Customer Reviews for Apple MA711LL/A TV with 40GB Hard Drive [OLD VERSION]

Apple MA711LL/A TV with 40GB Hard Drive [OLD VERSION]
by Apple Computer

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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple MA711LL/A TV with 40GB Hard Drive [OLD VERSION]

Customer Review: AppleTV -- something to watch all the time.
Summary: 5 Stars

We bought ourselves an AppleTV to replace our XBox 360 as our primary media center (why? it is loud, and it has a tendency to need repair. Plus we are switching our household to Macs, and our Media Center PC is going away).

We have started to purchase some TV shows off of iTunes (primarily The Office) and we wanted to watch them on our big screen TV in the living room. I was toying with the idea of a Mac Mini, but they are just a little too expensive for what I want (especially by the time you get the video conversion out of the way). Plus, they would eat up another machine registration (out of 5) from our iTunes account.

So, we went by and looked at the AppleTV at the local Apple Store. As it was a new product, the sales staff weren't too 'educated' on it yet. But as I stood there staring at the little box, I thought: "Perhaps I can archive our extensive DVD collection and serve them off of one of our Macs".

So I left with a shiny new AppleTV in hand (and about $300 poorer). Taking it home, I simply plugged in some component cables into our RPTV and the power into the wall. No power switch on the Apple TV. The thing displayed the Apple Logo for about 10 seconds or so. I setup the TV for 1080i and put in my WEP password in the system configuration. AppleTV gave me a passcode to link with my iTunes Macs/PCs. Entering the passcode into iTunes allowed me to synchronize with that machine's iTunes media.

We only have a 802.11g network and so it took a while to synchronize the box with iTunes. You can not only synchronize a library, but you can also select up to 5 machines on your network as a streaming source for content (except for pictures evidently).

Playing a few of the episodes of The Office was great, we could finally sit and relax in the family room without having a laptop on our laps, or putting it up on the Cinema Display in the office room of the house. No hitches, etc... We browsed through a few trailers online that Apple allows you to browse. Looked great, minimal lag (we have a 3Mbps DSL line). It will be intriguing to see if they expand the ability to browse online content. Currently it is limited to browsing movie trailers. It would be great if they let you browse iTunes.

Speaking of which, one of the problems I have with the iTunes service is there is no real "rental" model. This was one thing that the XBox 360 had going for it -- you could rent movies online for about what they cost at Blockbuster. That, and the selection isn't so great via iTunes yet.

BUT, the primary reason I bought this is to clear out our DVD library from the bookshelf. We have TONS of DVDs, and DVDs for the kids that take up way too much shelf space. I archived a few DVDs the first day (including some old classics like Gone with the Wind) and the box streamed them effortlessly over the network. At last! At night we can choose a movie out of our library from the comfort of our living room sofa. If you have a large DVD collection that you would love to archive and access at a whim (assuming your computer is on, or if you add a larger HDD to your AppleTV, you can skip the streaming part) this is a great way to access them.

We are planning on creating a playlist for the kids to watch educational children's DVDs instead of the mental rotgut found even on PBS (Dragon Tales? Clifford The Big Red Dog? Those are educational?) so that for their hour or so of TV they can watch what we want to 'push' to them. Seeing how repetitive children's programming is on TV, they should hardly care :-)

The big thing I don't really care for thus far is the Apple Remote. If you have a newer Mac, or an Apple Hi-Fi, etc... you know the device I am talking about. It feels awkward for controlling a TV like appliance (it felt just Ok for something like FrontRow on the Mac) or a stereo system (Apple Hi-Fi). If you have Macs or other Apple appliances that use a remote, make sure to pair them -- else, you'll wreak all sorts of havoc!

There have been folks who have been "hacking" apart the AppleTV to get larger HDDs installed, getting into the OS X install on the box to get other forms of media accessible, running Apache, etc... It really is just a cut down (and slow) PC underneath it all. The big thing I suspect many owners will do is to upgrade the HDD if they want to store their media library on it. Apple would be wise to release this in multiple HDD sizes like they do with the iPod. 40GB, 80GB, 120GB would be great sizes and would be worth it for those with large media collections.

Apple did spring for 802.11n wireless on the box, and I plan on getting an 802.11n router to take advantage of this in the next couple of months (Apple makes the Airport Extreme if you plan on going all Apple at home).

So far I am extremely pleased with this device, and it is one step closer to our eventual liberation from Cable TV (Satellite in our case). Buying the shows we want ala carte, getting news over the Internet and archiving our own DVDs allows us to save the $50/month cable bill and just get the few shows we actually do watch. At $34 for a season of most shows, and assuming we watch about 10 shows a season that would be $340 a year, rather than $600!

Customer Review: What it's designed to do, it does extremely well.
Summary: 5 Stars

I was a little hesitant about the AppleTV when it was first announced, with the unofficial named of iTV, back in August of 2006. However, once I got one, and have had it for about a week now, I have become convinced. It does exactly what it was was designed to do, does it extremely well, and is utterly hassle free. If only everything were this simple!

