I recently bought a 3rd generation Apple TV. At first glance, in 2018 this decision looks very strange. However, with the help of a set-top box that was discontinued in 2016, I solved a whole set of issues and spent pennies on it.

Now Apple TV replaces HDMI, to which I have recently become allergic, and makes it possible to listen Apple Music on your home audio system and watch videos from your MacBook on your TV screen, plus access to hundreds of TV channels.

Apple TV 3rd generation does not support tvOS- this is the set-top box on which you cannot install applications from the App Store.

It will coolly replace HDMI via AirPlay

This happened in March of this year. After a tragic event, after which I had to buy another Apple laptop to replace and spend a lot of money on repairs, I don’t use such cables at all.

After connecting an HDMI to USB-C cable to one of the four ports on the 13-inch MacBook Pro 2017, with the Touch Bar, smoke actually came out of it (like in special effects from cheap action films), I smelled burning and a feeling of hopelessness replaced me watching “The Adventures of Paddington 2”.

The laptop didn't die completely. One definitely didn't work for him. USB-C port, and the rest of the problems lay inside the “non-separable” case.

I waited 5 weeks for a replacement motherboard entirely under warranty, I was glad that the case was generally recognized as a defect, and decided to stop using HDMI if possible.

Apple TV 3rd generation turned out to be one of the cheapest but adequate options to get rid of wires and stream video to your TV or projector from your Mac via Wi-Fi.

To do this, just enable screen mirroring via AirPlay from the menu bar (if the corresponding icon is not here, go to “ System Settings» > “Monitors” and look for video replay options). It works reasonably well, you can make presentations to the public and show photos to friends.

This works similarly with iPhone and iPad. You need to select “Screen mirroring” in “Control Center” and decide on the Apple TV to which you want to broadcast all this.

Show the film on a big TV screen

Of course, all the movies you buy or rent through the iTunes Store work seamlessly on Apple TV 3. But many will also benefit from watching content from alternative sources - e.g. hard drive Mac.

This is my first personal Apple TV. Before this, I had to work with test samples or set-top boxes of colleagues and friends. Therefore, I naively believed that with the help of banal screen duplication via AirPlay, I would be able to watch my videos and offline films on big screen TV. I was wrong.

Normal Screen mirroring is not always suitable to watch movies on the TV screen via AirPlay.

Yes, video replay will help with viewing photos and presentations. However, when the transmitted image becomes multi-colored and dynamic, high-quality sound appears and that’s all, Wi-Fi channel may simply not be enough - especially if your router is not located directly under the console.

The solution will be direct connection Internet to Apple TV via Ethernet (there is such an option here). However, I did not plan to cover the entire apartment with wires and deliberately did not run a cable to the TV during the renovation. In 2018, no wired Internet. What to do?

You need an application that will transmit via AirPlay not a copy of the screen, but a specific video that will be buffered.

Bad option: 5KPlayer (free). At one time, this video player for Mac was a hit because it could transfer video and audio from iPhone and iPad to the Mac screen. The opportunity is useless in my eyes, but many people liked it.

But with the advent of this function in QuickTime Player, the need for 5KPlayer in this context has come to naught.

However, the player can work with Apple TV in the form we need - transmitting not a duplicate of the screen, but a video stream. This feature works without jerks or slowdowns, but it is limited only to Apple’s proprietary MP4, and this is a failure...

This may sound stupid, but I'm also confused by the player icon with greetings from the days of skeuomorphism, which it replaces all video files with if you set the application for them by default.

Great option: Soda Player (free) is another matter. This player can transfer video of absolutely any format to Apple TV without any problems.

In addition, it works with torrents without the need to download, supports SOCKS5 and can even stream video to Chromecast. The application works almost flawlessly, it has an excellent interface and a nice minimalistic blue icon.

It’s strange that we don’t have a full review of this miracle solution, and I will definitely correct this annoying misunderstanding.

The standard YouTube app works

Of course, any modern Smart TV has YouTube. On my new Tizen TVs from Samsung, the video service client is pre-installed. But sometimes I use panels without smart features, and the inexpensive Apple TV allows me to watch my favorite vlogs, reviews and news.

By and large, many today prefer not films or traditional television, but YouTube. Therefore, this opportunity on the big screen is more than relevant.

You can log in account and get a list of subscriptions, there is a normal search and even browsing history. These There are enough options for Apple TV 3rd generation.

It doesn't have Apple Music, but it can be solved

Unfortunately, you won't be able to use Apple Music on the 3rd generation Apple TV without additional devices, even if you want to. However, this did not turn out to be a problem for me.

Stream audio via AirPlay from iTunes or from a mobile device you can do it without any problems at all. To do this, just select Apple TV as the playback source, and the sound from your iPhone, iPad or Mac will immediately go to the built-in acoustics of the TV or the audio system connected to it.

