buzzbishop
on - last edited on
With the latest updates to Apple's iOS5, Apple TV got a little upgrade too which is making cutting the cable a little easier (if you've got the guts)
I love my Apple TV. Already we're using it just about every night as I play movies off our iPad to the set through AirPlay. Every now and again I'll scroll through YouTube and watch silly videos with my kids and I enjoy poking through the podcasts for some specialty programming. Once Netflix gets it's roster together, throwing down $8 a month just might be a reasonable substitute for the other bill my cable company is sending me.
The real reason I haven't cut my cable is news and sports, but with the changes to Apple TV, those are getting easier to get.
Here are the latest upgrades to Apple TV:
AirPlay Mirroring
You can now wirelessly stream whatever’s on your iPad 2 or iPhone 4S to your HDTV via Apple TV. Any streaming app you can get for your iPhone 4S or iPad 2 can now be streamed on the tv. Global, CityTV and CTV all post their biggest shows online through apps. You can also stream via the Safari browser other live events. Whatever you can put on your small screen can now be seen on the big screen, which is a game changer.
WSJ Live
Wall Street Journal Live is a business / news channel offering news and business information in HD.
NHL GameCenter
This is the big deal for me. Live sports on my Apple TV. Log in through your NHL GameCenter account ($160/yr) and you have all the games you want on your big tv in the basement. MLB.tv was added to Apple TV last year, US users can have NBA (all that's missing is the big daddy - NFL).
Photostream
Apple TV is now connected with the rest of your home network through iCloud. Anything you want to put on the cloud (photos) can be accessed on your Apple TV easier.
Trailers
I personally don't get the big deal about this, but if you want to lose yourself in hours of trailers - knock yourself out.
If you don't cut the cable now, then we will soon. Many pundits have long speculated the tv screen is the next frontier for Apple. Other companies (Google) are already trying to bake the browser and apps directly into the flat panels above the fireplace to make a fully internet connected device.
You can see where it's going. Apple is slowly adding networks to the Apple TV that are making it a cablebox-like device without the big bill. You can access YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix, and now with the iOS5 update hockey, business and the web.
If you remember that Apple doesn't really invent, (many gaming consoles already have the ability to watch movies and sports built in) but takes previous inventions and makes them better, I'd say some time in 2013 the Apple TV will move to the screen.
As mentioned, I can't get my wife to cut off our landline, so I doubt these changes will let me cut off her spontaneous need to see HGTV renovation shows or her daily four oclock fix of Y&R. For others, I'm sure the cords are getting cut.
Note: Some reported problems with the update and it was pulled for a time. It's been refreshed and is once again available for software upgrade.
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