Apple Targets Living Rooms With New Apple TV Set-Top Box

Steve Jobs unveiled a new sleek $99 version of the Apple TV set-top yesterday. The new Apple TV streams content from Netflix, YouTube and Flickr; first-run movies for $4.99; and select TV shows for $0.99. (A total of 7,000 movies will be available at launch, half in HD and most available the day they’re released on DVD.)

The old Apple TV was $299. To reach the $99 price point of the Apple TV 2.0, Apple decided to ditch the hard drive and making it just a streaming machine like the Roku. iOS integration and the new “AirPlay” feature will allow users to access titles they rent on their the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch – begin watching a movie on your TV then watch the rest on your iPhone.

Adding Netflix connectivity is the feature that most excites us. We’ve been hacking our Apple TVs for years and adding ripped DVDs and the ability to install Boxee.

What do you think of the new Apple TV? Would you buy one?