Review: Apple TV

For those who subscribe to the Apple way, owning an Apple TV set-top box is a given. It integrates seamlessly with Apple's existing iTunes and iCloud services and connects instantly to other Mac and iOS devices, effortlessly pulling video, audio and photographic content from these disparate sources to your big screen, where you can enjoy them from your couch using a remote control.

The Apple TV was first introduced in 2007, but it didn't really push the envelope, and it was only picked up by curious consumers, hobbyists, and early adopters in the streaming game. Since then, we've seen a number of smarter streaming boxes appear at the same $100 price point (Roku, WD TV Live), and Apple has largely played catch-up, revamping its entry a couple of times to incorporate new features.

Inside, it packs an upgraded single-core A5 chip that deftly handles the added workload of processing 1080p content.But this version, new for 2012, has the big feature we've all been waiting for that makes it truly competitive among set-top streamers: Full 1080p HD output from iTunes and Netflix.

Add the new high-quality 1080p video to the Apple TV's unique ability to stream content from your iPhone or iPad to your TV using AirPlay, and suddenly the Apple TV leaps to the short list of set-top boxes we can recommend.

The new Apple TV (just like MacBooks and iPads, there's no 2, 3, or S to differentiate this product from its earlier iterations) is still a 3.9-inch by 3.9-inch svelte black puck, and the outside remains largely unchanged, as does its silver sliver of a remote. But inside, it packs an upgraded single-core A5 chip that deftly handles the added workload of processing 1080p content.

Setup is a snap: Plug in the power cord and hook it up to your TV using an HDMI cable (NOT included, frustratingly). If you have a separate surround-sound system, there's an optical-out port for audio. Connect to your network by entering your Wi-Fi info or using an Ethernet cable. Lastly, enter your iTunes account information. Boom, done.

From there, you're taken to Apple TV's revamped icon-based interface, which is evocative of the iOS home screen. I found the new Apple TV interface makes better use of positive and negative space, filling up the screen with large, button-like rectangles. But as for navigating, it's not an improvement over the previous Apple TV's text-based menus. For now, there's no way to rearrange or delete icons, so even if you're not a sports fan, you'll have NBA, NHL and MLB TV sitting prominently on the first row. Netflix is there by default, too, so if you're not a subscriber, you'll be tempted.

Using the remote to navigate these menus generally works well, but the minimalist design – a play/pause button, a menu button, and a directional pad – reveals its weak spot when you tediously have to arrow through an onscreen alphabet. This is a common gripe of all these boxes with simple remotes, and Apple's implementation is just as inelegant as the others. Also, if you tend to work on a MacBook while you watch TV, be sure to turn off IR receiver or you'll discover your Apple TV remote will also adjust your notebook's volume.

Once you select a 1080p title to watch and put the remote down, any quibbles with the system subside. Watching The Muppets, you can see the felt fibers on the "skin" of Jim Henson's famed puppet-people, and each and every pore on Jason Segel's face (alright, not necessarily my favorite part of watching HD titles). On content purchased from iTunes, signs of compression were minimal, with some artifacting only during fast-paced action scenes. 1080p Netflix streams, on the other hand, were noticeably less sharp. Buffering and loading times for videos were minimal and very reasonable on my home Wi-Fi connection.

Videos purchased on the Apple TV can also be synced to your iPad or your laptop, so you can watch them while you're on the plane or the train.Once you buy a bunch of shows and movies from iTunes, they're stored in iCloud, so you can watch them all without worrying about storing piles of gigabytes locally. The Apple TV doesn't have any user-accessible on-board storage, so it's clear Apple is pushing hard on iCloud by baking it into the experience. Videos purchased on the Apple TV can also be synced to your iPad or your laptop, so you can watch them while you're on the plane or the train. This doesn't apply to rented shows (or content from Fox and NBC, oddly) but it's a very convenient feature.

Competitors like Roku do still beat out Apple's media player when it comes to diversity of content offerings. Apple TV lacks services like Pandora, Hulu Plus, HBO Go and Amazon Instant, but between Netflix and iTunes, you've got a very large library of TV and film content available.

And to make up for some of its shortcomings, Apple packs another notable feature into its set-top box: AirPlay streaming and mirroring.

AirPlay streaming works swimmingly for sharing music, photos and videos from compatible apps on your iDevice to the TV. AirPlay mirroring – which must require an A5 or better processor since it can only be done with an iPhone 4S or an iPad 2 or later – gets around the whole lack-of-third-party-apps on the actual set-top box by displaying whatever's on your mobile device to the big screen. Mirroring works well enough if say, you're in a conference room environment showing a presentation or new app, but is not the best option for video (use AirPlay streaming for that). High-intensity games are also better left on the smaller screen, as there can be some latency and choppiness when mirroring.

In all, Apple TV still doesn't have enough content portals to replace your cable or satellite subscription. Roku's boxes have more streaming options, and one of those is probably still the better choice for cable-cutters (though Roku doesn't have YouTube, something the Apple TV does have). However, if you watch a lot of videos on your iPad or iPhone, or if you're a die-hard iTunes video consumer who's bought into the iCloud experience, the 2012 Apple TV is without a doubt the best way to extend that experience to the biggest of the many screens in your home.

WIRED 1080p, finally. Purchases from iTunes are stored in iCloud for syncing across devices. If you're an iTunes Match subscriber, you can stream your tunes and playlists from iCloud. Use AirPlay to stream from any iOS device, or from any iTunes library on your network. Browsing and navigation is mostly painless.

TIRED Similarly-priced boxes (like the Roku 2 XS) offer more streaming services. Can't remove or rearrange icons in main menu. 8GB storage is for caching only, and you can't side-load content through the microUSB port. Remote is too simple and too easy to lose – luckily, the iOS Remote app is a solid substitute. No analog ports, digital connections only.