Apple Indeed Talking with Cable Operators About New TV Product, But Launch Not Imminent

[BornAgainMac]

I finally bought a TV over the summer rather than wait for Apple.

[Popeye206]

If Apple does do a TV, it will be interesting to see what the secret sauce is. It seems like "what else can you do?" to make it that much better than what's already on the market? You can get a really nice TV for under a $1,000 now so Apple will have to do something really different inside to attract buyers at a price over $2,000.

I hope they do blow our socks off with something cool. I'm always up for a new toy.

[spiderman0616]

Originally Posted by Popeye206

If Apple does do a TV, it will be interesting to see what the secret sauce is. It seems like "what else can you do?" to make it that much better than what's already on the market? You can get a really nice TV for under a $1,000 now so Apple will have to do something really different inside to attract buyers at a price over $2,000.

I hope they do blow our socks off with something cool. I'm always up for a new toy.

You can add cable channels to it ala carte. Like I could just subscribe to Discovery instead of having to pay for 300 other channels just for the access to the few I watch.

[KidSqueek]

I wonder if the rumored cable provider is still Time Warner. I have them, so it'd be awesome if they collaborated on a set top box.

But imagine if they did come out with a TV though, how expensive it'd be and the many models that would come out every year

[markcres]

It will be a giant iPad-shaped TV
It will run IOS and have a TV App
People will camp outside stores to buy one
Samsung will say they have enroached on a patent
Jony Ive will pontificate about it being the product of extremely advanced engineering and design that transcends everything that Apple has ever done before with his head cocked to one side, in a t-shirt
People will start to complain about the screen having slight imperfections while fanboys will berate them for being 'trolls'

It is all so predictable with Apple these days !

[spiderman0616]

Originally Posted by NextGenApple

21.5 Apple TV 2k 27" Apple TV 3-4k 42" 5k you get the drift. Unless these TV are reasonably priced ill stick to Samsung TV which are great. The premium on a Computer is fine but on a TV. I refused to be mugged just for a fruit logo. Sorry folks.

For macs it's fine cos windows is rubbish or last time I was using XP it was. TV there are plenty of decent makes Anout.

I guess my point is, Apple can't possibly think they NEED TV hardware to disrupt this market. All they need is that little hockey puck sized box. We can't be the only people who think this makes more sense. They could just re-launch the Apple TV and make a really big damn deal about it. New software, new hardware, and new content. Instant hit.

[AlphaHumanus]

Logic = News?

Anyone who has been following this whole "iTV thing" should be well aware that it isn't within sight yet. In this context, imminent = inevitable. IMO.


To add: I'm very patiently waiting for this whole thing to flesh out. If my aTV could control the volume for my TV, I would be 1000% happier. Also, I remember reading somewhere that Apple was in talks with TWC over using the aTV as a cable box. Alas, all I want is to pay on a "per channel" basis, or a "make your own 10/25/etc channel package".

[Will do good]

Originally Posted by Jsameds

Can't wait for the iMac to be released purely to shut the moaners on here up, but then again they'll just pass the buck to the Mac Pro crowd

Couldn't agreed more, so many whiners.

[FriarNurgle]

How about you go old school and just stream all the itunes content ad supported?

[camnchar]

Originally Posted by AutoUnion39

I'd buy an actual Apple TV if they made it. I use my Apple TV a little too much. Airplay is awesome

For me, AirPlay is awesome for iTunes-purchased stuff, which plays after just a few seconds of load time. For anything else, it seems to load the entire TV show or movie before playing. Is this just me or is this something Apple does on purpose to encourage iTunes buying?

[jdag]

I absolutely do believe that Apple will be getting into this market...or creating a market that we don't currently experience. But I don't envision that the "TV" will be an actual piece of hardware per se.

The concept of a high-end set just doesn't make any sense to me. Competition is intense, and the hardware costs are ridiculously low now...for great stuff! The pictures (and sound when using external A/V receivers and speakers) are tremendous.

