What is Apple TV and why is it needed?

Several years ago, Apple Corporation went to an unprecedented marketing step: the company's new development was announced long before the product appeared on store shelves. This product was an outwardly unremarkable device, soon called Apple TV, which won the hearts of millions of users - owners of modern widescreen plasma TVs.

So, what is Apple TV? This network device is a small form factor, created to provide the ability to download and later playback via the TV available on the Internet in electronic form of digital media content. This device is simple at first glance - a special kind of digital receiver, developed and presented to the market by Apple Inc.

Apple TV is compatible with the new generation of IPTV, working on the Internet TV protocol. Apple TV devices are able to download and play video files from the Internet resources of iTunes, YouTube, Netflix or Flickr 7 on modern TVs manufactured using advanced technology. In addition, they can process content from iTunes running on a Mac or Windows operating system.

The firstborn Apple TV appeared on the market in 2006 with a 40 GB hard drive, but soon the next generation of the receiver in the improved version came out, featuring an optimized size and quite reasonable price.

A modern model of Apple TV can transfer data from the Internet or sources connected locally using the AirPlay function, a system that streams data from portable media players, Internet tablets and smartphones to other devices over a wireless network.

To fully experience what Apple TV is in all its aspects, you can by using it in combination with AirPlay. A bunch of Apple TV AirPlay allows you to make images and sound from your iOS device wireless technology available to your home HD TV and sound speakers. With a simple click of a button, you can take the video that you are watching on your iPad, and send it to your HDTV via Apple TV.

Since 2007, the wireless video transfer system Apple TV YouTube has been introduced. This service provides a video demonstration on a widescreen TV user directly from YouTube.

Using an elegant Apple TV interface and a simple Apple Remote, viewers can easily browse, find and at any time watch free YouTube videos on their home TV.

A distinctive feature of the later models of Apple TV is the ability to rent movies, rather than buy them, as many users do. Settings allow you to easily select a filmstrip, as well as any content available in Netflix, YouTube and MobileMe. YouTube has even its own categories among the available in the device settings, which makes it much easier to watch videos from this popular Internet resource.

In March 2012, launched Apple TV of the third generation, which supports video 1080p. Thanks to the recent software update, it also now supports a Bluetooth keyboard. In the rest it is very similar to the second-generation device, which was launched in September 2010 and supported video only 720p.

The device works quietly and efficiently. It is so small that it fits in the palm of your hand. Therefore, it can be put in any convenient place, and when it is in the standby mode, it consumes much less electricity than your night lamp.

Now we can confidently answer the question about what is Apple TV. In combination with AirPlay - it's simplicity, convenience and comfort for all users who like to watch anything on the Internet. That's what Apple TV is!