Legit Reviews

Editorial: What’s Wrong with the Apple TV?

In our previous Apple TV article, we un-boxed the A-TV and detailed what you would need to do to get your media files to play. Basically, once you have them in a ‘container’ that iTunes can understand (MP3, M4A) you would drop and drag them into iTunes so that they are visible to Apple TV. You have to convert non-iTunes-compatible files by using a third-party converters like Super and Handbrake to allow iTunes to catalog the media. Read on to hear Ken's thoughts on the latest Apple TV!

Apple, you really let me down. I hope your new OS update will include something that people want and will set you apart. Maybe include Hulu access and playback, or at least being able to watch the network streams of current shows instead of trying to gouge viewers by charging $1 for the latest episode of Glee…you know the same episode that I can watch for free anytime with a browser and laptop. I don’t even like the Apple TV remote as it doesn’t have TV volume, mute, or power so now I have to have my hands on at least two remotes when I'm watching a movie.

Article Title: Editorial: What’s Wrong with the Apple TV? @ Legit Reviews
Article URL: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1438/1/
Pricing At Time of Print: $99.99 plus shipping

The biggest issue here is the .mov extension. Then couple that with having to add everything to iTunes. While Handbrake is easy to use and is very core aware all this still takes time. Time that most people aren't willing to put into it. Then you have to have a machine with enough disk space to store those MOV files. The one hardware issue that bothers me is the lone firewire port. If it was a USB port and supported direct play/detection then this box might have more going for it. Right now though, thanks to that chart, it doesn't hold any of the other player's jock strap.

Don't you know, if you hate any Apple product, you're an Apple hater? No need to sugar coat it. It won't give you any points to the Apple fanboys.

I was kinda trying to stay neutral on the whole review when I read the title. I even tried to take every listed flaw in the review in stride. I was trying to give Apple the benefit of the doubt the whole way through the review and I consider myself a big apple hater (surprising huh). Then I saw the comparison chart and crapped myself. That is downright terrible.

Oh and I think the netflix "recent release" thing meant it was new to netflix instant streaming. Not likely the fault of the device, but netflix.

El_Capitan wrote:Don't you know, if you hate any Apple product, you're an Apple hater? No need to sugar coat it. It won't give you any points to the Apple fanboys.

Yeah...I know...been getting a variety of e-mail today both positive and negative, but I had to share this one:

I am going to keep this simple; Not only do you NOT get the whole point of the Apple TV but your review, out of EVERY online and print review I have read, which is dozens, has to be the most biased and flawed I have read. It says a lot about someones intelligence when someone uses a term like fanboi (BTW moron, it always has been, and always will be fanboy. Me thinks you like to listen to Avril Lavingne and try too much to be hip. Probably use the word uber as well). All in all, THE WORST review I have read on the AppleTV. BTW, I stream through my PS3 (I have used and tested about 20 media streamers thus far), and am NOT an Apple fanboy. Although I do have a top of the line Hackintosh.

Doesn't look like he knows the point of Apple TV either.

Digital Puppy wrote:

I am going to keep this simple; Not only do you NOT get the whole point of the Apple TV but your review, out of EVERY online and print review I have read, which is dozens, has to be the most biased and flawed I have read. It says a lot about someones intelligence when someone uses a term like fanboi (BTW moron, it always has been, and always will be fanboy. Me thinks you like to listen to Avril Lavingne and try too much to be hip. Probably use the word uber as well). All in all, THE WORST review I have read on the AppleTV. BTW, I stream through my PS3 (I have used and tested about 20 media streamers thus far), and am NOT an Apple fanboy. Although I do have a top of the line Hackintosh.

Doesn't look like he knows the point of Apple TV either.

well at least you get a laugh

I'm not buying an Apple TV (walled garden and all that) but I have to say the article does sound like a rant. Apple likes its closed environment. I don't see how you can buy an Apple product and expect to be able to play MKV or God-forbid, even AVI on it. Apple has never included support for AVI, MKV, OGG, FLAC, etc in their iPods. There's really no reason not to expect the same from the Apple TV.

The complaint about the lack of Iron Man 2 should be against Netflix, but you can't really hold Netflix accountable for it either. They're trying to get content on their instant streaming service. The studios just won't allow them. Another thing, you pay $9 (+tax) a month for "unlimited" DVD rentals. Add an extra $2 if you want Blu-ray. With mailing and stuff, realistically, that's 4~5 disc rentals per month. The instant streaming service is just a freebie.

Granted, the article is an editorial so maybe the rant-like tone can be excused. Heck, if I were forced to deal with the Apple TV, I'd probably just chuck it straight into a wastebasket. Hmm, then again maybe not... There's lots of Apple faithful whom I can offload it to on eBay.

Digital Puppy wrote:

El_Capitan wrote:Don't you know, if you hate any Apple product, you're an Apple hater? No need to sugar coat it. It won't give you any points to the Apple fanboys.

Yeah...I know...been getting a variety of e-mail today both positive and negative, but I had to share this one:

I am going to keep this simple; Not only do you NOT get the whole point of the Apple TV but your review, out of EVERY online and print review I have read, which is dozens, has to be the most biased and flawed I have read. It says a lot about someones intelligence when someone uses a term like fanboi (BTW moron, it always has been, and always will be fanboy. Me thinks you like to listen to Avril Lavingne and try too much to be hip. Probably use the word uber as well). All in all, THE WORST review I have read on the AppleTV. BTW, I stream through my PS3 (I have used and tested about 20 media streamers thus far), and am NOT an Apple fanboy. Although I do have a top of the line Hackintosh.

Doesn't look like he knows the point of Apple TV either.

Attack, attack, attack. That's how Apple fanboys defend their products. It's not THEM, by golly, that doesn't get the whole point of Apple TV, and it's not THEM that's biased. Attack, attack, attack. Mac vs. PC. Yabber, yabber, yabber.

The review was actually the first review I ever read that didn't give a crap about what the Apple fanboys would react, and I have to give kudos for that. I agree with every point made in the review. I don't hate Apple, just the fanboys.

i'm a hater, and proud of it, they're too expensive for me, i try to get mp3 players that specifically don't look like ipods, because look-alikes confuse people that have ipods haha

Hey we want (nay, DEMAND! lol ) to know the bad with the good, if you only extolled the positives it would be a shill piece, not a review. Due to its lack of compatibility I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot yugo.

Keep up the good work!

Excellent article Ken. Can I borrow your Avril Lavigne CD's?

BrianG wrote:Excellent article Ken. Can I borrow your Avril Lavigne CD's?

LOL!!!

You are killing me, Brian!!!

I'm a "them haters"
Everything i want , has to look totally different from a apple product
It's true , it's the fanboys we hate .
They go about ranting how "good" their stuffs are and , when it comes to reviews , they go on the defensive .
Wait , how much did the iPhone 4 cost when it came out ?

$200 with a 2-year contract on AT&T. Think it was $600 off contract. If you actually pay full price for phones, that's on par with other smartphones.

IT's price is way overbloated here in SG ,
a equivalent-performance WM / Android cost me 300$ LESS . Yes . 300 $ SGD .
That's already 1 bummer that i always hated about APPLE .

(Without contract i still have to pay 900$ for the iPhone 3GS 16GB)
As i compare that to my M10 , i paid 532$ for 4GB + a sweet 32 GB SD ;)