Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

As the title hints, our household is already well furnished with Apple products. And as it has been said in other reviews in this thread, it will be a much more positive user experience for people who have Mac computers, or iPad / iPhone / iTouch, for these last three can be used as remote controls with an excellent free app ("Remote") from Apple. If it were not for Apple's attention to detail, the installation of the Apple TV could be a bear for less technology-savvy consumers. But, even though I've installed a network or five before, in my mind this couldn't have been easier. Opened up the package, plugged stuff up, and things came right up on the screen. Used the included remote to log in. It should be noted that logging in (This means you have to have an Apple ID login and password) must be done on all devices you plan on involving in what is essentially a kind of network parallel to the wi-fi network you have in your house (although of course it runs on it). You must log in, and turn on Home Sharing, on the Apple TV, in iTunes on any computer you're planning on using, and also on any iPad / iPhone / iTouch you're using as a controller. It should also perhaps be noted that these logins are separate from logins and passwords you may be using for Netflix, Hulu, or any other media you are accessing through Apple TV. This all takes some time, but it's a one-shot deal. The nicest surprise (which I had not come across in my research) about the Apple TV is that it includes a high fidelity TOSLINK optical audio out connection in addition to the HDMI connector. The Sony receiver on our home stereo is rather old-school in that it predates HDMI, so we weren't going to be able to run the Apple TV signal through that. Instead, I'd have to run the HDMI cable directly to our Samsung HDTV. However, the receiver does have TOSLINK inputs, so I just use a cable I had lying around, and I have excellent sound through our stereo speakers. Once everything was up and running, I was very gratified by the far better picture and sound that I was getting compared to streaming Netflix through the Wii (which we have done for several years heretofore). I already knew that the Wii's specs for picture and sound were pretty low, but for me, the increase in performance alone was worth the price of the Apple TV and cable. Apple's attention to the end user experience has always been one of the best features of owning their products, but the icing on the cake for Apple TV is the "Remote" app. Free, simple, and elegant. Once I used it, I knew I'd have to put the included remote in a safe place, because I wouldn't be using it again except in some extraordinary circumstances. There are some complaints in the reviews that the Apple TV lacks certain online media services. This may be the case, but for what it does provide, and for how it performs, we are very pleased. Addendum: This Apple TV is just the gift that keeps on giving. I was under some misapprehensions about the capabilities of AirPlay, specifically AirPlay Mirroring. Google it, go to the Apple support page, and then do enough links. Photos and music may be displayed from your iDevice simultaneously through the Apple TV to your HDTV. Great!