May 05 2008
The New Age of Movie Rentals
If you are like most people who keep up with today’s forever-changing culture, then you probably have some form of an iPod to conveniently carry around your favorite tunes wherever you go. Today’s line of iPods offer far more than their predecessors, enabling us to watch TV shows, full-length films and music videos to compliment the amazing sound it provides for our music library. The iTunes store offers a wide variety of music, and with the introduction of the video capability on its higher end models a few years back have been selling a good amount of hollywood blockbusters. This year, Apple has entered the on-line movie rental market, which is a great idea but can come with its limitations. For instance, you can only watch them on your computer or the small screen of the iPod. However, Apple does sell a wonderful device that allows us to tie all of the wonders of our home theater and computer systems for maximum enjoyment.
I was one of those skeptical consumers, wondering what was so great about renting movies from the iTunes store only to be able to watch them on my computer which has the sound quality of a 1983 Walkman. Sure, the iPod has much better sound quality, but the screen is so small I can’t exactly plan a movie night around it. Plagued with the absurd thought of abandoning my very expensive 57″ HDTV television and high-tech sound system, it didn’t take me long to hop online and visit Apple for some answers.
Being so into today’s high-tech gadgets, I am surprised I didn’t see this one sooner. AppleTV is the perfect device to integrate your computer network with your home entertainment system. In fact, it makes it possible to rent movies and TV shows from iTunes right on the TV, even if they are not stored already on your computer. All you need to do is connect the AppleTV device to your TV, along with your wireless computer network, and you can enjoy all Apple has to offer from your big screen. Still putting off installing that wireless network? No problem, there is also a network port in back to connect via an ethernet cable for those still-hardwired folks.
As far as content, you get more than you could ever need. In addition to the large database of available movie and TV show rentals, you also have access to a lot of free content, such as special HD video podcasts, YouTube videos, and can even view photos from popular sites like Flickr. And of course, you can still enjoy listening to your favorite iTunes, too! Whether it is stored already on your library or if it just came out today, you will never run out of videos to watch.
Videos range from free to $3.99, and are offered in standard digital or high-definition format. AppleTV is available with either a 40GB or 160GB hard drive for storing content locally, and supports most video and audio formats. This is a huge step for Apple, especially with competition such as Netflix offering on-line video rentals that are included in their monthly membership plans. Welcome to the new age of movie rentals. Don’t be surprised to see your local Blockbuster boarded up, because with access to all of Hollywood’s greats withouth leaving the house I feel the market has changed for the better. Go check this one out, and see if it makes sense to add it to your home network. I know I am.
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