On Apple TV, you can select the Now Playing menu. It shows the song title, time and album cover. You won't be able to control playback through the console itself. However, if you started music via iPhone, you can control it even from using Apple Watch.

Moreover, the scope for action doesn't end with Apple Music. You can also use any other music service that suits you.

And the set-top box will open hundreds of TV channels...

When I bought the 3rd generation Apple TV, I thought, first of all, to jailbreak the console and try to get the most out of it. However, I did not study this issue in advance and was faced with the impossibility of hacking it and installing any additional software.

By and large, even a number of scenarios for using AirPlay would have been enough for me (at least for the ridiculous price of this Apple TV), but access to additional content through DNS substitution came to the rescue.

With it, the built-in applications of the old Apple TV can be turned into limitless aggregators for television channels, films and series.

Pager TV - the most legal service(from those known to us), with the help of which to the old set-top box you can link an IPTV playlist with TV channels offered by any operator of your choice.

Using the service costs $1 per month. But a couple of weeks of testing are provided free of charge. How to set it up?

Step 1. Turn on Apple TV - not only the 3rd generation, but also the 2nd will do

Step 2. Open Settings

Step 3. Go to the "General" section

Step 4. Expand the Network menu

Step 5.. Under WiFi or Ethernet, find the DNS setting.

Step 6. Select "Manual" under " DNS Settings" and enter: 037.230.116.189 or 062.109.022.177

Step 7 Return to the "Basic" section and place the cursor on the "Send data to Apple" item

Step 8 Open the "Profiles" menu using the "Play" button on the remote control

Step 9 Select "Add Profile"

Step 10 Enter address pagertv.ru/atv and click "Add"

Step 11 Register for the Pager TV service from your computer or smartphone

Step 12 Go to the VIMEO app on Apple TV

Step 13 Log into your Pager TV personal account from your computer or smartphone

Step 14 Enter here the unique code that you see on the TV screen and click “Save changes”

Step 15 Now go to your playlist and add a link to an M3U playlist with channels, here is a test one for 3 channels - http://pagertv.ru/test.m3u

Review Apple consoles TV (fourth generation)

Contents of delivery

• Console
• Network cable
• Remote control
• Lightning cable
• Documentation

Let's deal with new console Apple TV, not updated, but new - yes, you can still rent a movie for the evening, but you can also install karaoke if you wish and sing to the TV, or play, or watch “Comedy Club” and the TV series “Fizruk” "...

Positioning

When you tell or show someone the capabilities of Apple TV, they may immediately object that advanced people have all this modern TVs and without any set-top boxes, there are Smart TV, Android TV and other shells that can make it possible to play or buy movies in third party services. All this is true. But there are at least several reasons for Apple purchases TV:

• If you have enough good TV, but without any shells.
• If you have a very good TV, there is a shell there, but you are not satisfied with it.
• If you have been using iTunes for a long time, there are hundreds of movies and music albums in your library, and you would like to easily play all this content on your TV and rent movies.
• If you want to play games on your TV, but you have never done this and have doubts about the convenience of this process, then you should definitely try Apple TV.

There are other reasons, but they may seem a bit far-fetched - I'd recommend the Apple TV to anyone who loves OS X and iOS and wants something equally sleek and thoughtful for the biggest screen in the house. I would recommend Apple TV to girls; it has been experimentally established that they instantly master the remote control, programs for the set-top box, and start watching TV series - I don’t know how this would happen with Android TV. Maybe the same, maybe not. I would recommend the Apple TV for family entertainment, the game of chicken may seem brutal, but there are other games out there. For example, Shadowmatic perfectly develops spatial thinking, but Asphalt does not develop anything, but it’s very cool to drive in turns.

In general, I would recommend everyone to try the updated Apple TV, it's a pity that you can't rent it. Well, prices in Russia are now brutal. When you remember how much the old Apple TV cost, a tear of nostalgia immediately appears. Okay, let's not be sad, but rather let's see what the updated console is like.

Design, construction

It's a shame that Apple forgot to include it in the kit. hdmi cable, I seem to have a lot of cables at home, but they all turned out to be occupied - they might as well not have been greedy, it’s not particularly expensive (to put it mildly). The kit includes a remote control, network cable, set-top box, the remote control strap is inserted into the Lightning connector, and you also need to buy it separately. But the kit includes a Lightning cable for charging the remote control, yes, yes, there is now such a plug. As you can see in the photo, the proprietary iPhone stand can also be used for the remote control. The operating time of the remote control is several months when used in normal mode, this is good, you don’t need to think about the state of the battery constantly, you don’t need to buy batteries, the built-in battery will probably last for several years. I’ll say right away that you can use many existing joysticks with Apple TV; in a couple of days we’ll post a video review where we try to connect and use one of them - go to this material, there will be a video.

