Apple TV 2nd Generation (2011)

A great little device, although it’s done it’s time – Apple TV ia great and versatile. Providing lots of options to watch plenty of streamed sports all at the touch of a button. Our device is starting to struggle now however, dropping out at the slightest network glitch. The control with the earlier models being so small seems to often disappear into mystery places!  Show details

Slow, buggy, restarts frequently, freezes and useless awful remote control – How do I start with this? There are so many cons that the pros just disappear and get drowned! I bought this machine from Amazon and I read good reviews so I decided to give it a try. Now is over two months of use.. actually of not use since I never... never I want to watch a movie out of this garbage. I have tried using it with XBMC as it is the… Read more

only thing worth doing with this machine. I don't know if it is the processor or the amount of physical Ram but very often watching a program, show or movie in the middle of it it just restarts and of course will take well over 10 minutes to find again the program you were watching and to fast farward (bloody slow and glitching process) to were you were left before. Often it freezes and you need to roughly unplug the power cord just to restart it as it will not allow you to do anything at all. Scrolling the pages and menus is a challenge for this too cheap (component wise) little machine. Searching for tv programs also takes several minutes while you wonder if it froze again and you should hard reset it instead of waiting. I definitely wish I spent my money on a different product with better processor, more and better rams like there are many around at lower cost. The thing that I seriously hate also is the pathetic remote control. Geez takes ages to just write the name of a program you want to find. You make mistake on a single letter and it will not produce any results closer to what you wanted to find and you have to rewrite all the word correctly letter by letter (a really lengthy process due to lack of letters in the remote control) without allowing you to just correct the mistake of a single letter. So stressful. Of course I had to purchase a bluetooth keybord to be able to trash the useless remote control with more money down the drain. Very disappointed and now this bad made piece of hardware is just just sitting inside my cabinet collecting dust. I have been a big fan of all Apple product and owned and owning Ipads and Iphones I thought this Apple TV would be of the same caliber but it is definitely not. It was a complete waste of money in my opinion. Please look to all the options available before you make up your mind in buying any apple TV products. Other brands make things to do several processes at once and to use different platforms and files. Apple it is made only to to use and watch their products and contents (which is really restrictive) so they dont need to use better components like others brands. I would shop somewhere else for this type of product.

Mixed thoughts – The good points: * easy to set up and use * integrates well with apple mobile devices * have setup a number of these for relatives all have been trouble free * quite, small and unobtrusive * doesn't draw much power. The bad points: * updating device over wifi allways fails and can be painful to put right * updating device over ethernet… Read more

sometimes causes all settings to be lost

* integration to streaming services such as netflix and hulu is generally poorer than gaming consoles such as PS or XBox

* not a fan of the remote. Not having volume control from remote is an oversight and having very few buttons makes some things harder to do than they whould be.

Has changed our lives – This little gadget has changed our lives. We now watch YouTube and itunes Movies when we like. Turned our lovely Sony Bravia into a smart TV for $100. Now we understand why our local movie rental guy sold up, he saw the future coming in this little device and those like it.

Terrible for downloading and watching movies – I initally liked the device. Nothing groundbreaking and no where near as good as my TIVO. The great thing about it is being able to watch you tube videos- apart from that.....hmmmm I have hired several movies thru Apple tv. EVERYTIME without fail, there are issues watching the movie ie movie doesn't appear as being rented and cannot be found,… Read more

recognised nor watched. On occasion is magically appears after a lengthy and frustrating troubleshooting attempt. This is very poor Apple and I don't expect such poor user friendly hardware from your company. This morning as I type I have rented RIO2 which my children were very excited to watch. The system recognises I have rented it but won't allow me to watch it- this is a killer for your reputation. Last night I rented another movie. Firstly it took approx 2 hours of troubleshooting to get it working. As it was so late by time we eventually got it working, we only watched half with the plan to view remainder today- it has completely disappeared???? Not good enough Apple. Poor build. You have been forewarned.

Good entertainment device. Love AirPlay – Apple TV is a great device to have for multimedia content. The remove control is easy to use, except when you have to enter text letter by letter to search for YouTube content. The iPhone remote app is good, but doesn't always work with the Apple TV. The best feature is the ability to support AirPlay, transferring images from your iDevice to your… Read more

TV. Would be nice to be able to record free to air TV to the device though AirPlay Typing out words with standard remote, no free to air TV recording.

