I've been very amused reading all the posts about the new Apple TV that Apple is working on. What amuses me most is when people post things like "how big will it be 40, 60inches or will it have a remote, or will it be a retina screen". These are all valid questions but come from people that really don't know how to think like Apple. The Apple TV we will see, the one Apple is working on will not be a TV at all...let me explain
Let me start by pointing out the possibility that there is no money in creating TV hardware for Apple, in fact thats the big argument on why some people say an Apple TV is just not going to happen. Thats partly true. Lets think about it...an actual Apple TV would be cool. Have a nice screen or maybe no screen at all, nice lines, great design and work perfect with the iOS ecosystem. But thats not what they are going to do. See, thats not where the money is and it makes ZERO sense for apple to play on the hardware end of things, they already tried with the current Apple TV. Its going to be bigger than that and where everybody is getting tripped up is on the word "TV". Apple knows there are already millions of TVs out there, very nice ones in fact that they can tie into their already existing ecosystem. Apple's main goal is to tie everybody into the iOS and Mac OS ecosystem period, and selling TVs won't do it. Let me explain what they will do...and why they will do it
The main spin and new idea behind Apple TV besides tying directly into iOS is it will have a VERY STRONG SOCIAL AND PERSONAL element to it. Apple TV will be a "social broadcast". everybody will be their own channel and your iOS devise will be your station. You will create playlists of TV shows from various existing networks that suit your needs and THAT becomes your channel. It will be able to be broadcast right from the cloud using your iphone or ipad and a nearby TV connected via hardwire or with a small wireless attachment. Now lets looks at how this will revolutionize TV...
First is the ability to share channels that you create. You can share them with your friends, you can share them between iOS devices. You can subscribe to other people's channel playlists. You can subscribe to Bono's TV network or playlist and see what he watches. TV statins will be ranked and popularity of certain ones will rise up (ahhh think what that means for advertisers). The other cool element of this is how TV shows will change. Lets think app store for a minute. Think of all the new small guy developers that have access to hitting it big with a great app! They create and app, its distributed through apples itunes ecosystem and they share revenue with Apple. Ok now think TV...Imagine how people are going to be able to create their own TV shows, mini series and movies all distributed on iTunes just like apps with Apple sharing the profit. Imagine among all the bad TV shows that will come how how many AMAZING ones we will see. The popular ones will rise to the top, just like apps. We will see a new breed of major TV series come out this way. Some very promising shows will even be picked up by TV networks with big contracts and profits to be made by their creators. All the while, TV networks shows will still be available too...this is create news for all of us because our shows will no longer be controlled by the limited creativity of the TV networks anymore, the floodgates will be opened!...This is going to change the entire landscape even down to the popularity of main stream shows and actors.
Lets look at another advantage to this over current TV and how this will benefit advertisers, Networks and Apple and even us as the end user. Imagine watching American Idol on your Apple Tv network and being able to do live realtime voting during the show using your iphone (WHILE THE SHOW IS STILL PLAYING), or buying a song right from GLEE in iTunes that moment, or how about playing from home as a contestant on wheel of fortune, or helping to collectively solve a murder on CSI. All TV shows will have App like functionality built in and can be interacted with at anytime. This will be amazing for the TV networks to engage their audience and advertisers to target consumers and for everybody to have an amazing new TV viewing experience all through Apple TV. Im sure you all all familiar with Apples iAD network they have running in apps right now...that will be carried over to Apple TV but become more powerful and engaging. This is all very exciting stuff isn't it?!
Now lets looks a bit deeper into advertising. Lets say joe shmo creates his Apple TV network with 18 shows in it and 10 are cooking shows, 4 car shows, and 4 fishing shows. Apple can now exactly pinpoint what type of advertising to send to joe while he is watching his network. he wont see a tampon commercial like he does now...instead he might see a Ford commercial. right now advertisers are sorta taking a shot in the dark, not anymore. There is nothing more profitable than targeted advertising. So this is a HUGE incentive for Apple, Advertisers and the networks. Advertising dollars is what gave birth to Google. its BIG BIG $$$, much more than making a 60inch cool looking TV set.
So in short Apple TV wont be a TV at all. It will be a purely social personal shareable TV network experience leveraging existing TVs, interfaced and controlled with iPhones and iPads possibly using SIRI. It will consist of traditional network TV content along with a whole new group of socially and grass roots created content created TV shows of varying quality. We will be served targeted advertising based on our show selection.
Lastly this is where others cannot compete. Apple already has the ecosystem in place with iphones, ipads, itunes...Sony, Microsoft, even Google will be left behind because in order for this to work, a strong ecosystem has in be in place and Apple is the only one that has it.
