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Apple TV (styled Image:Apple logo.svg tv) is a media extender manufactured by Apple. It is designed to play digital content from any Mac OS X or Windows computer running iTunes onto a widescreen-enhanced enhanced-definition or high-definition widescreen television. It was first announced at the end of a special Apple event in San Francisco, California on September 12 2006, where Apple CEO Steve Jobs also announced, video capable iPods, the addition of films to the iTunes Store and the release of version 7 of iTunes.[2] Jobs did another preview during his January 9 keynote speech at the 2007 Macworld Expo, where he announced that they were going to start taking pre-orders. The devices started shipping on March 21 2007.[3]
Features
In sync mode, Apple TV works in a similar way to the iPod. It is paired with an iTunes library on a single computer and can then sync with that library, copying content to its own 40 GB hard drive. However, syncing is not required, as Apple TV can also stream content from iTunes libraries on up to five other computers, playing the content over the network.[5] Streaming performance of movies and TV shows purchased from the iTunes Store over an 802.11g wireless network was described by CNET's John P. Falcone as "impressive".[6] Apple TV is therefore not a new iPod or another media center solution tied to a single media server, since Apple TV acts as a peer-to-peer digital media receiver and is "designed to be part of a home network of Macs and/or PCs that serve content".[7] Apple TV has an updated Front Row interface, that initially presents a menu with seven options: Movies, TV Shows, Music, Podcasts, Photos, Settings, and Sources. The "Movie", "TV Shows", "Music", and "Podcasts" options let you play either synced or local content. While you can't purchase iTunes Store content from the Apple TV itself, it will directly connect to the iTunes store and let you play short previews of store content through the "Movie" and "TV Shows" options.[4] Both video and audio-only podcasts are supported; TWiT's Leo Laporte mentions that Apple TV podcast support puts podcasts on the same level as other media.[8] "Photos" lets you view photos that have been synced to the device, it does not stream photos from other computers, although Apple has said they plan to add that feature.[9] "Settings" lets you pair the device with a remote (it comes with the standard Apple Remote although other remotes are known to work),[5] update the system software, and configure various video and audio settings. The "Sources" option is for pairing the device with other computers, whether for syncing or streaming. Both options require the user to enter a code in iTunes to authorize access.[5] Content has to be in certain formats to play on the Apple TV.[5] It supports video encoded with either the H.264 or MPEG-4 video codecs and audio encoded with AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF, or WAV audio codecs. It also has support for files encrypted with the FairPlay Digital Rights Management technology. Currently, video content is limited to 720p.[10] For photos it supports the JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, and PNG image file formats.[1]
HacksImage:Apple TV (back).jpg Rear connectors including power, USB for firmware updates, Ethernet, HDMI, component video and audio, and optical audio. Within days of the release, news sites were reporting that some users had worked out how to upgrade the hard drive on their Apple TVs,[13] or add support for other codecs.[14] Particular attention was paid to the device's operating system, which had been described by Walt Mossberg before the release as "a modified version of the Mac operating system."[9] With a week of the release, some users worked out how to access the device remotely through SSH,[15] how to get the Apple TV version of Front Row running on other Apple computers,[16] and how to install regular versions of Mac OS X on the device.[17] CriticismIn his review of the Apple TV Walt Mossberg mentioned three "drawbacks": the lack of support for older televisions, the lack of expansion options once the 40 GB hard drive fills up and the lack of volume control from the Apple Remote.[9] Ars Technica's Jacqui Cheng and Clint Ecker, also mentioned these three issues, but also suggested that although the device will play files with 5.1 Surround Sound, it combines the channels down to just two,[5] however Daniel Eran suggests that 5.1 audio is actually supported by Apple TV and the problem lies elsewhere.[18] Cheng and Ecker identified the inability to buy iTunes Store content directly from the Apple TV as the "biggest" limitation.[5] Rogue Amoeba's Paul Kafasis, also mentioned the lack of volume control on the remote, the lack of expansion options and the inability to purchase "from the couch". He also pointed to the lack of bundled cables, limited support for video and audio codecs, and the lack of personal video recorder capability.[4] CNET's John P. Falcone listed the above limitations along with a lack of Internet radio support, but mentioned the device's iTunes dependency as the "biggest stumbling block",[6] however The Unofficial Apple Weblog's David Chartier takes an opposite stance, and claims that the Front Row interface on Apple TV needs more iTunes-like functionality.[19] See also
References
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