Now, I have a huge DVD collection counting well into the hundreds, and I would rather own the movies I like on disc than download them. Then again, working in the Animation and Visual Effects industry, I tend to be very interested in watching all the DVD extras which are not available on the iTunes store. I don't care about watching my photo albums on my living room TV either, but what I DO enjoy immensely is being able to watch the numerous video Podcasts I already subscribe too... In fact, it is so much more enjoyable to watch them this way, I have subscribed to numerous more.

Again, working in the industry, the incredible ease with which one can subscribe to video Podcasts and get them on the AppleTV really struck me. With increased resolution, and better production values, this is the future of TV! Pick your shows, paid, free or ad supported, via iTunes and watch them in your living room.

Anyhow, all that aside... Here are some things to know about the AppleTV.

- The Apple TV is utterly silent.

- It is NOT a game console. If you want to play games, buy a Wii, PS3 or Xbox360.

- It is not a DVD/BlueRay/HD-DVD player. If you want to play DVDs, but a $50 progressive scan DVD player. If you also want to watch BluRay discs and HD-DVD discs, get the LG BH100. it's the ONLY player available that plays all three formats!

- It is not a DVR. If you want to record live TV and watch it later, get a TiVo (don't waste your time with those crap cable and satellite DVRs though - pure garbage)

- You need to buy the cables to connect it. The best connection, because it is digital all the way, HDMI is the best option - If your set has that connector, then get an HDMI-HDMI cable. If your set only has DVI, then get an HDMI-DVI cable. If your set only has component video, get an RCA component (aka RGB) video cable. For the audio, the best connection is the optical digital interface, which is usually not present on TVs, but is fairly common on better receivers. Otherwise, just use a a standard left/right DCA audio cable.

- Contrary to even Apple's own information, you do NOT need to have a wide-screen display to use the Apple TV. It WILL work with 4:3 televisions, though you MUST have component (i.e. RGB) video connections on your TV or A/V receiver (if used). However, it will not function in full-screen mode. It uses a letterboxed presentation style.

- It can support any audio format that the source recording happens to have. The iTunes store programs are all encoded with Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound, which is 100% backwards compatible with two-channel stereo (such as built-in TV speakers). However, if you connect up the optical digital audio connector to a DTS/Dolby Digital receiver, AND the program has DTS or Dolby Digital 5.1 (or higher) surround sound encoding, the AppleTV will pass this through to the receiver to be output properly. Just note that it is EXTREMELY unlikely that programming with digital audio encoding will be available to download from pretty much ANY source in the near future due to it's incompatibility with analogue 2 channel stereo.

- One last thing. If you are a user of a Mac that features Front Row and they are in the same room as the AppleTV, then remember to pair the remote for the AppleTV and Mac independently, so they will not interfere with one another.

Anyhow, all told, I think the AppleTV is really great, and will likely help to change the face of television as we know it.

Customer Review: Apple TV Amazes
Summary: 5 Stars

This product is quintessential Apple quality from it's sleek stylish design to it's incredible ease of set up and use right out of the box. This device offers a complete and seamless link from your computer to your TV to stream movies, music, TV shows, photos and more over your wireless network. The device delivers max 720p video quality and Dolby 5.1 digital surround sound and is compatible with both 1080p and 1080i HD TV sets. Connections can also be by a single HDMI cable which provides both the video and the audio feed to the TV set.

While it is true that you can only connect to the iTunes store for content (or any computer on your wireless network) it is important to note that the iTunes library is adding new content on a weekly basis. It is also very nice to be able to watch movie trailers for films currently in the theaters. The delivery system is an excellent example of video on demand from the comfort of your living room without any trips to the local block buster or waiting on DVDs in the mail. The user interface is very intuitive and easy to navigate as well.

The ability to stream music and movies from your iTunes library from any computer on your wireless network, and to view your family photos on an HD TV is a feature that is somewhat understated. Originally, Apple TV could only be linked to one iTunes account, but now you can have multiple accounts connected to the device for even more content. You won't believe just how good your photos look on Apple TV. The ability to connect to Mobile Me and view internet photo albums from family and friends also really adds to the fun and magic of sharing your favorite images with everyone. You Tube videos and audio and video Podcasts can viewed and enjoyed as well. Apple TV is self-maintaining clearing the contents of the hard drive automatically of any rented movies that have exceeded their time limit. You have 30 days to watch rented movies and then you have 24 hours to watch it as many times as you like once you hit the play button. You can also purchase movies, TV programs and music right on the Apple TV or on your computer and the contents will be synced to the Apple TV. One word of advice, if you want to be able to watch movies or TV programs on both the Apple TV and your computer be sure and purchase them on iTunes from the computer and then sync the contents to the Apple TV. Movies and TV programs purchased from the Apple TV will not sync back to your iTunes library on your computer, but music content will. I'm not sure why this is the case, but it is important to know that up front in any case.

Overall, this is an amazing product that is fun and easy to use and really represents the future of TV entertainment and functionality. So far, Apple has added amazing new features and abilities through software updates which can be downloaded over the wireless network and installed without the use of any computer connection. The ability to do this makes this a truly dynamic product which means that new and improved features can be added to the device in the future thus increasing the value and enjoyment even more. I purchased one of these for my parents and they really seem to enjoy it a lot. I purchased the 160GB model for myself and I absolutely love it and use it all the time.

