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Second Generation of Apple TV Available in 4 Weeks

By | September 1, 2010 | 9 comments
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What started as a “hobby” for Apple four years ago has now been streamlined to create the second generation Apple TV.  The answer to requests from many Apple customers, this updated device is one-fourth the size of its predecessor and, according to Steve Jobs, promises to be a “phenomenal way to watch Hollywood movies and TV shows in your living room whenever you want.”

The new hardware comes with Apple’s powerful new A4 CPU but lacks a hard drive so all content must be streamed over the Internet or from a local PC or Mac.  The new Apple TV includes HDMI, optical audio out, Ethernet and USB ports.  Apple has dropped component video and analog audio support that was previously available on older Apple TVs.

The second generation Apple TV incorporates a variety of new software features.  With only rental content for HD movies and TV shows available, users no longer have the option to purchase, finally eliminating the need for storage and storage management.  Content streaming from a number of sources lets users click to rent and requires absolutely no syncing.

Users will now have access to first run movies the day they become available on DVD for $4.99 with their Apple TV.  They’ll also be able to stream HD TV shows for $0.99 with the added bonus of no commercials.  Currently, ABC and Fox are the only two networks providing TV content but Apple is optimistic the rest will quickly “see the light” and “get on board.”

If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you’ll be able to stream a large amount of content to your Apple TV directly from the Netflix library.  In addition to HD movie and TV content, users will have access to a wealth of Internet content from YouTube, Podcasts, Flickr, MobileMe (videos and photos) and Radio.

Content streaming will provide users access to content on their Macs and PCs.  Watch movies from your own library, listen to music from your iTunes collection or enjoy slide shows using photos from iPhoto.

With vast amounts of content available from a variety of sources, users are only seconds away from higher quality, more affordable entertainment whenever they want it.  The second generation Apple TV is available for pre-order starting today and will show up in stores in approximately four weeks.  The $99 price tag is Apple’s answer to customer requests for a more affordable price, so start saving for the holiday shopping season now.

About Cristi: Contact me via Twitter: @PadGadgetCristi

  • Shane

    Yah u fail to say it’s only 720p.. It’s like releasing a brand new DVD only player and saying it’s state of the art and top of the line.. Google tv will be 1080p… Nuf said.

    • Bill

      You’re right. 720p is the highest resolution the Apple TV will support. This is also the highest video quality available in the iTunes Store.

  • iPad Apps

    Streaming HD over Wi-Fi with a non-802.11n router … I don’t know how that’ll work. The buffering would have to be very, very good.

    • http://www.padgadget.com dag

      iTunes HD shows/movies are encoded at about 5Mbps (about 650kBps, 720p resolution), a lot less than what most 802.11g routers out there can handle. My current gen 1 AppleTV is hooked up a 802.11g access point and works just fine, no buffering required.

  • Tony

    Call me blind, but I have a 1080 HD tv with fios tv and I don’t see the difference between that tv and my 720 from a year ago. I ask a few people and none saw the difference. I mean maybe blueray and some movies will be good but 720 is not a deal breaker. I’m not old either 20/20 vision and 22 hahaha

    • Bill

      Tony,

      720p can look as good or better than 1080p in certain circumstances. This really comes down to what bit rate the content provider / carrier uses to encode and distribute the video. A 7 Mbps 720p stream can look much better than a 5 Mbps 1080p stream using the same video codecs. Even at the same bit rate, many “normal” people can not distinguish between 720p and 1080p from a distance of more than 10 ft or more form the screen (normal TV distance).

      It really depends on your content, equipment and of course your eyesight…too many variables. ;-)

  • WAM

    I have a current Apple TV and it is great for podcasts as well as TV and sometimes movies. In our area the best bandwidth available is 4.5 mbps. Streaming HD would JUST NOT WORK. Apple apparently does not want us rural folks for customers so I will be forced to use another alternative once my old Apple TV dies….

    • Cristi

      It really depends on how much memory the new Apple TV has and its buffering capabilities. It should theoretically work @ this bandwidth if the Apple TV has 500 MB or more of memory, which is very feasible.

    • dag

      iTunes 720p HD movies/shows are encoded at 5Mbps, about 10% more than the bandwidth you mention. With a little buffering, things should look just fine!