Will the AppleTV Get a Kick in the Ports?

On September 9th, Apple will most likely unveil a new iPod lineup. I’ve already added my predictions to the speculation about what Apple will announce. The day after the iPhone 3G was revealed, I mentioned that I thought the iPod touch would have to be revamped, and its price dropped, in order to stay in the iPod lineup; that prediction may be about to come true.

Courtesy of Apple

One prediction I've made that has yet to move from rumor to real world is an updated AppleTV. The AppleTV product is in serious need of tweaking, primarily in its lack of 1080i HD output, which is becoming the preferred HD format in the U.S. The other place the AppleTV needs a kick in the ports is its inability to act as a DVR, so you could record afternoon Red Sox games and watch them in all their HD glory after work.

So, I'm officially adding an AppleTV update to my predictions for tomorrow. Apple needs to either update and promote the AppleTV or kill it as a standalone device, and build its capabilities into every future Mac.

We'll find out how much importance Apple places on the AppleTV tomorrow. Any updates need to be announced well ahead of the Christmas shopping season, which is fast approaching.