Customer Review: A Risk Worth Taking
Summary: 5 Stars

I purchased my Apple TV recently from my local apple store, and even up to the time I purchased it I was skeptical. I was playing around with it, going through the menus, running movies that were purchased from the store. The thing that seemed to bug me the most was the fact that the quality of the movies that came from the store seemed to look horrible from where I was standing. But let's consider, I was standing about a foot away from a 40 inc LCD display unit, which realistically, if viewed from a similar distance with higher quality video, would not look that much better.
At home I have a 72 inch Samsung DLP (1080P). Again, I was skeptical that this little box was going to be able to put up reasonable quality video on my screen. My couch is about 10 ft from my TV, and I can tell you that the movies that I have purchased from the iTunes store look beautiful. Your experience may vary, but I can say from my watching, and listening, that the Apple TV has done a cut rate job of making media streaming easy for the average consumer.
On the topic of hard drive size, there are a few things to consider before you go writing off the Apple TV's "peasly" 40GB drive. The only thing that you can't stream to the Apple TV is Photos, and even if you have a lot of photos, you probably won't fill up 40GB worth. With the remaining space you can put music, movies, podcast, whatever you might be in to. But you may ask "But what if I can't fit my entire music collection and my photos, or all my movies and my photos?". Well, the streaming for the Apple TV is simply brilliant. I have been using it everytime I get back home for a month now, and I have yet to see a hiccup ever while I'm watching movies or listening to music that's on my computer upstairs. It's simply amazing. I can even stream trailers from the internet, which are extremely high quality, and appear perfectly on screen within seconds. In my house I have a Wireless G network (Which I highly reccomend at the minimum). My router is upstairs and I commonly don't get the advertised 54 MBps while I'm downstairs in TV room, but the Apple TV seems to be able to use the bandwith it gets to the fullest, and buffering is almost instantaneous. If you are worried about not getting a wireless signal where your TV is (Your house would have to be pretty big for this to happen), then purchase a Wireless N router, which will extend your wireless network even farther, and also improve the data speed to more than 100 MBps.
Overall the Apple TV is a great device that does exactly what it is suppose to. It gets all the stuff that I have on my computer, across the digital divide to my TV. It does no more, no less. I believe that you are looking for a device to link up with your extensive iTunes library, this is the thing for you. However, if you're not ready to start buying movies and TV shows from the iTunes store, then it may be a good idea to wait and see what the future holds.

PS: Don't forget to buy HDMI cable and either Optical Cable, or standard red/white audio connectors. (You can also use Component video cable should your TV not have an HDMI port)

Customer Review: A very good Version 1
Summary: 5 Stars

This is a very well-done product and the best Version 1 that I've ever seen. It will do what it says, and without fuss and with the smallest of setup. Out of the box, it's two cables and three clicks away from entering your network password, if you have one enabled. It then starts to sync with iTunes--all your ripped and bought music, your purchased videos, television shows, movies, from an ever-expanding list. It also syncs your photos from iPhoto. Like a good maid, it does Windows too.

If you have more media than its 40GB drive will handle, and I have a great deal more, it fills up with photos last, which is shame for they make a really nice screen saver--your life in photos, rising from the bottom of the screen, large pictures in front and fast, smaller ones in the rear and slower, nice false perspective.

It can be set to stream all your content from up to five iTunes computers at a time. You can control the syncing to limit it so the photos stay on. Syncing is important only if the computer(s) with the iTunes are off, for Apple TV can play anything stored on it and stand alone. You could schlep it along on a vacation.

Problems and suggestions. Three times the living room one has lost contact with Orpheus in the office while it was syncing but streaming from the playlist, and I couldn't get it to download the playlist again without surgery. This is a software problem and this is Version 1.

Suggestion. Allow the user to specify the priority of things to be kept, giving photos higher priority if you wish. Even better would be a different sort of syncing. Order all the playlists from all your iTunes, or even just the computer you're syncing with, and let Apple TV load as much as will fit, and use it as a disk buffer. This might cause thrashing of the WiFi though. But it would give access to everything when the computer was on and the most important things when not. And you could take your most important stuff on vacation. It's a small box.

Also every playlist has as its first option "Shuffle." The second option ought to be the repeat option stored on the iTunes playlist instead of having a system-wide option.

This is a model of very complex technology made very simple indeed to use; I don't think that anything, except possibly the iPod, even comes close, and that's not nearly as complicated a thing to do. I predict that this will do to DVDs what the iPod did to CDs. Neither will die but both will have to think. And cable companies will, I suspect, start to give more attention to faster download speeds and hasten Internet2 and perhaps lessen the number of channels flogging crap. Do you think? This may be the killer app/box. After all, if music is now sold as being the number one album on iTunes and then CD sales as an afterthought, and the iTunes store was launched in April of 2003, can you imagine what Apple TV might do? Death to dial-up.

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