Apple TV: Apple's new set-top box, the Apple TV, arrived in stores Friday, with big expectations for what it can do to simplify the complicated world of streaming video.

New Apple TV: If the Future of Television Is Apps, Sign Me Up

Apple's new set-top box, the Apple TV, arrived in stores Friday, with big expectations for what it can do to simplify the complicated world of streaming video.

So, ahead of the consumer launch, I spent one long night with the Apple TV provided by the company for review - simulating the many nights I've spent staying up late and bingeing on video until my eyelids slam shut of their own accord. It was, in some ways, the ultimate stress test: I learned how to use Apple TV when I was at my fuzziest and least forgiving.

Apple TV passed with flying colors. Apple is hawking the new device with the tagline: "the future of television is apps." Whether Apple can revolutionize "television" - meaning the entertainment industry - is still up for debate. But Apple is certainly making some headway with changing the way consumers can interact with their television sets.

In some ways, in fact, video apps such as Netflix or Hulu were the least exciting part of the device. They didn't look much different from what I've seen before. I was far more intrigued by the other apps in the new Apple TV store, which made me realize that my television was a much more versatile device than I thought it could be.

That really surprised me. When Apple was going over the non-video apps in its presentation in September, I admit I wasn't that excited about the idea. In theory, I didn't understand why you'd shop from your television. But in practice? Well, the upgrade to the quality of window-shopping alone, by way of apps such as Gilt or even Zillow, explains why Apple and its partners thinks this is a good idea.

Overall, the Apple TV is still probably the most appealing to Apple fans who have a lot of content in iTunes and want to pull their video subscriptions together onto one device. Even at its starting price tag of $150 (roughly Rs. 9,800), it may be a bit too much for those who aren't that plugged into the Apple ecosystem, especially when rival devices such as Google's Chromecast ($35 or roughly Rs. 2,300) and Amazon's Fire TV box ($100 or roughly Rs. 6,500) and stick ($40 or roughly Rs. 2,600) are easier on the wallet.

But the latest version of the TV does show that this product has officially graduated from the "hobby" designation it held within Apple for many years - and lays out an exciting vision for the largest screen in your home.

Tags: Amazon, Apple, Apple Music, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Google, Home Entertainment, Hulu, iPhones, iTunes,Netflix, Siri