Should You Buy Apple TV?

The Apple TV has come out and should be in stores soon if it isn't already. For $300.00 you have to pause and decide if its worth the cost or not. The answer to that question depends on just how much you use and buy content from the Apple iTunes store or how much you are willing to spend hours and hours converting your existing files to a m4v codex that Apple TV will play. If you have lots of iTunes contents or are willing, then yes, its probably worth it. If you are like me and barely use the iTunes store and most of your videos are in lots of different formats then the answer is no because Apple TV will not play them.

Really the answer to "should I buy Apple TV?" is the same answer to "Am I willing to spend lots of money on iTunes Store content?". So there you go, a quick reason to decide to spend the money or not. Considering Apple's history with the iPod video, the limitation in Apple TV to only play certain non-common codex's is unlikely to change anytime soon. On the bright side, hackers will probably eventually come up with easy methods to override this problem. Until then though, just wait. Wait until Apple TV 2.0 or 3.0 and wait until it becomes something that can truly play any video you want to play and not just a limited few. Force a company, not even Apple, to release a real solution to getting content from computer to TV easily that doesn't come with a bunch of rules. The only way to do that is refuse to buy these half-assed solutions.

Various links for info:
Gizmondo Review
iLounge's Top 10 Reason to Not Get Apple TV
Apple TV FAQ
C-Net Apple TV Linkfest