Apple released their new Apple TV recently so naturally we wanted to take a look at what is supposed to make this so special. Having had the original Apple TV for sometime we were excited to see if there were any new upgrades.

What is Apple TV? Basically, it is a small box that you attach right to your TV that lets you have complete access to your itunes library.  This includes everything you want to watch — movies, TV shows, photos, and more, it streams wirelessly to Apple TV which you then play on your TV.

If you have rented any HD movies or TV shows you can play them right to your TV, while music and photos stream from your computer. The good news is the video looks crisp and clear, it is just like watching a DVD, you can fast-forward through opening credits, pause for a popcorn break, or replay a hilarious scene until you memorize every line. If you are having a party, create a music playlist and Apple TV will play it thorough your TV while showing cool images of the songs album art work or photos you synched from iphoto.

Setting up Apple TV is simple, just plug the power cord into the wall and connect Apple TV to your TV using an HDMI cable (sold separately). Since everything streams wirelessly to Apple TV, that’s all you need.  The new Apple TV has been re-designed, it’s 80 percent smaller than the previous generation — even with a built-in power supply.  Other than that it looks like the same in terms of application and use.  If you have a new mac next to your HDMI ready TV you can buy a adapter and cable that let’s you hook your Mac directly to your TV which would give you them same functionality as Apple TV. Although if you are looking for an easy way to hook up your itunes library to your TV, Apple TV is a good way to go.

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