Apple’s recently released iTunes 9 may hint at an upcoming update for the company’s home media player, Apple TV.

One of iTunes’ localization files asks “Are you sure you want to remove the selected iTunes U item from your Apple TV?” Currently Apple’s iTunes U free educational content is not synced as a separate category to an Apple TV.

Looking at the localization file, it appears that iTunes U content will be synced the same as music and video content — on a per account basis. Changing the account the Apple TV is synced with will also remove iTunes U content.

Apple also on Monday discontinued its 40GB Apple TV and dropped the price of the 160GB model to $229. While a new, larger hard drive model is likely, it is not the major rev of the device I expect to be released sometime next year.

It seems reasonable to assume that the software update needed to sync iTunes U content with the Apple TV will come with an upgraded device sometime in the near future.