Apple APPLE TV 2010 MC572LL A Apple TV

Where does the AppleTV sit? Anywhere you want it to

Apple has always produced devices that change the way we interact with our electronic devices, and the Apple TV is no exception. But first, let's talk about the elephant in the room. The Apple TV has gone through some changes. First, it's gotten a little smaller. And by a little, we mean a lot — it's small enough now that it can fit in the palm of your hand. Of course, better than the palm of your hand, it can fit easily into even the stingiest of home theatre spaces, being only 3.9" on any one side and being less than an inch tall. It's also got HDMI on it, so you can enjoy high definition movies and television on your HDTV. Plus, if you've got a wireless internet network in your home, then that HDMI cable, and the power cord, are going to be the only wires coming from it. So how does this ultra-small device with HD capabilities and very few wires change the way you interact with your HDTV? Read on.

Streaming

You might have heard about something called iTunes from Apple. You remember, it allows you to purchase music and store it on your iPod or iPhone? Did you know that you can also rent movies and television shows through it as well? It's true. Once you've gotten your Apple TV connected to your home Internet network, you can access iTunes and, with the click of a button, rent movies and television shows to be played from your Apple TV on your HDTV. Sure, you could watch them on your computer monitor, but most computer monitors aren't large screen flat panel televisions near your most comfortable seat. With HD movies starting at $4.99, and television show episodes starting at $0.99, there's no reason you should ever find yourself without something to watch. Plus, you have up to 30 days after you rent them to start watching, and once you start, you have 24 hours for movies, and 48 hours for TV, to watch, re-watch, or re-start, just in case one of life's little obstacles stop you from watching right away.

Streaming

Your computer is a great place for a lot of things: looking things up; doing your taxes; buying electronics. But watching movies, or showing off photos on its monitor, and listening to music on the speakers, are probably not high on that list. For those types of things, you may want to utilize something a little bigger, like your home theater system. The Apple TV can act as your streaming hub, taking movies, music, and photos loaded into iTunes, and putting them on your big screen or through your home speaker system. Not only is it going to be a better way to watch and listen: you've got a way more comfortable seat.

. . . and more streaming

Of course, iTunes isn't the only place you can get content. Apple TV gives you access to Netflix, so with a streaming account, you can get access to over 17,000 movies and television shows from your instant queue sent directly to your television. You can also stream video from YouTube, so all the user-generated videos you could want are at your fingertips. Beyond video, you can view photos through Flickr and MobileMe galleries.

Enviro-tainment

The size of the Apple TV isn't the only way its footprint is small. Ecologically speaking, we're dealing with a device that barely leaves any tracks. When it's on, it uses only its six watt built-in power supply, and when you're not using it, it consumes less power than a nightlight. And, because it uses so little power, it doesn't need an oscillating device to move air and keep it cool, so the Apple TV remains quiet while running. Who wouldn't be a fan of that?

Made for each other

Unless you've been stuck in some Podunk town for the last decade, you've probably heard of a few devices that Apple has released: the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. More than just for on-the-go, you can also turn these devices into control devices for your Apple TV. Use the easy touch screen capability and familiar interface to scroll through movie and TV rentals, browse the Netflix library, and even browse your own media. Once you've found what you want, you can play, pause, fast forward, and rewind to your hearts content. Plus, with Airplay functionality (coming soon), you can start watching, listening, or viewing on your mobile device, and with just the tap of a few buttons, transfer the content to your AppleTV and stream it from the iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch without losing your place.