By lowering the price to $ 99 , Apple has made a sheer thrust into the animation way , proclaiming , “ This is the streamer for the masses . ” But , ho , masses ! Should you tot this comparatively cheap box to your progressively cluttered tv set arrangement ?
As with most decisions , the long answer is : It depend . The short answer : no , unless you ’re in the smallish chemical group that does n’t already have an Xbox 360 , PS3 , TiVo or some other banner . Or unless you really eff your Apple ecosystem .
What’s this new Apple TV do?
Like the old ATV , this little black box seat permit you to play mental object from your iTunes library on your television or home entertainment stack . It also opens the door for Netflix , YouTube , Flickr , and MobileMe photos . fairly shortly , it ’ll let you stream flick and vids directly from your iOS machine . It ’s very much still an Apple tv set , meaning , it ’s primarily designed to move Apple ’s own content into your living room . Netflix is obligatory — because literally every other set - top - box has it , and leave it out would be kindred to demonstrate up to a new job without pant .
Here ’s a speedy video turn of what Apple TV does .
Netflix
For comparability , here ’s a video of the Netflix implementations on each respective boxwood . Seeing how you get from flush - up to moving picture give you a pretty good sense of the UI .
Here ’s the upright news : we ’re almost done . All you have to do is decide which family you fall into , and click the relevant connexion below . Do you already own a TiVo ? Do you have the previous Apple TV ? That ’s the section for you .
But if you desire to be the cat who knows everything about media streamers , palpate free to read the whole piece . And if you fall into more than one category , you’re able to dawn around .
I already own the previous Apple TV
I have a TiVo or a PS3 or an Xbox or a Wii
I do n’t have anything , and I require internet streaming video recording
All I want is Netflix , and I require it as cheaply as possible
I torrent a lot
I like as much poppycock to follow as possible
I just require to know which one of these is the best
The 10 million ( estimated ) of you who bought the sometime Apple TV are in an interesting locating . You already have essentially all the functionality rule in the new machine — down to the UI — save for Netflix , but you bought the affair when it was more than double as expensive . you’re able to already pour your music , learn and rent iTunes flick and get YouTube and Flickr and MobileMe .
So the question is , do you own a TiVo , an Xbox 360 / PS3 , or one of the many Blu - ray of light player and telecasting with Netflix living ? If so , do it it ; you do n’t necessitate the novel Apple TV . If you do n’t have any of these thing , you may sell your sure-enough Apple TV and grab the new one and actually make some money . Old ATVs are betray for $ 100-$150 on eBay — because of the hard effort , and because they ’ve been hacked to run Boxee and other software program — so you may get extra functionality and trade up to a small box . All you lose is the on - display panel warehousing . But come on — you were n’t using anyway . It ’s pretty much guaranteed that the new Apple TV is going to get hack to run Boxee too , but that will take a while .
One matter you will recede is the ability to purchase movies and lay in them on your Apple TV . For an HD movie , that ’s a $ 20 vs. $ 5 difference . Are you really gon na check Iron Man 2 more than four fourth dimension to justify the leverage ?
AirPlay is also acompellingfuture reason to get the Apple video if you have an iPad or an iPhone , but powerful now , there ’s not much to it . Sure , eventually you ’ll be capable to rent something on your iPad and well out it to your ATV , but until Apple starts plunk for other substance sources , that feature is moot . lease ’s blab out once there ’s an actual ecosystem around AirPlay and other equipment manufacturers support it . For now , you ’re OK .
https://gizmodo.com/forget-apple-tv-airplay-is-apples-sneak-attack-on-tele-5634087
Verdict : Keep your older box seat . Unless you do n’t have something that supports Netflix , in which character betray that 1st - gen and climb .
This bucket of people is the largest and blanket , capturing most of our readers and pretty much anyone who ’s concerned in streaming content . If you already have one of these devices , you ’ve bugger off Netflix and YouTube , you’re able to move photo around your home web , and you’re able to already roleplay music from your iTunes . You just might have to set up some transcoding software .