Accordingly, this gives hope for the appearance of many other accessories for Apple TV, for example, small keyboards, advanced joysticks and who knows what else. If tvOS continues to develop, the imagination of the developers should be enough for even the most unprecedented additions. After all, there are already good races, the already mentioned “Asphalt”, so why not make some simple steering wheel? The racing is good and vibrant. The proprietary remote control can be used, but it’s not very convenient. Let me note that you need to hold it by the ends and imagine that this is not a remote control, but a steering wheel, turn from side to side - the car moves. It takes some getting used to, but then everything will work out naturally and easily. The touch pad also takes some getting used to, but then rewinding in films is a pleasure, it’s very easy to select the right moment, quickly rewind to the right place, step back, repeat - easy, elegant, great! But at first, typing on the virtual keyboard makes you wince. Out of habit, you skip letters, move your finger faster than necessary, miss, miss again, damn you! Little by little I manage to get used to it. Then, I also found another problem at the very beginning: Apple TV is demanding on Wi-Fi quality. We tried to use “Iota” - we couldn’t log into our account, we tried to connect to an iPhone running in modem mode - nothing worked either. The set-top box connected to your home access point instantly, and you can find it (the point) on the TV screen or configure it from using iPhone, put it on the Apple TV, and voila, the settings are transferred. Well, then only the remote control will help you; the plump black box can be hidden away.

Compared with previous version The set-top box has become larger, the connector for connecting the optical cable has disappeared, but everything else remains the same. Here full list connectors and more:

• HDMI 1.43;
• Supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac with MIMO technology;
• 10/100BASE-T Ethernet port;
• IR receiver;
• USB-C for service and support;
• Built-in power supply.

If you suddenly want to take screenshots, you will need USB-C cable- USB, connect to the MacBook Pro, turn on QuickTime Player, and the image from the TV appears there. Unfortunately, I didn’t have such a cable, so I filmed it with a camera. Again, coming soon detailed video about menus, applications and more.

The remote control itself is a complex device. There is an IR sensor for controlling the volume on the TV, Bluetooth 4.0 for communication with the set-top box, Lightning for charging, an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a glass touch pad, you can not only move your finger on it, but also press it. Some games make a difference between whether you swipe in the center or along the edge, and that's where the emphasis is; impressions after working with a touch surface - just like after using other Apple technology, for example, an iPhone or iPad.

operating system

Possibilities operating system in the long term they are very good, but even now the device is not perceived as something unfinished, raw, neither I nor those to whom I gave the console a try had such a feeling. On the contrary, the thing is perceived extremely positively. If you already had an Apple TV and you are used to renting movies there, then you can do it here, but at the same time you can install RuTube, watch “Dancing” or TV series, many people like Comedy Club - you can watch “Comedy”. There are also 2x2, but the choice of series is limited. I personally am waiting for the “Amediateki” application so that I can calmly watch new episodes of my favorite series, films on TV - by the way, there is a very good selection of movies there, there is a lot of stuff that you won’t find anywhere else. The choice of applications is already great, here you have The Nat Geo TV, and HBO NOW, and news, and YouTube - you understand, you can generally hang out there for a day if you wish. All applications resemble their iOS counterparts, that is, they are video catalogs, select and watch. The quality is good, I'm using an old Apple TV Samsung TV, other than Full HD, there is nothing special to brag about.

Yes, if suddenly there are karaoke lovers among you, there is karaoke here. I’m not a fan myself, but I’ve been told that karaoke works effectively here, and it’s better for fans of this business not to tell about this feature of Apple TV. Moreover, there is not one, but several programs for singing.

If a soundbar or other speaker system is connected to the TV, you can listen to purchased music or use Apple Music, which is great when meeting with friends. A TV in the living room, a table in the living room, everything is logical - especially since music can work in a number of applications. Listening to Igor Nikolaev and playing Crossy Road is possible. True, in some programs this cannot be done, either this is a bug, or voice acting will be possible everywhere.

Yes, I can’t help but notice that there is also Mixcloud, a program with mixes, different formats of music - you can listen to it for days on end, without stopping.

That is, if previously Apple TV was limited by the music you purchased (I’m exaggerating, but still), now there are no limits. The entire iTunes library is at your disposal thanks to Apple Music, there are applications like MixCloud, and catalogs of Internet radio stations for Apple TV are appearing.

Let's move on to films, all purchased films are available for downloading and viewing, some can be rented. Contrary to popular belief, this does not apply to all films - most new films can only be purchased, not rented. For example, now “Everest” is sold for 349 rubles in HD, 199 rubles in SD, it’s better to buy it in HD, but it’s even better to get your butt off the chair and walk to the cinema. It’s much better to watch Everest there than at home. But The Agents of U.N.C.L.E. can already be bought for 349 rubles, and rented for 99 rubles - a good offer.

