 TV

Over the years, I have grown slowly from a PC user to loving my MacBook wholeheartedly and appreciating its sleek, simple, functional design. Which is why I decided that I had to take a look at the new second-generation  TV that was recently released from Apple. For those of you that don't know, Apple TV is part of a new trend of  digital media receivers that retrieves digital media files and plays them back on a home theater system or television. 

Isn't it cute?

Hardware: 
According to Apple, this new shiny black box of joy is approximately 80% smaller than the original Apple TV. It has a built in power supply, stays cool without a noisy fan, and allows for wireless streaming. It uses a A4 chip, which is the same chip that coincidentally powers the iPhone 4, iPad, and the iPod Touch. It is ridiculously simple to use. All you have to do is plug the power cord to the wall and connect it to your television using a HDMI cable.

The back end of the  TV

It’s so easy that it doesn’t even need a manual. I find that this has been a hallmark trait for Apple in all of its products. There’s something really deceptively brilliant about learning how to subtract as opposed to adding features that clutter. It’s an element of design that really considers the consumer and the average individual in its conception. Simplicity is the Apple mantra, and for this product (at least in their design of its hardware) it still seems to follow that trend. 

Simple = Beautiful.

Software: 

In terms of the software, the availability is usually movie rental for about $3.99 and instant TV rentals for 99 cents per episode in HD. It is also able to display the latest ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, which gives you access to customer reviews before you make your selection. Personally, I have always been weary of pay as you go options. These functions for movie rentals on the spot remind me of the hotel television movies that you need to purchase, which often gives me a gut reaction of just paying for them only on special occasion. The true difficulty though always lies in the consumer idea that many things online should be free.

Sites like these give easy access to free movies.

However, the best perk about Apple TV for avid digital media watchers is that you can access your Netflix account directly from Apple TV with no need for adapters.  You can also access applications like YouTube, mobileme, and Flickr. This in turn transforms Apple TV into basically a box for Netflix, and its use as a Netflix box, so to speak. So if you’re a Netflix user, this becomes the perfect little accessory.

For others though, Apple’s simplistic functions are not its greatest asset but its biggest drawback. Perhaps this little black box is a little too simple? There is a lack of content (only networks accessible right now are ABC, Disney, Fox and BBC). There is no actual location to allow purchasing and storing content, only movie renting. This isn’t too terrible of a drawback though since it is purely content based. 

But really, who doesn't love British Period Dramas?

The last wild card that has potential to become Apple TV’s greatest perk is their Airplay feature. It can help you move content you are currently listening to on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch to Apple TV in real time. And get this: it also goes for streaming content. This only works for sound right now, but Apple is working on getting the visuals synced and working as well. It’s a fancy feature that holds a lot of potential. It just depends on where Apple decides to take it.

Impacts on the Current Industry:

For Hollywood, switching to digital media has always come with its potential problems. There is the difficulty of controlling rampant pirating. Also, people have perceptions of price transparency and hold the idea that things online should be cheaper. This drives down the value of any online access to films. However, there is also a potential opportunity in this. Digital sales generally yield a higher profit margin precisely because there are fewer costs for manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and inventory.

As the movie industry has been slow to jump on the digital bandwagon, Apple TV introducing this device has presented itself as a compromise between the two. It’s not complete streaming online but rather merging the online experience with the comfort of an at home television experience. Most people still prefer watching quality movies on their TV. If this venture is going to work successfully, both the movie industry and Apple need to bank on the fact that people still value the quality in movies and will pay for them. What will this mean for DVDs? This may eliminate that option all together if Apple TV really takes off. I do think it will be a while before this could happen though. 

Will DVDs become extinct? Only time will tell.

Looking toward the future, old-fashioned movie industries can take advantage of some of the perks on the web. They could use customer opinions to shape a film and create global awareness of movies that way.

Sometimes I think the world would be a better place if the wonders of Bollywood were spread world-wide.

In Summary:

Apple TV is a good step in the right direction. There are the basic features necessary for quality movie entertainment and the ease of use. It really comes down to how Apple and the rest of the movie Industry decide to move from here on out, and how they utilize features like Airplay and convince the public that these are more worthwhile and valuable than any other free version of a movie online.