What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
23 MAY 2007
Apple TV 40GB
The Apple TV could be a must-have if even more content materialises: it's a slick and stylish product
Write your own review
It’s taken a long while, but the TV shows and films currently being enjoyed by Apple TV owners in the US are finally filtering through to the UK. Last year, a plethora of programmes – such as Lost, South Park, Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty – became available via iTunes in the UK. It’s not a massive choice, but it’s better than before.
That said, we have reservations about the value for money on offer when you buy video from the Apple site. The price isn’t that much less – and in some cases, more – than the equivalent DVD box-set. And it’s worth remembering that the video you’re getting is lower resolution (thus inferior picture quality): 320 x 240 or 640 x 480 – neither of which will look that impressive on a big screen.
What’s more, you don’t get all the surround sound and extras you get with a DVD. One more gripe: the Apple TV isn’t compatible with non-Apple formats, such as DivX and WMV.
Easy to use
Despite that, the unit is a joy to use: menus are bold, and move with stunning fluidity. With video, images are good enough on a small screen (but not a large one), and the way it allows you to access your music on the TV is fabulous. You can also buy a 160GB version for £269 if you need more storage capacity.
If Apple comes up with even more content – and increases the resolution – it will be even better. A new ‘improved’ model is apparently on the way. So we look forward to getting our hands on that.
Back to top
