Even though the Apple TV was basically ignored at last week’s music event where we did get new iPod Nanos and other cool goodies, it seems that the device’s time has now come. Today over at the Apple Store, the company has made a few changes to its Apple TV lineup to get in step with some as-yet-unknown strategy.
The original 40GB model has been dropped and the 160GB model is now available for $229, down from $329. Now that these changes have been rolled out, what does this mean for a device that some consider a bit expensive and redundant in the age of Netflix streaming, Hulu or torrents? Over at AppleInsider, they’ve speculated that the iTunes LP format and iTunes Extras released last Wednesday are specifically designed to deliver content to Apple TV.
They’ve also noted that the content is scaled for 1280 x 720 resolution, which is the native resolution of the Apple TV. They’re are also html meta tags in the new content — “hdtv-fullscreen” and “hdtv-cursoroff” — which may indicate that these new formats were designed for the device. Whatever happens, its pretty clear that the Apple TV needs a refresh, and not just in capacity.
So, what can we expect from the device in the near future? In my perfect world we would see and Apple TV with Netflix streaming, access to the web for Hulu, a larger HD and a Blu-ray player built in. Will we actually get such a device? I wouldn’t hold your breath.
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