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iTV To Go 'Beyond Streaming'?

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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After a recent meeting with top Apple executives, Bear Stearns analyst Andy Neff believes that Apple's iTV will go beyond simply streaming video (reported by AppleInsider).

"Though details remain sketchy, Apple emphasized [the] focus of iTV [is] to improve user experience by leveraging its software expertise and implied that there may be features beyond the mere streaming of video content," the analyst wrote.
Click to expand...

The iTV is already known to be able to stream music and photos as well, and the possibility of Apple including an internal hard drive in the iTV has already been raised, but the analyst also believes the iTV will have advanced user interface software to further the ultimate goal of improving user experience and simplifying consumers' use of content.

Apple also reportedly (and not surprisingly) has a number of products currently in development that are likely to be introduced over several years. During Apple's September "It's Showtime" event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs stated that Apple was now "in your den... in your living room... in your car... in your pocket", and hinted that that theme gave a "little idea of where [Apple] is going."
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2006/11/29/itv-to-go-beyond-streaming/
~Shard~

~Shard~

macrumors P6
Jun 4, 2003
18,377
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1123.6536.5321
Can't wait for MWSF to get some more details from Steve! Between this, the iPhone, an iTablet and the new widescreen video iPod there will be plenty for him to reveal - along with our iLife 07 and Leopard previews as well. ;) :cool:
 
spicyapple

spicyapple

macrumors 68000
Jul 20, 2006
1,724
1
Maybe you can do video iChat sessions with an optional iSight camera right from the livingroom TV?

This reminds me of the old Zenith TVs with space phones where you could talk to a caller from the comfort of your sofa. (but voices usually sounded like it was underwater).
 
OdduWon

OdduWon

macrumors 6502a
Jul 4, 2006
591
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CaliVerse
spicyapple said:
Maybe you can do video iChat sessions with an optional iSight camera right from the livingroom TV?

This reminds me of the old Zenith TVs with space phones where you could talk to a caller from the comfort of your sofa. (but voices usually sounded like it was underwater).
Click to expand...

yeah, they will have a camera built in so they can film the new ipod commercials using us unsuspecting living room dancers as the subject:D
 
P

piecewise

macrumors newbie
May 22, 2006
8
0
Newsworthy?

This is completely useless. An analyst thinks the iTV will have an additional feature? Fantastic. Like what, specifically?

You know, I suspect the next version of the iPod will also feature something different or new. Just a hunch, though. Nothing solid to back that up yet.

Safe bet.
 
killmoms

killmoms

macrumors 68040
Jun 23, 2003
3,752
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Durham, NC
piecewise said:
This is completely useless. An analyst thinks the iTV will have an additional feature? Fantastic. Like what, specifically?

You know, I suspect the next version of the iPod will also feature something different or new. Just a hunch, though. Nothing solid to back that up yet.

Safe bet.
Click to expand...

But piecewise, I thought the key to financial succes was not to innovate, but to talk up a full-featured product at the beginning and then remove features until it's a bland, unappealing paste! After all, that's what Microsoft did with Vista! ;)
 
bigandy

bigandy

macrumors G3
Apr 30, 2004
8,852
7
Murka
longofest said:
Actually, I was thinking they were working on a car ;)
Click to expand...

oh hell yeah, the iCar? Couldn't be iDrive - that's already a BMW thing :rolleyes:


I thought this the minute the thing was demonstrated - it'll be a whole lot more than they showed, and it'll look a whole lot different too, methinks. :)
 
iMeowbot

iMeowbot

macrumors G3
Aug 30, 2003
8,634
0
OdduWon said:
yeah, they will have a camera built in so they can film the new ipod commercials using us unsuspecting living room dancers as the subject:D
Click to expand...


Okay, let's skip the camera.

iTV looks more like a platform than a complete product in itself. Andy Neff also writes "Apple noted that it has a number of products currently in development that are likely to be introduced over several years."

Once upon a time, Apple used to talk about "digital lifestyle devices" or some such, but didn't release much past iPod and iSight. Perhaps this box is what they have in mind to make other gadgets go.

What would be gadgets you don't have today that would be cool if they could easily tap into the network without having to deal with a computer?
 
S

spine

macrumors member
Dec 13, 2005
52
0
warwick RI
where apple wants to go

I posted this a while ago - but I think Jobs was hinting that apple wants to be everywhere. iPod is a lifestyle product, as is the iTv.

Apple has proven that they have a true understanding of the user experience, and can spread that halo wherever a user may go. Hence the iPod's success, and perhaps the iTv and phone future success.

