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Apple TV (MD199)
by MrPixl8
I'm an Apple junkie, I will admit that. It's something which I don't always like admitting as it generally costs me an obscene amount of money to feed this addiction every year, but enough about my disgusting habit and lets talk about this cool little piece of tech.
So for those of you who don't know what an Apple TV is, ... basically it is a small black box which connects to your television via HDMI. After this connection is made the device connects to iTunes for example, allowing you to access Apple's vast library of movies and music etc. Now for a teenager like myself who finds themselves frequently downloading movies instead of purchasing a physical copy, something like this is essential. Let's face it, no one wants to watch a movie on a laptop and this device can solve that problem. Before I go into the details I will tell you about the appearance and build quality of this piece of tech, first of all I would like to say that this thing is tiny! It is very easy to blend this small black box with the rest of your media centre, and to be honest I don't even notice it is on my TV stand. The top of the case uses a matte finish which is useful as this prevents the device from getting smudged too much, the rim of the device is shiny but not to the point of being annoying and I doubt this will smudge as you probably won't be picking it up much. Overall I would say that the device doesn't feel cheap at all and once again follows Apple's trend in quality. The Apple TV also comes with a snazzy looking little remote which feels very well made, it appears to be made from metal and has an air of quality about it. The buttons on the remote include a play/pause button as well as navigational buttons and a menu button. The remote is very well made and the buttons are very responsive and also let out a satisfying click when you press them (yes I'm a little bit weird). The only annoyance with this remote is that it can also be used on any Apple laptops you might have, so be careful when pressing the buttons on the remote around other devices as ACDC might start blaring out while you're catching up on Downton Abbey.
Lets talk about features! That's what is most important right? Well you'll be pleased to know that Apple has delivered a nice, clean and sexy interface once again. At no point have I experienced trouble with the interface, I have yet to experience any lag regarding navigation and it has been smooth throughout my use of it. The screen is split into squares which contain all of the features hidden within this small little box ranging from Netflix to YouTube, almost everything you could possibly want to use on your TV. It is also possible to check Flickr for your favourite photo's and Apple have even included their trailers app so you can see what you want to watch in the future. Now here's where things get interesting, the Apple TV also allows you to take advantage of their 'Home sharing' service which allows you to stream any media you might have on your iTunes from other devices. This is helpful if you have something on iTunes which you did not actually buy from Apple, perhaps a holiday video or a short film you created yourself. This feature was mostly smooth, but always make sure the device you are streaming from is switched on with an active WIFI connection (sometimes we forget simple things like that). Of course this isn't the only way to access your purchases, the interface is split into 'Music', 'Films' and 'TV shows' which when linked with your Apple ID allow you to stream all of your media through the internet. This was also extremely smooth in my experience, never have I witnessed any slow down during a viewing or even any small loss in quality. You truly do get HD quality streaming with this device. This particular model allows the streaming of 1080P video (something which was missing from the other models, and part of the reason I purchased this on in the first place) and honestly it is very successful at doing this. I have successfully watched entire series of 'Breaking Bad' in 1080P with this device without any problems.
I suppose I should also talk about something which will be beneficial to people who love catch up TV, Apple TV comes included with BBC iPlayer which is a massive thumbs up for people who are always playing catch up with their favourite shows. The Apple TV also comes with some features dedicated to (American) sports which may not really be useful to users anywhere else, including myself. The iPlayer appears to suffer from the problems it has on it's own dedicated player on the internet, it feels laggy and the quality is quite terrible. But I suppose if you have to see an episode, then you'll put up with this.
Ultimately I would certainly recommend this to anyone who wants to watch their iTunes purchases on their main TV, the experience is improved greatly when you aren't hunched over the small screen of your laptop or iPhone making this a must have for anyone who makes purchases digitally. Trust me, you'll be needing this when physical copies become extinct!
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Apple TV MC572B/A
by DanB7290
I'd heard friends raving about the Apple TV. So one day, with a bit of spare cash burning a hole in my pocket, I decided I'd try one out. Before doing so, I watched the girl from the Apple shop do her demonstration, and within 5 minutes I had one bagged up and was on my way home with it.
It is fantastically simple. It's a ... small black box that sits below your TV, connects to it via HDMI, and streams content via wifi from iTunes. With the latest software, you can stream any films or TV shows you have purchased from iTunes over the internet, and display them in 720p HD on your TV. It is also possible to buy or rent new shows from the iTunes store directly on the Apple TV itself. One word of advice here; be sure to have a good internet connection. Anything less than 8mb/s and you'll be looking at juddery, low quality videos.