In any case, iTunes prices are reasonable, and if you buy an Apple TV, you should be prepared for paid content. I know that most of the readers are already accustomed to paying for books, music and films, but, nevertheless, there are also those who do not understand where the money goes and why they need to pay “for air”. This is always a personal choice for everyone, and we will not discuss the topic of paid content here, I will only note that in Russia people still show unexpected enthusiasm for services - there are many more of those who want to receive a high-quality service and are ready to pay for it. In the case of iTunes on Apple TV, there are no questions about the service itself, the previously purchased movie was downloaded in a minute, the quality is excellent, and so is the sound. If you move your finger down touchpad, the audio menu will appear, where you can select the audio track, subtitles, and through which device the sound will be played.

As with the previous set-top box, it is possible to transfer images to Apple TV from the device, but the quality is so-so. I tried to transfer an image from MB Pro.

In addition to programs, audio and films, there are also games. And here, besides Crossy Road and Asphalt, there are also Shadowmatic, Rayman, Manticore Rising, Guitar Hero. I think it will be possible to write separately about ten good games for Apple TV at the end of the month, for now I will say that the programs are made intelligently, they are interesting to play even for me - most of the things here are arcade games, but this does not detract from their merits. For example, Crossy Road is great to play in a group, when everyone around you is trying to tell you, snatch the remote control and play on your own.

And now imagine that all this is on your TV. It has become much more functional, don’t you think? Yes, before I could easily buy Interstellar and watch it with my family while relaxing after a busy day. But now there is easy, understandable and simple access to programs of a wide variety of directions and with a wide variety of content - we can not only select “Interstellar”, but also watch the latest episode of “Dancing”, if the urge arises. And you don’t need to carry a laptop, transfer images from an iPad or iPhone, or otherwise complicate life.

Performance and Features

The console is available in two versions, 32 and 64 GB. As I understand it, Apple made a version for those who will install a lot of applications, and a version for those who will install the main thing and calm down and will not experiment. Of course, there is a difference in price, 13,990 and 17,990 rubles. As far as I heard, there is currently a limit on the size of applications, it is 200 MB, it may be removed in the future. A lot could change for Apple TV in the future. For example, now the desktop follows the design first Apple TV, although it would be better to emphasize the continuity of tvOS and iOS and give the user the opportunity to simply place all the icons on the desktop, if desired, add widgets there, as in Android - now the navigation is frankly stupid, I still can’t get to the desired item the first time por. You will definitely go somewhere in the wrong place, there is also the remote control “helping”, unnecessary movement, and you will immediately go somewhere away from the desired menu item. Siri search in Russian does not work yet, but when it appears, it will be of help.

Apple, as always, took care of people with disabilities. You press the Menu button three times, and VoiceOver turns on, voicing menu items, here is a list of all the “Universal Access” items:

• VoiceOver;
• Increase;
• Bold font;
• Increase contrast;
• Reduced movement;
• Supports closed captioning and subtitles for people with hearing impairments;
• Keyboard shortcuts (I'm not entirely sure about this one).

A little about video and audio formats:

• H.264 video up to 1080p, 60 fps, high or main profile level 4.2 or lower;
• H.264 video, base profile 3.0 or lower with AAC-LC audio up to 160 kbps, 48 ​​kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov formats;
• MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbit/s, 640x480 pixels, 30 frames/s, simple profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 kbit/s, 48 ​​kHz, stereo sound in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov formats;
• HE- AAC (V1), AAC (16 to 320 kbps), Protected AAC (for iTunes Store files), MP3 (16 to 320 kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4 ), Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV, Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Plus 7.1.

Let me remind you once again that Apple TV is sensitive to the quality of the Internet connection; you can connect to the network via Wi-Fi or using an Ethernet cable; this method seems anachronistic to me. Although you can counter - the speed and reliability of the cable connection is higher. Well, if another cable in the living room doesn’t bother you, it’s your choice.

The heart of Apple TV is the A8 processor with 64-bit architecture, the set-top box works quickly, the transition from section to section is fast, the only shortcomings are the lack of thumbnails for some films on home page, but this is already a tvOS problem. During the entire period of use there were no application crashes, I would like to get some kind of clear menu running applications, as in iOS.

conclusions

Let me remind you that the price is 13,990 and 17,990 rubles, a good gift for the New Year and any other holiday. The whole family can use Apple TV, and there's something for dad, mom and kids to do. I hope, albeit somewhat chaotically, I talked about the main capabilities of this interesting device. I remember how we “broke” the first Apple TV and used it to watch movies. After so many years, in the living room there is a device completely in the spirit of the century - everything is on the Internet, and it would be a sin not to use it. If you want to upgrade (sorry) your TV, Apple TV will do the job just fine.

P.S. As promised, I will write in more detail about the programs and games used on Apple TV separately.

The Apple TV 3 media player (model MD199) is a compact and versatile device that will eliminate the use of video and audio cables and turn a regular TV into a media center. Apple TV 3 is the third generation of media player (Apple TV 3 Gen).

