Apple TV: A lame duck?

Just days after Google TV dominated the headlines, Apple TV has stepped in to take the limelight.

However, the much-anticipated “new and improved Apple TV” model seems to be not-so new and improved.

The product has been redesigned from its 2006 predecessor (which is generally considered a failure) and is on the market for what should be a very reasonable £99.

Apple TV connects TV sets with films, television and internet content, and allows access to streaming media from the iTunes library. It certainly sounds good and a month or so ago, commentators were fairly positive about the potential of Apple TV.

Michael Santo at Huliq said Apple TV is “another type of set top box” and is “in line with what consumers want”, while Business Insider’s Dan Frommer said Apple TV “has a solid chance of teaching people about the idea of using an internet device in their living room”.

However, the reviews are in and Electricpig is less than convinced, saying: “As it stands, the new Apple TV is a lame duck. A great looking one, granted, but one with half the features of its American cousin, and still not enough to make us trade in our more flexible PS3 or Xbox 360 movie services.

“It’s incredibly rare that an old Apple product out-classes its successor, but the old Apple TV was vastly superior in operation, if not in the heat or size stakes.”

Read the full review here.