Apple television receiver could do for idiot box what the iPod did for music , at least that ’s what some analysts are saying . But it could also become the WebTV of medium centers , the sort of twist that you buy for Mom as a Christmas gift but that ultimately lands in the novelty arcade . Before dropping $ 300 , you ’d better bed which one it ’s survive to be .
Having played with Apple TV , it ’s easy enough to jibe with whatMossyandPoguehave already recount you : This gimmick play very well if you do n’t mind that your integral digital media experience has to stay inside Apple ’s walled garden . And iLounge has offered 10 fairly convincing reasons whyyou do n’t call for to grease one’s palms an Apple television right away . The biggest darts against Apple TV thus far are …
that it does n’t come with cables , and that it only shape on widescreens . These crits are venial , and I do n’t mind that iTunes has to be melt down while I utilise the Apple TV either — I allow for it on much of the fourth dimension anyhow .
The actual flaw that I see in Apple TV are , like many of its near attributes , more complex .
The remainder of Us
Besides , Apple television is not really for all those digital moving picture newbie anyhow . Let ’s take my mum as an deterrent example — sure , she ’s part of the restofus family , even if I ’m not . Mom has oodles of film in her iTunes compendium that are n’t going to mechanically work when she tries to watch them via Apple TV , like all those QuickTime clip of her grandson that I ’ve mail or carry on .Mac . When she calls me to postulate why she ca n’t watch those home movies on her Apple TV , I ’m going to explain to her that those Indian file have to be convert into the .m4v formatting first . And you fuck what ? I lost her at the word explain .
Identity Crisis
Right now , Apple extend iTunes videos in stock definition that can only be playact via Apple boob tube on my in high spirits - definition widescreen television . The quality of the photo is perceptibly shaggy-haired . Be good with me Mr. Jobs , is this the way * you * want to see “ Pirates of the Caribbean ” ?
want Parenting
I love having a Brobdingnagian collection of movies that I never find out , like the entire major planet of the Apes TV series . I have it off having a trove of esoteric songs in my iTunes library , like Umbabarauma ( the Stairway to Heaven of Brazilian samba ) . I love , most of all , being able to keep adding to my compost heap of pop civilisation without ever having to look back except when I ’m making a party playlist . Apple TV command direction . You will not be able-bodied to just keep loading it up . You will have to go back over to iTunes and keep running of what you synchronise because that voiceless parkway is just not big enough for my supersized entertainment appetite .
Lacks Control
The Apple remote works well enough for Front Row . But it ’s too minimalist for telly . Using Apple video demand a second removed ascendancy to adjust the book of the audio . Most third - political party remote wo n’t work with Apple TV either ( although you could instruct a “ learning ” remote control to solve with it ) . It would have been so easy to update this twee Apple removed to be programmable or add , say , a coil bike . Apple unremarkably think of everything , but not this time .
As it turn over out , Apple TV does have the power to evolve in a way that would solve every one of these problems . Here are the two way :
The USB 2.0 porthole . Ostensibly for “ Robert William Service and diagnostics , ” the USB port on the backside of the Apple TV could potentially be used for everything from expanding the size of it of the hard drive to connecting with third - political party twist such as telecasting tuner . Or , what the heck , synchronize with an iPod .
Direct Uplink Apple telecasting can connect to the Internet directly and wirelessly . powerful now you do n’t see that connection . This could in all probability be convert with a wide-eyed rising slope . If you ’re going to give me admission to iTunes from my couch , why not just allow me buy pic like I do with VOD ? define this one matter , and Apple TV becomes a lot more worthful .
Apple is mommy about the inherent electric potential of both these features . Let ’s hope they start talking before long . But countenance ’s also be honest here : There is n’t much incentive for Apple to ameliorate things . There is no perfect nosepiece between the PC and the TV yet . The Xbox 360 experience is blemished in its own way of life . And everything else I ’ve visit , including Windows , has its share of problems too ( much of them related to relieve - of - use ) . Which bring me back to the real interrogative sentence : Should you buy it ? While I do n’t think this is go to be another WebTV exactly , Apple is going to have to do a spot more work on this gadget before it ’s something that Jason Chen will desire to shove down his knickers .
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