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Apple TV Starter Guide

Aug 27 2014 9:01PM EST | Source: MacLife.com

Thinking of getting an Apple TV? Good for you! It’s only $99 and you deserve it. My family and I have enjoyed using ours for years, and if the wife and kids had to choose, they’d probably ditch me before giving up the easy access to HBO GO, Netflix, and Disney Junior. (I don’t take it personally.) Setting up an Apple TV is dead easy, but I’ve whipped up this quick guide to make sure you get the most out of your little black box. Come meet the new star of your living room!

 

Say hello to your little friend.

APPLE TV IS a small (3.9"x3.9”), square box that uses an Internet connection to stream movies, music, and more to your TV. Content is accessed through a variety of channels that populate the Apple TV home screen like apps. As I said above, the device retails for $99, and can often be found cheaper depending on the deals Apple has going. Refurbished units sometimes pop up at Apple.com for $75, and past specials have paired new units with $25 iTunes cards. There have been a few revisions to the hardware over the years, so if you buy used, be sure to get a third-generation unit (which first hit the market on March 7, 2012), otherwise it won’t be capable of displaying video at full 1080p HD.

 

Retail chains sometimes charge ridiculous prices for HDMI cables, so if you can’t find a fair deal, order online from sites such as Amazon or Monoprice.

TO MAKE APPLE TV WORK, you need to connect it to the Internet. A wired Ethernet connection is generally more stable, but Wi-Fi works just fine as long as the Apple TV is getting a strong signal from your wireless router (you can check signal strength on the Apple TV at Settings > General > About). To connect the unit to your TV, you need a standard HDMI cable (sold separately for about $3-$7, depending on the length). If you want to hook up surround sound, you can use an Optical audio cable.

 

The included Apple TV remote looks slick, but it’s made for the tiny hands of Keebler Elves.

APPLE TV COMES WITH a remote that’s super simple to use, but is kind of flimsy to hold — it’s too thin and tiny to get a good grip on. It’s not a major issue, but you might be better off using the free Remote app that lets you control Apple TV with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. This is by far the best option for typing the names of movies or TV shows into, say, a Netflix search field, since it takes forever to seek out letters with the arrow keys of a regular remote. Apple TV also comes with a power cord, and that’s it — as I said before, you’ll need to buy an HDMI cable separately.

 

The Apple TV channel lineup grows and gets better every year. (Image taken from the official Apple TV page.)

APPLE TV CHANNELS contain a wide variety of content, everything from YouTube videos to live sports to HBO, and new ones are added every few months or so. The better ones usually require a paid subscription for access to anything more than a few sample shows, either with the content provider (such as Netflix and Hulu Plus) or a cable/dish company (such as Comcast or Direct TV). Here’s a full, up-to-date list of every available Apple TV channel in the US (lineups in other regions may vary): 

  • A&E
  • ABC News
  • ACC Digital Network
  • AOL On
  • Apple Events
  • Bloomberg TV
  • CNBC
  • Crackle
  • Crunchyroll
  • Flickr
  • FOX NOW
  • HBO GO (cable/dish subscription required)
  • HISTORY
  • Hulu Plus (subscription required)
  • iMovie Theater
  • iTunes Movies and TV Shows
  • iTunes Music
  • iTunes Radio
  • KORTV
  • Lifetime
  • MLB.TV Premium
  • MLS Live
  • NBA League Pass
  • Netflix (subscription required)
  • NFL Now (premium content requires a paid subscription)
  • NHL GameCenter
  • PBS
  • PBS KIDS
  • Podcasts
  • Qello TV
  • Red Bull TV
  • Settings
  • Showtime Anytime
  • Sky News
  • Smithsonian Channel
  • The Weather Channel
  • Trailers
  • VEVO
  • Vimeo
  • Wall Street Journal Live
  • WATCH ABC
  • WATCH Disney Channel
  • WATCH Disney Junior (some free content; cable/dish subscription required for full access)
  • WATCH Disney XD
  • WatchESPN (cable/dish subscription required)
  • Willow TV
  • WWE Network (subscription required)
  • Yahoo Screen
  • Your Photos and Videos
  • YouTube

 

Some apps, such as MetalStorm: Wingman, go the extra mile with creative AirPlay features.

APPLE TV CAN ALSO stream stuff from your Mac or iOS device — it can even mirror exactly what’s on your other screen. (Some apps don’t support this feature, though.) You can buy music, movies, and TV shows through various channels, and stream any iTunes content you’ve bought on other devices — anything purchased using the same Apple ID. iTunes Radio is also supported, and with My Photo Stream, you can pull your latest photos and videos down from the cloud to view on your TV. With so much functionality and interoperability with the rest of Apple’s ecosystem, adding an Apple TV really is a no-brainer.

 

Big things are on the way for Apple’s little black box.

A MAJOR UPGRADE is expected to come to Apple TV sometime in 2015, either through new firmware, new hardware, or both. According to various reports, Apple has been seeking deals with content providers to create a more robust device, one that could potentially serve as a strong cable alternative. Thus far, companies are said to have been cool on an Apple plan that could bring à la carte subscriptions to channels that have traditionally been cable-only. Apple will likely find a compromise to add value to its device while stopping short of changing the status quo; some rumors claim Apple could work alongside cable providers, possibly even using Apple TV in place of traditional cable boxes. It is also said to be highly likely that a new Apple TV App Store will turn the device into a de facto game console. Time will tell, but it seems clear that Apple TV will only get better.


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