• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, September 9, 2015

Apple released on Wednesday the next version of Apple TV, supported by touch and voice search assistant Siri. The foundation is built on powerful hardware and a new operating system that allows developers to build out apps.

Apps are the future of television, Tim Cook, Apple CEO, told developers at the company's conference. More than 60% of paid streaming video occurs on an Apple device, of which all is streamed through an app.

Hold down the Siri button on the remote to ask for something such as "show me funny TV shows." Siri returns a list of comedies sorted by popularity. A tap on the icon brings up all the details such as season, episodes and time. A swipe on the remote or touch on a sensitive trackpad allows users to do things like fast-forward and rewind.

Siri will search across multiple content apps, such as iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, and HBO, with more on the way -- and present all the content in one place on one screen.

During the demonstration, Apple showed examples of universal search. Query the voice assistant Siri to find specific actors or actresses in shows. Siri filters searches based on casts, directors and more. For instance, search on "show the modern Family episode with an Edward Norton cameo," and Siri will serve up the content. Once in the video of the television show, a click and a swipe makes it easy to find specific segments in the show.

Apple TV is now powered by iOS 9, which the company calls tvOS. The device now features animated wallpapers and screen savers.