Steve in fact did solve it...I can't wait to see it come to life!
Let me start by pointing out the possibility that there is no money in creating TV hardware for Apple, in fact thats the big argument on why some people say an Apple TV is just not going to happen. Thats partly true. Lets think about it...an actual Apple TV would be cool. Have a nice screen or maybe no screen at all, nice lines, great design and work perfect with the iOS ecosystem. But thats not what they are going to do. See, thats not where the money is and it makes ZERO sense for apple to play on the hardware end of things, they already tried with the current Apple TV. Its going to be bigger than that and where everybody is getting tripped up is on the word "TV". Apple knows there are already millions of TVs out there, very nice ones in fact that they can tie into their already existing ecosystem. Apple's main goal is to tie everybody into the iOS and Mac OS ecosystem period, and selling TVs won't do it. Let me explain what they will do...and why they will do it
The main spin and new idea behind Apple TV besides tying directly into iOS is it will have a VERY STRONG SOCIAL AND PERSONAL element to it. Apple TV will be a "social broadcast". everybody will be their own channel and your iOS devise will be your station. You will create playlists of TV shows from various existing networks that suit your needs and THAT becomes your channel. It will be able to be broadcast right from the cloud using your iphone or ipad and a nearby TV connected via hardwire or with a small wireless attachment. Now lets looks at how this will revolutionize TV...
First is the ability to share channels that you create. You can share them with your friends, you can share them between iOS devices. You can subscribe to other people's channel playlists. You can subscribe to Bono's TV network or playlist and see what he watches. TV statins will be ranked and popularity of certain ones will rise up (ahhh think what that means for advertisers). The other cool element of this is how TV shows will change. Lets think app store for a minute. Think of all the new small guy developers that have access to hitting it big with a great app! They create and app, its distributed through apples itunes ecosystem and they share revenue with Apple. Ok now think TV...Imagine how people are going to be able to create their own TV shows, mini series and movies all distributed on iTunes just like apps with Apple sharing the profit. Imagine among all the bad TV shows that will come how how many AMAZING ones we will see. The popular ones will rise to the top, just like apps. We will see a new breed of major TV series come out this way. Some very promising shows will even be picked up by TV networks with big contracts and profits to be made by their creators. All the while, TV networks shows will still be available too...this is create news for all of us because our shows will no longer be controlled by the limited creativity of the TV networks anymore, the floodgates will be opened!...This is going to change the entire landscape even down to the popularity of main stream shows and actors.
Lets look at another advantage to this over current TV and how this will benefit advertisers, Networks and Apple and even us as the end user. Imagine watching American Idol on your Apple Tv network and being able to do live realtime voting during the show using your iphone (WHILE THE SHOW IS STILL PLAYING), or buying a song right from GLEE in iTunes that moment, or how about playing from home as a contestant on wheel of fortune, or helping to collectively solve a murder on CSI. All TV shows will have App like functionality built in and can be interacted with at anytime. This will be amazing for the TV networks to engage their audience and advertisers to target consumers and for everybody to have an amazing new TV viewing experience all through Apple TV. Im sure you all all familiar with Apples iAD network they have running in apps right now...that will be carried over to Apple TV but become more powerful and engaging. This is all very exciting stuff isn't it?!
Now lets looks a bit deeper into advertising. Lets say joe shmo creates his Apple TV network with 18 shows in it and 10 are cooking shows, 4 car shows, and 4 fishing shows. Apple can now exactly pinpoint what type of advertising to send to joe while he is watching his network. he wont see a tampon commercial like he does now...instead he might see a Ford commercial. right now advertisers are sorta taking a shot in the dark, not anymore. There is nothing more profitable than targeted advertising. So this is a HUGE incentive for Apple, Advertisers and the networks. Advertising dollars is what gave birth to Google. its BIG BIG $$$, much more than making a 60inch cool looking TV set.
So in short Apple TV wont be a TV at all. It will be a purely social personal shareable TV network experience leveraging existing TVs, interfaced and controlled with iPhones and iPads possibly using SIRI. It will consist of traditional network TV content along with a whole new group of socially and grass roots created content created TV shows of varying quality. We will be served targeted advertising based on our show selection.
Lastly this is where others cannot compete. Apple already has the ecosystem in place with iphones, ipads, itunes...Sony, Microsoft, even Google will be left behind because in order for this to work, a strong ecosystem has in be in place and Apple is the only one that has it.
Steve in fact did solve it...I can't wait to see it come to life!
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