Apple has upgraded its Apple TV device adding easy access to TV content from many providers powered by the Siri digital assistant and a new remote control, along with exclusive games and many apps. The new Apple TV is built with a new generation of high-performance hardware and introduces a new user interface using the Siri Remote. Apple TV runs the all-new tvOS operating system, based on Apple's iOS, enabling existing iOS developers to create apps and games specifically for Apple TV and deliver them directly to users through the new Apple TV App Store.

The new Siri Remote simplifies how you select, scroll and navigate through content while bringing interactivity to the new Apple TV by using a glass touch surface that handles both small, movements as well as big, sweeping ones. Developers can take advantage of the built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, and the touch surface on the Siri Remote to create games and other apps.

With Siri, you can use your voice to search TV shows and movies by title, genre, cast, crew, rating or popularity, making it easy to say things like "Show me New Girl," "Find the best funny movies from the '80s," "Find movies with Jason Bateman" and "Find popular TV shows for kids." Apple TV will search iTunes and popular apps from Netflix, Hulu, HBO and Showtime, displaying all the ways the resulting TV shows and movies can be played. Siri also offers playback control and on-screen navigation, as well as quick access to sports, stock and weather information.

tvOS is the new operating system for Apple TV, and the tvOS SDK provides tools and APIs for developers to create apps for the living room the same way they created a global app phenomenon for iPhone and iPad.

Game makers are already working on applications, as are home-sharing service Airbnb and real estate-focused service Zillow, according to Apple executive Eddie Cue.

The new Apple TV will be available at the end of October starting at $149 (US) for a 32GB model and $199 (US) for a 64GB model from Apple.com, Apple?s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

Apple TV has lagged rivals with similar devices. According to the research firm Parks Associates, Roku leads the US market with a 37 percent market share, to 19 percent for Google Chromecast and 17 percent for Apple TV. Amazon's Fire TV devices have 14 percent.

Specs:

• Size and Weight:
  • Height: 1.3 inches (33 mm)
  • Width: 3.9 inches (98 mm)
  • Depth: 3.9 inches (98 mm)
• Weight: 15 ounces (425 g)
• Capacity and Price:
  • 32GB - $149
  • 64GB - $199
• Siri Remote
  • Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
  • IR transmitter
  • Accelerometer and gyroscope
  • Lightning connector for charging
  • Rechargeable battery providing months of battery life on a single charge (with typical daily usage)
• Ports and Interfaces:
  • HDMI 1.4
  • 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO
  • 10/100BASE-T Ethernet
  • Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
  • IR receiver
  • USB-C for service and support
  • Built-in power supply
• Processor: A8 chip with 64-bit architecture
• Video Formats:
  • H.264 video up to 1080p, 60 frames per second, High or Main Profile level 4.2 or lower
  • H.264 Baseline Profile level 3.0 or lower with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
  • MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats
• Audio Formats: HE-AAC (V1), AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV; Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
• Photo Formats: JPEG, GIF, TIFF