Apple TV, the video-streaming gadget from the makers of the iPod, was released today after a one-month delay.

The £199 device allows users to send music and video stored on a Mac or PC to a television set using a wireless network.

It’s not the first gadget promising to create a link between computer and TV, but Apple says that the simplicity of its product will appeal to a mainstream audience.

“Apple TV is like a DVD player for the internet age, providing an easy and fun way to play all your favourite iTunes content from your PC or Mac on your widescreen TV,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, said.

The company said the device, which comes with a remote control, would work with most modern TV sets, and computers running with Mac OS X or Windows XP.

It will come with a 40GB hard drive capable of storing approximately 50 hours of video, based on the 640 by 480 pixels format used by iTunes. It can collect files from up to five computers and relay them to a TV.

However, British users will not have access to the same range of shows as their American counterparts. In the US, the iTunes Store sells feature films and TV shows, which are not available elsewhere in the world.

Apple TV is one of a growing number of products and services that seek to create a link between computers and TVs. The PlayStation 3, which launches in the UK on Friday, lets users download video from the web, store it on the games console’s hard drive and display it on a TV.

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