Also competing in the category of ‘why didn’t I just do this in the first place?!’, we have Apple TV.
For those who aren’t familiar, Apple TV is basically a streaming device to allow one to play web- and iTunes-based content via the TV. It costs $99, so for years I’d been doing ‘everything but’—I’ve been paying for cable in this new apartment, I’ve been getting the Netflix discs rather than the streaming, and I even bought a $25 cable last week to try to use my MacBook Pro itself as a makeshift Apple TV. None of this was really working all that well—I watched cable maybe once a week (Glee!), the computer-to-TV adapter I bought couldn’t carry audio from my (older) MacBook Pro, and the Netflix discs of course arrived several days apart (and I rarely had time to watch more than two or three a month, anyway)—but dammit, I was saving money. Somehow.
Then my Apple AirPort wireless router died, so I went without for a couple of weeks, using an Ethernet cable (which of course didn’t work with my &*@^% school-issued PC) and scavenging free wireless connections where I could. After a little research, I realized that the AirPort I had (which I’d bought used) was actually approaching its tenth year of existence. Thus, I forgave it the extreme faux pas of giving up the ghost whilst bearing an Apple logo (blasphemy!), and decided that, assuming the cost was going to be spread over another decade, the investment in a new one was, in fact, probably worth it.
Somewhere in this confusing analysis of electronic devices and cost-benefit ratios, I ended up investigating the AirPlay feature of the Apple AirPort (and the awesome free Remote app for iPhone), which led me back to the option of Apple TV. After crunching a few numbers, talking to my sister (who owns one), and taking a good look at what I pay for versus what I actually watch, I realized that my current setup was both practically and financially ridiculous. I canceled my cable (keeping my Internet, but still saving me $54 per month), switched Netflix to streaming (no additional cost), and… drumroll… bought an Apple TV.
Verdict? So far, it is absolutely amazing. (See above comment re: why why whyyyy didn’t I just do this from the start?!) I’m currently working my way through all six seasons of The Wonder Years (don’t judge) and my lovely sister has agreed to share with me her vast collection of digitized movies and TV shows when I go home next week, so I will soon have even more content at my disposal. Also, an unforeseen perk is that, when I play music through Apple TV, if I do it with the Remote app (which, again, is super cool, and FREE), I can stream music simultaneously through the TV and my MacBook Pro. In other words, the laptop functions like a separate wireless speaker that I can place anywhere I want. Not that I throw a whole lot of parties in this 500sf apartment, but hey, who needs a party to appreciate a well-balanced audio system? Not this girl.
In other words, good decision (that is significantly contributing to my enjoyment of this lovely winter break!), and I wish I hadn’t waited so long.