CONDITION: USED 100% tested and technically sound. The case is without defects.

Thanks to AirPlay technology, any content from any Apple device (iPhone, iPad, MacBook) is transmitted “over the air” to any TV. You no longer need to copy photos and videos to a flash drive to show them on the big screen: just connect to your Apple TV and get “wireless HDMI” for all your gadgets.

If you have an Apple ID, using Apple TV you can watch all new Russian and foreign films (in Full HD quality) from the iTunes store. You don't need a computer for this: all control is done using the miniature aluminum remote control that comes with the Apple TV.

CHARACTERISTICS:

Model: MD199RU/A, MD199RS/A
CPU: Apple A5 (PowerVR SGX 543MP2), 1 GHz
Video and audio outputs: HDMI, S/PDIF (optical digital audio port)
Permission: 1920x1080 pixels (Full HD 1080p) 60/50Hz
Network adapters: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), 10/100 Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0+EDR
AirPort: AirPort Extreme with AirPlay technology
Ports: Micro-USB (for service), IR receiver (for remote control)

Dimensions and weight:

Width: 9.8 cm
Depth: 9.8 cm
Height: 2.3 cm
Weight: 0.272 kg

Advantages of Apple TV 3 (A1469) compared to Apple TV 2 (A1378):

— support for Full HD resolution (1080p) versus HD Ready (720p) for the second generation;
- twice the volume random access memory(512 MB versus 256 MB);
- more powerful processor (Apple A5 vs Apple A4)
— support for all current Apple devices (including the latest iPhone models and iPad 2016-2017).

Advantages of Apple TV 3 (A1469) compared to Apple TV 4 (A1513):

— presence of an optical digital audio port (S/PDIF);
- smaller, lighter and cheaper.

Manufacturer: Apple Inc, 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California, 95014, USA. Made in China.

Third generation, 2012 model

Last fall, we reviewed the second generation network media player from Apple. The brightest side of the model was noted unique design. However, this applies to almost every product from this manufacturer. The main scenario for using the device is watching purchased videos and TV series directly from the Internet, bypassing computers and iTunes.

For most domestic users, purchasing audio/video materials is currently unavailable, which significantly reduces interest in the product. But this relatively inexpensive and well-made player can also be used to watch finished videos from the iTunes library on a PC, and installing an additional software brings its capabilities closer to the most interesting representatives of this class of devices.

However, no programs could correct the hardware limitation - the maximum video output resolution on the second-generation device is 720p, which looks a little strange in 2012. We have already discussed that this limitation is partly due to the capabilities of the content distribution system. But time does not stand still, and this spring Apple decisively corrected this problem - introduced simultaneously with new model tablet, the updated Apple TV set-top box (MD199, A1427) can now handle Full HD video and supports output in this resolution to TV and other devices.

Since this is practically the only difference, this material is an abbreviated review, and if you have not previously dealt with this device, we recommend that you read the detailed publications on past modifications: first generation (2007), second generation (2010).

I would like to remind you once again that this product is not represented by the company on the Russian market, so you won’t find it in company stores and won’t be able to get any local support from Apple. The main reason for this decision lies in the inaccessibility of the content store to domestic users. And why we don’t have it is a completely different story.

Delivery set and appearance

According to these parameters, the device is no different from its predecessor. The compact box contains the player, remote control, power cable and several leaflets.

The case is made of black plastic and has very attractive dimensions - less than 10x10x2.5 centimeters. The top panel is matte with a glossy manufacturer's logo, the ends are completely glossy. The remote control signal receiver is hidden on the front panel remote control and status indicator.

The HDMI port is used to connect to a TV or projector. Additionally, an optical digital audio output is provided. Analog options were completely abandoned. Also on the back you can find a microUSB service connector, a network port (100 Mbps) and a power cable input. The device consumes less than ten watts and has a built-in power supply, which is much more convenient.

The bottom of the player is made of rubber, so it will stand very stable on any surface.

The remote control has also not changed at all: the same elegant shape, Unibody style and a minimum number of buttons. But even they are quite enough to work with the device, including navigation, switching audio tracks and subtitles.

Hardware Features

The changes that made it possible to provide 1080p playback include installing a new processor and doubling the amount of RAM, to 512 MB. The amount of flash memory remains the same (8 GB). The processor in the new model is installed in the same family as in the iPhone 4S and iPad 2. Only in this case there is only one core, unlike other devices. Considering the single-tasking use of the player, this is not at all critical and the “regular” Apple A5 is quite sufficient here.

The radio module does not directly affect the speed of the device, however, for broadcasting video over wireless communication it is certainly important. Its basis is the Broadcom BCM4330 chip, which this device Capable of operating at 2.4 or 5 GHz. As for the speed, it is difficult to find exact information, but most likely we are talking about the 2T2R mode with 300 Mbit/s.

