The sub $100 Apple TV is coming, but at what price. Well, $99, but that's not what we meant.

The type of price which we refer to is the visible cost of releasing the internet-TV service with a relatively low RRP. Well, the first casualty is apparently going to be 1080p (or even 1080i) playback.

Reports suggest that the HD offerings will be 720p instead, with the A4 processor on board apparently not able to cope with big screen 1080p playback.

But it's not all bad news - the reports also state that the new offering will tie in the App Store, although it isn't yet clear if iPad and iPhone apps will be compatible.

It also seems that Apple may have finally got its way with the iTV appellation - the name it originally wanted to give the first rendition of the service when it was announced back in September 2006.

We're not sure what ITV (as in the old channel 3 over here in Blighty) will make of the iTV label but hey, it will probably get a few column inches and some air-time and there's no such thing as bad publicity, right?

And if it is to be iTV here in the UK, no doubt the Cupertino legal bods have already come to an arrangement with the broadcaster.

There's no confirmation yet as to when the next-gen iTV service will be hitting the shops, but Apple love a September announcement, so stay tuned to Pocket-lint to find out more in due course.