Apple TV hacks, reviews, and trivia roundup

Hacks revealed quickly

In a revelation that comes as little surprise to many, early adopters of the media hub have discovered that its Mac mini-like shell is easily accessible, requiring no more than the right screwdriver and patience.

The literal uncovering of the insides not only confirmed the presence of parts AppleInsider had learned were in the Apple TV, but also enabled the more aggressive to replace the hard drivewith one of their own, boosting onboard storage to well over the stock 40GB.

Moreover, the accessibility of the Apple TV's internal parts has validated tech journalist Walt Mossberg's claim that the box runs Mac OS X in scaled-down form, showing that most of the file structure is the same as for the unit's full-fleged Mac siblings. One pair of new owners has successfully installed Mac software, enabling basic support for video codecs not part of Apple's original specs for the machine.

Reviews tackle Apple TV's value

Curiosity alone hasn't characterized first experiences with the system, however. Members of the press have readily taken sides on the new product's long-term usefulness.

Most reactions to date have been positive — but qualified. Mossberg's review for the Wall Street Journal was one of the most warmly receptive to the Apple TV, praising its ease of use and faulting it mainly for photo streaming and direct purchase features that the pundit is certain will be added later.

Others were less forgiving. PC World editor Edward Albro lauded the device's simplicity for newcomers but docked marks for its most glaring flaws, including the poor picture quality for iTunes videos. He also noted that Apple's supremacy was as much a commentary on the firm's competitors as the value of its actual product, which is ultimately dependent on iTunes.

"To say that Apple TV is the world's best media streaming device could be considered faint praise, the tech equivalent of calling someone the world's tallest midget," Albro said. "After all, most previous versions of these devices, which take music, video, and photos from your PC and play them on your TV and stereo, have been unreliable, hard to use and generally shunned by the buying public."

Little-known features surface

Meanwhile, at least two previously unannounced abilities of Apple's latest gadget have come to light now that buyers and reviewers can test the compact system themselves.

Although Apple's official specifications rule out all but widescreen HDTVs, software developer Rogue Amoeba and others have located a 480i mode in the Apple TV's Settings menu that offers owners of standard-ratio TVs with component inputs a functional (if slightly distorted) means of using the device without replacing their existing setups.

New York Times columnist David Pogue also highlighted a seldom-mentioned playback continuity feature in the Apple TV's handling of podcasts and videos.

"The integration of iPod, iTunes and Apple TV offers frequent payoffs," he noted. "For example, if you paused your iPod partway through a movie, TV show or song, Apple TV remembers your place when you resume playing it on your TV. Cool."