Apple Releases New Software for its Apple TV Over-the-Top Device

Apple last week released new software for its over-the-top device, Apple TV. According to the company, Apple TV 3.0, as the new software is designated, is immediately available free-of-charge to existing Apple TV owners via an automatic download (note: an Apple TV box with 160GB capacity is priced at $229), and offers:

• A redesigned main menu, that is billed as providing easier access to content. According to the company, recently rented or purchased movies, as well as other content, such as TV shows, music, podcasts, photos and YouTube video, are available directly from the new main menu.
• The ability to access Apple's iTunes Extras (provides bonus content, such as deleted scenes, interviews and interactive galleries) and iTunes LP (billed as providing a "rich, immersive experience for select albums on the iTunes Store by combining beautiful design with expanded visual features like live performance videos, lyrics, artwork, liner notes, interviews, photos, album credits and more") features. Apple TV allows the features to be viewed in full-screen mode, according to the company.
• Support for "Genius Mixes," an Apple technology that automatically searches a user's iTunes library in order to create what the company describes as "endless mixes of songs that go great together."
• Support for Internet radio, allowing users to browse and listen to thousands of Internet radio stations and to tag favorites for listening to later.
• Support for iPhoto Events, which is billed as simplifying the process of finding one's favorite photos on Apple TV, as well as for iPhoto Faces, a facial recognition-based technology which is billed as "giv[ing] access to photos organized by people identified in iPhoto."

"The new software for Apple TV features a simpler and faster interface that gives you instant access to your favorite content," Eddy Cue, Apple's VP of Internet services, said in a prepared statement. "HD movies and HD TV shows from iTunes have been a huge hit with Apple TV customers, and with Apple TV 3.0 they get great new features including iTunes Extras, Genius Mixes and Internet radio."

According to Apple, Apple TV provides users with the ability to rent or purchase from a catalog of over 8,000 Hollywood films on its iTunes Store, 2,000 of which are available in HD. The device also lets them purchase from a catalog of 11 million songs, 10,000 music videos and 50,000 TV episodes; and provides them with access to the iTunes Store podcast directory, which includes over 175,000 free video and audio podcasts, the company says. Purchases downloaded to Apple TV are automatically synched back to iTunes on the user's computer, so that they can also access them on their Mac, PC, iPhone or iPod.