Minotaur is completly right,
its the attitude of "she looks good, she must be good"
....hey look, shiny thing! etc

Apple didnt invent the TV, or the phone, or mp3's, not even the mouse(despite what you might have heard).

Apple are in a competing market, if your product is good you make sales, people will make and pass opinions, eg
iphone3gs is an excellent product, market leader 10 outta 10.

itunes is a bloated POS(90MBs install and 6/7 different processes to play 1 fuckenn MP3?-not to mention the RAM footprint3/400MBs?)

However, when you get a response like
"Hey its the best thing for working with my itunes",
please understand the rest of sigh, because there are lots of ways to operate external HDDs, the most common for the masses is copy/pasta.

How you would sync to 160GB anyway?, sounds like you are content starved to sync to 160GB, again no huge HD movies to take up 10GBs each.

The Apple TV is overpriced: everyone agrees.
The Apple TV underperforms: everyone agrees.
The Apple TV is just another content lock-in box:the iTards havent realised that bit
But hey it looks good.
Like I said iTards, go buy one, make sure to show your friends,
Even better, walk into the pub at the weekend with a big smile on your face, everyone will say"hey polo shirt wearin cool dude, whats made you so happy".
You just look them in the eye and tell them...
"My tv just got a software update"

priceless

I would just like to say that I am an Apple TV owner who *generally* loves it as a product but I am just frustrated but what Apple won't let it do within it's limitations (mainly use of exernal drives for extra storage).

Just breifly on the point of HD, the real limitation is not really the 1080 vs 720 debate, as great pictures can be had with just 720 (consider for example that all plasma TVs of 42" or less can only be capable of 720 rather than 1080). The problem with Apple TV is the data-rate limit imposed due to it's 1Ghz processor.

This is the reason for the 24 fps/5mbps limit on HD content, and while it will cope with up to about 6mpbs, that's about it.

This is significantly down on what a decent quality 720p file will contain, especially if there's lots of fast action scenes, and because it's a limitation of the hardware, now amount of software fiddles will solve it.

I am confused as to what the alternatives are to the Apple TV. Surely it is about content? Can you build a PC as neat for £219? Or is there a box that can directly access iTunes or a store which offers the same diversity of content? I am not sure what is offered in the UK for PS360 but I get the impression it falls short of what iTunes offers. The Wii service in Japan is 480p.

I guess once more video is accelerated for Ion boosted Nettops there will be more competition. I am holding out for that at the moment.

@me "PS3 and 360 are around 30 million each while Wii is somewhere near 50 million.
Not really in the same league eh?"

Are you mentally retarded sir? They arn`t even competing in the same market.. They are infact not even the same product group.

@p0ln "well, if u iTards are gonna try and defend something then you are going to have to suffer the technical limitations of the box."

Speaking from experience you are full of shite. I doesnt matter if your precious mediaplayer has support for 5 million diffrent formats and has 10 diffrent interfaces. Considering most players use the sigma chip, and allmost have the same crappy software with the same bug infested problems. At present time there are only two good players
Qnap NMP-1000 and TVIX M-6500, and these still have to many bugs... Its actually better to buy a HTPC.

@bonded So its okay to present stories or cases as fact, but its neither? And its also okay to argue about these without having facts to support a claim? Do you realize how stupid that is?

Why come to this site (facts and friction) and then b*tch about slanted stories. The Inq is all about opinions. You want straight news then go read BBC or some other dry arse website. Either chill out and realise people can have OPINIONS or simply go away.

Why is it that the Inq is always so negative on Apple?
Why nog just stick to the facts and give a good story.
There is good and bad things that Apple do (like all companies).
Why this passive agressiveness the whole time from Nick?
Come on People!
Get the act together.
I'm not here to read about someones vendetta.
Give me a story.
Dont create one!

Nicely pointed out p0ln!

Also add to that fact, the competition is probably of much higher build quality as well. Since Apple uses Foxxcon to make almost all of there hardware including the iPhone. Foxxcon for the uninformed, is one of the largest manufacturers around that churns out low quality and unreliable electronical components.

High Definition, ROTFLMAO @ the Mac fan bois whom believe there blond bombshell is intelligent, purely because she looks hot like a cheerleader..

Apple is likely just keeping Apple TV around as an interface building experiment for the real effort they have going on: building a game console.

All of those ATI guys Apple hired are hard at work on it. It will be the big push for iTunes to get into the streaming HD movie space.

The only official sales figure for the AppleTV was 400k over a year ago. Since then apple has been silent, strange seeing how much they love to brag about sales figures.

PS3 and 360 are around 30 million each while Wii is somewhere near 50 million.

Not really in the same league eh?

right now only thing that seems to get tired is the misinformation and negatives in attacking the Apple TV.

Sales figures have been rising dramatically since its launch. They have atually sold alot of these little boxes, yes maybe not iphone numbers, but there is a reason why they are supporting and refining this system. Apple will need to be at the centre of a living room as well. They can't cede that to other systems and people who like itunes demand a good solution.

That Saidi believe Apple can improve Apple TV by:

1- opening up the platform, allowing third party content from: Netflix on Demand, Amazon on Demand, Blockbuster, Hulu and more

2- Add an App store which will allow people to do more with Apple TV, add some games to better compete with Wii and such.

3- maybe offer a higher end model that has Blu-Ray and a way to rip CD's so people can better rip their cd's.

4- Have bigger hard drives and up output to 1080p.

