The Apple TV unit makes watching downloaded (iTunes store) content amazingly convenient. The price of rental content is really quite reasonable, unless you really like to have the DVDs, to re-watch the shows or movies in which case you can buy the content and pay for the storage yourself.
I do not see how Netflix online could be any better. For my investment sake, I wish Apple would market the Apple TV a bit more for the great solution it really is.

We've had an Apple TV for almost a year. It's primarily used for uTube and watching movie trailers. We've rented a few movies on it, but think that the price/time value is not there. Usually we will rent a DVD from Blockbuster and different members of the family will watch it over several days. Apple TV rentals expire 24 hours from the time we start watching a movie, so we feel that $4 or $5 for a 24 hour Apple TV rental is not a good value. Would VERY much like to see a $1 rental similar to Redbox.

Movie rentals from Apple TV are by far the most economical and convenient method. Select from the comfort of your couch and watch within a few minutes.

No more driving to the local video store, staring at shelves of boxes, renting then driving back to return the movie. How wasteful.

You have 30 days to begin watching your Apple TV rented movie. If you can't finish watching it in the 24 hour period, just pause the movie and resume next day, next week, or next year!

Apple TV movie rentals provide $0.99 weekly specials and real HD versions with true multi-channel surround sound. I can't understand putting up with Netflix or store-based DVD rentals when a solution like Apple TV/iTunes Store is available.

Netflix give you unlimited B-list downloads. Apple will most likely never do this.

"John Martellaro looked at the trends and discussed whether devices like the Apple TV that lock viewers into a niche for the sake of the simplicity of the user experience could miss out on new opportunities."

The iPod thrived for one reason and one reason alone: simplicity.

It is owned and operated likely by thousands of people who can't even figure out how to change the time on their VCRs, much less connect a networked computer to their TV to watch streaming Netflix movies. Much less figure out how to install Silverlight.

Apple TV is so simple that my 6-year-old can navigate and use it. In fact, he can navigate and use is much more easily than he can navigate and use the program guide offered by our cable company.

Once you start watching a movie on Apple TV you have 24 hours to finish it.

That can be very inconvenient if say you start a 3 hour Movie at 8:30 PM and watch until 10:30 PM. That means you have to start watching the next day at 7:30 or so.

Not necessarily the best for the working folk.

I think they need to expand the window to at least 30 hours and maybe even 3 days like many video stores do.

KW

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Guest wrote:
Once you start watching a movie on Apple TV you have 24 hours to finish it.

That can be very inconvenient if say you start a 3 hour Movie at 8:30 PM and watch until 10:30 PM. That means you have to start watching the next day at 7:30 or so.