That's why the new Apple TV – the first upgrade to the product category since January 2013 – features a brand-new operating system with its own App Store.
The operating system, which is dubbed tvOS, is based on the firm's upcoming iOS 9 update.
tvOS lavishes colour on the previous generations' gloomy greyscale user interface. It also adds Siri to the TV.
Ask Siri to recommend movies, then narrow down choices with certain criteria, e.g "animated only"
Apple's virtual assistant plays a significant role in the new update.
You can ask Siri to find movies by date, or genre – and then narrow down the results based on other criteria, "show only movies starring Steve Coogan", or "Show only animated ones", etc.
Apple showcased a couple more uses for its digital assistant, which first debuted in the iPhone 4S back in October 2011.
If you ask Siri "What did she just say?" during a film or television show, the digital assistant will skip back 15 seconds and temporarily turn-on closed captioning.
TV plays a huge role in our lives and it occupies an important place in our homes
Tim Cook, Apple CEO
Siri can also provide information in the lower-third of the screen, including weather reports, the latest news and sports scores.That information can be expanded into a fullscreen view for a more in-depth look.The new Apple TV ships with a all-new remote, which has a glass trackpad to allow users to slide and tap their way through the new interface, similar to using a MacBook trackpad.Elements of the user interface respond to your movement on the trackpad. Film posters and app icons rotate and move in a pretty 3D effect, based on your movements.
The new Apple TV remote has a glass trackpad for quick touchscreen navigation
The remote control can be turned sideways and used as a video game controller
Apple has also included a Menu, Home, Siri and Play/Pause button. The redesigned remote control also has volume controls, which can be programmed to work with your existing television set.The new remote will charge using a standard Lightning Connector – familiar to iPhone and iPad customers.Battery life is around three months on a single charge, according to Apple.The Lightning port is also used to connect the Remote Loop – a new wrist strap to stop you from accidentally flinging the controller into your HD TV when using the motion controls.These motion controls allow you to swing your arms like a Wii remote to control characters on-screen.Netflix, HBO, GILT and Crossy Road and a number of other content providers have already written apps ready for the Apple TV.Console games like Guitar Hero and Star Wars Infinity will also be available on the new Apple set-top box.
Apple CEO Tim Cook announces the brand-new Apple TV set in San Francisco
"TV plays a huge role in our lives and it occupies an important place in our homes," CEO Tim Cook said during his presentation.But whether Apple is able to convince customers and third-party App developers that its new hardware and software will revolutionise the living room remains to be seen.Apple is planning to release its new Apple TV in October in the US, UK and other markets. Prices start at $149 – some £96 for a 32GB model.Another model with 64GB of internal storage will be available for $199, around £130.Remote Loop will be sold separately. Official UK Pricing and Availability has yet to be released.tvOS – including the App Store and Siri functionality – will not be available backwards compatible with existing Apple TV set-top boxes.
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