Apple TV Thumbs Up or Down

The short answer is neither. But that's a short answer which doesn't tell you much. I got the Apple TV for Christmas a couple of weeks ago and I've finally had some time to go through all of the features it offers. Let me just get straight to it with the pros of the device.

Pros:
1. Awesome user interface- I wouldn't expect anything less from Apple when it comes to their user interfaces. I have an iPad and iPhone and used to have a Mac before I broke it, and the Apply TV has the same sleek easy to use feel that all of their other products have. Its extremely intuitive and if you are at least a little familiar with anything electronic you will pick it up right away.


2. Netflix- The Apple TV will instantly connect you to your Netflix account and has a beautiful interface that's better than the one Netflix has on its own website. Its uncluttered with sidebars and advertisements. If you are a fan of the Netflix Instant Streaming option like I am then this is the feature you will use the most.

3. Easy set up- You can have your Apple TV set up within minutes of opening the signature white box that it comes in. It requires only two cords, one to your power strip and the other to the back of your TV. This is assuming you have wireless in your house (if not you need 3 cables). Once plugged in, the Apple TV goes through an automatic setup that helps you quickly configure the box for your TV.

4. Stream content from your iTunes- Apple has set the little black box up to stream content from your iTunes in two ways. First is through iCloud, any music, movies, TV shows, or photos you have stored in the Cloud can be instantly streamed to your Apple TV. That includes a song you just bought on your iPhone or a movie you have on your iPad. They are all interconnected. Second, you can stream directly from your home computers' iTunes Library with home sharing. This is a neat feature if you aren't paying for the extra iCloud storage.

5. Airplay/Air Mirroring- If you own an Apple device that's running the iOS5 software you can stream content from your device to your Apple TV using the Airplay feature. If you so happen to have an iPad 2 or iPhone 4S you can use the Air Mirroring feature to display anything you are doing on your device on your TV screen. For example you could play a round of Angry Birds on your TV by using your iPad 2.

Cons:
1. Lack of online content- The Apple TV is great if you are heavily invested in iTunes and Apple products. The multiple streaming options give you many media options but limits you to what you have on iTune or Netflix. Now it does come with YouTube, Vimeo, and Flicker as well a few other Internet options like an Internet radio. It does not how ever offer online channels like the Roku 2 does (Apple's closest competitor).

2. Stuck with the iTunes Store- The only options for watching movies and tv on the Apple TV is the iTunes store or Netflix. It could desperately use other options like Hulu, Vodoo, Crackle TV, Amazon, etc. The lack of options limits you to just Netflix's instant video options or pay-per-view on iTunes. And for me iTune's prices for movies and TV shows is just  to high to use on a regular basis. Now it is possible to use the Airplay feature to stream a TV show from Hulu on your iPad to your Apple TV but if there is a Hulu app for the iPad there should be one for the Apple TV.

3. Lack of 3rd party applications- Right now 3rd party services on the Apple TV are limited. Youtube and Vimeo are nice features but the Roku 2 offers unique online programming as well as third party applications and games such as Pandora radio and Angry Birds. Again if you have a iPad 2 or iPhone 4S that issue is almost null but the same point applies. If Pandora has a iPad 2 app then so to should the Apple TV.

4. No storage- The Apple TV is only a streaming device. It has no internal storage capability. Nor does it have the capability to attach an external storage device like an external hard drive. My guess for this choice is that Apple is really pushing the iCloud service and wants its fans to purchase the additional space needed to store movies, TV shows, and music libraries. And one more little note that does not require its own con. The Apple TV requires an HD TV, but I understand that move since its almost impossible to buy a non-HD TV.

Overall the Apple TV is a top 1 or 2 device depending on who you are talking too. The Roku 2 XS is a near equal to the Apple TV but offers different services than the Apple TV. For me the Apple TV is a middle of the road success. I have multiple Apple products that are now inter connected and the Apple TV is now part of that web and for me that's a must. So if you are a heavy Apple user then the Apple TV is right for you. If your not I would look into the Roku