Home Theaters

The impossible occurred during a recent trip to the neighborhood Apple Store. Having given up on television programming some years ago, I figured there was no turning back. As a work from home father of three, tuning in to my favorite shows when they air is difficult at best. Tivo and DVR gave a brief respite and are nice products for serious television watchers, but neither wielded the complete power over media and programming I needed and I don’t watch enough to justify the recurring fees. Enter the Houdini of home entertainment, Apple TV.

Within moments of the clerk’s demo, I was in awe much like the first time using a remote control. What the iPod did for music, Apple TV is going to do for your television set. Combining futuristic form and flawless function, Apple TV allows the user to download ANY movie, television show, song or podcast available on iTunes and watch it on their wide screen television when they want.

With the click of a button, you can change from the latest episode of Prison Break to The Great Easter Egg Hunt, then seemlessly change over to your collection of Tony Bennett duets. You can even show friends and family a slide show of your collection of the most embarrassing photos of your kids. In fact, the only restrictions are your imagination and the need to watch on a high-definition wide screen television (which, sadly for now, will keep me from being able to enjoy Apple TV in my own home).

Watching television will never be the same. The ability to choose what you watch, when you watch and how many times you can watch it in addition to having your personal music and photo libraries is the Holy Grail for home entertainment enthusiasts. While there are a few products on the market with similar capabilities, I have yet to see one match Apple TV in style, combined features and price. Having your computer’s media library available on your television is a dream come true for a media miser like myself, and just may be enough to push me into the high-definition wide screen television market. Head to your local Apple retail store for further investigation. I’m sure you will be impressed.

For being cool enough to make me want to buy a new big screen television, but not cool enough to actually do so, Apple TV gets one green envy button.

Apple TV, Apple, television, PC, video, multimedia