Apple today premiered Apple TV, an easy to use and fun way to wirelessly play all your favorite iTunes content from your Mac or PC on your widescreen TV, including movies, TV shows, music, photos and podcasts. Using Apple TV’s new interface, anyone can quickly browse and view their entire collection of digital media from across the room using the simple and intuitive Apple Remote. Apple TV easily connects to almost all modern widescreen televisions, and will be shipping in February for US$299.
“Apple TV is like a DVD player for the 21st century — you connect it to your entertainment system just like a DVD player, but it plays digital content you get from the Internet rather than DVDs you get from a physical store,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “Apple TV plays the same iTunes content that users enjoy on their computers and iPods, so now they can even watch part of a movie in their living room, and watch the rest later on their iPod.”
Apple TV has a 40GB hard drive to store up to 50 hours of video, 9,000 songs, 25,000 photos or a combination of each and is capable of delivering high-definition 720p output. Apple TV is easy to connect to a broad range of widescreen TVs and home theater systems and comes standard with HDMI, component video, analog and optical audio ports. Using high-speed AirPort 802.11 wireless networking, Apple TV can auto-sync content from one computer or stream content from up to five additional computers right to your TV without any wires.
The seamless integration of Apple TV and iTunes lets users choose from over 250 feature-length movies and 350 TV shows in near DVD quality; four million songs, 5,000 music videos, 100,000 podcasts and 20,000 audiobooks. Users can enjoy their favorite music on a home entertainment system and view slideshows of their photo albums on a widescreen TV. Apple TV makes it easy for users to explore their entire media collection with an easy to use and intuitive new interface. With the Apple Remote, consumers can easily browse through their favorite movies, TV shows, music and photos from up to 30 feet away.
Apple TV, which includes the Apple Remote, will be shipping in February through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of US$299.
Apple TV requires iTunes 7 or later running on a Mac with Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later, or a Windows PC with Windows XP Home/Professional (SP2). An 802.11b/g/n wireless network using AirPort, AirPort Extreme or 10/100 Base-T Ethernet networking required. Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended. Apple TV requires an enhanced-definition or high-definition widescreen TV. iPod games will not play on Apple TV. iTunes is available in the US and select countries.
More about Apple TV here.
Iphone – cool
Cingular – not
What happend to iLife and iWork?
SO when will the iTunes movies be 720p?
MW: never. I hope that’s not the answer.
Welcome to “Everything-But-MacWorld”
I feel like there needs to be a Special Event in the near future– y’know, to talk about Leopard and the iApps. I feel like they need to be talked about badly.
Well, at least I know I can go and just buy new earbuds rather than a new iPod.
I really like this product, but I an disappointed it does not have an svideo connection for my legecy TVs (If it did I would gladly buy four of them) as it stand I can only buy 1.
Kinda wanted 1080p. REALLY want HD content. Magic 8 ball sez “too soon to tell”
Next year would be nice. I can wait that long. Really.
Maybe not a “Special Event” but just rather another event. Soon please!
Apple TV looks nice and all, but why couldn’t they make the thing work with a regular TV? After all my Mac Mini works fine with my TV, front row and all. I’m confused why Apple TV is only for people with HDTVs. Basically, Apple lost a sale today because of that. Oh well.
WORST MACWORLD KEYNOTE EVER!!! It feels like Steve has cast aside the Mac! Not a mention of Leopard? iLife? New Macs? … and a name change that removes the word computer!?!?! No, ‘One more thing’?!? I guess this will no longer be ‘MacWorld’. Who cares about ANOTHER cell phone (I can’t even use Cingular)!? Steve ignores the Apple faithfull and goes the route of big corporate america. Goodbye Apple Computer, I for one will miss you
About AppleTV… sounds great but gets expensive when you add up the costs! I’ll need to replace my wireless router with a new 802.11n ($150), I don’t even see an Airport Express Card for existing Macs that are not Core2Duo (both of my Macs are less than 2 1/2 years old, I’m not buying a new one for this!) … I guess I’ll take a closer look at Vista, at least M$ is still in the Computer Software Business!!
Steve should have introduced more breakthrough COMPUTER hardware, software and the like and left this teevee device out of the Keynote instead of devoting so much hype to it.
So, you can beam a signal from your computer to your TV. What’s so special about that?
From an outside of the US viewpoint, that keynote had nothing. There was nothing except two products that can really only be used by US customers. Also Apple may as well have been speaking at the CES, since there was no mention of the Mac.
Very disappointing.
You guys just don’t get it do you! This is the future! Mobile Computing and Entertainment… Leopard will have it’s day, and so will the iApps. Today, Apple stepped into the future and left you wannabes in the dust.
SKABEETLE, take a look at Vista then if thats you want. This is not the place to tell people about it you p***k.
THIS WAS THE MACWORLD KEYNOTE! Not a special event to introduce a new consumer electronic device! The problem isn’t AppleTV or the iPhone, it’s that there was no mention of the Mac!!
Widescreen TVs only? Damn. That means I need to buy a new TV.
So… with this Apple TV, can I finally record something from my iTunes (like a TV show) and get rid of the protection? Looks to me like if I can get the component video source into my EyeTV then I’ll be all set.
Hmmm makes me wonder….
The iPhone is a little, teeny tiny little Mac.
Irish Dude is right.
Take a pill, or go somewhere else. Someplace with Vista.
@skabeetle
Dude, we heard you already. Relax.
The iphone isn’t a teeny little mac until it can do a spreadsheet. I agree it may be the “the future” of computing as someone stated above but it’s lacking in the present. It’s cool. But not a tool.
Now that TV’s are mostly wall mounted, shouldn’t the form factor of the TV peripherals reflect that? Apple TV is a nice little box to set on a desk or entertainment center but shouldn’t it clip on to top of flastscreen like a webcam? (or better than a webcam.) Who wants wires running all over the place from the ATV to the TV when the whole point is that it’s wireless?
I might have to agree —
WORST MACWORLD KEYNOTE EVER!!! I have nothing to go out and buy.
I was excited about the iTV but even that disappoints. It seems that a mac mini is going to be a better deal, once it’s up to wireless spec. At least it plays dvds! Now with the new Airport Extreme, I could add a network drive for storage.
The iphone looks great, but it’s a long way off and I’m not switching plans anytime soon. This being Macworld, I was hoping or iLife and iWork and OS X previews.
Give me the ability to send DivX/XviD/3ivX movies to my TV and I’m there. If all it can stream is purchased iTS content, that’s a little expensive.
People, people, did you really think Leopard would be released today? Then what does it matter if Leopard, iWork, and iLife were not discussed today. They are coming out. Don’t worry. I think the iPhone and Apple TV were ready to go and the others were not. Look for a special event soon.