Bottom line, wherever there is media, apple wants to be there, showing everyone how to do it the best way.
 
Flowbee

Flowbee

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2002
2,943
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Alameda, CA
...And I just got my new dual-tuner Tivo yesterday. :eek:

Anyway, I'm not betting that "iTV" will be a Tivo repalcement (yet), but more of a TV interface for your downloaded video content, and hopefully some streaming video websites. It'd be nice to browse through YouTube while sitting on the sofa, though the picture quality might be scary on my 32" set.
 
twoodcc

twoodcc

macrumors P6
Feb 3, 2005
15,307
26
Right side of wrong
~Shard~ said:
Can't wait for MWSF to get some more details from Steve! Between this, the iPhone, an iTablet and the new widescreen video iPod there will be plenty for him to reveal - along with our iLife 07 and Leopard previews as well. ;) :cool:
Click to expand...

i agree. can't wait til January! hopefully i'll have some money saved up for one of those things
 
X

x86isslow

macrumors 6502a
Aug 10, 2003
889
11
USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by longofest View Post
Actually, I was thinking they were working on a car
oh hell yeah, the iCar? Couldn't be iDrive - that's already a BMW thing
Click to expand...

Apple to design a car?

sponsorcourse.jpg
 
Object-X

Object-X

macrumors 6502a
Aug 3, 2004
633
142
I think what Jobs is hinting at is integration with all these devices.

Imagine your at work having a video chat conversation with someone and Calendar reminds you of a meeting you have somewhere. You get up, flip open your phone and your video iChat session automagically transfers over to the phone. You walk down to your car and get in, close your phone and you're still talking over the car's built in phone/iChat system. Your GPS screen rotates like a cube and shows the location of your meeting in your calendar, rotating back to your conversation. You end your call and tell your onboard system to send an email to your party indicating your on your way, ect..

You could come up with all kinds of scenarios. Your Mac, your iPhone, iTV, email, calendar, GPS, iPod, all synced to each other and integrated without any interaction by the user. Only a company like Apple could pull it off seemlessly.

Now imagine trying that with Microsoft's software, some other companies phone, another companies TV interface, a differnt companies camera, ect...

You know exactly how well that will work.
 
QCassidy352

QCassidy352

macrumors G5
Mar 20, 2003
12,028
6,036
Bay Area
I certainly hope it will have more features! The iTV, based only on currently confirmed features, looks pretty useless to me. So I can stream content from my computer to my TV instead of just watching on my computer... and for that I pay $300? :rolleyes:

I don't think apple would go to market with a product that lame. The final version will have a lot more cool features than that.
 
L

LostPacket

macrumors member
Jun 26, 2003
56
0
Canada, eh
I don't care what extra features it has, as long as Apple designs a decent remote for it. Something full-sized with a click-wheel. I'd love to fast-forward through a movie using the click-wheel. The 4X, 8X etc on my current PVR just doesn't do it for me.
 
B

BoyBach

macrumors 68040
Feb 24, 2006
3,031
13
iMeowbot said:
Andy Neff also writes "Apple noted that it has a number of products currently in development that are likely to be introduced over several years."
Click to expand...


I'm glad that he confirmed this. Otherwise Macworld in January would be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Mr. Jobs finished his keynote with the startling admission that there is nothing left: "That's all folks! We've got nothing else in development. See you in 2010."

:D
 
C

chrisgeleven

macrumors 6502
Apr 28, 2002
487
75
You know what I would like with iTV?

Live content.

Think about it for a moment. I think everyone hates how expensive cable TV is. I am paying $45 per month just for 50 channels or so, with maybe 10 of those I actually watch (the networks, MSNBC, NESN, FSNE, ESPN, and a few other random ones).

Apple has the TV Shows issue fixed, thanks to $1.99 per show on iTunes and season passes.

However, live content is the big issue. I would love to ditch my cable tv subscription and go soley iTV. But I like to watch sports, especially baseball and football. Also you need TV for news events, especially breaking news. iTV and iTunes does not (yet) allow you to watch live streaming content.

If Apple could somehow strike a deal to cover sports and other live content such as news...that just really opens the door. Major League Baseball already does it with MLB.TV, except it is browser based. Imagine the same thing, but on iTV!?!?

Do that, and I would seriously cancel my cable tv subscription and go a la carte with iTunes. I spend roughly $540 a year on my 50 channels of cable TV, of which I at most watch 10 channels. I would much rather spend say $270 (half of the $540) on the 5 or so shows I watch, plus season passes for my local baseball and football teams, and the news channel of my choice.

That is where iTV could become a real winner.
 
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