Apple Developing Interactive Widgets for Apple TV

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

MacNN reports (http://www.macnn.com/blogs/?p=490) on a number of new patents from Apple, one of which involves an interesting use of "widgets" alongside streaming video that would allow for more interactivity.

http://images.macrumors.com/article/2008/02/07/151540-pantent1-080207-3_300.gif

The August 2006 filing introduces the possbility of incorporating Dashboard-like Widgets alongside video content in the Apple TV interface. The Widgets could be triggered by the video itself and could be contextual (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/02/07/apple_filing_depicts_apple_tv_with_ichat_widget_interface.html):"For example, while the user is viewing a musical performance a ticket widget can be displayed over the content or elsewhere in the user interface, which can be access by the user to purchase concert tickets or receive other information related to the concert or performer," Apple said. "In the example shown (below), the widget could be triggered by a marker in the content which corresponds with a portion of the concert where the performer is not performing, or can be based on a period of inactivity (e.g., the DVD player is placed on "pause"). In some implementations, the widget can be displayed as part of a DVD menu system."
Beyond this commercial usage, the system could also be used to incorporate live video chat during an event or provide live sports stats during a game.

Article Link (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/02/07/apple-developing-interactive-widgets-for-apple-tv/)

[mozmac]

Could this be the "interactive tv" people have been talking about for years?

[Macciee]

Thats exactly what I see future in TV is all about

[niemo810]

"widget keys" on the apple remote? hmmmmmmm...

[CmdrLaForge]

Lame ! Bring the games on !

[k2k koos]

this could be very interesting, I'm in the market for a revised Apple TV, my new HD ready TV is on it's way :-) :apple:

[Squonk]

This could be very, very slick! I look forward to see what :apple: has up it's black mock turtle-neck sleeve. :D

[notnek]

It would be nice to be watching the Cards beat the Cubs on my HDTV and have everyone's latest stats, as well as other games detailed stats show up. Could be a nice feature.

[kjr39]

Anyone else notice that all of Apple's new products are based around selling me content?

If all they are going to do with the widgets are use them to viral market to me, then no thanks.

[tothelimit]

sounds great and all... but how about that take 2 update?

then we'll talk.

[Rojo]

As long as it didn't interefere with people's viewing (something that randomly pops up out of nowhere, like those annoying ads in the corner for other shows within shows), and it was more of something that showed up when *I* chose to get more information/interaction, then I would totally welcome something like this!

[syklee26]

why not widgets like Mac OSX? just press a key button (play + menu) or something during playback popping up weather, stock and etc.

just let it be imported via iTunes or just make several widgets built in for easy access.

[Diggity-Dan]

This idea seems like a good alternative to commercials and may be a good incentive to encourage more free content on :apple:TV. Studios and networks currently are holding back on distributing content online because right now there's no real good way of collecting advertising revenue. This may be the solution - and it seems like it could be implemented seamlessly in a way that is much less intrusive to the viewing experience and could actually be quite useful for a lot of people. However, I could also see networks interested in using this technology for adding more conventional pop-up ads to their content - but I really think they'd get the most out of it if they make it as useful and unobtrusive for the viewer as possible.

Edit: This could also be an interesting supplement to product placement. Imagine you're watching one of your favorite shows (streaming for free through your :apple:TV, since the networks are gaining revenue from this new feature) and you see a product being used that you're interested in. With a click of your Apple remote, your credit card is charged and the product is on the way to your house. And the networks could potentially gain additional revenue for each customer they deliver. No more need for conventional ads - or even going outside!

[davidje13]

The terms of the patent must be very specific, since Joost (peer-to-peer TV.. ish) has been doing this for about a year now (possibly longer I can't remember). Although their widgets are chosen by the user manually like in OS X rather than automatically.

[MacFly123]

Thats exactly what I see future in TV is all about

Amen to that :) I also thought it was interesting that they elude to it having a DVD drive :) Not to mention someone would develop a TIVO widget :) WOW, this is the future of media and I WANT IT :)

[FreeState]

I think this is just an idea - not something that we will see any time soon - it was submitted in 2006 - 1 1/2 years ago and has reference to a DVD player (not part of the AppleTV) etc...

[dokein]

This is a pretty useless feature unless AppleTV Take 3 includes a HDTV tuner. Who wants live statistics for a recording of a sporting event? How many people actually record live sporting events? If the interactive features are limited to purchased iTunes store content, it's more of a pointless novelty than the "bonus" features on your average DVD.

[Lord Sam]

Sweet. That would be pretty cool, I have to admit.

[Diggity-Dan]

This is a pretty useless feature unless AppleTV Take 3 includes a HDTV tuner. Who wants live statistics for a recording of a sporting event? How many people actually record live sporting events? If the interactive features are limited to purchased iTunes store content, it's more of a pointless novelty than the "bonus" features on your average DVD.

