Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple in Talks with Comcast to Provide Streaming TV Service on Future Apple TV
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm not sure I like the direction this is taking. We're supposed to be bypassing things like Comcast and connect directly with the media creators.
{snip}...
The one thing everyone seems to overlook is Comcast is not only a service provider, but a media creator as well. They are a telecommunications and media conglomerate. They either own or have interest in NBCUniversal, E!, Sprout, Golf Channel, and others. Of import, NBCUniversal encompasses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBCUniversal (too much to list).
Suffice it to say, as much as some would like Comcast and other service providers to go away, the likelihood isn't there any time soon.
AT&T was the first cell phone to get the iPhone because they bought Cingular. Verizon originally told Apple to take a hike with the iPhone until they saw the long lines at AT&T.
Now TimeWarner cable was in talks with Apple about iTV. Comcast is buying TimeWarner and is now in talks with Apple. Verizon may be left out again. They bought some technology from Intel.
I'm not sure I like the direction this is taking. We're supposed to be bypassing things like Comcast and connect directly with the media creators.
With such deals taking place, Apple are giving more strength to content providers which are the useless middlemen of the 21st century.
Can you imagine making deals with Sony so that iTunes can connect to SonyMusic servers instead of selling the music files directly to you? That's what Apple are doing with the TV providers if this is true.
It's going to get messy, especially for international customers and probably even within big countries like the USA and Canada where exclusive deals are done by states/provinces or even counties/regions.
We all want the cable companies to suffer and yet still die a quick death but we have to be realistic. We're not getting a la carte content everywhere for $49.99. If Apple can disguise the terrible cable box UI, give live, dvr and iTunes content all in one interface, and not increase the overall cable bill by too much, they've already done what no one else could do. I'm willing to pay the the same or more for an Apple cable experience. I think cord cutters will never go back. Too much pride and possibly savings.
Ew, everything about this seems like a bad idea. I guess I can withhold judgement but this just seems like it would be bad for consumers.
----------
Why can't they just create a box like Tivo? Tivo doesn't have preferential treatment and works just fine. In fact, you're Cable bill is likely to go down using a Tivo as you're no longer paying the cable company for a box rental or DVR service.
----------
Why can't they just create a box like Tivo? Tivo doesn't have preferential treatment and works just fine. In fact, you're Cable bill is likely to go down using a Tivo as you're no longer paying the cable company for a box rental or DVR service.
Get it going
Let's get this going.
You have to jump in somewhere and start to innovate. Apple needs a leap in the interface of the current Apple TV. It needs to work better, faster, and less clunky than typing user names and passwords with a remote.
Yes, linking Apple TV to games, apps and other channels could be really cool.
I'd rather buy my cable service from apple than directly to time warner / comcast.
The interface has to be groundbreaking like a click wheel or mouse. It has to be revolutionary in ease compared to changing channels with a basic remote...easier to record and save recordings...it has to make using your tv more fun and logical than ever before in history. That is the challenge.
Let's get this going.
You have to jump in somewhere and start to innovate. Apple needs a leap in the interface of the current Apple TV. It needs to work better, faster, and less clunky than typing user names and passwords with a remote.
Yes, linking Apple TV to games, apps and other channels could be really cool.
I'd rather buy my cable service from apple than directly to time warner / comcast.
The interface has to be groundbreaking like a click wheel or mouse. It has to be revolutionary in ease compared to changing channels with a basic remote...easier to record and save recordings...it has to make using your tv more fun and logical than ever before in history. That is the challenge.
If I recall correctly, streaming comcast content such as on demand doesn't count against that cap. So this way Comcast Apple TV owners would not blow out their data cap limits.
And replacing those God awful cable boxes with an Apple TV would be a godsend.
Comcast just made a deal to buy out Time Warner Cable, making it the largest near-monopoly cable provider in the USA. Apple would be stupid to ignore them.
Well, they did allegedly collaborate on an employee anti-poaching agreement, and that worked out pretty well...oh wait
The U.S. Department of Justice and the FTC would also be stupid to ignore them, as it is clearly an anti-competitive arrangement for the same company to control so much of the content delivery platform along with the content being delivered.
What is "stupid" is going along with Comcast's BS. Of towing the status quo instead of shaking up the industry.
Comcast provides Internet.
I'm not sure I understand everyone's complaints.
I have Comcast for my Internet but I do not have cable with them.
If this deal happens, it sounds like even if Internet is slow, they are going to give them a separate "flow" of bandwidth that will provide a higher quality streaming experience on my AppleTV.
You're assuming Comcast will get its way and force us to subscribe to their TV service. Why aren't you assuming that Apple will get it's way and not require you to purchase the Comcast service? Does Apple need Comcast or does Comcast want Apple? If Comcast's services through Apple's box is a fee, couldn't it be an optional fee?
Doesn't it seem more likely that Apple will want their box with users having the option to subscribe to Comcast from Apple's superior interface ("they broke the code") with Comcast getting a subscriber and Apple getting a cut? (And Comcast not needed to supply the box)
Gary
I'm not sure I understand everyone's complaints.
I have Comcast for my Internet but I do not have cable with them.
If this deal happens, it sounds like even if Internet is slow, they are going to give them a separate "flow" of bandwidth that will provide a higher quality streaming experience on my AppleTV.
You're assuming Comcast will get its way and force us to subscribe to their TV service. Why aren't you assuming that Apple will get it's way and not require you to purchase the Comcast service? Does Apple need Comcast or does Comcast want Apple? If Comcast's services through Apple's box is a fee, couldn't it be an optional fee?
Doesn't it seem more likely that Apple will want their box with users having the option to subscribe to Comcast from Apple's superior interface ("they broke the code") with Comcast getting a subscriber and Apple getting a cut? (And Comcast not needed to supply the box)
Gary
Guess I should hold off buying the HDHomerun to create my own pvr. Sounds like this would work better. Hope it's soon.
NetNeutrality
And now we all know what the fight for Network Neutrality was all about...
In the 19th century the railway barons in this country were defeated and required to treat networks as equal-access, with no preferentially-treated service providers allowed. Comcast has actively fought this principle when it comes to the Internet. And now we see the results.
...admins, you guys gonna reclassify this thread as politically contentious?
And now we all know what the fight for Network Neutrality was all about...
In the 19th century the railway barons in this country were defeated and required to treat networks as equal-access, with no preferentially-treated service providers allowed. Comcast has actively fought this principle when it comes to the Internet. And now we see the results.
...admins, you guys gonna reclassify this thread as politically contentious?
Or remote apps on iPhones, iPads or iPod touches; they've worked as a keyboard for longer than keyboards have!
Apple will need to do a AppleTV remote for Android and BlackBerry...
I think it's safe to think that's it's time for an interface update.
It's also safe to stop referencing the "hobby" quote...
Gary
Well if the internet is slow, the congestion is probably happening before the stream hits Comcast. The last mile is likely to be less congested than other parts of the internet.
What happens if Comcast declines to pay Apple a share of the subscription revenue? Is Apple going to prevent users of Comcast from using a cable-card in this hypothetical box? If this is the case, people are less likely to buy Apple's box.