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Tim Cook: 'Intense Interest' in Redefining the Television Experience
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Given:
- Many cable providers stream 1000s of channels each.
- Satellite providers stream hundreds.
- In many markets, over-the-air broadcasters provide dozens of streams.
- If you have an Internet connection, then you have many streaming services including Apple's own iTunes at your beck and call.
Question:
Why do you believe that Apple will revolutionize television by providing yet another program stream?
yeah that's what I'm most curious about. they won't really need a monitor though. they'd probably just sell a hockey puck with a subscription service. all through iTunes. I'm assuming that's another reason why they built all of those data centers.
although television interfaces are crappy, so they might just make their own set too.
But once you connect the hockey puck there's no need for the generic TV interface or the TV remote. You control it via iPad or iPhone and all you would see is the Apple interface?
The new Nintendo Wii U gamepad does that, works with most TV sets, lets you control TV power, channel and volume. No more need for a Logitech Harmony or similar remotes.
I really hope Apple doesn't go into the TV display business, no margins and it's all standardized (4k, surround sound...). What could Apple improve and offer on the hardware display side that is unique?
Can someone do a mock up for MacRumours of the Cinema/thunderbolt display with the ATV interface on it.
I'm sick of seeing that TV.
Best I could do in MS Paint...
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One word: Siri.
The great thing about the TV is that it is always connected to power and network. Imagine if it detects via a motion sensor that you are in front of the TV and automatically activates Siri. Without a single press of a button.
Then it will fail.
I don't want to do hand signals to my TV and I don't want to talk to it and be frustrated when it doesn't understand me. I want it to just work without delay.
Same with having an iPhone or iPad used as the primary input device. If that's the solution it will fail. You can't ask people to own another expensive device and have it available at all times to control your TV.
These are very difficult and complicate negotiations Apple is doing with the media companies. I think Apple's best bet would be to produce a set-top box that would replace current cable/satellite boxes. They would hardly be infringing on the business of cable/satellite companies or TV manufacturers. I think the biggest conflicting problem is the on-demand content issue. I would not mind having to pay a little extra for on-demand content like Hulu Plus provides (or maybe a little better version of it). I'm sure that what Apple wants is a little better content than what Hulu Plus currently offers.
My suggestion: $50 for 10 channels and $1 per channel after that, with available on-demand content from the subscribed channels.
Just like in the case of the iPhone, Apple is not involved with revenue from main services, just the hardware, apps, etc. I suppose they would still be involved in revenues from download purchases like movies, music, TV shows, etc.
Now, what's the most attractive to me would be a very robust Siri for the Apple TV, that would be able to make complex natural queries and commands on all information from the subscribed channels. Only the closest person to the ATV remote control would be able to talk to Siri and control the TV.
*dreaming*
My suggestion: $50 for 10 channels and $1 per channel after that, with available on-demand content from the subscribed channels.
Just like in the case of the iPhone, Apple is not involved with revenue from main services, just the hardware, apps, etc. I suppose they would still be involved in revenues from download purchases like movies, music, TV shows, etc.
Now, what's the most attractive to me would be a very robust Siri for the Apple TV, that would be able to make complex natural queries and commands on all information from the subscribed channels. Only the closest person to the ATV remote control would be able to talk to Siri and control the TV.
*dreaming*
I can't wait for Apple to "invent" the perfect TV
I going with Samsung on this (55" w/ built-in webcam). And as for the person that stated Siri would be automatically activated, I'm from the south and that chick doesn't understand me, half of the time, as it is!
I going with Samsung on this (55" w/ built-in webcam). And as for the person that stated Siri would be automatically activated, I'm from the south and that chick doesn't understand me, half of the time, as it is!
So right now I pay $55 for 150+ channels and you are going to give me 15 for $55? Even if I take my wife and kids out of it I'm going to want NBC, Fox, ABC, NFL Network, MLB Network, ESPN, ESPN2, AMC, TCM, Discovery. So to keep those 10 now my wife and kids get 5 additional channels to choose from?
I HOPE/DREAM that they are able to unbundled channels and let you select the ones you want. The problem is how do you do that with local channels? TV is stuck in model that is broken for the future.
Do people buy new mac pros, laptops, and ipods every two years? No! That would be crazy costly but, hey Apple still makes those products. An iTv would be a diffrent product than an iphone and apple knows this same as apple know everyone who bought the new imac won't buy the new imac in 2014.
Actually a ton of people, myself included, upgrade laptops yearly. I always get the base model and only cost about $200 to upgrade yearly. I also get a new iphone every year, which is essentially a new ipod. Obviously a TV is different.
Look at Samsung TV's now and then look at them after Apple release theirs
I'd expect Apple to look more like LG's to be honest.
what cable company do you have where you pay so little, and not with a special? After 3 HD DVR's and showtime, I pay $100 for TV alone once the promos are over. If you say directTV....be prepared to get raped after your promo period. Aside from the local stations, I only watch espn, redzone, and showtime. I would gladly pay $55 for the option to pick a few channels
I did not include DVRs. I have one HD DVR that runs me $8 per month and I have a digital box that is another $5 with Comcast.
I believe the $8 a month might be at a special rate, but the rest of the prices are what I'll pay as long as they don't up my rates.
It's hard for me to imagine how Apple is going to dive into this territory. The markets for TV and cable are extremely competitive and entrenched. Furthermore, Apple does not have a means of production for TVs like Samsung, LG, Sony, Sharp, etc do. Nor does it own and manage a broadband infrastructure backbone like Verizon, Time Warner, Comcast, Google, or Direct TV do. Just setting up a service would require making huge agreements with said companies. After that, would Apple manage all the contracts and agreements with the channel companies, or would that still be left up to the cable providers? It's a huge and messy affair.
Short of acquiring the two aforementioned capabilities (manufacturing + service), I don't see how Apple will manage to redefine the TV experience how it wants.
Short of acquiring the two aforementioned capabilities (manufacturing + service), I don't see how Apple will manage to redefine the TV experience how it wants.
A la carte tv is nice to think about, but I don't think most people fully understand how difficult that would be to pull off. After all, a lot of those channels survive based on the success of other channels. They don't necessarily work on their own. No one out there actually watches all 200 or so channels they get, but chances are the ones they do are supported by the many. In fact, with an a la carte system, there's a good chance that you will ultimately end up with less options to choose from.
Best case scenario would be to hope many other people share the same taste in programming, which will keep your shows on the air. But that doesn't seem to be the case, evidenced by the hordes of bad scripted and reality programming that gets good ratings.
It actually does make sense if you look at whats happening by reading this article:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-05/apple-declines-as-nokia-clinches-china-smartphone-deal.html
Yeah, I think you make a good point. Once you start looking at it you also find that many channels are owned by the same company. Maybe a middle ground is a bundled model that gives you smaller sections and more flexibility. That way if you like what NBC provides with the NBC/Universal channels then you can buy into that package instead of the ABC/Disney package.
So what you're saying, is that they're falling behind on something they haven't released yet