What needs to be improved is the content and, specifically, the delivery model around that content.

I believe that Apple's "TV" will continue to be some sort of add-on device than can be used by the masses on any display. And that there will be some mechanism for subscription services. In that case, the market potential is mammoth.

[camnchar]

Originally Posted by jdag

I absolutely do believe that Apple will be getting into this market...or creating a market that we don't currently experience. But I don't envision that the "TV" will be an actual piece of hardware per se.

The concept of a high-end set just doesn't make any sense to me. Competition is intense, and the hardware costs are ridiculously low now...for great stuff! The pictures (and sound when using external A/V receivers and speakers) are tremendous.

What needs to be improved is the content and, specifically, the delivery model around that content.

I believe that Apple's "TV" will continue to be some sort of add-on device than can be used by the masses on any display. And that there will be some mechanism for subscription services. In that case, the market potential is mammoth.

I've seen rumors that it's purely an interface, which Apple is particularly good at and the current TV manufacturers are particularly bad at. But that runs against Apple's "hardware+software" model that's been so successful for them for the past 10 years.

I really don't see Apple doing a cloud-driven interface for an internet-enabled TV set and licensing it out like Google or Microsoft. It just seems so anti-Apple.

[OllyW]

Originally Posted by MonkeySee....

I'm hoping they bring out all this content on a box. I may be buying TV on Monday. I can't wait any longer

I've a feeling that whatever Apple are planning, it's going to be a product focused on the American market.

[jamesmademe]

Personally, I can't see this having the same sales and impact as the rest of the Apple environment.
Although high costing, Apple products to date (maybe minus the mac pro) are just priced in the range of the lower-middle classes. The wealthy and middle classes buy them because they can, us lower guys (students, retail workers etc.) scrimp and save to obtain these products even though we know there are cheaper, and often better products out there.

Any TV on the market today is expensive to these people already, and the Apple premium might, for once, be a stretch too far.

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by Radio

Meh

Too little too late

Apple will be quick to call it a "hobby" when this thing fails

Quarterly sales are higher than XBox 360. Just to put these things into perspective. If any other company was selling this, they would call it a huge success.

[cplclegg]

I'd settle for native apps for TV based content like my Time Warner, HBO Go and ESPN apps so I can watch them in rooms I don't want or need a box in. At least let me use Airplay on some of these.

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by rmwebs

Not going to happen. European TV is VERY different from that in the states, Football is all locked up by Mr Murdoch, like most sports and major broadcasts. In the UK we have 4 choices: Digital Terrestrial (e.g Freeview, BT Vision, etc), Freesat (basically freeview over Satellite) Virgin Media (aka Cable)or Sky (Satellite).

There isnt anywhere for Apple to 'slot in'. Virgin are in partnership with Tivo - a long term contract, Freeview allows anyone to create a set top box (there is only about 30 channels, pretty mediocre ones at that) and Sky use a custom system.

A very similar system operates throughout Europe, and Cable isnt all that popular in many places as there just arent the cable lines in place.

Just saying: Freeview is probably the biggest, and the easiest market (no negotiations needed). A plain Freeview viewing box is pointless because every modern TV does it, while a box is £25. Freeview recording would be where the money is, decent recorders are >£200.

Humax has enormous storage with a decent user interface. And here's a big problem with all user interfaces: You just can't check them out in a store. There may be something with a better UI, but it's impossible to find out. So my next box will be Humax again as long as they don't mess up the UI, because I'm not willing to take a risk. Now with Apple, I might trust them to make something that is better. And I definitely trust them to make something that I can check out in the nearest Apple Store. So for that alone, they could sell a lot.

Now if you combine Freeview recorder, decent CPU, a good UI, displaying iPhone, iPad, Mac, and some good advertising, you've got something to sell.