Good until you update – I am a big apple fan but apple tv has ended that, I am on my second unit as the first ATV version 1 updated itself and could not fire back up, so I thought it is getting on so I bought the 2nd generation, that worked fine again until it auto updated and will not find iTunes anymore, so I plugged it directly in to my PC and returned it to factory… Read more

settings, still no good, then I read all the forums on iTunes and it seems this is common.

The time spent updating, and pulling your hair out all while the family is waiting patiently just to watch a movie on a sat night?.

Apple are loosing their mojo :-( When it works it's good Don't let it update or you will be sorry

A bit of a let down! – We got the Apple TV as a Christmas gift, and were initially very excited. Unfortunately our Samsung HDTV does not support the HDMI port, which meant we needed to buy a HDMI to AV Converter from Jaycar which cost as much as the Apple TV itself. The movies available on iTunes are not cheap, you are better off going back to the DVD store... even with… Read more

the late fees! As a result from our poor experience we really haven't used the Apple TV as much as we had hoped. I'm glad to hear that some of the other reviewers have had better luck with this product, perhaps my expectations were too high. I also found the remote frustrating, it seems very pragmatic in its use especially when searching for a clip on youtube. There is also no Safari, so no internet browsing... it feels very primitive, but it does have plenty of potential, maybe wait for the 5th generation! Able to use Youtube, iTunes etc. Expensive, limited applications. Typing letters to search on youtube etc is a slow tedious process.

Poor movie selection – Just bought Apple TV. Technology is wonderful. Bur they're really "having a lend" on movies. Tried to rent 2 movies (Black Swan, Avatar) both released in 2009 but not available yet to rent (only to buy @ $25). Bet they are in USA. Also, poor selection of Aussie movies, but should have expected this. Sadly, not a replacement for Technology Poor movie selection

Don't waste your money – The concept is good, I like all the functions and the convienience of having movies at a touch of a button. But the constant loading every 5 minutes throughout the movie is so frustrating that all positives go out the window! I wouldn't bother wasting your money as a DVD is much more enjoyable!

Love it! Never out of movies to watch! – My husband wanted this as I had no idea what it was. Got it home was easy to set up and figure out. We haven't been to a DVD store since. Love not having late fees! Has a huge selection of movies, if you don't watch the movie straightaway you have up to 28 days to watch it and once you have watched it you can view it many times until time runs… Read more

out which is 48 hours.

Depending on the type of movie they range in price (pretty much the same as a DVD rental) We run YouTube from our other apple products which go to the tv so we all can watch which is another good thing.

Hope this helps. In expensive, small, Everything!

Simple addition to the Apple home entertainment setup – Bought this to be able to use airplay from iPad 2 and stream photos from the laptop. Setup is simple though wouldn't show YouTube or vimeo until I did a software update. Wireless let's me take it to any TV in the house. Only real annoyance is entering details using the included remote and the remote messing with the laptop. remote app works with… Read more

the appletv small, simple, elegant, easy to use, wireless streaming, airplay poor input using simple remote

Apple TV – I have just started using the apple TV and have found it to be awesome. As a novice with technology it was easy to connect follwoing the instruction guide. I enjoy the features being airplay, access to my itunes library and streaming media from my iphone and Ipad. It will also stream my pc but havent' figure that out. Easy to install and get… Read more

access from my wireless internet. Airplay capabilities. Easy connection with my wirelsss devices - iphone and ipad Costs of purchasing or renting movies from itunes

New apple tv – Great product. Hooks up to my amp. Can stream music and videos from my iTunes. There is a new operating system I am waiting for that will put the laptop to the tv wirelessly. Like streaming the screen. Been watching lots of tv shows and movies. Had to upgrade my Internet allowance. The movie quality is good and does not need to buffer. Need to pay for anything with iTunes. Put your movies into iTunes. Will save you paying.

