Apple introduces revamped Apple TV device

Apple unveiled its newest iteration of Apple TV yesterday, introducing a $99 device that's roughly the size of a wallet and bears little internal resemblance to its predecessor.

The set-top box--not, by the way, called iTV as rumored--is designed to stream video content from Apple's iTunes store, eliminating the need for storage or syncing and is capable of 720p output. Jobs said the new Apple TV would be available in about four weeks.

The device is powered by the A4 processor, the same Apple-produced chip that is in the iPad, and a big upgrade from previous model that relied on the Intel Pentium M processor. Although Apple didn't say if Apple TV is running on iOS or OS X, it did say the Apple TV initially won't have apps to run, so it's essentially a moot point.

The scaled-down box is cool running, and quiet.

The box will come with Netflix onboard, allowing Netflix subscribers access to the service's library of streaming video, as well as YouTube and Flickr content. The box also gives users access to any video stored on iTunes, pictures on Apple's MobileMe service and access to podcasts and Internet radio.

New to Apple TV is AirPlay, which allows users to switch from device to device without losing their place in a video, and to stream music wirelessly to multiple outputs simultaneously. It will require iOS 4.1, which is scheduled to arrive next week.

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