[CWallace]

Originally Posted by Radio

Meh

Too little too late

Apple will be quick to call it a "hobby" when this thing fails

Originally Posted by gnasher729

Quarterly sales are higher than XBox 360. Just to put these things into perspective. If any other company was selling this, they would call it a huge success.

Heck, if Apple was selling 50 million units a year, Wall Street would say they expected 55 million and therefore the Apple TV is a "massive failure" and another sign that "Apple is doomed".

[WannaGoMac]

For the love of god, just let us have stinking apps on the Apple TV without having to Jailbreak! This would solve almost all issues with apple TV

[OllyW]

Originally Posted by rmwebs

Not going to happen. European TV is VERY different from that in the states, Football is all locked up by Mr Murdoch, like most sports and major broadcasts. In the UK we have 4 choices: Digital Terrestrial (e.g Freeview, BT Vision, etc), Freesat (basically freeview over Satellite) Virgin Media (aka Cable)or Sky (Satellite).

There isnt anywhere for Apple to 'slot in'. Virgin are in partnership with Tivo - a long term contract, Freeview allows anyone to create a set top box (there is only about 30 channels, pretty mediocre ones at that) and Sky use a custom system.

A very similar system operates throughout Europe, and Cable isnt all that popular in many places as there just arent the cable lines in place.

Apple TV cant really succeed if its restricted to one type of input. Obviously internet-based streaming would be ideal, but again, there is no way it will happen. The ISP's were up in arms when BBC iPlayer launched, and demanded that it was either taken off line, or the BBC paid the ISP's extra cash. In the end, most ISP's ended up throttling it.

Originally Posted by gnasher729

Just saying: Freeview is probably the biggest, and the easiest market (no negotiations needed). A plain Freeview viewing box is pointless because every modern TV does it, while a box is £25. Freeview recording would be where the money is, decent recorders are >£200.

Humax has enormous storage with a decent user interface. And here's a big problem with all user interfaces: You just can't check them out in a store. There may be something with a better UI, but it's impossible to find out. So my next box will be Humax again as long as they don't mess up the UI, because I'm not willing to take a risk. Now with Apple, I might trust them to make something that is better. And I definitely trust them to make something that I can check out in the nearest Apple Store. So for that alone, they could sell a lot.

Now if you combine Freeview recorder, decent CPU, a good UI, displaying iPhone, iPad, Mac, and some good advertising, you've got something to sell.

Don't forget the new YouView service, it's like Freeview on steroids.

[Fruit Cake]

Another slow news day

[ipedro]

Originally Posted by ipedro

My bet is on:

1) New AppleTV 4 box with built in digital cable decoder and DVR.
- Cable companies offer it as an option free to their subscribers for a 2 year term contract or $99 at the Apple Store on no contract.
- Cable companies continue to sell channel packages, Apple takes over the interface and gets to sell iTunes content.

2) New Thunderbolt display with AppleTV built in: 27" + 42" + 52" ($999/$1499/$1999).

3) iMac update with AppleTV built in (Fall 2013).

This.

[tctony]

Wheres the proof that they are talking with cable operators other than "WE WANT IT TO BE TRUE"?

Not a shred of evidence to back these claims up.

[Patriot24]

The more we've discussed things in the Imminent thread from yesterday, the more I believe that the only service you're going to see unveiled in March will be the streaming music offering.

I want Apple to ride in on a white horse and save us all from the devastation that is the current television market, but all signs are pointing to later rather than sooner.

[Ingot]

Originally Posted by satcomer

The only way for Apple to get the ball running on the AppleTV is for Profession & NCAA teams sell "Subscriptions" to Teams and the AppleTV would start flying off the shelf, i am full believer in this. It would fly faster if Apple made deals with "Football" clubs across Europe & elsewhere. It would be even better if a fan from another country could also buy that Teams "subscription".

That is some nice thinking. I cut the cable a few years ago and miss once in a while a few CFL games. I would buy a CFL subscription and be very happy.