As Steve Jobs prepared to introduce the redesigned , re - priced , and re - suppose Apple TV , Macworldcontributor Lex Friedman was ready , credit card in mitt . Then Jobs line everything it did , and Lex put his deferred payment poster justly back in his billfold . The new Apple TV but does too little to pull in a spot in his amusement mall .
At the same time , senior editor in chief Jonathan Seff ( a frequent Apple TV user ) was sit down in the consultation for the presentation , and was impressed by the updated Apple TV and glad to see Apple pay some much - require aid to the product .
What follows is Lex ’s review of the Apple TV , and Jon ’s responses to it . Call it a point - counterpoint — with a minuscule cheating .
It’s not a DVR
Lex : It lacks DVR functionality . I was let down with the first Apple TV for the same understanding . It ’s clear now that Apple does n’t desire to get into the DVR market , and that position is perceivable : It ’s better for Apple if we lease shows from iTunes for a buck , instead of capturing them for later consider when they ’re in the beginning aired . But I do n’t want to wait hours ( or days ! ) to take in the latest sequence of House , and I do n’t want to pay for it , either . Paying $ 1 to lease a show is n’t unspeakable . pay up $ 1 to rent all 20 - plus episode of five or 10 appearance starts to get pretty pricey .
Jon : Apple is n’t lead to trade a DVR , period . Some part of that is to protect the Apple Store , sure , but there are much larger issues at play . All digital television receiver delivery ( including over - the - air ) requires some sort of decoder to run . TiVo supportsCableCard , which means you’re able to stop up gadget provide by your cable company into a TiVo so that it can decrypt shows and record them . The problem is , that only works with cable ( and only because Congress forces those companies to support it)—satellite provider such as DirecTV and Dish connection are n’t need to do so , and they do n’t . So that leaves out jillion of potential customer . The resolution , as production such as Elgato ’s EyeTV HD ( ) employ , would be to colligate to your decoder corner ( via analogue element only , because HDMI apply copy - protection ) and then have an IR blaster that would relay commands so as to change the television channel on your receiver . Talk about a bag of hurt — does that sound like something Apple would want to get postulate in ?
There’s no support for third-party apps
Lex : The Apple TV ’s want of third - company app support is troubling in multiple ways . The first is its complete lack of power to rain cats and dogs show that even my iPad and iPhone can . If I can watch ABC display ( with the ABC app ) and NBC and FOX shows ( with the Hulu app ) and even CNN live video ( with the CNN app ) , I should be able to have all that content with my Apple TV , too . I ca n’t .
It doesn’t play games
Lex : No app livelihood also means no gaming . I concede that it ’s distinctly not Apple video ’s end to become a secret plan cabinet , but Apple ’s leaving a surprising amount of untapped potential here . With gyroscope - equipped iPhones and iPods that could be used as Wii - expressive style restrainer for games on my television , and an App Store full of innovational biz developers , the Apple TV could pack in a flock of extra value — and merriment !
Jon : I concord — the Apple TV should take advantage of the advanced hardware that many of its users will also have in hand . But this is the first stab at a new reading of a ( let ’s face it ) go wrong production . I calculate Apple is thinking the same thing and will add some sort of gaming function later on . ( call back that the new Apple TV has n’t even shipped yet . )
It doesn’t offer much choice
Lex : For a streaming - only equipment , the Apple television set offers very little choice . equate it with theRoku family of product , which can swarm from Netflix , Amazon.com , MLB.TV , and Pandora , along with a slew of other “ channels ” that I do n’t like much about . ( It ’s also worth note that theAmazon Video On Demand servicehas already check Apple ’s goggle box show rental pricing . )
Jon : genuine , right now the Apple TV can teem only from the iTunes Store , Netflix , or your own iTunes program library ( plus YouTube , though the usefulness of that feature is rather in question ) . But as name above , the addition of Netflix is vast — and a road , quite frankly , I never expected Apple would walk down . And commemorate that the Apple TV is also the only streaming gimmick on the market that can play content rent or purchase from the iTunes Store ( by design , of form ) .
Amazon has a better purchase/streaming model
Lex : With Amazon movie purchases , I get the right wing to re - stream my purchases whenever I ’d like . If I buyMonsters , Inc. , say , from the iTunes Store , I must do so from a gimmick other than the Apple TV ( which no longer supports buying ) , keep it a calculator , and see that that computer is on to pour to my hard effort - strip Apple TV . Amazon ’s overhaul lets me stream letting and purchase alike .
Jon : I see the convenience in the style Amazon does things , and it ’s a decent option , but for me it ’s not that important . My main computer ( an iMac ) is on when I ’m awake , which signify it ’s uncommitted to stream to the Apple TV whenever we desire to find out . Yes , that entail content needs to beonmy data processor to stream to the Apple TV , but I ’m generally OK with that . On the flip side , although you’re able to watch Amazon content on your computer or , with a compatible streaming twist , on your TV , you ca n’t replicate it to an iPod , iPhone , or iPad .
It doesn’t offer much for people who already have other devices
Lex : As is , the Apple TV is at best only interesting to folks who currently do n’t own an cyberspace - equip television set twist — like a TiVo HD or Premiere , Roku , or TV - connected Mac miniskirt . If you already own such a twist , there ’s petty that makes the Apple TV uniquely interesting . For new vendee , I do n’t believe that the Apple television set stacks up favourably against its competitors .
Jon : There are lots of options out there , but I think that a small , smooth , $ 99 Apple TV that lets citizenry already a part of the Apple ecosystem see content on their television instead of just their computers and devices is a powerful thing . It ’s target to a aggregative - market place consultation that does n’t want to spent a set of money on ironware and may not be very proficient . If it just work , that could be enough .
It doesn’t support 1080p video
Lex : The Apple TV “ only ” supports up to 720p . Truth be told , though , this one perceived Apple TV weakness does n’t rag me . While modern HDTVs support 1080p , networks pass around their programing in either 720p or 1080i ( an interlaced signal that may not even be as smooth a progressive 720p signal ) , and because of compressing scheme employed by cable television service and satellite companies looking to bundle in as many channels as they can , astonishingly little television system we experience these day broadcasts in true 1080 ( 1920 by 1080 ) anyway . The visual leap from standard definition to 720p high definition is far with child than the unforesightful hop from 720 to 1080 .
Jon : I agree . Apple does n’t offer 1080p subject matter — which would dramatically increase filing cabinet size and download fourth dimension — and neither does Netflix ( in fact very lilliputian of what Netflix streams is even in HD at this point ) . As those make up the two master domain of content , 1080p is n’t really necessitate . certainly , YouTube Host 1080p TV now , and you might have your own 1080p content — footage you dart with your 1080p camcorder and convert to work with iTunes , or Blu - re movies you ’ve buy and ripped — but again we ’re talk about a $ 99 intersection , and one that Apple hopes to betray to lots and lots of people who ’ve never considered buying an Apple goggle box before . As such , it does n’t get to me .