Excellent – This gadget has to be up there with the 'wheel' and 'sliced bread'. Awesome little unit and worth twice the price. I have mine connected to TV at the opposite end of my home, to where the computer and modem live and it works well. I admit that I have had to place the Apple TV box high up to pick up the signal, but that is understandable… Read more ·  1

considering the distance. I am also only using a 'G' WIFI router and I am told that an 'N' router has a stronger signal. I have connected the optical out to my Amplifier which is straight forward to set up and now have access not only to Movies, but my entire music collection. All of this presented beautifully, with artwork, through the TV. Don't know how the world went round before this was invented. Great price, especially when you consider that it is a one off purchase, as opposed to the ongoing monthly cost of Cable or Satalite TV. Easy to install and very well presented screens and Menus. iTunes. Apple TV is reliant upon that virus better known as iTunes. Audio and Video files that are not purchased through Apple's over priced store, have to be converted to play in iTunes. No FLAC, no AVI or MKV files. All so that Apple can force the public into paying their solid state prices for soft state media. In defiance of Apple though, I use 'Handbrake' software and convert my Videos to play in iTunes and there are plenty of Audio converting programs to create Apple Lossless (M4a) files.

Good – I have had good experiences with this product and love being able to store all my items on one device. It is an experience product but if you use Mac devices that you will love being able to link this in with everything else, computer phone, etc. This apple TV unit is easy to use, it has great graphics and sound, the HDMI output, connects to any… Read more

iTunes wirelessly and you are able to watch you tube videos. The main unit heats up easy and the unit can get quite hot, this happens even when it is in standby mode. The cost of the unit is quite expensive for what it is. It also needs a strong wifi signal to be able to stream.

Excellent – I was so sceptical when hubby bought this thing home - I thought it was a waste of money, but I have been converted. We have over 700 DVDs in our library, so when the kids want to watch a movie, finding the one they want can take forever. I have uploaded their favourites to Apple TV so that there's no more changing DVDs or straining the eyes… Read more

whilst searching for that elusive movie in the library.... It's great. It's easy to access all your movies and footage. You can purchase, download and watch movies and music as well as "anything" you've downloaded from the internet. The library and menus are easy to navigate. Stores a massive amount of movies and music. The worst thing about it is sometimes I go to watch a movie, sit down and get settled, then realise that iTunes isn't on and have to get up off my cheeks to turn it on! The other con is that it has made our DVD player almost obsolete.

Good – The AppleTV is a pretty cool device. You can play all of you movie, tv shows and mp3s from this device (requires TV). You can also control it remotely via an iPhone or iPod touch, or via iTunes using the Airtunes function. It also allows you to browse YouTube and watch it on your TV. Unfortunately, you are not able to watch your generaly media… Read more

rips without converting them to an iTunes supported format. Either that, or you can download XBMC to gain greater functionality like watching your own collection of DVDs, media files andaudio files.

In order to watch Full HD (1080p) movies, you need to perform hardware modifications as well as installing XBMC. Otherwise, if you want to pair this with a full HD tv or projector, you are better off buying something else. *Plays all your iTunes media from one simple box*HD capable (at low bit-rates)*Stylish and Small *Can't play movies that are not in the Apple propriatory formats*Requires software modifications to get the most out of it

Good – Well can't say I haven't used this little puppy when there is nothing on Pay TV, Free Tv or cinema in the week. Would like to see Apple improve their software otherwise they might get over taken by the new comers eg Boxee. -Don't have to leave the couch to rent or buy movies or music.-Organizes all your media.-Links with itunes on other… Read more

Platforms.-Great Blockbuster trailers.-Excellent Orientation of Media. -Won't play on my HDMI projector, not enough juice:(-Downloads can be slow especially when Downloading HD titles.-Software could be enhanced to play more types of media files.

OK – Apple TV is a good reliable products. Good features and functionality but still limited to using Apple products and services. I still think that it is value for money and I'm pretty happy with my Apple TV. Easy to set up and use. However, movies are quite expensive to rent and buy. I don't think the price is reasonable. I am not super impress but… Read more

not unhappy about it. Value for money. Excellent product for those with home wi-fi, and iTune. Excellent storage. Limited to apple products and services. Have to purchase movies or watch movie and listen to music through iTune.

If you have an I pad you need this – The apple tv is the necessary companion to the I pad. You can use it to play your music, videos, photos etc wirelessly onto your tv and through your home entertainment system. One of the features I really enjoy is taking the iPad outside and playing wireless radio throughout the house while the family is swimming, relaxing outside with family/… Read more

friends or gardening. I can then control everything without having to go back in the house. Wireless control of music while outside

Fox and paid TV, move over – So easy to set up made with over sixties in mind a large range of options catering for many ideas and thoughts clever and non obtrusive box, fits in with any environment, I should have listened to my wife and purchased the Apple TV sooner. "Absolutely brilliant technology from Apple of course". The ease of using the remote control.

