Prior to rolling out its new high-def iPad 3, Apple unveiled a higher-def Apple TV at a presentation in San Francisco Wednesday, bringing higher quality video and a new interface to the device.
This update doesn’t revolutionize the set-top box, but the Apple TV now features high-definition video (an ultra-sharp 2048 x 1536 pixel Retina display) and a new connection with the iCloud.
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Users can cue up movies they have already purchased through iTunes, placing movies a click away. At the demonstration, SVP of Internet and Software Services Eddy Cue demonstrated how this works by showing “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” which he dubbed his favorite movie of the year.
Apple TV also sports a new interface, with more icons and fewer lists and menus. Plus, the screensavers are National Geographic photos.
The new device costs the same as the old one — $99 – and will hit stores next week.
Photo Courtesy of Reuters