If you give a Heather an Apple TV, she is going to realize her 9-year-old, 300-pound high definition Toshiba TV doesn’t have an HDMI input. When she discovers her 30-inch deep HDTV doesn’t have an HDMI connection, she’ll go to Best Buy and purchase a Samsung flat panel LCD TV.

When she marvels at the picture quality on the shiny new LCD TV, she’s reminded that she probably shouldn’t have incurred the expense. She quickly rationalizes the need to upgrade the family TV.

She’ll connect the Apple TV device to the new TV and she’ll uncover a problem. Her 10 year-old Yamaha audio receiver, too, doesn’t have an HDMI input or output. This reminds her that she can’t realize the full entertainment experience of the Apple TV unless she upgrades her AV receiver.

She returns to Best Buy and rationalizes the need to purchase a new home theater system. Back home again with a Pioneer Entertainment Hub, she spends three hours (three very long, frustrating hours) making the connections.

Once the connections are successful, she acknowledges she should have done her homework before purchasing that “inexpensive” $99 Apple TV.

When she adds up the day’s purchases, she questions the decision to buy an Apple TV. This will remind her to turn on the Apple TV and check out the features. Once she’s accessed her family photos, iTunes music library, Mobile Me Gallery, Netflix, and Internet, she remembers why she wanted an Apple TV.

Using the Apple TV will remind her that she made a very large investment on a flat panel LCD TV. If you ask her if the expense was worth it, chances are she’d say yes.