 hours of playback commencing, and films must be watched within 24 hours. At present via iTunes you can only access content from the ABC, BBC, Fox and Disney networks. There is no support for third party TV streaming services like Hulu or Amazon. However, with a Netflix subscription you can also watch TV and films from NBC Universal, CBS, Paramount, MGM, 20th Century Fox,  Warner Brothers, Lions Gate, and New Line Cinema.

What is the User Interface Like?

Those familiar with Front Row in Mac OSX will feel at home, as content is separated into columns for films, TV, the internet, and your computer(s). One criticism is that play position is not saved once you exit from content back to the main menu.

iOS and Jailbreaking

There was some excitement over rumours that Apple TV would run on iOS, with speculation that the possiblity of accessing thousands of existing and cheap apps on the TV could make it a competitor in the low-end/family console gaming market. The iOS platform has proved to be popular, there are already many developers writing for it, and playing popular iPhone and iPad games on a flatscreen HDTV seemed like a reality.

With the announcement that the TV can be jailbroken in the same way as the iPod touch, iPhone and iPad, this is a possibility. Jailbreaking means that the biggest problems the Apple TV has - lack of support for third party apps and lack of external storage connection - may not be a problem.

Current retail price is £99.

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