The only thing that should inspire you to buy an Apple TV is an absolute commitment to the iTunes ecosystem . TiVo has Amazon ’s on Demand , Xbox 360 has Zune Video and PlayStation 3 has Sony ’s own video recording service . As of right now , iTunes video is n’t large enough in either the movie or the television show section that you ’re missing much . There might be a couple exclusives , but by and large , you ’re covered .
Verdict : You ’re set already , unless you love Apple message
This is where things get interesting . Onpaper , here ’s how Apple TV measures against the other streamers . Again , it does n’t do a whole bunch other than Netflix and Apple stuff , but you know that . It depend on what else you ’re looking for in a streamer . Check the chart below , and go with what fits your life-style easily .
https://gizmodo.com/video-box-battle-royale-who-should-be-your-tvs-new-bes-5649560
Then , you should get theRoku HDfor $ 60 . It does Netflix in 720p , as well as a ton of other services : Amazon , MLB , Pandora , rescript 3 , blip.tv , Facebook Photos , Roku Newscaster , DreamTV , MediaFly , Twit.tv , Flickr , Break , and many others you might not deal about . Point is , there is a lot to watch .
https://gizmodo.com/roku-internet-video-streamers-are-as-low-as-60-and-do-5645487
If you ’re uncoerced to blast out 40 more bones , the $ 100 Roku XDS gives you full 1080p video , an ocular jack and factor output . Your selection , moneybags , but recall that most web telecasting is n’t very high - caliber anyway .
Verdict : Roku HD
One matter torrent - heads bonk a set about is the amazing variety of audio and video formats . Both Sony ’s Netbox and the upcoming Boxee Box support local cyclosis of MKV , XviD and DivX ( though the Netbox did die on a 1080p MP4 transcription I made with my Sanyo video tv camera ) . Both should be able-bodied to take in USB drive and stream these files over your meshwork , so either one offer a middling compelling ( and careful ) room to ascertain your own movies .
The difference is that Sony ’s Netbox is $ 130 , whereas Boxee is $ 200 . If all you do is torrent , you should go with the Sony . Even though Boxee ’s Flash and internet browser acquirement theoretically give it more net streaming funding , Sony still has a wide selection of ( legal ) depicted object channels . It supports the obligatory Netflix and Amazon VOD , of course , and the approaching Hulu Plus . It also survive even further with blip.tv , FEARnet , YouTube , Dr. Oz , Epicurious television recipes , Daily Motion , eHow , Flixter and even the Berlin Philharmonic ( provided you have the proper paid subscription ) .
Whether you ’ll care about these spare rain cats and dogs source from either box seat is up to you , but being able to pour something directly gravel having to torrent , then look on .
Verdict : Sony Netbox ( or Boxee , for a slight more money )
For these folks , Roku has a expert amount of channel , even if not all of them are of eminent caliber . Sony ’s Netbox is close , but does n’t have as many and does n’t seem to have the expandability that Roku does . Boxee or Google TV might pounce in later and take this most - content stool , but you ’re paying two to three times as much for one of those . On the other hand , Boxee seems to be as close as you may get to hook an actual computer up to your goggle box .
Verdict : Roku XDS
Wait, are all these other streamers better than Apple TV?
They are if you ’re just talking about streaming . If you need to do more Apple - y poppycock , like better iTunes music integration , AirPlay or MobileMe , Apple TV is the only choice .
In the ending , it ’s really only $ 99 . If you ’re an Io or Mac user and want the simpleness of having another twist that can talk to your other hooey without the hassle of put in converters and looking up forums , the new Apple TV ’s not a bad solution . Plus , even if you already are fall into your current cyclosis setup , adding Netflix to your bedroom or workout elbow room for under a benji is n’t too shabby .
But , this whole adjust - top - boxwood streamer market would be out of business if citizenry would just get over the stigma of get a computer in the livelihood elbow room . All these boxes are doing is sneaking a computer in the backdoor .
imagination by Sam Spratt . Check out Sam’sportfolioand become a fan of hisFacebook Artist ’s Page .
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