Apple reinvigorates TV line

Editor ©RapidTVNews | 02-09-2010

Following weeks of speculation that it was to make a second attempt to do for video what it has done for music, Apple has at last officially confirmed the redesign and relaunch of the Apple TV.

Cheaper and smaller, the relaunched product can be seen as an admission by Apple that its initial strategy for the box was not a wholesale success. Apple itself never seemed wholly behind the product, with marketing for the service well nigh non-existent. Sales figures were also never released.

Now based round a $99 four inches square form factor STB, Apple TV enables HD film and TV content to be streamed to living rooms, rather than stored in the box, as was the case with the first generation. It features built-in HDMI, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and an internal power supply.

The principal content source will be iTunes and Apple has negotiated with content owners—initially including ABC, ABC Family, Fox, Disney Channel and BBC America—to offer HD TV programming for $99. Apple TV users can also choose from an online selection of HD films to rent, including first run movies for $4.99.

Users will also have up to 30 days to start watching and then 48 hours to finish, or watch multiple times. They can also rent over 7,000 movies with over 3,400 available in HD. In a key development and bonus for Apple TV, Apple says that most new releases will be available the same day they are released on DVD.

Apple TV also gives access to the Netflix streaming catalogue for Netflix subscribers and the ability to browse and search, rate content, add to or remove from queues, or instantly stream straight to a HD TV. YouTube, MobileMe and Flickr content is also supported.

US-video-Apple-Apple TV-HD TV

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