Apple’s new set-top box: the old AppleTV

Apple’s new set-top box: the old AppleTV

At yesterday’s Macworld keynote, Apple announced an update to Apple TV and the availability of standard def (720×480) and high def (1280×720) movie rentals from the iTunes Music Store. The new AppleTV software isn’t out yet but promised “soon” though rentals are now available from an iTunes update (HD movies are only going to be available on AppleTV).

While I’ve liked my AppleTV, it’s always felt like a limited-use device that could do much more. Adding rentals into the mix (along with more podcasts and photo integration) is definitely going to make me use the device more. While I’ve rented a few Amazon Unbox movies on my TiVo, I haven’t been a fan of the low video quality. I’ve also bought few shows/movies for AppleTV because I rarely watch a movie more than once. I’ve tested out dedicated Pay-Per-View devices like the Vudu and been grossly underwhelmed (mostly due to the thin selection).Apple TV is suddenly much more interesting because they have loads of studios on board offering thousands of movies (great selection) along with a new 720p HD option for 100 recent films (hopefully with more to come). Given these new rental options in addition to the old “plays any downloaded web video converted over” and “easily show off all photos from iPhoto” features, I’m much more hopeful for the future of Apple TV as well as the future of the iTunes Music Store becoming something big for everyone.