The Apple TV got off to a slow start with its first generation Apple TV, according to a review by the Associated Press on Wednesday. The YouTube addition made the device more entertaining, but Apple TV "Take 2" has taken the device to a new level.

Netflix and cable should be trembling, according to Peter Svensson: "Silicon Valley’s brightest is out to get you...."

The key is that some of the HD movies are now in a format that can actually look pretty good on an HDTV. In addition, the reviewer was pleased with the ease of use of the remote control. "I rented The Italian Job in HD for $3.99 and waited two minutes until a box popped up on my TV to tell me the movie was ready to watch. Apparently, Apple TV deemed that my 10 megabit-per-second cable modem was fast enough for nearly instant gratification," Mr. Svensson wrote. However, for those with low end DSL connections, the system will warn the user that the download time will be very long, perhaps 8 hours. The highest speed cable modems are a necessity.

The author, who has a Vudu box, compared the experience and video quality of the movie on both units. "Careful comparisons of frames from The Italian Job on Apple TV and Vudu revealed no differences -- the architectural details of Venice’s canal-side palazzos came through fine. Both presented the movie in 720p resolution, slightly lower than the best TV sets are capable of, but substantially better than DVD," he noted. He used a 46-inch LCD HDTV.

He also compared the Apple TV to the Xbox 360. "Another alternative is Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 game console, which does pretty much everything Apple TV does, including HD rentals, and plays games as well," Mr. Svensson wrote. "But its interface is an eyesore, and it’s a loud, bulky machine, not the thing you want running in the entertainment center when playing a quiet, thoughtful movie."

Two minor downsides, however, were noted. Apple only has 81 HD movies in its current catalog. Also, the movie must be viewed within 24 hours. These restrictions are imposed by Hollywood, and the author would like to see the studios lighten up a little.

"Until then, the cable industry has breathing room," he concluded.