Submitted by Fred Straker on
Soon a long list of devices throughout the home and auto will be remotely controlled. While many are already accustomed to using iPhone and iPad apps for remote control, Apple Watch adds a new dimension of convenience. TV remotes in particular can be eliminated thanks to the Apple Watch. Here are a few different ways that Apple Watch owners can guide their viewing experience directly from the wrist.
If you are new to the Apple TV, it isn't obvious how to turn it off. There are several ways you can turn off the device:
1. The quickest way to turn off the Apple TV, aside from unplugging it, is to hold down the Play/Pause button for about three seconds. This only works from the main menu screen. If your Apple TV has an older software version (before iOS 5.1), hold the Select button instead (the center circle button).
The Apple TV remote is fairly small and could potentially find its way to an odd part of your house, not to be seen again for years, if at all. If this happens to you, or if you step on it and break it, you're in luck, because you can purchase an Apple TV remote separately from the Apple TV. You can find it at the Apple Store under Apple TV -> Accessories.
To be compatible with the Apple TV, your TV has to be an HDTV capable of 1080p or 720p resolution (supposedly the 4th generation Apple TV will be capable of 4K resolution, so you would need a 4K Ultra HDTV in order to view that resolution, but it will also work on 1080p and 720p). Your HDTV will also have to have an HDMI port, as you connect the Apple TV to your TV with an HDMI cable.
Yes, you can watch Netflix on the Apple TV, as long as you have a subscription to it. In fact, Netflix is one of the many built-in apps on the Apple TV, so you can access it directly. Some other services, like Amazon Prime, don't have native apps on the Apple TV, so subscribers would need to use Airplay to stream them from their Mac, iPhone or iPad. Currently, the standard Netflix plan is $8.99 per month and new customers receive one month free.
