My Apple TV MC572LL!

My Apple TV MC572LL!

December 2, 2011 By A. S. Metcalf (Indianapolis, IN)

This review is from: MC572LL (NEWEST VERSION) (Electronics)

Let me preface this by disclosing that I'm an Apple fanboy, and have been for over a decade. I adore Apple products for both form and function, and so Apple is always my first choice for gadgetry.

I love this little box! I've been using it for about a week now, and am greatly enjoying the ability to stream media from my MacBook Pro and my iPhone. The interfaces for the iTunes Store, Netflix and YouTube are delightfully easy to navigate, and the Air Play ability has come in handy when I don't want to stop watching a movie but need to leave the room; switching the movie over to my iPhone screen is seamless. One beef about Netflix: occasionally I'll select a movie to stream, and I'll be told that Netflix isn't available right now. But I believe this to be a failing on the part of Netflix, not Apple, as I've encountered similar issues with my girlfriend's TiVO box and Netflix.

Form factor-wise, this device can't be beat. It's footprint in the entertainment center is minuscule, it is so small it can be placed anywhere. I will say that, due to its tiny size, the torque from its power cable or the HDMI cable can cause it to swivel or tilt during placement, but this is so minor it's not even really an issue.

The remote is exactly like the remote that came with my MacBook Pro for use with the Front Row feature; in fact, my Front Row remote controls the Apple TV MC572LL, as well. If you don't like the in-box remote and you have an iPhone or iPod touch, however, the Remote App is free, and is a great alternative. I've used both, and can't really decide which I prefer.

The reason I've given this device 4/5 stars is due to the UI. The user interface is easy to use and runs smoothly, but I can't help imagine what it would be like if it were app-based instead. Because it runs on a modified version of iOS, I believe an app-based UI could be in the Apple TV's future; if and when this happens, you can bet I'll be adding a fifth star to this review. It would also be nice if I could access Hulu or Amazon's streaming library from Apple TV MC572LL.

I recommend this product to anyone with the desire to stream media from their iTunes library, iPod Touch, or iPhone. And of course Netflix, Youtube, and several other online sources. If you're an Apple fan, you'll understand the convenience and aesthetic afforded by this little black box. If you're on the fence, do your research, but please consider this one of the top contenders.

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If you like to play in Apple's "Walled Garden" you'll love it (MC572LL)

If you like to play in Apple's "Walled Garden" you'll love it (MC572LL)

November 26, 2011, By RagtimeWillie

This review is from: MC572LL (NEWEST VERSION) (Electronics)

I don't have anything to add that other reviewers haven't covered, no do I have any insights that might help you decide between an Apple TV MC572LL and one of the handful of viable alternative products in this market space.

I use Apple TV MC572LL more for accessing my media library than for viewing internet content. It seems to work equally well at this task whether it is pulling media from a Apple Mac or a Windows-based PC -- as long as you have iTunes installed and configured, which is pretty easy. Even if you have your media stored in Windows Media Player or Windows Media Center, that content is accessible once iTunes is installed and configured. Apple did this by design: the geniuses there must assume that you are connecting it through a higher end sound system. My older Mini Mac, connected in the same fashion and using the exact same remote, allows one to control the volume of the TV MC572LL. At the time of my review, the price has dropped a bit, which makes it even more attractive. 

I doubt we'll ever get access to Amazon Prime instant videos via Apple TV MC572LL, nor will we get access to some of the other popular subscription-based services that Apple is blocking. That's business. Hulu Plus -- very doubtful at this writing. But these are the tradeoffs we must endure if we want a reliable, beautiful, simple to use device sold by Apple.

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Apple goodness in the living room

Apple goodness in the living room

November 12, 2011 By bogart the consumer (Washington)

This review is from: Apple TV MC572LL/A (NEWEST VERSION) (Electronics)

I'm a big fan of my Apple TV MC572LL/A. One small, black box next to the television connects me to a world of entertainment with a simple interface that's so easy, my four-year old nephew knows how to use it. I am constantly amazed at how something so small can deliver a picture with such clarity and with booming surround sound that will shake the neighbors.

Others have written extensively about the Apple TV MC572LL/A's ease of use and reliability. I want to highlight a couple of features that may appeal to a narrower market-slice when trying to make the choice between the Apple TV MC572LL/A and the Roku.

-- International Use - For expatriate Americans, the Apple TV MC572LL/A is a perfect companion. When connected to your international ISP, you can use your Apple ID to log into iTunes. If you are in a place where the internet connection is slow and unable to stream movies instantly, you can download items (rentals and purchases) to your computer and stream them from iTunes to your Apple TV MC572LL/A. It's easy and merely requires that you switch on Home Sharing in iTunes. Netflix and Hulu -- the mainstays of the Roku (and also available on the Apple TV MC572LL/A) -- will not let you stream content if you are not in the United States.

