The Apple TV
While not the first digital media adaptor, Apple TV, like the iPod before it, has redefined it’s product category. How simple is it? Apple TV has no external buttons, and it’s thumb-sized remote has only iPod like controls. After a nearly idiot-proof setup, you’re rewarded with full access to your iTunes-based content and all of your digital photos. Choose from more than 500 movies, 350 TV Shows, 5,000 music videos, 100,000 podcasts, and 5 million songs. The latest addition is YouTube; viewers can easily browse and stream free videos from everybody’s favorite time-killing site.
You can either store all of your content on Apple TV’s hard drive or stream it to our TV via 802.11a/b/g/n or wired Ethernet connection. A single HDMI cable is all you need to connect this beautiful piece of hardware to your HDTV. For now, iTunes sells mostly standard-definition content, but Apple assures us that mainstream HD content will soon be available.
$299 (40GB), $399 (120GB) ; www.apple.com