But what else can it do? You can link it up to a Netflix account if you have one, it'll display YouTube videos, with the quality upped, on your TV, and so much more, this is a product you really need to check out for yourself. A few of the apps on there are USA only, which is a shame, but not a dealbreaker.
By far the most impressive feature is it's integration with other Apple products. I have a MacBook Pro running Mountain Lion, and through the Apple TV I can mirror it's display on my TV screen, and if I'm watching something live, or a longer video streaming over the web, it's perfect. For example, watching the Red Bull Stratos jump live, in 720p, was pretty amazing on it. It'll also mirror the display of an iPad 2 or later (including the upcoming iPad Mini), the latest (Oct 2012) iPod Touch, and the iPhone 4S or later. Even if you don't have one of these products, it still has some functionality with Apple TV. For example, I have a 1st Gen iPad, and any videos can be displayed on the Apple TV instead of the iPad; it just comes up with a picture of a TV on the iPad, and the message "showing on Apple TV". This is the same for playing videos in iTunes on your PC or Mac, just hit the icon and click Apple TV. Also anything with iOS 5 or later (haven't tried it with iOS 4) will let you play your music via Apple TV, so your iDevice acts like a remote.
Speaking of remotes, the one that comes with the Apple TV is remarkably simple, and yet feels so good in your hand, it's definitely a premium product and not to be confused with the pound shop bargains. Be wary though, if you have a Mac, it'll control your Mac and Apple TV simultaneously, so make sure you turn off that functionality of your Mac.
If you pay for iTunes Match, it'll do something even better. Anything in your iTunes library on your PC or Mac, even if it wasn't bought from iTunes itself, will be available to watch on your Apple TV (and all your other Apple Products for that matter). However, this is expensive, but there is a solution. Turn on "Home Sharing" on the iTunes menu on your PC or Mac, and as long as the Apple TV is on the same wifi network as your PC or Mac, which has to be switched on, anything on your iTunes library will be available to select and watch on your Apple TV, including music. This means you could write up that report while having a movie on in the background.
All in all, this is an amazing piece of kit, and one I thoroughly recommend for anyone using iTunes. And at £99, it's an absolute steal. The only caveat I would mention is that it doesn't take too kindly to slow internet connections
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Creative BT-D1 Bluetooth Transmitter
by spirit19
This Creative USB Bluetooth transmitter is primarily meant to increase the efficiency of Creative products however it works with all other Bluetooth enabled products too.
This is a small-ish product, it sticks out about 1.5 centimeters, so I have seen smaller Bluetooth transmitters but this is not the biggest by a long shot. ... Although at the price (around £15) I really would expect a more compact package, though this alone isn't a deal breaker. Its got a sturdy build quality so it can take a fair few knocks which are bound to happen when it is sticking out the side of a laptop.
This is a simple plug and use product. There are a few drivers to install, but those are all done automatically and in under a minute. All you have to do once it is plugged in and ready to use is set both the transmitter and your Bluetooth enabled device on pairing/search mode.
The method of putting your Bluetooth device on pairing mode will vary by product, but to put the transmitter on search mode, you have to press a button situated at the head of the product for 4 seconds until it starts flashing its blue light rapidly. Once you have connected your device to it, the blue light will stop flashing rapidly and instead flash only once every 2 seconds.
The transmitter has Apt-X technology built in which means that if your device is Apt-X ready (many new devices are) then the Bluetooth connection will be as secure and reliable as any wired connection meaning you will get crystal clear sounds or images. I used it only for audio and the sound was amazing, I couldn't tell the difference between the Bluetooth connection and a wired connection (I tested my speakers with both).
This device is simple on the first use and continues to be an easy to use product until you want to connect a different device via Bluetooth. I initially used it with my speakers and they worked instantly and flawlessly. However later on, I wanted to use my Bluetooth headphones instead, so I figured it would just be a matter of putting it onto pairing mode again along with the headphones and they should connect, however it wasn't so; they were both in pairing mode but never connected. I tried repeatedly, but for some reason it seems to have a memory of the product you connect it to and it can't connect to anything else. In the end I had to go to my laptops Bluetooth device settings and remove my speakers from the list of devices to get my headphones connected. As a result of this I made sure my latest laptop purchase had Bluetooth built in so I could avoid these troubles.
I got this free with the speakers I bought from Creative so no harm done really, but they retail at about £15 so for anyone wanting a separate Bluetooth transmitter, this is probably not the way to go. If you are desperate for a flawless connection and definitely on have one Bluetooth device you would use with it, then this could be one to consider especially for audio, but if you have more than one probably look elsewhere.
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