(24 March 2007 4:45 pm)

MUMBAI: Apple Inc. announced that it had started shipping its new Apple TV box, a device that lets viewers take music and video stored on a computer and play it on a television set.

At the core of Apple TV is the iTunes software so familiar to iPod users. Better yet, the sleek device lets you stream music and shows to your TV wirelessly over your home network.

Apple TV works through a wireless connection and is touted as delivering entertainment to a TV screen with nearly the same quality as a DVD player.

From your TV, you can take in movies, TV shows, podcasts and music stored in iTunes on a PC or Mac. You can also display photos stored on your computer, including slide shows backed by a soundtrack.

The box can store up to 50 hours of video, 9,000 songs or 25,000 photos, or a combination of the three formats.

Apple said its suggested retail price for the device is $299.