Do you really think it will be that long before they're streaming live sports online to :apple:TV? Especially if this feature gets implemented.

[Popeye206]

This sounds really cool... and I think leads to bigger and better things in the future. Like another poster pointed out... it would be nice to see this have an HD tuner... BUT... maybe Apple (or other media companies) may offer first run on-demand content that would allow for some interactivity... Hummm... almost like a virtual TIVO??? Think of it like Pod Casts for your Apple TV. Interesting if you let your mind expand some. :-)

As for the comment on Games... go buy a PS3 or Wii if you want games! :D

[notnek]

Who wants live statistics for a recording of a sporting event? How many people actually record live sporting events?

Two Things.

1) The article suggests that the stats feature would be for live sporting events, not recordings of sporting events.

2) I record many sporting events. A lot of the time, I'm forced to record Cardinals games and watch them when I get off work. I have friends who recorded the superbowl, and then watched it later.

[mainstreetmark]

YES!!

Another opportunity for a Weather Widget!

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A93 Safari/419.3)

I really don't care for ads. I hope this isn't focused as a way to place ads on content that is paid for on an a-la-carte basis. I do understand it for free content, but not for the stuff the consumer pays for.

[neven]

This may be a technical point, but I think your use of the word "developing" in the title is out of place.

I work in the software development department of a large firm, and a patent application like this would not be considered evidence of any "development" here. "Design", maybe; even that would be a bit too strong.

"Development" would imply that Apple really has actual architects, designers, and programmers working on actual software versions of these patents. All that's evident from these applications is that someone at Apple is at least brainstorming these ideas and exploring them as possible projects. They MAY already have this software running on AppleTVs in the lab (thought I doubt it) but the patent application doesn't imply any kind of "Development".

I'm pointing this out because when I first saw your headline, I thought you had news about Apple hiring developers for this project, or inside info from employees working on it.

[naroola]

This is a pretty useless feature unless AppleTV Take 3 includes a HDTV tuner. Who wants live statistics for a recording of a sporting event? How many people actually record live sporting events? If the interactive features are limited to purchased iTunes store content, it's more of a pointless novelty than the "bonus" features on your average DVD.

A tuner? Come on... Apple won't include Tuners. Look at the model they just built with streaming content straight to Apple TV, bypassing the computer. Apple TV will evolve to stream live events such as certain TV shows and sports. Of course this would be US only at first since a lot of places, especially internationally, don't have real fast internet service... yet.

The streaming versions will have commercials, as they are on TV, anyways.

[naroola]

This may be a technical point, but I think your use of the word "developing" in the title is out of place.

I work in the software development department of a large firm, and a patent application like this would not be considered evidence of any "development" here. "Design", maybe; even that would be a bit too strong.

"Development" would imply that Apple really has actual architects, designers, and programmers working on actual software versions of these patents. All that's evident from these applications is that someone at Apple is at least brainstorming these ideas and exploring them as possible projects. They MAY already have this software running on AppleTVs in the lab (thought I doubt it) but the patent application doesn't imply any kind of "Development".

I'm pointing this out because when I first saw your headline, I thought you had news about Apple hiring developers for this project, or inside info from employees working on it.

Good catch, and I agree completely. This is just a patent application and it's no evidence that this technology may actually be under development. But the idea is cool nonetheless. :cool:

[dual64bit]

far out

[japanime]

I'm calling this a fake.

Anyone notice the graphic? It shows the Giants with a record of 4-0 and the A's with a record of 2-2.

Everyone knows that when the A's square off against the Giants in a meaningful series, Oakland ALWAYS wins. ;)

1989 World Series Champions, baby! :D

[happydude]

interesting to see where this is headed. i'm sure there's lots of avenues they could go down with the widgets they could create.

[oldwatery]

No wonder they are so behind with MBP, Display and other important releases.
Hey Steve....where's the beef :confused:

[MrCrowbar]

I actually don't watch regular TV anymore. More than 1/3 of the time there are commercials and when the show/movie returns, I can't remember where it left off. Actually, the commercials are so flashy, loud and brainwashing I feel a strong urge to switch the TV off and go outside.

I currently have no dedicated TV. I have an Elgato eyeTV for when my girlfriend wants me to record some shows and/or zap around and make fun of the cr*p that's on live TV. It's like a Tivo but you can edit out the commercials in your recording pretty quickly and get it on your iPod if you want. I hate live TV, it's such a waste of time since you're waiting for your show and enduring the commercials while you could do other things and save the TV for when you're really willing to watch it.

I say yay downloads! If I can get movies and shows in english (and not poorly dubbed into german) from the iTunes store someday, I will probably consume some more.

[skiwhitman]

Two Things.

