Apple has pushed back the release date of its Apple TV set-top media player to the middle of March. 

A company spokesperson told vnunet.com that Apple TV will not start shipping in February, as chief executive Steve Jobs had promised at MacWorld in January.  

"Wrapping up Apple TV is taking a few weeks longer than we projected, and we now expect to begin shipments mid-March," the spokesperson said.

The company has also updated its online store to list mid-March as the shipping date.

Rumours of a possible delay first popped up February, at which time Apple told vnunet.com that it would be able to meet the original release schedule.  

Jobs unveiled Apple TV at a special media event in September. The $299 device will allow users to stream music, digital photos and video from a Mac or PC to a television.