If your new to the Apple TV, you may be wondering how is it you turn the box off? If you haven’t discovered the fact that this little box runs kind of hot, you will. The short answer to this question is there is no way to turn it off, unless you unplug it completely. What Apple did though was include a Standby Mode, which is a way to turn it off without turning it off. To put Apple TV in standby mode, select Settings > Standby from the main menu, or If you are on the main menu, you can also press Play/Pause on the Apple Remote for about three seconds to put Apple TV in Standby Mode. Below is a list of things your Apple TV might be doing in Standby Mode, which will give you an idea of why it doesn’t cut power completely.
1. The hard drive spins down when not syncing or downloading content.
2. Video displays black even though video output remains active.
3. Audio does not play.
4. Download of any content (rented or purchased) from the iTunes Store continues uninterrupted.
5. Apple TV continues to appear in the iTunes device list, allowing you to view synced content.
6. Network connections remain active and Apple TV continues to appear in the iTunes device list, allowing you to sync content.
7. The fan continues to operate.
8. If the Apple TV is in standby mode during a sync operation, content continues to write to the hard drive.