Apple TV MD199LL/A [NEWEST VERSION]
Apple TV MD199LL/A [NEWEST VERSION]
- 1080p HD programming, including iTunes movies and TV shows, Netflix, Vimeo, photos and more in HD
- Access your purchased movies, TV shows, and music with iTunes Match right from iCloud
- Stream video, games, and more from iOS devices using AirPlay; music, videos, and photos can also be streamed from PCs and Macs
- HDMI and digital optical audio output; connects to network via Wireless-N or Ethernet
- Comes with 7-button aluminum Apple remote; can be controlled by iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch via Remote app
Apple TV MD199LL/A [NEWEST VERSION]
List Price: $ 99.00
Price: [wpramaprice asin="B007I5JT4S"]
[wpramareviews asin="B007I5JT4S"]
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Comparing AppleTV to Roku2 XS,
I own both the new Apple TV (1080P/2012) model and the Roku2 XS. I found myself doing a side by side comparison of the two products and here are my findings.
AppleTV
Pros: Works out of the box, minimum effort to setup, really easy to use interface + wifi. Can Restream old purchased episodes. Netflix App much cleaner and more superb. Streaming and buffering causes no delays or degradation of picture. AirPlay makes up for a lot of the limited channels (with Mountain Lion the functionality goes up even more). iPad Remote easy to use
Cons: Limited Channels…needs an open API like Roku to build more channels
Roku2 XS
Pros: Many Channels available, Cheaper ($10), Free Movie Channels like Crackle, AmazonPrime availability, Vendor neutral. iPad Remote easy to use
Cons: Missing iTunes integration, Poor quality and buffering (constant downgrading the image quality on NBA League Pass and Netflix). User UI is just bland and could be cleaner. Bugs and issues. Most channels you have to pay extra for. Roku disconnects from my wifi network randomly whereas the AppleTV never does during side by side streaming. Setup takes longer and more tweaking needed by the user.
Summary:
While the Roku offers you many more channels the end user experience on the AppleTV makes it much more simple to utilize. If you have some form of Apple Eco System then the AppleTV is for you. If you hate Apple then the Roku is for you. Each product has their own advantages and disadvantages. For me in the end it was about the user experience and ease of using the player and the AppleTV edged out. It’s not to say I won’t be using my Roku but until there are some updates to fix some of the buffers and issues the AppleTV is by far the better product.
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|A Minor Upgrade to A Useful Product,
If you have bought into the Apple iOS ecosystem, the AppleTV is a flexible and useful addition. Snap a picture on your iPhone and it will be in the PhotoStream screen saver on your TV within minutes. Want to play some music from your iPad with the good speakers in your TV room, choose the AppleTV Airplay output and hit play. Have an hilarious YouTube video you want to share, Airplay it on the big screen. Want to play that blockbuster iOS game in the large, there it is screen shared in all its glory.
If you haven’t gotten into all things Apple, then you have a set top box with a first class Netflix player, HD movies for rent or purchase, and a smattering of other sources. All in an energy efficient, streamlined little box. The one service I miss is Amazon Prime streaming, and I’m not holding my breath waiting for that one.
This is my third AppleTV. I’ve bought each of the generations. The first, I gave to my brother, the second is moving downstairs to the old 720p TV, and this one is attached to the largish 1080p plasma in the TV room. I had been wanting an other AppleTV as the IOMega Screenplay in the basement is a decidedly inferior Netflix player, and I can make use of all the AirPlay coolness such as streaming music.
This AppleTV is the first to support 1080p output. This is a nice but not overwhelming feature. In fact, I spent a non-trivial amount of time trying to demonstrate that the new model can outdo the previous generation. First, none of my pre-existing movie purchases had been upgraded to 1080p. I generally buy Blu-ray discs with Digital Downloads, and such titles as The Adventures of TinTin, Monsters, Inc, The Incredibles, etc., just are not listed as being in 1080p and while they look OK in whatever format iTunes has for streaming, they obviously were not the best they could be. So, I purchased the new Puss n’ Boots via the AppleTV and did and an AB comparison between 1080p on the new box versus 720p on the older AppleTV. The 1080p is better: a little more detail, a little less fuzz, less banding, but honestly I could have watched either without complaint, they are both quite nice. It is not the great difference you will see between the new iPad and an older iPad; or between low rez digital downloads which I’ve purchased with Blu Rays, and Apple’s new HD downloads.
[Update: It bothered me that so many people were claiming such a massive improvement in quality from 720p to 1080p, so as an experiment, I attached my Apple TVs to a 1080p computer monitor not known for its scaling ability, the HP 2711x and sure enough in its native resolution, 1080p video looks great while the scaled 720p looks fuzzy, good but decidedly inferior. So, I would say that people whose TV has a poor scalar and native 1080p resolution will get much better improvement than those of us with a good scaling chip built into our TVs.]
I’ve Vudu support on both my Blu Ray player and the Screenplay, and the Vudu HDX format, which for me has been the gold standard of downloadable video, and I think Apple’s new format is very close now; to the point I probably will not be using Vudu going forward. It might even cut into my occasional Blu Ray purchases.
This is on a 50″ Panasonic P50G25 which I’ve setup using a Spears & Munsil calibration disc.
So, I switched to looking at photos in my PhotoStream, and here with the still images, where you get the chance to look at details in leisure I could see a nice improvement on the newer hardware. But again, I had to look for it.
Other than the support for 1080p and a faster processor–the previous generation used an A4, this one uses an A5–the hardware appears to be exactly the same. Same ridiculously plain yet amazingly crafted remote, same energy efficiency, same HDMI output paired with TOSLink. If you are thinking of replacing a last generation AppleTV with this one, I’d say it isn’t worth the money.
I actually appreciate the optical audio out. I have a Roku XS and there are setups (like my basement) where I don’t have a receiver capable of HDMI and optical audio is needed. And I like having an Ethernet port, I’d prefer to not rely on the vagaries of Wi-Fi.
Apple has recently updated the interface, making it more iPhone like in its theme, and there is hope that someday they might open an App store for the device. In the meantime, it’s attractive and smooth, and reasonably easy to navigate. There’s some reason I gravitate to using the AppleTV over the Roku for watching Netflix and the layout is probably the reason.
The iTunes store has a reasonable selection. We are cord…
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|Beautiful, ultra responsive and efficient. Seamless content integration with all your apple devices.,
Highly recommend it. Air Play feature alone justifies the price. This is what Apple is all about. I can even share my Mac (with advance preview of upcoming Mountain Lion OSX) screen on to the TV with a single click. Netflix is top notch too. The included new remote is definitely a huge improvement over the “white acrylic” that came with the first generation apple TVs. Still I am not a huge fan of it. With that said, who needs it any ways. when one can remotely control the Apple TV from my iPhone and iPad.
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