We also note that this model comes with iOS version 5.1 (Apple TV numbering is 5.0), which includes many additions and improvements compared to 4.x.

At the time of writing, this version The firmware for the model in question was resistant to hacking, so it was impossible to run any additional programs on the device. However, time does not stand still and, most likely, at some point this device will be hacked.

Connection and setup

In most cases, turning on the player for the first time is quick and easy - you just need to select the localization of the interface. Russian users will be disappointed with the player's home screen - only the library from the PC and the settings menu are available to them. To view online services, you need to set the player to another country.

But let's look first at possible settings. Their menu consists of six and a half items. The last half is putting the device into sleep mode. In most cases, automatic falling asleep is sufficient.

In the “Basic” group you can see the model, serial number, device firmware version, update the software, configure the network and time zone, connect new remote controls, turn on " Parental control" The “Screen Saver” section is used to select options for displaying photos while listening to music and while in standby mode. Sources can be the National Geographic channel, a couple of pre-installed albums, MobileMe, Flickr and new opportunity latest versions iOS - photo stream.

You can configure the iTunes Store settings in the appropriate section. In addition to specifying your Apple ID, you can choose maximum quality video (depending on the speed and quality of your Internet channel) and location. Depending on the country selected, different items will be available in the main menu of the device.

In “Audio and Video” there are several hardware settings, in particular TV resolution, color mode, Dolby Digital broadcast mode, as well as items such as music repeat, sound effects, selection of audio track and subtitles. In the TV output settings, it is usually enough to leave everything at “Automatic”. There shouldn't be any problems with modern technology. Note that the frame rate in Full HD mode is selected in the menu and the choice is only from 50 and 60 Hz. The video player cannot automatically change the video output frequency depending on the video parameters.

The next item is responsible for the operation of AirPlay technology. With its help you can send a video or audio stream from any iOS devices or from iTunes to display on your TV screen. In this case, the devices only need to be on the same network; there is no need to use the same Apple ID on them. You can restrict access to this function by setting a password on the player.

The last setting is to enable Home Sharing support. This technology allows you to connect up to five devices to share your iTunes library on your computer. All devices must use the same Apple ID for it to work.

A comparison with the previous version of the player shows that there are no significant differences in the settings.

Working with multimedia

For the domestic user, the greatest interest is working in the “Home Collection” mode with access to content located on a PC with installed program iTunes. In this case, the question of how these files appeared on the computer will not interest anyone. In order for the player to work together with the library, you will need to create an Apple ID and use it in both iTunes and Apple TV.

The formal list of supported formats includes:

• video with resolution up to Full HD, frame rate up to 30, with H.264 codec, HP and MP profile up to 4.0, with AAC-LC audio in m4v, mp4, mov containers;
• video with a resolution of 640x480, frame rate 30, with MPEG-4 SP codec, with the same sound and container;
• video with resolution up to 720p, frame rate 30, with M-JPEG codec, PCM audio in avi container;
• audio recordings in AAC formats (including those protected from iTunes), MP3, Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV, Dolby Digital 5.1 with transfer to an external receiver;

photos in JPEG formats, GIF, TIFF.

In fact, this information makes little sense for the model in question - this is not a universal media player, but a device for working in the infrastructure built by Apple. So the user does not need to think about formats and their subtleties - if the content is received from an official source, it will be played by the player. In most cases, this can be summarized as “if the content is on iTunes, then it can be used with Apple TV.”

In particular, the native videos used for testing, edited in iMovie and encoded in the built-in “1080p” template, have an H.264 profile [email protected] and bitrate up to 20 Mbit/s and are reproduced by the device without any problems, not only via cable, but also via Wi-Fi. So in general, if you are used to iTunes or use Mac OS, then you will not encounter any difficulties with Apple TV compatibility.

In fact, the same mp4 does not have any significant disadvantages compared to other modern options - it supports Full HD and the H.264 codec, it can have several audio tracks and subtitles, it is possible to use built-in tags, and it is played by most other player models. A similar note applies to music - for many users, mp3 capabilities are sufficient, and if necessary, you can use Apple Loseless.

In conjunction with Home Collection, it may be convenient to use the Remote utility, available for free in the App Store. With its help, you can control the operation of all devices - select a video from the iTunes library on your PC and send it for viewing via Apple TV. Another convenient scenario would be listening to music through a player with digital connection to the receiver without having to turn on the TV for navigation.

Other countries have been much luckier. They can use Apple TV to purchase and watch movies and TV series from iTunes' huge library. What’s interesting is that you don’t have to download the files first to view them – the online broadcast mode works. Of course, for video high resolution You will need a fairly fast Internet connection. The manufacturer talks about 8 Mbps for 1080p, 6 Mbps for 720p and 2.5 Mbps for standard definition video.

