Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Eddy Cue: It's 'Complicated' Solving Problems With TV

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,490
30,731



Eddy Cue, Apple's SVP of Internet Software and Services, and new Apple employee Jimmy Iovine sat down with Re/code's Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher tonight at the inaugural Code Conference and were asked about the much-rumored Apple TV.

Echoing past Apple sentiments, Cue said today's TV experience "sucks" and has "a long way to go." He confirmed that Apple is continuing to work on a way to improve television, but a fix is "complicated."

cue.jpg
The problems aren't complicated. Solving them is complicated, because there are lots of parties involved.
Click to expand...
According to Cue, many of the problems with TV are related to a lack of global standards and complicated rights issues with content; issues that are far easier to deal with in the music industry. Cue does confirm, however, that Apple is talking with various industry players to work on fixing TV.

Specifically, Cue noted that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts "is the best" and that Cue himself is a Comcast subscriber that is able to watch ESPN and HBO on his Apple TV, which he says Apple will keep evolving and improving. He noted that Apple is looking to add even more content. In March, it was reported that Apple was in talks with Comcast about a potential streaming TV service on a future Apple TV.

Despite Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson speculating that Iovine could be key in any potential TV deals, Iovine told Swisher and Mossberg that he was "not going anywhere near TV". He did, however, acknowledge the challenges of movie curation, pointing to difficulties in finding content to watch on the various video-on-demand platforms like iTunes and streaming services like Netflix.

Article Link: Eddy Cue: It's 'Complicated' Solving Problems With TV
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/29/cue-apple-tv-complicated/
SnarkyBear

SnarkyBear

macrumors regular
Apr 24, 2014
190
387
Specifically, Cue noted that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts "is the best"

Is this guy in the same universe as the rest of us? My experience with Comcast is horrible and gets worse every time I have to deal with them. Maybe Comcast has a special package for VIP's.
 
mikethebigo

mikethebigo

macrumors 68020
May 25, 2009
2,280
1,127
SnarkyBear said:
Specifically, Cue noted that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts "is the best"

Is this guy in the same universe as the rest of us? My experience with Comcast is horrible and gets worse every time I have to deal with them. Maybe Comcast has a special package for VIP's.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that line made me shudder.
 
D

DTphonehome

macrumors 68000
Apr 4, 2003
1,914
3,377
NYC
If Comcast is "the best", then that sums up why we're not going to see anything revolutionary anytime soon. They hold too much control and they aren't going to cede any of it to Apple or anyone else.
 
arkmannj

arkmannj

macrumors 68000
Oct 1, 2003
1,728
513
UT
I would actually be surprised if Eddie did not have about every entertainment service there is. (comcast, dish, etc.., etc...)
 
Rogifan

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,124
31,156
Iovine says he's not going anywhere near TV. So all these people putting lipstick on a pig saying Iovine was Apple's answer to content deals are full of it. Apple paid $3B to get someone to curate music for them. If I took a shot every time Eddy or Jimmy used the word curation I'd be drunk right now.
 
HiRez

HiRez

macrumors 603
Jan 6, 2004
6,250
2,576
Western US
If Cue really thinks the Comcast model is "the best", I have no hope of the mess ever getting "fixed". For the most part I don't think people are asking for the existing cable experience just made available on iOS devices.
 
macs4nw

macs4nw

macrumors 601
Sep 21, 2010
4,336
1,933
Next-door from the little old lady from Pasadena..
Rogifan said:
Iovine says he's not going anywhere near TV. So all these people putting lipstick on a pig saying Iovine was Apple's answer to content deals are full of it. Apple paid $3B to get someone to curate music for them. If I took a shot every time Eddy or Jimmy used the word curation I'd be drunk right now.
Click to expand...

You can't expect him to say otherwise at this time. Iovine admitting he's already involved in TV negotiations, after only just about to be joining Apple would create a lot of, at this point undesirable, expectations. He's too smart of a man to not realize that.
 
Parasprite

Parasprite

macrumors 68000
Mar 5, 2013
1,698
144
mozumder said:
I don't mind the live-TV experience at all.
Click to expand...

The live-TV experience is fine although somewhat pricy for me. However, the exclusivity treatment (by the tele companies, movie, etc.) are a good part of the reason we don't have as much on [Netflix] and the like (licensing issues, particularly regional).

The other big part being that [Netflix] doesn't make them nearly enough money for them to justify it.
 
S

sfrancis928

macrumors member
May 31, 2012
53
54
HiRez said:
If Cue really thinks the Comcast model is "the best", I have no hope of the mess ever getting "fixed". For the most part I don't think people are asking for the existing cable experience just made available on iOS devices.
Click to expand...

