Slew of new features--including movie rentals and HD video--en route to Apple TV
Steve Jobs announces several new enhancements and features coming to Apple TV.
Update: Check out three related videos with more info on the forthcoming Apple TV upgrade: Steve Jobs comments during his keynote address; the video guided tour on Apple's Web site; and a summary from CNET's Donald Bell. This post has also been updated since its original publication with additional information.
The Apple TV just got a whole lot more useful.
Steve Jobs unveiled a major feature update to the Apple TV today during his Macworld keynote address in San Francisco that aims to transform the device from a TV-based iTunes media viewer to a more full-featured media-on-demand device. The hardware will remain the same, with the entry-level 40GB model dropping from $300 to $230, but a free software upgrade--available in two weeks--will add the following functionality:
Notably, the forthcoming Apple TV upgrade hits three of the five "how to fix Apple TV" suggestions I made back in September. (Just as notable: it appears I was 100 percent wrong when I said that Apple TV couldn't handle surround sound.) Likewise--if effectively implemented--these improvements will also negate many (albeit not all) of the points listed in "the bad" on the existing CNET review of the product.
Still, because there's been no hardware upgrade, some of the other gripes remain. The dearth of composite and S-Video outputs mean the Apple TV will only connect to a newer wide-screen TV. You're still stuck with the tiny Apple remote, which may actually be too oversimplified for some people (you'll need the TV remote--or a universal model--to control the TV's volume, for instance). And the product remains completely iTunes-centric: Barring a hack or some major file transcoding, you won't have access to any other videos on your hard drive.
In the same vein, the fantasies of a supercharged "Apple TV 2.0" never materialized. Those looking for a built-in DVD or Blu-ray drive--or a full-on DVR replacement--will remain disappointed. Face it, guys, it's not going to happen: Apple's trying to upsell you on its own media service, where it's getting a commission on everything you watch or listen to. The company just doesn't have a compelling reason to make it easier for you to access non-Apple content (that's why I think Internet radio won't be added anytime soon, either). Likewise, a DVR would require a partnership with a cable company (via the still-dodgy CableCard technology) or satellite provider--and Apple already seems to have a somewhat strained relationship with AT&T Wireless, its keystone domestic partner in the iPhone venture.
That said, the combination of these imminent Apple TV and iTunes upgrades are a big step forward for moving Apple's media strategy beyond the iPod and into the living room. While we'll reserve final judgment until we get some hands-on time with the upgrade, it seems like "Apple TV Take Two" is very close to what we were all looking for the first time around. At the very least, it offers a serious challenge to the other competitors in this space, including everyone from Microsoft (Xbox Live Marketplace), Netflix, Blockbuster, Amazon Unbox, and upstart
What do you think? Is Apple TV back from the dead, or are you looking for even more?