Apple TV - 160GB

Simply the Best Media System to Attach to your Television !
I have tried them all: Media Systems attached to the tv which stream from your pc, Windows Media Center, and many others. This is by far the best ! I bought the 160GB version, and I have not had one regret so far ! Amazing menus, and I have just downloaded my entire iTunes onto the hdd. Setup is as simple as can be: turn your pc on, open iTunes, ensure your network is up and running, and turn on the Apple TV. Note the code on your tv, which the Apple TV creates, then waddle over to your pc, tap that into iTunes (which would have already seen the Apple TV box on your network). You can then either stream or transfer the iTunes files. I opted to transfer, as it will then have everything without the pc being on. Goodness, could it be any easier. The menus and the remote are very responsive and it keeps things simple and user friendly. Video playback is a bit grainy, as these films, etc are designed for an ipod, and not your 50 inch display in the lounge ! However, if you are not used to...

Apple TV - 160GB

Easy to use media syncing device
I have an Apple iMac and wanted a way to play my movies and view my pictures on my 42" TV and to listen to my music through the surround system that is attached to my TV. I decided to purchase the Apple TV after reading a lot of reviews on the Internet and getting a demo. Before you buy an Apple TV you will need a widescreen TV with a free HDMI or component video connection and an iTunes account, or the Apple TV will not work.

The reasons I made my decision to buy are:

1. Price -- All my music is in iTunes and a lot of movies as well. I looked at various ways to stream video and music from my iMac and this seemed the most cost effective way to do this.

2. Ease of use -- Almost all reviews say that it is easy to setup and I went to PC World to get a demo before buying. Only two cables to connect. One for power and the other to the HDMI on your TV. I also connected an optical audio cable to my surround sound system, but this optional.

3...

Apple TV - 160GB

Best client available
You buy a computer, take it home and switch it on. Ok it will work, but expect to be a bit underwhelmed until you start to put your own software on and get it doing what you want. The Apple TV is exactly the same. Plug it in and browse the iTunes store and youtube. Big letdown. But once you start to feed the Apple TV your own content, this little machine outshines all the competition.

Here's two ways to transform this little box into something you will never look back from:

1. Have a pc or mac sat somewhere in your house running itunes and streaming content to the ATV. I picked up an ancient Apple G4 for free and it now serves up over 1TB of iTunes library - music and film. Rip your own CDs and DVDs and your library will soon swell up to this size.

2. Buy ATV Flash and add software to the ATV - it is after all a computer. Add an external USB drive full of all your films and songs and then there's no need to run a computer as well. You can then also run...

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