Unveiled by innovation maestro Steve Jobs during his Keynote presentation at the 2007 MacWorld Expo in San Francisco, Apple TV is set to bring the next inevitable phase of evolution to your living room. It’s a tiny unit – 7.7 inches square and just a shade over an inch high – but it will pack a powerful punch in your entertainment center.

Apple TV is simple to use – anything you download through iTunes or have stored in your iPhoto library can be synched from your Mac or PC directly to your HDTV. So, whether it’s the latest episode of 24 or a slideshow from last Christmas, as long as it’s saved on your computer, you can watch it from the comfort of your sofa.

The Apple TV box will synch with up to five computers on your home network, it’s capable of storing up to 50 hours of video and able to stream video direct from your Mac or PC to your TV screen. It’s a versatile piece of kit, with HDMI and component video/audio outs and an Ethernet port on the off chance your house isn’t wireless already.

In the technology trends and gadget predictions for 2007, scores of people were predicting the death of the DVD. With Apple TV is set to start shipping later this month, it’s easy to understand where they’re coming from – even if the unit currently has a price tag of $299. There are a number of similar bits of kit out there - granted, none of the others integrate directly with iTunes or come in the sleek Apple-branded box, and few have such a non-imposing footprint. But the revolution, it appears, will indeed be televised – and thanks to Apple TV, you’ll be able to download it and play it back at a time to suit your schedule.