Nowadays we all have if not used, at least seen, a smart TV or appliances that make it possible to make TV smart, here are some concrete examples: Google Chromecasts, Amazon Fire TV Stick and Apple TV.
The devices listed in fact, when connected to the TV with USB or HDMI cables, will allow you to access a wide range of online services, but what kind of online services?
I’m talking about Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and many other paid streaming platforms where content is certainly not lacking. This kind of devices could be useful if you want to share, for example, Netflix with your parents, who do not have a lot of practicality with a mouse and keyboard, but instead indulge themselves with the remote control.
Today we will talk in particular about Apple TV, a device that is still not widely known today.
What is Apple TV?
Apple TV is a smart device produced by Apple that allows access to a vast collection of online services, of course not all paid, we also speak of YouTube among the various apps available.
This device is practically a “little box” smart, because of its shape, certainly more cumbersome than Google Chromecast and Fire TV. The smart TV is unfortunately in a single color, the black one, which could turn up the nose of many users, the package also includes:
- Apple TV Remote (the remote control with both physical and touch keys)
- Power cord
- Lightining to USB cable
How to activate Apple TV
For activation you will need to possess:
- An HD TV
- HDMI cable
- An internet connection
Before configuring your new Apple TV you will need to connect it to the power supply, after which you will only have to connect it to your TV and tune to the channel dedicated to it, pressing the “Source” button and going to the available HDMI channel.
After having configured the basic information, it will be necessary to pair the remote control with the TV, which is very simple:
- Press the Menu and + keys together.
- Following this trivial procedure select the language intended for use, your country of residence and the type of configuration, you can in fact configure Apple TV manually or migrating data from your iPhone or iPad.
If you had to manually configure, you will need to enter an Apple ID. What is an Apple ID? The Apple ID is an account that allows you to download applications provided by the App Store. Immediately after logging in, you can start using your Apple TV.
Main gestures
To switch off, restart or restore your Apple TV, follow what I am about to say:
- Shut down: press and hold the Home button on the remote control (the one that has a sort of screen like icon) and select the “In Stop” option, the Apple TV will switch off shortly thereafter.
- Restart: head to “The settings” of your Apple TV and go within the “system“, once there select the option “Restart“.
- Restore: to restore the device go back to “Settings”, then “System” and select “Reset”.
Application management
Now that you are familiar with your interactive TV, we proceed to the installation of the applications by going to the App Store, divided as usual in five sections:
- Focus – This section highlights the apps chosen by Apple’s editorial staff.
- Rankings – Where we can find the most downloaded apps in order of popularity.
- Categories – Where you can view and download applications belonging to the selected sector.
- Buy – Where you can view previously purchased applications
- Search – Panel that allows you to search for a specific app.
Once you have looked at the app to download, select the item “Get” and immediately the download will start.
To change the position of the app icon in your menu select the app to move without entering and hold the touch surface of your remote control, when the app seem to “shake” move the app with the touch part of the remote control.
If you are tired of any app and you want to remove it from the menu you will just have to repeat what I said about moving the app, when the app “trembles” press on your remote control the “Play/Pause button” selecting immediately after the entry that allows the removal of the app.
To project instead on the screen of your TV what you are viewing on your iPhone or iPad you will have to use the AirPlay. To take advantage of AirPlay you just need to be connected to the Wi-Fi network to which your Apple TV is connected and directly from the iPhone or iPad select “Duplicate screen” and then your Apple TV.