Netflix and Apple TV- Loves, Hates, Etc

Well, well.

Do you remember Kozmo, circa 2000?

24/7 delivery?

Maybe you didn’t live in an area where they delivered.

Let me tell you, a wonderful service.

The instant gratification of ice cream at 2am without leaving your apartment (mind you, I didn’t live in Manhattan at the time) was quite something.

All that convenience

The New Netflix: Steroids for Couch Potatoes

mostly disappeared for a while, since these companies did not make any profit.

Fast forward to 2010, and Netflix and it’s reasonable monthly subscription

options

make it pretty easy to become a shut-in.

Mind you, to watch Netflix on your HDTV can’t happen completely on its own.

I decided to go with Apple TV, which, in it’s newest iteration, is smaller and pretty easy to use.

You plug the Apple TV into your router (or use its wireless option !) and then plug the HDMI cable into your TV.

You can take it to the next level and make

a more complex setup, but you don’t need to.

Voila!

HDTV from Netflix, preloaded on the Apple TV.

Subscriptions start at $7.99/month.

I’ll give you my two complaints and leave it at that:

1) Selection is still lacking- if you’re looking for the newest movies instantly, you can’t.

I’m not quite sure I understand the stumbling blocks to instantly having the new releases, though it is likely unfinished online distribution agreements, but right now you’ll still have to do Pony Express for the newest ones.

Major bummer.

2) What do you look for right away in a video store?

New Releases.

And somehow, this escaped the attention of the nation’s biggest movie deliverer-

The interface doesn’t include a “New Releases” section separate and apart from the newest movies available.

This means that you’ll end up wading through “Romancing the Stone” along with “The Girl Who Played With Fire,” since each of them is newly available on Netflix.

Poor choice, Netflix.

Please fix this!

Yet, I still really like having Netflix available instantly.

The Apple TV ($99 for the newest version) gives you access to iTunes on your network so you can play music through your TV or stereo, so there are other great things about it.

Also, if you still want the newest releases, you can

rent them through Apple’s store, and watch them in HD as well.

And lastly, what is gorgeous about the Apple TV setup is that you can use either an iTouch or your iPhone as the remote for it.

Brilliant.

And again, so easy that even a Caveman can do it.

Or we at Practical Home.

Enjoy and good luck!