Apple TV - what is it?

[AgentProvocateur]

Can someone explain to me, in simple language, what Apple TV is, and whether it would be a good Christmas present for my DH. He had an iPhone and an iPad. Thanks

It's a box you plug into the tv which allows you to watch stuff on the tv. Apple TV comes preloaded with YouTube and various other pointless free things and has radio stations. It also has Netflix and now tv which you have to pay for but which are pretty good.
You can also stream things through the iPhone or iPad onto the telly like channel 4 and iplayer.
It's good if you don't have/want freeview and don't want to pay for extra Sky or whatever

Thanks. So if we've got Netflix and YouTube on the TV already, there would be no point in it really?

Not much, unless your dh is a huge apple geek. The new box does have games and apps too I think

you can also use apple tv to stream stuff to your tv from ipad or iphone maybe movies etc you have bought on itunes

Hugh Apple geek here, so we have an apple box.

I use it for Netflix, and also to display the iPad screen, for example if we have family round after a holiday, we show the photos on the TV big screen, so can all see them at once and chat about them.

Thanks. I'll have a think.

If you decide the buy one, make sure you know which model you are getting. The new model has lots of quite significant new features I think.

By the look of it you already have a smart tv so there would be no need to get one if streaming and XOS device to it as your tv should allow it via your own wifi network. Most tv's have enabled apps pre-installed, like you use Netflix, Youtube etc so also no need to get one for those reasons. To be fair since the advent of smart tv's i see less reason to actually need to get one.