Apple have released a new version 3.0 of its Apple TV software which can now be downloaded free by an expectant TV Viewing public.

According to Apple, the free software features a redesigned menu that the company hopes will make it easier to find the content users are looking for.

Perhaps the biggest news from the update is the addition of Apple’s recently announced iTunes Extras and iTunes LP. The former gives users the opportunity to access special features like deleted scenes and cast interviews in various movies in the iTunes Store. iTunes LP allows users to view content related to specific songs, including interactive lyrics, performance videos, and other offerings.

Apple also announced that users can finally listen to Internet radio stations on the Apple TV. They can listen to several stations, including WCBS, K-Rock, and others. The company also added Genius Mixes, which lets users “listen to up to 12 endless mixes of songs that go great together, automatically generated from their iTunes library.” iPhoto users will now have access to iPhoto Events. Apple also threw in its facial-recognition feature iPhoto Faces.

The update to be frank seems pretty uninspiring with nothing special on show. Instead, Apple has added a few extras and Internet radio. They’re nice to have. But they certainly pale in comparison to my hopes for bigger and better things from this product. For now, it seems that the Apple TV is still just “a hobby.”

The user-interface has changed and the menus load faster than before, they look better, and navigation with the Apple Remote seems to be more fluid than before. But there are no new real sources of content. You have your same choice of iTunes on a local Mac or two, the iTunes Store, or YouTube.

But there is still no no Hulu or Netflix available. So no real progression from Apple who like to think of themselves as a groundbreaking company..

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