Starting now, you can find the movies you’ve previously purchased from iTunes—well, most of them, anyway—sitting on the Purchased page in the iTunes Store.

You can stream your movies over the new-and-improved Apple TV, too.

Just launch iTunes, sign in with your Apple ID, then click the “Purchased” link in the left column of the main iTunes Store page.

Next, click the Movies button at the top of the page, and presto—you’ll see most of the movies you’ve purchased from iTunes in the past.

To start downloading, click the appropriate iCloud icon.

You can also re-download your purchased movies from your iPhone or iPad. Just launch the iTunes app, tap the Purchased tab at the bottom of the screen, then browse to Movies.

Last but not least, you’ll also be able to stream your purchased movies from the new and improved Apple TV—which, by the way, is getting a revamped, more iPhone-like interface, plus the ability to stream 1080p-quality video (versus 720p for the previous-generation Apple TV).

Now, what’s all this about only “some” of your purchased iTunes movies being available to re-download?

Well, turns out that not all of the big movie studios have agreed to Apple’s terms for re-downloading their films, with All Things Digital reporting that 20th Century Fox and Universal have yet to sign on due to prior pay-TV deals. When and if the two hold-outs join the iCloud party remains to be seen.

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Roku ($49 to $99)

One of the best buys you’ll find in home video, period, the compact Roku TV set-top box delivers everything from streaming Netflix videos to TV shows from Hulu, professional hoops from the NBA, and even games like Angry Birds (if you get the $99 XS model). All you need is an HDMI-enabled TV and an Internet connection.

Apple TV ($99)

Yes, it’s twice as expensive as the cheapest Roku box, but the $99 Apple TV offers up some pretty compelling features for iPhone and iPad users—particularly the ability to wirelessly stream music and video from your handheld to a TV via the Apple TV’s “AirPlay” feature. Even better, the Apple TV will wirelessly “mirror” whatever is on your iPhone 4S’s or iPad 2’s screen (including the web browser, games, and the photo gallery) on your big-screen HDTV. You’ll also be able to rent movies from iTunes, stream your iCloud music collection, and watch streaming Netflix videos.

Related: Is Apple TV worth it?

Apple Digital AV Adapter ($39)

Here’s a stocking stuffer-priced alternative to Apple TV. Just plug the Digital AV Adapter into an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, connect the adapter to your HDTV via an HDMI cable, a presto—you can instantly stream videos, music, and music from your iDevice to your big-screen TV, or even “mirror” your iPhone 4S or iPad 2 display.

Optoma PK301 pocket projector ($399)

Small enough to fit in the palm, the battery-powered PK301 pocket projector connects to smartphones (including the iPhone and Android phones), tablets, laptops, and Blu-ray players, and it’s capable of displaying a 10-foot widescreen image onto a nearby screen or wall—perfect for turning your backyard into a drive-in. Pricey but eye-popping.

Harmony One universal remote ($199)

It’s been out on the market for a few years now, yet the Harmony One remains my favorite universal remote. Just launch the setup software on your PC or Mac, enter the makes and models of your various home theater devices (like your HDTV, Blu-ray player, game console, and streaming set-top box), sync the Harmony One remote with your system via the included USB cable, and you’re ready to go. Last step: gather up all your old remote controls and hide them in a drawer somewhere.

Disney WOW: World of Wonder Blu-ray calibration disc ($39)

Have someone on your list who just got a new HDTV and Blu-ray player? Help them get the best picture possible with this Blu-ray calibration set from Disney, which features step-by-step instructions for tweaking the settings on their big-screen TV, as well as a color filter for making sure blue skies aren’t too blue, grassy fields aren’t too green, and golden sunsets aren’t too golden.

Bargain HDMI cables ($10 or less)

You don’t have to spend $100 or even $50 on a standard HDMI cable, no matter what the clerks at your local big-box retailer say. Click here for tips and buying advice if you’re planning on tucking an HDMI cable or two under the tree.

Bonus: HDTV and Blu-ray player shopping
So, want to surprise a special someone on your list with an HDTV or Blu-ray player this year? Unfortunately, there are too many HDTVs and Blu-ray decks on the market for me to make specific recommendations; that said, check out my cheat sheet for first-time HDTV buyers, as well as some of my recent notes on Blu-ray.

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So perhaps it shouldn’t come as too much surprise that the very first Google TV box—the Logitech Revue, which came with a $299 price tag when it first arrived last October—drew little interest from viewers and a $50 price cut earlier this year.

