Apple released the new Apple TV on the same day the new iPad became available. Unfortunately, I was only able to afford purchasing the new iPad first. The Apple TV had to wait until today.
Installation consisted of hooking up the HDMI cables from the set top box to the TV. Next, power was connected. The input on the TV was changed to the HDMI 2 and I followed the instructions on the screen (adding the device to the network).
Immediately, I tried to play the music in my iTunes cloud. A notice stated I had to purchase iTunes match for $29.99 per year. The purchase had to be done from an authorized computer. Once purchased - the music played seamlessly.
Netflix streaming came next - and by now it was getting easier to enter passwords with the little remote. The quality of the movie (The Lincoln Lawyer) was okay but nothing too exciting. Pausing, stopping, and rewinding all worked quickly. The response was better than from my regular TV remote.
Next I played with AirPlay and mirrored both my iPhone 4S and my iPad 2. Interestingly some of the applications did not allow landscape mode and this made viewing on the large screen TV annoying. Glare was also an issue.
AirPlay will be useful in the classroom - but I am not convinced sitting on the couch and using the TV for viewing what is already in front of me is of use.
Finally - the photo streaming was rather cool - as a screen saver. Ultimately, using the music and photo streaming appear to be the most compelling reason for me to use the device daily.
The device will certain remain hooked up - which is better than many of the devices relegated to the garage or given to other people.
