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| Apple TV with 160GB Hard Drive - MB189LL/A | 
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Buy New/Used/Refurbished
Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 64 reviews)
Sales Rank: 273
Category: CE
Publisher: Apple Computer
Studio: Apple Computer
Brand: Apple
Label: Apple Computer
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: 0
Shipping Weight (lbs): 4
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0
MPN: MB189LL/A
Model: MB189LL/A
UPC: 885909179404
EAN: 0885909179404
ASIN: B000RQHAUA
Release Date: January 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | Mac + PC | | • | 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless | | • | 160GB hard drive for up to 200 hours of video | | • | Apple Remote |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Your computer is the center of your digital life. Your TV is the center of your entertainment life. But what if you want to watch movies, TV shows, movie trailers, podcasts, and photos from your computer on your TV? Apple TV brings iTunes to the big screen.Say you've just downloaded Cars from iTunes. Instead of huddling around your computer to watch, you pop some popcorn while your computer wirelessly syncs your new flick to Apple TV. Then you pull up a seat, put up your feet, and pick up the included Apple Remote to play your movie on TV. Give yourself a hand: you've just changed the way you watch digital media.Apple TV connects to your TV via an HDMI port or component video and audio ports. Its built-in, superfast 802.11 wireless capability syncs your iTunes library to any Mac or PC in the house. Best of all, what's on Apple TV stays in sync: anytime you change your library in iTunes, it changes on Apple TV - wirelessly, automatically.Apple TV puts your iTunes library - movies, TV shows, music, and podcasts - plus movie trailers from Apple.com on your TV. And your digital photos from iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements or Adobe Album on a Windows PC appear in high definition, so you can put on a stunning big-screen slideshow.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 59 more reviews...
pssst.... DVD's are obsolete January 6, 2009
I tried out this unit in my (mostly mac except for my wife's winbox) home so I would be comfortable showing my teachers how it could be used in the classroom and in our new, fairly hi-tech classroom building. I liked it so much that I bought a new one for the school to replace the ATV in my family room that I will not give up. To respond to some of the critics: I've had to reboot twice in a one year period. Putting the unit on standby lowers power consumption and heat.
It digests audio and video files I send it flawlessly. Sometimes I just get stuck watching my photos as the screensaver and commenting to my wife on this memory or that.
I can even control it with my iPhone, search YouTube for videos of my son's orchestra at the Interlochen Arts Academy, etc.
I'm in the process of teaching my teachers how to use the ATV as a tool of digital media in the curriculum. Within a couple of years, I'm projecting that DVD's will be ancient history in my school. They certainly are in my home.
 A Truly Unique Entertainment device January 5, 2009
Apple TV is a fantastic product and I have to give it 5 stars! The device is different than anything mainstream on the market that I have come across - different from dvd, different from blu-ray, tivo, dishtv/direct tv, etc.
First the disclaimer on this review: I am an apple fan and have owned an apple computer for the last 4 years so this is coming from an apple user/network point of view. I can't comment on how well this works with itunes on a PC / PC network. You have to have a widescreen tv and broadband/DSL network connection - preferably WIFI or wired with ethernet port close to your TV so you can hook the device up (requires internet connection to function).
Pros:
iPods and iPhones are obviously a main staple for many of us today and this device is positioned to amplify the integration of these devices and products in our lives. The largest benefit is it adds value for files that many of us are likely already buying on itunes!!!
Apple TV is, by design, not designed to be the main storage or hard drive for your video files. My understanding from talking to the apple experts at the store and researching this product is it is primarily designed to move files from your computer (itunes library) to the device to allow you to enjoy them on your television.
The device can move them from programmed sync scheduled similar to tivo (all unwatched, oldest recently watched, etc).
Cost for files - compared to dishtv, direct tv, and comcast rental movies - these are a buck cheaper. They for the same price have many new movies in HD files for rental (4.99). I personally have dishtv, but don't have the HD packages. This gives me the ability to enjoy HD on my tv on demand and not pay the 20 bucks + per month for a full package. Purchase of movies ranges from 4.99 to 14.99. These same files can be moved to your iPhone, iPod, iTunes/computer, or Apple TV. This allows maximum usage!
Ease of set up - I have an apple powerbook, airport wifi router, and a plasma HDTV. Setup took about 5 min with plugging in HDMI cables (not included). Apple TV prompts for the language and then automatically detects the network. I submitted the security information for any computer and it automatically connected, then through prompts had me go to my powerbook and click on the new "DEVICE" on my iTunes and plug in a code given by the apple tv (all prompted). It configured to my itunes and sync'd up. That was it!! You can then manage the device just like your iPod or iPhone by automatically sync'ing or by custom sync'ing by specific files, unwatched, all movies, no music, add pictures or rolls from iPhoto, and other options.
That's it. no pain.
The experience is somewhere in between using a computer and a tivo type device. Aside from watching your video files, tv shows, etc that you own there are many cost effective options that are totally free!!! You have youtube available via wifi. This I found incredibly entertaining and adds a new dimension to family entertainment. Disclaimer - there are parental controls on the device, but I haven't tested it with youtube yet so can't comment on that aspect. It was enjoyable to look for files and I've wasted tons of hours just messing with the youtube as a new form of family room entertainment.
iPod video podcasts! This is a wealth of great info that is totally and completely free! There is stuff for kids like sesame street, dora, and many other options that are just 1 min - 10 min mini episodes to keep the kids and family occupied. There are also the normal pod casts such as Anderson Cooper's 30 min news beat from Fox News and many many others. These allow you to enjoy these as regular tivo streaming content.
