Sep 3, 2010 08:52 GMT  ·  By

Apple has confirmed that owners of an old-generation Apple TV will no longer get software update support, following the introduction of a revamped model earlier this week, during a press event in San Francisco.

Held at the famous Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the event saw the introduction of several new iPods, a new version of iTunes, previews of new iOS versions, as well as a new Apple TV iteration.

The new set-top-box boasts an all-new design and powerful specs to boot. It focuses on rentals, rather than on purchases, and allows users to integrate it with existing hardware throughout their homes.

However, there seem to be a great deal of folks who don’t like the idea of renting their movies / shows.

For example, one of our readers dropped us a line yesterday, saying “Why won't Apple let you buy movies anymore. I use this feature on my AppleTV now so I don't buy DVDs anymore!”

Fortunately, as revealed in a report by ars technica, purchases are still on for old Apple TV customers.

In addition to digging up this information, the tech site was also able to confirm with an Apple spokesperson that there will be no more software updates for old Apple TVs.

The spokesperson also said that the maximum HD resolution of the Apple TV is 720p, which corroborates recent rumors.

Cupertino believes Apple TV offers the simplest way to watch your favorite HD movies and TV shows. The device is priced at just $99, while rentals go from 99 cents for HD TV show episodes to $4.99 for premiered HD movies.

Apple TV also streams content from Netflix, YouTube, Flickr and MobileMe, as well as music, photos and videos from PCs and Macs laying around the house.

The device will be available for purchase later this month, Apple said.