-- Internet Radio - The internet radio interface for the Apple TV MC572LL/A is fantastic. There are lots of internet radio boom boxes available now, but many don't have stereo speakers, and few allow for an easy connection to the best stereo in the house. I've connected the Apple TV MC572LL/A with an HDMI cable to my HDMI-enabled Yamaha receiver. (The receiver has one video out to the television, and has inputs for all of the other video devices. Very convenient.) Many internet radio stations now broadcast at near-FM quality and if you've got a good receiver with a built-in digital-to-analog converter for digital signals, you can sometimes get near-CD quality from internet radio streams.

-- Streaming iTunes music - When I received my Apple TV MC572LL/A, I stopped connecting my iPod directly to my stereo. The Apple TV MC572LL/A gives me a nice, big, on-screen menu for selecting music and playlists from my computer. As with internet radio, it broadcasts my music over the best stereo in the house and provides great sound. Additionally, you can set the Apple TV MC572LL/A's screen saver to show your photos from iPhoto on your TV MC572LL/A screen. It's a nice touch. The Apple TV MC572LL/A makes for a wonderful addition to a walled-garden of home entertainment goodness. It works just as well for the PC user who has an iTunes account. I recommend the Apple TV MC572LL/A to anyone who wants to simplify their home entertainment and wants to create a well-functioning wired environment at home.

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Apple TV MC572LL/A Best media streaming product I've tried!

Apple TV MC572LL/A Best media streaming product I've tried!  

November 16, 2011 By Lisa Kirkley (Cleveland, MS)

This review is from: Apple TV MC572LL/A (NEWEST VERSION) (Electronics)

I've had the Apple TV MC572LL/A for about a year now and I LOVE it! I've tried one other type of media streaming device and it was not that great especially when compared to the Apple TV MC572LL/A. The Apple TV MC572LL/A is super easy to set up and to use. It connects to your TV MC572LL/A with an HDMI cable. The only problem I found with that, and it is apparently a problem with my TV MC572LL/A, not the Apple TV MC572LL/A, is when plugging it into my HDMI input on the back of my TV MC572LL/A it tells me it cannot play Netflix movies. If I plug it in to the HDMI input on the side of my TV MC572LL/A it works just fine though. I use the Apple TV MC572LL/A mostly for watching Netflix movies or playing movies and music in iTunes. It also has YouTube, sports, internet radio, and you can connect to Flicker or other photo sharing sites. I love that I can connect it with pictures on my computer so when the screensaver comes on it shows pictures of my son and family! It is super easy to connect with your computer by simply opening iTunes on your computer. You need to turn home sharing on, and then your library is instantly connected to your Apple TV MC572LL/A.

The picture quality of Netflix and iTunes movies is great, I have no complaints there! The quality of streaming music is good too, and made even better with my TV MC572LL/A being hooked up to my home theater system. I don't even own a CD player anymore because I can listen to my iPod in the car and use the Apple TV MC572LL/A at home!

The one downside to it is Hulu Plus is not available on it. I wanted to start using Hulu before I got cable and a DVR but it was not available on Apple TV MC572LL/A. I didn't want to buy a second media device though so I purchased the season pass for my favorite show on iTunes. iTunes has a wide variety of movies and TV MC572LL/A shows and being able to stream them through my Apple TV MC572LL/A is a great feature! I use my Apple TV MC572LL/A nearly every day and have had no problems with it. It has also updated the firmware several times since I've owned it.

 

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Apple TV MC572LL/A The final piece of the Apple ecosystem digital hub

The final piece of the Apple ecosystem digital hub, November 11, 2011 By Chad (United States)

This review is from: Apple TV MC572LL/A (2010) (Electronics)

The Apple TV MC572LL/A with the latest update 4.4.2 completely integrates ipad 2, itunes store, netflix streaming and your own media on your computer.
1. Watch netflix streaming in a fast, easy to use interface that has an amazing style only apple could do.
2. Watch the podcasts you love on itunes right from the apple tv.
3. Watch a show on your ipad, a movie rental, youtube etc, an icon appears saying you can push just that video to your apple tv. If you have multiple ones in your house, select that one from the list.
4. Ipad 2 mirroring you can play games on your ipad 2, and have the video pushed to the apple tv, it actually miorrors your ipad, and some games wil make the ipad in a racing game for example the steering wheel with everything else on the apple tv.
6. If you're looking at pictures on your iphone/ipad you can tell it to push those to the tv, and as you move from picture to picture on the phone it will transition on the tv.
7. If you have a personal library of music/movies/pictures in itunes on your computer and its shared, all those items will appear in the apple tv menu under computer. So your music
8. If you have an iphone/ipad and you use a service like pandora internet radio. you can select the apple tv as a speaker source to output the audio.
9. itunes can be used as the apple tv as an audio source as well, so say your on your laptop and instead of playing your music on your laptops speakers, you could push the music your listening in itunes to the apple tv, which may be hooked up to your fancy surround sound system.
10. Rent new release movies from the itunes store right from the apple tv, this includes browsing the top lists, watching a preview of the movie, and clicking rent with it being ready in about 30 seconds to a minute to watch.

I have cut out the cable tv portion of my comcast bill, all I have is over the air tv with an HD antenna, an apple tv, and netflix streaming. I am a major couch potato if that says anything and the apple tv is just amazing. CONS: Doesn't support other movie rental services like amazon prime free movies.

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