Apple Introduces Apple TV 3.0 Software With Redesigned User Interface

Announcement this morning from Apple:

Enjoy iTunes LP, Genius Mixes & Internet radio on Your HD TV

SYDNEY, Australia – 30 October 2009 – Apple® today introduced new Apple TV® 3.0 software featuring a redesigned main menu that makes navigating your favourite content simpler and faster, and makes enjoying the largest selection of on-demand movie rentals and purchases, TV shows, music and podcasts from the iTunes® Store even better on your TV. You can now enjoy iTunes LP in stunning fullscreen with your Apple TV, as well as listen to Genius Mixes and Internet radio through your home theatre system. The new Apple TV software is available immediately free of charge to existing Apple TV owners, and Apple TV with 160GB capacity is available for just recommended retail price A$329 inc GST.

“The new software for Apple TV features a simpler and faster interface that gives you instant access to your favourite content,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of Internet Services. “HD movies from iTunes have been a huge hit with Apple TV customers, and with Apple TV 3.0 they get great new features including Genius Mixes and Internet radio.”

The redesigned main menu on Apple TV gives you instant access to your favourite content. Recently rented or purchased movies, as well as other content including TV shows, music, podcasts, photos and YouTube, are accessible directly from the new main menu. The new software also allows Apple TV users to enjoy stunning fullscreen iTunes LP, including great new movie titles such as “Star Trek” and albums such as Nora Jones “Come Away with Me (deluxe version)” and The Doors “40th Anniversary Mixes”.  iTunes LP is the next evolution of the music album, delivering 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.

Now Apple TV users can enjoy Genius Mixes through their home theatre system and listen to up to 12 endless mixes of songs that go great together, automatically generated from their iTunes library. Customers can also enjoy Internet radio, allowing them to browse and listen to thousands of Internet radio stations, as well as tag favourite stations to listen to later. Apple TV’s support of HD photos is enhanced with iPhoto Events, which simplifies finding your favourite photos on Apple TV, as well as iPhoto® Faces, which gives access to photos organised by people identified in iPhoto.

Apple TV users have direct access to a catalog of Hollywood films on iTunes including stunning HD video available to rent. Users can also choose from a selection of 11 million songs and thousands of music videos and TV episodes to purchase directly from their Apple TV or browse and enjoy the iTunes Store podcast directory of over 175,000 free video and audio podcasts. Purchases downloaded to Apple TV are automatically synced back to iTunes on the user’s computer for enjoyment on their Mac® or PC or all current generation iPods or iPhones.* iPod touch® or iPhone® users can download the free Remote app from the App Store to control their Apple TV with a simple tap or flick of the finger.

Pricing & Availability

The new Apple TV software is available as a free automatic download to all Apple TV customers. The 160GB Apple TV is available from the Apple Store® (www.apple.com/au), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers for a recommended retail price of A$329 inc GST. Apple TV requires an 802.11b,g/n wireless network or 10/100 Base-T Ethernet networking, a broadband Internet connection and a high definition widescreen TV.