Well, Logitech has just announced that it will soon chop the Revue’s price tag again—to just $99 (as reported by NewTeeVee), same as the revamped Apple TV and the priciest Roku streaming-video box. We’re pretty much talking a fire sale here.

The Revue's back panel: Yep, that'a a lot of wires there.

Don’t be tempted, though. Based on my experience late last year with the tricky-to-install, tough-to-use TV set-top box, the Revue still isn’t a bargain, even after such a steep discount.

The Revue—and the Android-powered Google TV platform in general—seek to (finally) meld TV and the Web into a “single, seamless experience,” complete with a prominent Google search box to help you find shows to watch and record. (Sony is also in the Google TV game, having released a series of Google TV-enabled HDTVs and a Blu-ray player late last year.)

Google TV promises to let you watch TV and browse the Web at the same time using the old, familiar picture-and-picture approach, as well as (eventually, at least) run applications from the Android Market. Apps for streaming video and music services like Netflix, Amazon, and Pandora as also available.

The Revue's picture-and-picture feature, with the web in one window and live TV in another.

But as I wrote last year, setting up the Revue in your living room involves disconnecting your cable box or DVR from your TV and connecting it to the Revue; after that, you use a connect a second HDMI cable to the Revue and plug the other end back into your TV. You’ll then have to attach an infrared transmitter to the Revue that “blasts” wireless commands to your DVR, essentially taking control of it.

If that sounds like a messy setup, well … it is, although the Google TV interface does a reasonably good job of guiding you through the tedious process.

The Revue also comes with a large, clunky keyboard with “squishy,” non-backlit keys (good luck typing in the dark), as well as a “quirky” interface that forces you to switch back and forth between a touchpad and arrow keys when navigating the various on-screen menus.

The Revue's clunky keypad: No backlighting, and "squishy" keys.

Beyond the actual Revue hardware, there’s also the fact that all the major networks have blocked access to their free, streaming TV episodes from Google TV devices—essentially negating one of the big selling points for Google TV in general.

Last but not least, we’re still waiting for Google to allow Google TV users to install applications from the Android Market onto their devices. (Word is that an update will enable Android Market access later this summer.)

In the end, it’s hard to recommend the Revue—even at $200 off its original price tag—over such competing devices as the Apple TV and Roku’s inexpensive set-top boxes.

Still don’t believe me? Consider this: Logitech admitted this week that over the past few months, “returns of [the Revue] were higher than the very modest sales.” Never a good sign.

Read more about Apple TV, as well as the newly updated Roku 2 line of TV set-top boxes.

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There's already an Apple TV set-top box, but what about an Apple television set?

One of the oldest Apple rumors around got a fresh shot in the arm Tuesday, with gadget site DailyTech claiming that an Apple-branded television may be in the works.

DailyTech’s source, an unnamed ex-Apple exec, boasts that Apple hopes to “blow Netflix and all those other guys away” with its own TV, which (supposedly) would be built by a third-party manufacturer and would come with built-in iTunes music and video streaming.

So, when might the rumored Apple TV—or maybe Apple HDTV, since the Apple TV name is already taken—arrive? Perhaps by this fall, or “late” this year, DailyTech says.

Well, perhaps, but here’s the thing about these Apple television rumors: they’ve been floating around for years, with various analysts, super-secret spies, and even Apple job postings hinting at a supposed Apple TV set beginning as early as 2009.

No less than Gene Munster, a well-known industry analyst with Piper Jaffray, has long been singing the Apple television tune—most recently back in January, when he predicted that Apple will “enter the TV market with a full focus, as an all-in-one Apple television could move the needle when connected TVs proliferate.”

But while Apple has had some success in the living room, namely with its $99 Apple TV set-top box for instant video streaming (read up on Apple TV here), it’s also seen its fair share of home-entertainment failures.

Remember the $349 iPod HiFi, which was basically an overpriced, glorified iPod speaker dock? Probably not—which is why I’m puzzled as to why Apple would jump into the TV business after getting burned with its home speaker.

All that said, your guess is as good as mine when it comes to Apple television. Who knows—maybe the world is ready for an Apple-branded TV with easy-to-use, iPhone-like menus and built-in iTunes.

Or is it? Tell us what you think.

Sources: DailyTech, via 9 to 5 Mac

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