Review: Apple TV MC572LL/A 2nd Gen (2G) Unboxing & Hookup

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Video Review

What’s In The Box

• Apple TV 2nd Generation
• Instruction Booklet & with nifty Apple logo sticker
• Apple Remote
• Power cable

Pros:

• Only two physical connections needed to operate (HDMI, power)
• New form factor runs cool and quiet.
• Remote App allows for total control of Home Sharing and Apple TV.
• YouTube, Flickr, MobileMe, Netflix integration.
• Advanced connectivity options via Optical Audio, Ethernet (10/100BASE-T), Wi-Fi 802.11b, g, or n

Cons:

• HDMI cable not included.
• $3.99 per HD movie, $.99 per HD TV show may be steep for some.

Conclusion

We’d always considered the original Apple TV to be a bit of an odd duck. “Another hard drive to manage and back up? What happens when I run out of room on my Apple TV? It has a hard drive but isn’t a DVR?” Apple must have read our minds (or done their market research) because the newly redesigned Apple TV 2nd Gen model eliminates storage concerns while adding features, and at a lower price point. If you use iTunes on your computer and have a home network your Apple TV can utilize your existing iTunes libraries via Home Sharing which is a breeze to setup and configure, so long as you’re running the latest version of iTunes so update your software! We predicted sellout when Apple announced this Apple TV during their keynote and it appears as of this writing that demand is very high. Who here remembers the awesome game demo during the Apple Keynote, you know, the medieval first person adventure game running the Unreal engine? The Apple TV runs the same A4 processor as the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4th Gen and we’ll make another wild speculative prediction for the Apple TV – games. We see games in the future for this device. Time will tell. In the meantime, our Netflix queue beckons!
Buy This Item: Apple TV – MC572LL/A NEWEST MODEL

Size and weight
Height:
0.9 inches (23 mm)
Width:
3.9 inches (98 mm)
Depth:
3.9 inches (98 mm)
Weight:
0.6 pounds1
In the box
* Apple TV
* Aluminum Apple Remote
* Power cable
* Documentation
Environmental Status Report
* BFR-free
* PVC-free (internal cables and components)
* Meets ENERGY STAR Version 2.0 requirements for set-top boxes
Processor
* Apple A4 processor
System requirements
* AirPort Extreme, Wi-Fi 802.11b, g, or n wireless network (wireless video streaming requires 802.11g or 802.11n) or 10/100BASE-T Ethernet network
* iTunes Store account for renting movies and TV shows
* Netflix account for streaming Netflix content
*
For streaming media from a Mac or PC:
iTunes 10 or later; iTunes Store account for Home Sharing
Ports and interfaces
* HDMI2
* Optical audio
* 10/100BASE-T Ethernet
* Built-in IR receiver
* Micro-USB (for service and support)
Environmental requirements
* Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
* Storage temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)
* Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing
* Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
Power
* Built-in 6-watt universal power supply
Wireless
* 802.11n Wi-Fi (a/b/g compatible)
* 2.4GHz and 5GHz
Video formats
* H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
* MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
* Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
Audio formats supported
* HE-AAC (V1), AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV; Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound pass-through
Photo formats
* JPEG, GIF, TIFF
TV compatibility
* Compatible with high-definition TVs with HDMI and capable of 720p 60/50Hz,2 including popular models from these manufacturers: Hitachi, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, NEC, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Samsung, Sony, Sharp, Toshiba, Vizio, Westinghouse
Accessories
* HDMI to HDMI Cable
* Digital Optical Audio Cable
* AppleCare Protection Plan
iTunes Movie and TV Show Rentals
Resolution Audio Price
HD Movie 1280 x 720 (maximum) Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound (not all titles) New releases – $4.99
Library titles – $3.99
SD Movie 720 x 480 anamorphic (maximum) Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound (not all titles) New releases – $3.99
Library titles – $2.99
HD TV Show 1280 x 720 (maximum) Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound (not all titles) $0.99
SD TV Show 720 x 480 anamorphic (maximum) Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound (not all titles) $0.99
1. Weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.
2. Requires HDCP when playing protected content.