Needs internet connection!?! – Apple TV is simple and easy to use and easy to set up. It does what you would expect of it but it is not seamless nor is it the best it could be. Recentlly, after 3 months of use, the Apple TV loses connection to the network and seemingly random times. Have to then disconnect and reconnect to home sharing every time this happens. This gets… Read more

frustrating as it happens 2 to 3 times in 2 hours.

My bug bear with this tech is not that it is Apple proprietary (only works with Apple stuff) but that it requires an internet connection! This is ridiculous! I should just be able to set up a home network and turn on home sharing with my previously paired (authorised) devices BUT computer says NO! Way to spoil it Apple!!! This stinks on many levels as it means that if my internet is down my Apple TV is useless. What its the point?

Why is this device reliant on internet connection Mr and Mrs Apple? Relatively cheap, sexy and small. Reliability and mandatory internet connection limitations.

Good – Works really well after initial teething problems working out home sharing from our laptop. Wouldn't accept our ID. Great now though after having to get on to Apple support and paying for extended warranty and support:P Great to be able to download all this stuff legally that would cost a lot more to hire or is not yet available here. Instructions are difficult to set up unless you are a tech head.

Awesome - we use ours regually – As a mac home PC user it just works perfectly for me. Great for all the kids movies we have as we no longer need to worry about them mistreating DVD's and them ending up unplayable do to scratches etc.. I no longer need DVD's and my movie collection (along with my music collection) is now going digital Great for streaming music to my home… Read more

entertainment stereo so I can get some decent volume!!! I love how it just picks up what ever I have in itunes and can play it with no fuss Occasionally will just come up with a green screen on startup - reset the power and all is good again. Playing rented movies can bring up a HDCP issue (HDMI handshake issue) which can be a muck around to get working. Itunes doesn't work with .avi files so any video files have to be converted to .mp4 first

Fun !!!!! Very handy! – Very handy device so you don't have to go to the video store but access all movies from your couch :) You can also view trailers for new movies in theaters ! Easy Install and handy Depends on your internet speed so make sure you have at least 200 GB for movies. Otherwise downloads can be very slow and stop half way through.

Simply the Best Home Media – I was given a Go Flex TV as a present. After a week of a malfunctioning Menu and data duplication I had well and truly had enough of the GoFlex. The first contact with Go Flex for technical advice was an email from U.S.A saying see the manual. The Apple TV is brilliant. Very small and unobtrusive. The remote control can capture the media drive… Read more

from a large angle unlike Go Flex which you have to line up precisely. The Apple allows immediate access to I Tunes which it will then automatically place a copy in your computor personal library. Menu funtions superb and all in High Definition. Everything you might need from Apple I-Store is easily transferred to your computer. Of course your own music,video etc is there to be used just as easy. No installation disc needed for setting up.

OK – I think this device is suited to a very specific buyer so just make sure this is actually what you want. I would much prefer this device if it had more features (maybe if it had some tivo features as well). It's great if you have a lot of stuff that is saved on a computer. There have been a few minor issues where the apple tv freezes and has to be… Read more

rebooted which can be a bit annoying. easy to use, looks good and is very compact. Don't use a dvd player at all anymore. The remote is tiny and easily lost.

Excellent – I got my apple tv yesterday, plugged in, entered a few passwords and it was ready to go. Today just powered up my computer and it was ready to go again. No need to re-enter access passwords. Can let screen on computer go to sleep but not computer itself. I have an older conia plasma tv with hdmi input and picture from movies is fine. I… Read more

recommend this especially if u are sick of watching downloaded content on a computer screen. Which is my main reason for getting apple tv. There has been negativity about its lack of a hard drive but I find it easier to just steam content straight from my laptop, rather than putting onto a usb and the transferring over. I love it. I spent the afternoon watching movies from my itunes account. Easy to negotiate. It even plays tv shows copied into itunes from dvd. Watching youtube, podcasts & flickr and listening to radio is easy and smooth. Only dislike so far is not an apple problem but an australian one. Inability to access netflix or an australian equivalent.