Apple TV Review: Puts Entertainment at My Fingertips

I love to watch movies, and as I was looking for the best possible way to view movies, I decided on the Apple TV. This small device hooked up quickly and easily to my wide screen HDTV via an HDMI cable. The cable had to be bought separately, but the Apple TV device is priced reasonably enough that the added expense was not that much of a burden.

Advantages

Apple TV offers up-to-date movies, sometimes making them available the day they come out on DVD. I was amazed and dazzled by the combination of the ease of using Apple TV and the intensely beautiful picture on my HDTV. The combination works seamlessly. I can now watch movies, television episodes, and concert DVDs at my leisure. The device even works with Netflix, organizing the available library movies on my television screen and making it easier to make my choices.

Apple TV also works with my cable service and the internet to help ensure that I have access to those shows, sites, and information that are most important to me. It will watch for and record episodes of my favorite television shows without being recorded to do so, and it gives me the option of browsing YouTube videos, listening to internet radio, and watching my favorite podcasts. Multiple media versions of entertainment are available at my fingertips, and the on screen organizational system makes it very easy to use.

Disadvantages

Despite these many pluses, there are a few points on the downside as well. The selection, while extensive, is still limited. If not for the easy interface with Netflix, I would be severely disappointed with the choices that I have. However, between the offerings through Apple and the offerings through Netflix, I have a selection that is more than sufficient.

All networking must be done through Apple Home Sharing, which is not always so easy to work with. It does tend to go out and come back with little explanation or justification. Once I had set up the system, it worked well for me for a while, but I have struggled with it since downloading the upgrades.

The Final Word

Regardless of the minor issues I have run across, I am thrilled with my Apple TV. It gives me access to movies, organizes my options from Netfix, helps me track my favorite shows on cable, and allows me to make the most of all that is available on the World Wide Web.