1) The article suggests that the stats feature would be for live sporting events, not recordings of sporting events.

2) I record many sporting events. A lot of the time, I'm forced to record Cardinals games and watch them when I get off work. I have friends who recorded the superbowl, and then watched it later.

I agree with the first point. With regards to the second, I don't have the will power to not cheat and find out who won or what the score is, either through the internet or 800-tell-me (I really need to get an iPhone, but won't with AT&T!)
:)

[MacFly123]

I actually don't watch regular TV anymore. More than 1/3 of the time there are commercials and when the show/movie returns, I can't remember where it left off. Actually, the commercials are so flashy, loud and brainwashing I feel a strong urge to switch the TV off and go outside.

AMEN! Its the same reason I have never listened to the radio since I got an iPod, and I hope Apple does the same thing with TV. It is so loud and obnoxiously annoying it gives me headaches, and I'm only 26 lol. The only thing I ever watch is a calm documentary at night before bed or maybe Conan :)

P.S. People do realize that this is why America has ADD right? Anyway...

[notjustjay]

I have an LCD I'm about to mount in my kitchen, and I would love for whatever I hook up to it (currently the leading contender is a Mac Mini) to show me news headlines, weather, etc. when not actively being used to watch TV or other home content. This could be a move in the right direction.

I saw a demo video at Best Buy for the Wii, and it looked like it can receive such information (news, weather) through some component of its interface and controlled by the Wiimote. That sounds pretty neat.

[pocketrockets]

Unlike most of you, I strongly feel interactive TV is a bad thing and only feeds our hunger for instant gratification. Using widgets for TV? No thanks. I don't even use widges on my Macbook Pro, I've disabled it. Believe it or not, most people don't mind just plopping on the couch and passively watching television after a long day at work.

[neven]

Unlike most of you, I strongly feel interactive TV is a bad thing and only feeds our hunger for instant gratification. Using widgets for TV? No thanks. I don't even use widges on my Macbook Pro, I've disabled it. Believe it or not, most people don't mind just plopping on the couch and passively watching television after a long day at work.

So you're transcending material goods and obsession with tech gadgets by posting on a nerdy web forum?

How is passively watching TV better than actively watching TV?

[mzd]

any of the older kids on here remember Pop-Up Video?? that rocked!
hopefully this won't be used for advertising/selling crap. that wouldn't rock.

[severe]

My old cable box, which is the newer version (i sent it back), had a widget type thing in it's interface. While watching normal programming, the occasional bubble would pop up with information, etc. Of course, you could choose to turn this feature off. I'm not sure how successful it was.

[AidenShaw]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/live-from-the-blu-ray-interactivity-demo/

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/01/sony-bdi-95.jpg

[twoodcc]

sounds interesting to me. maybe it will help sell the Apple TV more

[hob]

The terms of the patent must be very specific, since Joost (peer-to-peer TV.. ish) has been doing this for about a year now (possibly longer I can't remember). Although their widgets are chosen by the user manually like in OS X rather than automatically.

Exactly what I was thinking. Infact, I think it's a shame Joost didn't better utilise the feature.

Last time I used Joost, there were little tiny "widget" adverts for I Am Legend popping up in the bottom right of the screen between shows. Very good idea! (Although I hate being advertised at, I do like free shows!!)

[DaBrain]

Anyone else notice that all of Apple's new products are based around selling me content?

If all they are going to do with the widgets are use them to viral market to me, then no thanks.

Yeah I agree! I can see it now, your watching an event, movie or something else and poof you get all this ad type content BS on top or next to what your watching! Ughhh!

What's next? Head on commercial widgets pop up every so often! No thanks.

They are doing this to dip into your wallet folks! They are not doing this to give us some free feature!

I pass!:rolleyes:

[WildPalms]

I figured this would be the next evolution for Apple.

[godslabrat]

Ummm... while I highly doubt this will amount to anything anyway, I really don't like the idea. A tuner, a PVR, a DVD/BR drive, a game system... Apple has a list of things people have been wanting crammed into the AppleTv to make it worth buying. WHY waste resources making AppleTV widgets, which, I'm sorry, are just going to be used for ads.

No thanks. I only tolerate ads when watching broadcast TV. I'm not going to rig my TV with a special interactive ad machine. It can offer news, data, or anything else they see fit, but it's of no interest to me. If I had an AppleTV unit, and they added this feature, I'd be ticked.

[godslabrat]

Unlike most of you, I strongly feel interactive TV is a bad thing and only feeds our hunger for instant gratification. Using widgets for TV? No thanks. I don't even use widges on my Macbook Pro, I've disabled it. Believe it or not, most people don't mind just plopping on the couch and passively watching television after a long day at work.

