Apple TV reportedly getting a major overhaul soon

Apple might be preparing a significant overhaul to its Apple TV streaming device. The set-top box, which has till now been regularly described as a "hobby" within the company, looks like it's already being taken a lot more seriously now. The company's online store has been reorganized to give Apple TV its own top-level category along side the iPhone, iPad , iPod and Mac product lines. It was previously consigned to the accessories section of the iPod line, but now it has its own accessories section.

A report by 9to5mac suggests that the move has come in advance of a redesign of the product itself. Apple could be readying a new version of the device that supports third-party apps and games, much like its current lineup of portable iOS devices. It is unknown whether Apple will also release a new kind of controller for the new capabilities, use some form of gesture recognition, or rely on users' existing iPhones, iPods and iPads to provide input.

9to5mac also speculates that the refreshed device will integrate a Wi-Fi router to ensure that users experience smooth content delivery and video playback. There is no indication of the new device's pricing and whether there will be multiple models.

Apple had been widely expected to launch a line of television sets with a dramatically reimagined interface for media discovery and playback in 2012 or 2013, but this never came to pass. Analysts who had predicted such a launch later speculated that resistance from America content providers and cable TV operators had led to the products being scrapped. The new Apple TV could be reimagining of those in an external box rather than built into a TV set.