The Apple TV grows in stature by the month. Last week’s iOS 6.1 update brought Bluetooth keyboard support and this is what the ATV has needed from the start. I connected a standard Apple Wireless Keyboard and it was a straightforward and painless experience. I look forward to dedicated mini keyboards, perhaps including remote controls for televisions and media boxes.
Last night I spent a couple of hours browsing YouTube on the Apple TV and it was great, much more akin to using a computer. In the past, the laborious hunt-and-peck text input acted as a definite discouragement.
Similarly, my late-model Samsung Smart TV is feeling a bit long in the tooth now I have experienced quick text input to the Apple device. Both the television and the TiVo box are so much more awkward to navigate. I hope that Apple’s initiative will force set manufacturers to add Bluetooth support.
by Mike Evans, 12 February 2013