Apple TV

Reviewed by: rumplestiltskin

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Told cable TV to take a hike.

Weaknesses: Not enough time in this life to watch everything available.

Overall Evaluation: Disconnected cable TV last year. Subscribed to many podcasts and, with just the local news over antenna, we've got enough shows; more, actually, than there are hours available to watch.I don't bother syncing much of my music but that's a personal choice. I do sync a number of iPhoto albums and they become my TV's screensaver.Any videos I get that aren't in the MP4/H264 format required by the AppleTV can be easily converted using ViddyUp or MPEG Streamclip or ffmpegX.Do note that you will need a wide-screen TV with HDMI or Component inputs. While a 4:3 (standard def) TV can be made to work (if it has the inputs), the video proportions will be wrong and, while there is a work-around (altering the video content by shrinking the height 25%), it isn't convenient; I know because I did it before I finally bought that HDTV.In Apple's defense, they plainly note that you need a wide-screen TV, not a standard-def TV, so be aware of this fact before you buy an AppleTV.