I know John C. Dvorak isn't considered to be firing on all thrusters these days, but every time he writes about "interactive TV", he's right on the money. It's an absolutely useless idea that just never seems to go away. The only practical purpose it could ever really serve is to sell you stuff... and I sure as heck don't want my new DVD trying to hawk CDs and t-shirts at me.

Check out pcmag and read his articles on Interactive TV (you'll probably want to ignore all the others :rolleyes:)

[jhsfosho]

A cool implementation (I think) :
I watch my film trailers through quicktime. I know that you can also watch movie trailers through Apple TV and Front Row. So how about at the end of the movie trailer, it gives me an option of displaying times that I can purchase tickets. I pick a day and time and number of tickets, then walk over to my computer and hey! the tickets are sitting on top of the printer, ready to go. No waiting in lines anymore. (similar/team up with fandango)

That would be really cool.

[joemama]

The only problem with this is Apple would have to include a tuner/DVR.

And Apple's not about that. Also, the technology isn't there yet for shows to be streamed live, especially sports where there is constant motion.

It has to be over cable/satellite.

[joemama]

Apple's stores are down right now...

...regular maintenance? Can't be updates, can it?


Edit - just maintenance I guess....

[milkmanamok]

Check out Honeyshed (http://www.honeyshed.com) for a working example of how these ideas might be implemented.

I definitely see lots of value of having a context-sensitive widget pop up at the press of a button on my Apple remote.

[Shasterball]

These are patent applications, not patents...

[whooleytoo]

Anyone else notice that all of Apple's new products are based around selling me content?

If all they are going to do with the widgets are use them to viral market to me, then no thanks.

Heh, that was my reaction too. Watching a concert, then you get spammed to buy tickets?

No thanks.

[Digitalclips]

Heh, that was my reaction too. Watching a concert, then you get spammed to buy tickets?

No thanks.

I can see this is the next obvious way for advertising to go and you have to suspect Google are also involved. It could be directly connected into Google Ads and contextually driven by TV content using meta data in the video stream just as they are on the web by text content. Heck I could imagine placing them in TV content being as easy as it is in in a web page with iWeb. What a huge potential market! iAd ad creator tool anyone?

It does have the potential to be to TV what pop ups are to the web and unless there is a 'sales widget' blocker option too, it may be annoying. Having said that there are positive potential uses too. Direct feedback from the viewer on any subject desired.

[whooleytoo]

It does have the potential to be to TV what pop ups are to the web and unless there is a 'sales widget' blocker option too, it may be annoying. Having said that there are positive potential uses too. Direct feedback from the viewer on any subject desired.

They would want to be VERY careful, if targeted advertising is the purpose of this.

One of the main reasons why a lot of people like the download/rental option is the complete lack of advertising. If they introduce advertising to paid downloads, I think it would kill the market stone dead.

On the other hand, if they were provide free downloads, paid for through advertising in this manner, that might be different..

[Hattig]

Could this be the "interactive tv" people have been talking about for years?

Sounds like a more up to date version of the interactive tv we've had in the UK for 10 years.

Well, it's rubbish to be honest. Not used very often, and limited by the uplink. Yeah, you could have voting and stuff for news topics, but nobody really made proper use of it (apart from sideband video streams).

[MrCrowbar]

AMEN! Its the same reason I have never listened to the radio since I got an iPod, and I hope Apple does the same thing with TV. It is so loud and obnoxiously annoying it gives me headaches, and I'm only 26 lol. The only thing I ever watch is a calm documentary at night before bed or maybe Conan :)

P.S. People do realize that this is why America has ADD right? Anyway...

:-) I'm 21.
Stopped listening to radio long time ago. Radio is even worse. Commercials are terrible, DJs shouldn't exist, music is the worst. I like talk radio, NPR has potential. I listen to podcasts, occasionally I download the Howard Stern Show for long car rides. I even had Leopard's Alex voice read a whole book onto an mp3 file and listen to that. :-)

[ricksbrain]

Apple's patents are not always intended as literally as they appear. This doesn't just have to be widgets with respect to live tv, but any media stream. You could be listening to iTunes or renting an iTunes movie, for instance and iTunes pops up info about the artist, the director, or whatever related info might exist. It would really be like dvd commentary tracks on regular dvds now.

There's a lot of potential here. And I wouldn't rule out Apple once again including tv tuners or cable cards or something into future releases. They'll do it once they can put a unique spin on them. This could be it. The application is a "old" already. Remember the iPhone came in 2 years. Something could be almost ready to go with this, too.

[Mince]

I'm not sure how this is anything new — DVDs have been doing this sort of thing for years (when developers can be bothered to do it).

Also, the BBC and Sky TV already do things like this when watch digital TV — things can pop up during programmes, you can push the coloured buttons to view current statistics, listen to the referees talking to each other, etc.

[sonpolker]

Thats exactly what I see future in TV is all about