Apple TV 40GB review

The Apple TV is essentially a Mac computer in a small box.

It feels hot when running, but this didn't cause any problems during our tests. It can play HD video, but supports only the iTunes standard of MPEG4- and H.264-encoded video with an AAC audio track.

Apple TV was one of the first streaming media receivers with a built-in hard disk for media storage. You can sync your iTunes content to it and eliminate jerky playback from slow or erratic network connections, although its 40GB capacity seems stingy compared with the 500GB storage of Netgear's EVA9150. Unlike the other video receivers here, it came without any cables to connect it to your TV. It has HDMI and component video outputs, and stereo phono and optical S/PDIF audio outputs, and connects to your network over its 10/100 Ethernet port or built-in Draft-N WiFi.

There's no support for SMB or UPnP; the device works only with iTunes, which can be set up as a content server. With the Apple TV and our PC on the same network, it was easy to turn the PC into an iTunes server. The Apple TV gave us a five-digit code, which we entered into iTunes on the PC to sync or stream from it. When you first sync the Apple TV to a computer, it copies all your media to its hard disk. This can take a long time, and 40GB might not be enough room if you have a lot. Fortunately, you can opt to stream media from the PC rather than copying its contents.

The interface looks stunning, and the iPod-style remote control is simple to use. You can display photos from Flickr and play YouTube videos, although you can only store your favourites if you log into your YouTube account. You can also access the Apple store to buy and rent movies for direct download.

Apple TV is very easy to use, but the lack of support for common formats rendered much of our collection unplayable. The EVA9150 and Syabas Popcorn Hour support more formats and play both WMA-HD and H.264 HD video.