For example, let's look at the cost of these services in the USA. For films, there are two options - rent or purchase. Please note that their availability is determined by the specific publication. If you rent, you can watch the film within a month after payment, but if you have already started, you need to finish it within 24 hours. The HD version rents for $3.99 ($4.99 for recent releases). If the film is available for sale, the HD version may cost $19.99.

TV series can only be purchased, either as individual episodes or as season subscriptions. The HD version of one episode can cost $2.99.

You don't even need to use a PC to purchase - everything can be done directly from Apple TV or other devices with a built-in iTunes store. The catalog looks great on screen - detailed information about the film is presented, including trailer, rating, short description, list of actors, director, producer. Moreover, using the latter you can search for other films.

Music lovers may be interested in support for the iTunes Match service ($24.99 per year), which allows you to store your entire media library in the iCloud cloud and have access to it at any time from any device, including Apple TV. In fact, it is not the music files themselves that are saved, but only the fact that you own them (purchase or import from CD). Broadcasting to devices is carried out in streaming mode.

The range of supported online services has been slightly expanded in the new iOS versions. In particular, the menu includes:

• Netflix service (not available from Russia);
• sports videos from MLB, NBA, NHL (some features require a subscription);
• a catalog of trailers for films that have not yet been released;
• catalog of video reports and WSJ Live programs;
• YouTube and Vimeo directories with ratings and other sorting options;
• searchable catalog of audio and video podcasts;
• catalog of Internet radio stations;
• Photo Stream service;
• access to MobileMe;
• photo hosting Flickr.

AirPlay

With the implementation of support for Full HD resolution on the player, AirPlay technology takes on a new meaning. However, a study of how this function works showed that not everything is as simple as we would like. The mobile companion in this case was the iPhone 4S.

AirPlay implements several capabilities. The first of them is broadcasting multimedia files (video and music) from iTunes and iOS devices (including “legacy” ones, such as the third generation iPod touch) to the TV screen. Moreover, Full HD video is displayed in this resolution both from a PC and from an iPhone 4S. A similar feature is available in some programs for iOS, for example in the YouTube client. You select a clip and tell your device to stream it online to AppleTV. It's a little worse with photographs. Sending from the standard gallery on the phone clearly works at a lower resolution.

AirPlay Mirroring mode, implemented in the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and newer models, will allow you to cast the full desktop and programs on the TV (if they are not blocked by the author), even if they do not have built-in AirPlay support.

You need to pay attention here to the fact that the screen resolution of these devices is lower than Full HD, and the picture on TV will look a little blurry. The description of The new iPad also states that video streaming from compatible programs is possible in Full HD, and the desktop is limited to 720p (although the tablet itself has gone well beyond 1920x1080). Still, on-the-fly encoding of such streams requires high computing power.

The third option for AirPlay is the use of special software that supports working with two screens - built into the mobile device and external, implemented through Apple TV. Games are usually cited as examples. You can try it on iPhone 4S free versions Ducati Challenge and MetalStorm: Wingman. They are good for demonstrating AirPlay - the iPhone in your hands becomes an interactive control panel, it uses a touchscreen, a built-in gyroscope, and displays game messages. And the main game image is displayed on the TV screen (also only in 720p). I would like to hope that there will be more such applications, and new versions mobile devices from Apple will learn to encode and transmit Full HD images.

Note that there are programs on the market for Mac OS X that allow you to integrate computers and laptops into the AirPlay structure - broadcasting images from a PC screen to Apple TV or vice versa - using a computer as an alternative to Apple TV when working with mobile devices.

Strict control by the manufacturer and perfect compatibility of various devices allow AirPlay to be considered a successful alternative to the well-known DLNA protocol.

conclusions

The Apple TV update hasn't attracted much attention, but it's a significant step forward for the company. Full HD video support is now available in the iTunes media structure. It is presented in store and streamed online, and can be watched on PCs, mobile devices and TVs.

Technically and externally, Apple TV has changed very little. There was no place even for “stripes” that would help distinguish the phones 4 and 4S externally. It’s difficult to say how justified this approach is from the point of view of the product’s success on the market, but the manufacturer knows better. However, there wasn't much to improve - the size is great, the connection options are optimal, the wireless controller and power supply are built-in, the data comes from the network, so no local storage or expansion ports are required.

Once again, I really liked the company's approach to sharing a media library. Everything is easy to set up, easy to manage and works without problems. The only inconvenience can be considered the need for iTunes on a working personal computer. Although if you only use content downloaded from the iTunes store, then you can refuse this - videos and TV series will come directly from the company’s servers, and music will come from your own iCloud. Or you can transfer video and music from iPhone/iPad/iPod touch mobile devices.

AirPlay Mirroring technology looks interesting and promising. Now, of course, few people can be surprised by compact game consoles, but the potential for this opportunity is clearly high. We can say with a high degree of probability that in the next iOS models there will be support for transferring Full HD images to a TV, and there will be more and more applications that use two screens.

