Following on the heels of CEO Tim Cook’s updates on Siri, the App Store and iCloud, Apple’s Eddy Cue moves on to discuss the new Apple TV, which brings 1080p video playback from iCloud and a “gorgeous” new interface.
Rumor no more: Apple has just announced a new Apple TV, which will be available on March 16 for a mere $99, with preorders starting today. The latest version of the media streaming box adds 1080p HD video to the mix, along with a slick new interface that tosses out the aging look of the original Apple TV in favor of something more closely resembling an iOS device.
“Apple TV gives you anytime access to endless entertainment,” the company’s website reads. “Thousands of HD movies and TV shows from iTunes -- many in stunning 1080p -- play through Apple TV on your HDTV, and music and photos stream from your computer. You just click and watch. With AirPlay, it’s simple to play content from your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch on your TV.1 And the Apple TV interface makes it easy to find whatever you’re in the mood for.”
While the new Apple TV doesn’t introduce any new content deals (seriously, where’s Hulu Plus, folks?), iTunes in the Cloud now offers 1080p movie and TV show content, with movies finally available for re-download to any device -- gone is the need to store gigabytes of protected movie content purchased from iTunes, it can simply be streamed to the new Apple TV or downloaded again to any iOS device.
The new Apple TV also gains a single-core A5 processor as well as a variation of the iOS 5 operating system, although the design of the hardware appears identical to the existing model. There’s no word on whether existing second-generation Apple TV boxes will receive a software update enabling the new interface.
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