On top of the announcement, it was also disclosed that iCloud will now support movies and TV shows from the iTunes store. With iTunes in the Cloud, which will allow users to purchase and stream their favorite movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store and watch them instantly on their HDTVs through Apple TV. And with AirPlay, users can also play or mirror their favorite content from their iPad or iPhone 4S to Apple TV.
“People are going to love streaming movies and TV shows in 1080p with the new Apple TV, and photos look beautiful displayed at the maximum resolution of your TV,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Apple TV is easier than ever to use with its new icon-based interface and the ability to access your purchased movies, TV shows and music right from iCloud.”
In addition, the new Apple TV features a simpler, state-of-the-art user interface making it easier than ever to access your purchased movies, TV shows and music with iTunes Match right from iCloud.
Besides, that nifty user interface appears quite a bit like iOS, including icons, apps, and cover flow. The revamped Apple TV will be $99 and is available on March 16, Apple chief Tim Cook said during a Wednesday press event.
Speaking of content, the programming available over Apple TV is pretty impressive. Apple TV users can select from an enormous selection of programming including over 15,000 movies and over 90,000 TV episodes available on the iTunes Store. Apple TV also offers great content from Netflix’s streaming catalog, live sports from MLB, NBA and NHL as well as Internet content from Vimeo, YouTube and Flickr.
The iCloud support will go beyond Apple TV by letting users who buy content stream it on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC. iCloud also stores photos and pushes them wirelessly to all your devices including your HDTV via Apple TV. iCloud provides an incredibly easy way to get instant access to all of your content, no matter which device is being used.
Lastly, the most amazing news out of all this is the price. Apple TV will be available on Friday, March 16 for a suggested retail price of $99 (US) through the Apple online store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Apple TV requires iTunes 10.5 or later. Apple TV requires an 802.11g/n Wi-Fi network or Ethernet network, a broadband Internet connection and a HDTV capable of 1080p or 720p and an HDMI cable that is sold separately.
However, those who own second generation Apple TV devices will be able to download a firmware update that adds the new UI. Besides, iTunes movie and TV show availability varies by country. Third generation Apple TV hardware is required to play 1080p video.