4-

well, if u iTards are gonna try and defend something then you are going to have to suffer the technical limitations of the box.
Every single competing unit that is available for anywhere near €200(apples is €269 in éire) has at least 7 times the capacity, has full 1080/30fps support,not to mention has more ports & connectivity(and no, they dont have a sticker of a perished fruit)

External HDDs need to support MKV files(to mention but one format) and numerous other file formats that exist.

At least it has composite hd connections, even if it cant display HD properly....(but hey, whats proper, Steve never said anything about proper HD)
So in short, the box is a piece of overpriced crap.
i phone 3gs is nice, 2hard to beat product, apple tv is just another famine for the masses

buy them iTards...make steve even more superrich, and I promise.... no1 will ever laugh....

Amazing, writing a whole article about apple adding finally hd to their apple tv and still making it look like is bad. This could be condensed in three lines, but what would be an article from the Enquire without burning the mac in the process?

It's quite obvious that the author and the detractors of the Apple TV have not used one, and are fairly ignorant of what the product does or is supposed to do, and the current specs.

The Apple does what it's supposed to do very well, that is, display iTunes and iPhoto content on your TV. If the number we sell is anything to go by, it is by no means a failure, and in fact, is selling above expectations.

Granted, there are cheaper products that, do some of the things the Apple TV does. However, there is no product that so easily syncs your iTunes content with your TV and allows control via a simple remote, or your iPhone or iPod touch so that you don't need to be a techno-wizard to use it.

If you don't need that functionality, don't buy the Apple TV, but please stop complaining about how expensive it is and that it is a failure.

Mr. Ed, of course, of course.

I looked at
http://www.apple.com/appletv/specs.html

and I see what you mean, Nick. this is abysmal. 720p HD, 160gb HDD. horrors.

I subscribe to DirecTV DVR OnDemand - guess I'll just stick with them, because that fruit themed kit ain't doing me more flavours, yet.

I anti-trust these studio distribution practises. It seems to me that they should be arsed to make their commercially available content, available from ALL sources.

Keep up the good work.

Of course he's on the Microsoft payroll. Everybody knows ferrets work for voles.

There's just no pleasing Nick Fail, Sell an operating system upgrade for 30 quid when MS are selling their cosmetic upgrade to Vista for considerably more, and Ferret will call you money-grubbing and greedy. Give software updates away for free and Ferret will claim that they're free because they're worthless.

The endless litany of patches and service packs that come out of Redmond are always free. Except for the WGA upgrades which cost you the ability to run your legit copies of Windows as you see fit.

And I'm not going to even start on the Newton and its relationship with the iPhone because it's obvious that Ferret is so busy grepping the news feeds for Apple, that he won't notice. Here's a quick clue, however. There is no relationship.

Apple TV IS an iFailure. It's a poor performing product who's competitors offer superior performance at a better price. The little iFanboi's just get upset because Nick has the guts to call it like it is. Unlike Apple's own website, Steve Jobs can't whitewash non-complimentary talk away here.

most people simply don't have the bandwidth to stream at that kind of speed. Other online video services like Netflix also limit themselves to 720P for the same reason. There's a huge improvement in image quality between SD and 720P, but a much smaller gap between 720P and 1080P so this choice is pragmatic.

When all is said and done the Apple TV is designed to play iTunes sourced video and audio on your TV set. You can encode and view media yourself providing you stick to the supported formats, but that's a byproduct. If you don't like iTunes (and it's pretty clear that Nick would rather have his eyes gouged out with a blunt spoon, and there are many people who would be happy to oblige) then don't buy it. If, on the other hand, you DO want to watch iTunes video on your TV then it's a fairly neat solution.

If it was not confirmed before this piece of garbage this reporting confirms Nick is on Microsoft payroll.

I just had a look at the specs:

no real detail as to what the apple tv has under the hood, but the website reckons it can handle HD (1280x720@24fps)
http://www.apple.com/appletv/specs.html

I've not used one, but there are certainly cheaper options out there. As for buying films and other media, i don't know if it's good or not.

These Apple fanboys are so completely ignorant of the other products that are out there.... They also think HD is what ever cock arse standard that Steve tells them it is.... I just love the way they share their ignorance so willingly

Ive only just realised it, but them bastards iTV stole a truely great apple brand name before Steve even got a chance to develop the market properly.

@dhebel & the other iTards
are you f***in serious?! you use your apple TV to watch TV, omg...truly ...amazed.

next youll be using your iPhone to make calls and you iPod to listen to music.
...seriously gais...
go and vomit your shite somewhere else

This article is complete garbage, Apple is on a roll with ALL of their products including Apple TV. What competitors are you referring to? Xbox ? Who wants to use a game console to watch movies...or Streaming Netflix? Yeah lets watch non high-def movies from the 80's that everyone has already seen. Apple TV is the best thing out there and I have converted all of my personal DVD's using Handbrake and instead of fumbling around for a physical DVD I now press a button and watch any of my movies instantly!

I've had an Apple TV for years and I love mine. Resolution is HD. I buy most of my TV & Movies via iTunes and Apple TV works seamlessly.

This article's negative tone doesn't make a lot of sense based on my experience.

I have had an AppleTV for over a year and love it. I dont understand why you have a complaint about resolution. HD resolution has always been available. I have also been able to listen to internet radio stations by saving them to playlists. With an iPhone I have also been able to control the AppleTV anywhere I receive the network signal. Great product, check it out.

So a vendor does the right thing and provides a free software upgrade, and you feel some need to spin this as a negative? You do realize that if you complain when vendors offer free upgrades for existing products, vendors will offer fewer free upgrades for existing products.

I am unclear that your need to make Apple a villain in any story is worth fewer free software upgrades for existing products for the rest of the world.