He didn't say the Comcast model was the best. He said the CEO of Comcast is "the best." Like, "he's a cool dude..."
 
M

Michael CM1

macrumors 603
Feb 4, 2008
5,681
276
I would settle for broadcast apps with subscriptions for live and on demand content. I get series for most networks from Hulu, but I have zip as far as access to stuff like sports and news. If satellite and cable providers can negotiate his for about $5/month, I don't see why a Apple can't.

Before everybody tells me about antennas, I tried that. Big bag of hurt where I live. I think I got three channels, and I really don't want to drop $100 or more on outdoor ones that still may not pick up the signals.
 
sw1tcher

sw1tcher

macrumors 603
Jan 6, 2004
5,385
18,397
SnarkyBear said:
Specifically, Cue noted that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts "is the best"

Is this guy in the same universe as the rest of us? My experience with Comcast is horrible and gets worse every time I have to deal with them. Maybe Comcast has a special package for VIP's.
Click to expand...

Did you expect Cue to come out saying that Comcast is terrible?

If prior reports of Apple having had talks with Comcast about a streaming TV service for Apple TV were true, and Apple is still interested in or pursuing such a service, then it would be a bad idea to not say something positive about Comcast.

Apple's trying to score brownie points
 
M

Mildredop

macrumors 68020
Oct 14, 2013
2,478
1,510
Parasprite said:
The live-TV experience is fine although somewhat pricy for me. However, the exclusivity treatment (by the tele companies, movie, etc.) are a good part of the reason we don't have as much on [Netflix] and the like (licensing issues, particularly regional).

The other big part being that [Netflix] doesn't make them nearly enough money for them to justify it.
Click to expand...

Why do you keep putting Netflix in brackets?
 
I

isomorphic

macrumors 6502
Apr 19, 2010
298
489
"It's complicated."

Translation:

People with total control over the means of providing you with video, whether through overt conspiracy or as a result of market forces unrestrained by inept government, have joined with the people who have total control over the production of video "entertainment," in order to do anything and everything to keep you paying as much as possible for as little quality as they can get away with, in only those forms that they select, only at times of their choosing, and in a manner as close as possible to their archaic business model.
 
C

Cigsm

macrumors 6502a
Jan 22, 2010
538
293
HBO is $20 Per month. Why do you think the networks would suddenly be willing to drop their price 75% AND have less subscribers? It's exactly wht an a la care model doesn't work. It would be way more expensive.


Michael CM1 said:
I would settle for broadcast apps with subscriptions for live and on demand content. I get series for most networks from Hulu, but I have zip as far as access to stuff like sports and news. If satellite and cable providers can negotiate his for about $5/month, I don't see why a Apple can't.



Before everybody tells me about antennas, I tried that. Big bag of hurt where I live. I think I got three channels, and I really don't want to drop $100 or more on outdoor ones that still may not pick up the signals.
Click to expand...
 
MH01

MH01

Suspended
Feb 11, 2008
12,107
9,297
When Eddy says today TV experience sucks, he means he is throwing his toys out the pram cause the networks refuse it do it the apple way.

Eddy mate, if you were serious about TV you would make more of an effort with Apple TV and work within the challenges that exist.

----------
isomorphic said:
"It's complicated."

Translation:

People with total control over the means of providing you with video, whether through overt conspiracy or as a result of market forces unrestrained by inept government, have joined with the people who have total control over the production of video "entertainment," in order to do anything and everything to keep you paying as much as possible for as little quality as they can get away with, in only those forms that they select, only at times of their choosing, and in a manner as close as possible to their archaic business model.
Click to expand...

And apple cannot find a way to get their 30% cut.....
 
C

crispyking

macrumors newbie
Oct 27, 2011
27
0
According to Cue, many of the problems with TV are related to a lack of global standards and complicated rights issues with content; issues that are far easier to deal with in the music industry.
Click to expand...

Easier to deal with in the music industry? How many countries is iTunes Radio available in? That's right, 2.
 
A

apolloa

Suspended
Oct 21, 2008
12,318
7,802
Time, because it rules EVERYTHING!
Sigh.. TV is not broken, I turn it on and watch, I can choose from several streaming services, free HD sattelite services, subscription sattelite services, terrestrial HD services through an aerial, I have tons of choice of how to watch and tons of different devices to watch it on.

I think its only Americans that think TV is broken, otherwise I have always found Apples view to be finding a solution to a problem that doesn't exist in the rest of the world. Oh and its trying to find a way to make its standard 30% cut of everything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom