Apple TV (40GB)

The basics

Apple TV (40GB) is a screenless iPod. It can play back videos and a wireless accessory to for iTunes-Enabled PCs or Mac. It is considered the 21st century DVD player. It's 195mm square, 28mm tall tiny gadget that gives you superb interface. It can play from the computer's videos, music and photos through most home receivers.

The good

Apple should make everything. The day we can wake up to an Apple alarm clock, eat breakfast from an Apple toaster and drive an Apple electric car to work (at Apple) can’t come too soon. While the Apple TV isn’t yet an Ives-designed flatscreen, it is the next best thing – a smart, simple media server that syncs (transfers) songs and videos from iTunes computers via a blisteringly fast draft-N Wi-Fi link. The gorgeously minimal Apple menus and Apple remote keep operation straightforward, even when streaming TV shows and movies straight from the iTunes store. You can view media from Flickr and YouTube, and even hack the box (fairly) easily to run the impressive Boxee software.

The bad

Apple doesn’t play well with others. Apple TV can’t show DivX, XviD or WMV files natively, although the Boxee upgrade takes care of that. Apple’s definition of HD also leaves something to be desired – the 720p files might match most upscaled DVDs but they’re nothing like Full HD Blu-rays, despite costing about the same to rent (and, soon, buy). Only 33GB of the 40GB hard drive is accessible, so consider spending another £65 on the 160GB version.

The bottom line

Subtle, sexy and slim, Apple TV is almost everything a telly-loving Mac-head could wish for. Only its file format fussiness, average HD quality and high price (without even a HDMI cable to show for it) might disrupt Steve Jobs’ plans for world domination.