Apple TV 2gen Pro Reviews

The box is easy to use, in typical Apple style, but you sometimes have to do battle with the limitations of the minimalist infrared control. The only problem we came across during our testing was the occasional interruption in preloading and the video stopping to rebuffer. Renting and purchasing videos worked well during our testing, but in Austria the price and choice of videos was not particularly stunning. It is not yet ready to replace traditional video rentals. Unfortunately we do not have support for Netflix here.

At $99 the Apple TV is at least priced competitively. You can get cheaper streaming boxes, but not by a huge margin. What the Apple TV does well is integrate into the iTunes world. The segregation between the Apple TV and iTunes rental stores is borderline unacceptable but the rest works well. Music you’ve got on in iTunes can easily stream to your TV. You can show slideshows of your photos while you play the music (again working best with iPhoto, and a little more painful if you’ve got photos scattered around your drives). The problem I have with the Apple TV is it feels like a product with a lot of wasted potential. You can make arguments for OS X, the iPhone and even the iPad, but with the Apple TV despite its lower pricing it’s just not complete enough.

The second-generation Apple TV has succeeded in making a simple experience even simpler. It is a perfect device for the masses, especially those already renting content from Apple's own iTunes portals. Since the first generation was released, however, the market for connected set-top boxes has continued to expand with other options that connect to an even wider range of content from third-party providers. Despite the improvements brought with the second-generation Apple TV, we can see why Apple still labels the device a hobby. While the new device is an improvement over its predecessor, it does not offer a slew of range-topping features that many people expect of Apple's premier devices.

Apple TV has a lovely interface and will suit those who use iTunes for everything, but its low resolution and poor format support count against it.

So, while it gets top marks for presentation and ease of use, the new Apple TV will still be of limited appeal for UK users until Apple offers more affordable TV rentals and access to a wider range of online video services.

In the end, it's Apple's belligerence that could be Apple TV's undoing. It might be able to bully and cajole content owners into doing what it wants on the near-ubiquitous iPod, but Apple TV doesn't have the immense user base that will force British broadcasters to roll over and accept TV show rentals. If Apple doesn't boost the breadth of content on Apple TV - and soon - this could be the best gadget that ever failed.

Apple TV remains something of an enigma. While it works very well for the most part, Apple's poor attitude towards it means that it remains undeveloped. The interface for rentals is fantastic, the interface for looking at your own stuff is poor. The speed and execution of playing media is great, the lack of 1080p is a big miss.

Only the most hardcore of Apple fanatics will find the Apple TV to be a worthwhile purchase. This is a tragedy because Apple has demonstrated it knows exactly how to build a stunning, intuitive and (in the US at least) inexpensive media player that has the potential to take the market by storm. Apple's restrictive principles mean it will never likely achieve the success so easily within its grasp. Some flaws simply can't be polished out.

So should you get one? It's clear, seeing the differences between the UK and the US offerings, that the UK gets a bum deal. You don't get the 99 cent TV shows, nor do you get Netflix support, in our mind two killer features of the new box. That said you do get a very simple and easy to use system, with very little setup time or hassle. Our setup was under 3 minutes, for example. Yes, there are a stack of disadvantages working against the Apple TV which Apple could easily address. No NAS support, the inability to play video files that aren't Apple friendly and not loaded into iTunes, the lack of 1080p support, and the lack of TV shows in the UK. We would also like to see a browser, and the ability to add apps, be it Twitter, Facebook or even games - you just know you want Angry Birds on your TV.

The next year is going to be an interesting time for media boxes, with Apple TV, Google, Roku, Boxee, and others all vying for a spot next to your set. Because of its low price, the Apple TV's closest competitor is the Roku XDS, which, for $99, works with standard- and high-def TVs, does 1080p, and will enable playback from USB devices with a software update in November. All of these are distinct advantages over Apple's box, and Roku offers a wider range of content. On the other hand, Apple TV is easier to use and has a more elegant interface, and we like the idea of streaming content from a PC more than plugging in a USB drive. AirPlay will make Apple TV even more compelling, because you'll be able to beam video and photos straight to your HDTV from devices that turn on instantly. We'd like to see more content and apps added to the Apple TV menu, but overall it provides a fun and easy way to enjoy movies and other media.

Overall for the money, the new Apple TV is good, it does need some work in a few areas, mainly content as here in the UK as opposed to the US the only thing you can rent on it is movies, whilst the US version has support for Netflix and also has support for TV rentals.

The Apple TV's new low $99 price makes it an easy impulse buy for Apple fans looking to bring Netflix into the living room, but you may want to wait until more content--or Apple's forthcoming AirPlay update--becomes available.

A lower price, a more compact design, and the ability to stream content from iOS devices and rent 99-cent TV shows makes Apple's latest Apple TV set-top box an excellent option for iTunes and Netflix users.

Previously a confusing and expensive device suitable only for fanboys and Apple completists, the Apple TV's hardware has been much improved. Whether Apple TV becomes a mainstream success depends largely on the availability of content. But with the success of services such as BBC iPlayer, and the vastly reduced price of the hardware, the all-new Apple TV could be a late bloomer (even with the UK price being so much higher than in the US).