Apple TV 2.2 update issued; adds Genius support and better HDTV features

Last night, Apple updated iTunes to version 8.0.1 and addressed some issues with its latest music portal release. At the same time it quietly snuck in an update for Apple TV that adds some nice new functionality to Apple’s set top offering. No it doesn’t stream Netflix like the BD300 or feed you pr0n like the Vudu box, but Apple has beefed up its offering quite a bit with a few key additions. First off, version 2.2 of Apple TV software now allows users to purchase and download High Definition TV shows directly from the box UI. Prior to this software version Apple TV users had to line up such content from within iTunes. The other major change is the addition of Apple’s Genius recommendation support. While a song is playing or while on the Now Playing screen, holding down the menu button on the Apple TV remote will allow users to “Start Genius” and make use of Apple’s new recommendation engine. Beyond that, the Apple TV update also includes various fixes and tweaks that address prior issues and add some shine to various areas of the UI.

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