Let's summarize today's review - Apple TV is great solution for the task of watching video on the big screen of your TV, if the media library is presented in iTunes or there is a need to broadcast multimedia, programs or games from mobile devices. The player has a very attractive design, is well made and costs relatively little ($99 in the US), especially when compared to other products from the fruit company.

Ready to give up cable television and get rid of the flow of advertising? With Apple TV, you can rent or buy high-quality movies, listen to podcasts, watch Netflix, Hulu, watch sports, view photos, and listen to music from your computer, all from the comfort of your couch. You will learn how to set up and use Apple TV in this article.

Steps

Part 1

Connecting Apple TV

Unbox your Apple TV. Install it next to the TV, you will also need an outlet nearby and if you have wired Internet, then the network cable.

• Don't put Apple TV on other equipment, and don't put anything on Apple TV either. This may cause the equipment to overheat and cause signal interference.

1. Connect the HDMI cable. Connect one end of the cable to the Apple TV (the connector on the back of the set-top box), and connect the other to your TV.

   • Note: This article describes how to connect directly to a TV. If you are using a receiver, please refer to the instructions for use. The receiver will be an intermediate link between the Apple TV and the TV.
   • Apple TV has TOSLink digital audio output. If you use this standard, connect one end of the cable to the Apple TV output, and the other to the TV input.

2. Connect the Internet cable. If you have wired Internet, connect it to your Apple TV.

   • Apple TV has a built-in Wi-Fi standard 802.11, which can be used to connect to a wireless network.

3. Connect the power cable. Once all cables are connected, connect your Apple TV to power.

   Turn on the TV. Enter the world of Apple TV! On your TV remote, switch to the HDMI input that your Apple TV is connected to.

   • If it's the first Apple connection TV, the setup screen should appear. If it does not appear, make sure that the cables are connected correctly and the desired signal source is selected.

   Part 2

   Setting up Apple TV

   1. Understand your Apple Remote. All operations will have to be carried out using this remote control.

      • The black ring is used to move the cursor up, down, right, left.
      • The gray button in the center of the circle is used for selection.
      • Pressing the "Menu" button brings up the menu or returns to the previous screen.
        • Press and hold the "Menu" button to return to the main menu.
        • Press and hold the "Menu" button while watching a movie to access subtitles.
      • The "Play/Pause" button is used only for pause and play.
      • Press and hold the "Menu" button and the down arrow to reset Apple settings TV. During the reset, the status light on the set-top box should blink.
      • To create a pair between the remote control and the set-top box, press and hold the "Menu" right arrow button for 6 seconds. This will allow you to control the set-top box only from this remote control and will disable other remote controls.
      • Available in the App Store free application called "Remote", which reveals all the capabilities of the Apple Remote. If you have an iPhone or iPad, this will be a great addition to your Apple TV experience.
      • Apple Remote Not is universal. To change the TV volume and other functions, you will have to use the TV or receiver remote control.

   2. Connect to a wireless network. Using the on-screen prompts, select Network Settings. If your wireless network hidden from others, then enter the name of the network. After selecting the network, enter the password (if available) and save the settings by clicking on the "Done" button.

      • If you are not using DHCP, then you will have to enter the IP address, subnet mask, router address and DNS.

   3. Set up the Home Sharing feature. To access music and video files on your computer, use the Home Sharing feature.

      • Set up the Home Sharing feature. From the main menu, go to settings and select "Home Sharing". Enter your Apple ID and password.
      • Set up Home Sharing in iTunes. From the File menu, choose Home Sharing > Enable Home Sharing. Enter the same Apple ID and password you use on your Apple TV.

   Part 3

   Enjoy the content

   1. Browse great amount movies! With iTunes on Apple TV, you have access to the latest movies in high definition 1080p (v3) or 720p (v2). You can watch the film, rent it, or purchase it for your collection.

      • While almost all content on iTunes can be streamed, many movies cannot be rented for the first few weeks after their release. They can only be purchased, but a little later it will be possible to rent them. Sometimes films are only available for rental or purchase.
      • Individual TV shows can only be purchased, although you can subscribe for an entire season. A current TV series on iTunes is usually delayed a day or two from its regular broadcast.

   2. Display mode from your iOS devices. With AirPlay, you can play movies and photos stored on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch on TV. You can also use your TV as a giant screen for your iPhone 4S or iPad.

   3. Use the "Home Collection". With this feature, you can browse and play your entire iTunes library, as well as all playlists, and even use the Genius feature. You can view photos using iPhoto on your computer, or simply transfer photos to display on Apple TV Home Sharing.

      • To access the music, movies, photos, and videos on your computer, from the Apple TV main menu, go to Computers. Any type of content available on the computer will be displayed on the TV.
      • To access all music stored in iCloud using iTunes Match, click on the orange Music button in the main screen menu.