Cost of the device is much cheaper than blu-ray. Though that is changing given blu-ray slowly dropping in price following christmas - but the discs are still ridiculously expensive - this offers content for more affordable.
TV picture - HD is available and looks great. I haven't experience lagged except when I've opened my laptop and it connected in the background and it was only a few seconds. Otherwise, the picture looks great - DVD to better quality. 1080i...
Reference the issues of space. I'm told that you can create a library on an external hard drive on your network and the device can accept and utilize up to five libraries. I haven't fully tried this, but do have 2 libraries on my device from the same computer. The external hard drive library will be attempted later - but gives you the idea that you can added a ton of space and not bog down your regular computer.
Similar to the benefits of the iPod - no discs to scratch. I have little kids so the dvd life is limited for any new disc we bring into our house. The ability to have the file instead of a disc is very beneficial. Combined with just an internet connection and/or just the device and you can take this to a hotel, family member, or other's house and plug in and hook to a tv and instant movies for the family!! ....benefits for the family and ease of packing for those younger families that travel.
You don't need to utilize the computer directly as it will allow you to download movies directly to the device and doing the streams for youtube and podcasts without a computer (device to WIFI network).
160GB is probably
Cons
Download times for movies can be pretty extensive depending on your internet speed - like 1 hr plus. However, it tracks the progress of your movie download and allows you to start watching your movie in about 20 min once you select a new movie. Its no different than in iPod iTunes download.
Along with the file sizes, the update of moving movie files on and off the device does take time. Initially it can be frustrating, but by planning a head and waiting the 20 min to start the download, or begin sync'ing before you're ready to watch - you get used to it and once you have items to watch, the device is very easy to live with and utilize as a main staple of your entertainment.
Content - content is growing rapidly but obviously the device and its success and enjoyment is based on apple continuing to add the new releases to its inventory on iTunes. So far this isn't a concern and content is being added daily and all the new releases are on it!!
Youtube picture quality is okay and watchable but not HD or even DVD quality for some videos. Others it's great! ...you roll with them and enjoy them for what they are - many may not take up the full widescreen tv but the device will show them as large as it can while maintaining a decent picture quality - on avg 80-90% of the screen size.
The device is a bit revolutionary and requires some comfort with computers, files management, backing up files to external hard drives, servers, etc. The worst thing that could happen would be hard drive failure and not having the back up files saved. It was really easy to set up and the device does "just work" like much of what I have experienced with Apple products. The follow on skills is the management of your files and ensuring you safe guard them. If you aren't computer savy that you feel you don't know anything about backing up your files and basic file management...this probably isn't for you.
You need to have a widescreen TV or I'm told you'll get an error. I haven't tried it.
Overall - great device and definitely TONS of potential and a lot of fun. I've had Tivo, Dish tv's DVR, itunes, and iPod, iPhone 3G, and many other devices...played with blu-ray and HD-DVD....
This device is by far the most fun I've had out of the box as something truly "different"...
It was very easy to hook up. I have no major complaints and definitely would recommend to others to consider for their entertainment setups!
 Doesn't work how you think it does December 30, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I purchased this because over a third of the space on my macbook is being taken up by tv shows and movies in itunes. I thought it would be great to be able to transfer all of that media to the Apple TV and free up space on my laptop. Well guess what...that is NOT how Apple TV works. Apple TV is just an overpriced, glorified receiver for your television. It is not intended to be, and can NOT be used as external storage for your media. If you are running out of space on your computer from media overload, this is NOT the answer. You can either stream media from itunes directly to your television thru the Apple TV, or you can sync media with the Apple TV which gives you the option of being able to watch Apple TV without having your computer on. You CAN"T delete the media from your itunes once you've synced it you Apple TV because the next time you sync, it will just transfer it all back to your itunes. What's worse is that whatever you purchase on Apple TV gets synced back to your computer, thus taking up even more space. For all Apple TV does (or rather, fails to do), it is NOT worth the price. Would you pay $300+ for a wireless network card for your computer??? Thats basically all this is, but for your television.
No support or users guide - must pay for help December 28, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
THe Apple TV is fine for a basic download and play function but not intuitive or user friendly if one wants to go beyond the basic function, onto, for example, syncing with iTunes Library. The worse aspect is that there is no users guide and if a few months down the line from purchase one decides to use the additional features there is NO support NOR information anywhere online as to how to use these additional product functions. Unless you are willing to PAY $50 dollars for support!!! THe ATV does NOT work the same as iTunes - go figure! Syncing in ONLY ONE WAY from the Apple TV to the iTunes Library on your computer. This means all content is then controlled and stored on the iTunes LIbrary and NOT on the Apple TV. There is NO way to reverse this once the content is loaded onto your iTunes Library. BUT if you then erase content from the iTunes LIbrary, to free up space on your computer HD, the content is also erased on the Apple TV. There is no warning, no product guide, nothing that states this and worse off NO WAY TO CONTROL THIS. The content is then IRREPLACEABLE unless you want to purchase it again. Considering an average computer has much smaller capacity than the ATV, all the storage space on the ATV is then wasted if you do want to sync. As another reviewer stated, ATV support was absolutely no help unless I agreed to pay upfront - and I had no guarantee that they would be able to solve the issue or provide additional information. You are much better off going with Netflix or other basic products. And I did find that many users were having problems with the new software. I have wasted hours of my time over what should be basic instructions / information posted in the users manual online. Apple is scamming customers by promising ease of use and great support and then making customers pay for basic operational information.
a gr8 device but... December 24, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
It is a great device, but I don't understand why we can't connect a keyboard and a mouse to it !
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