Apple Reportedly Set to Open Up Apple TV to Third-Party Developers at WWDC

[marksman]

The time has been right for years. Could you imagine where the iPhone would be today if they never created the App Store for it. Now imagine what would have happened if they had released the App Store along with the Apple TV 2.

If this is true, then hard times are ahead for all of the other STB's on the market today.

This does open up possibilities. Adding apps in the apple ecosystem would likely grow the apple tv base many fold. At that point they actually have real leverage with content providers and could actually usher in a new model and dynamic for tv content. It apple can leverage apps to get them 10-15 million installed users they could really make some noise for content. Very old figures have me thinking hbo might have 30-35 million subscriibers. I vaguely recall Netflix being in the 17-20 million range. Heck most satellite and cable companies are in that range. With 10 million installed apple TVs they become a real part of the distribution market. This seems like a great way to get there.

 

[jimbojsb]

I still hold by the idea that a television set is NOT what they're planning. I think the "cracked" format is the current Apple TV. They're cheap, upgradable and gives a user freedom to do what they will with their tv screen. Imagine having an obsolete tv in 3 years and having to buy a new one. That's not a perfect solution, therefore, not apple.

Obviously you're not familiar with the 27" iMac with it's $1000 integrated cinema display that becomes trash when then computer components are outdated.

 

[daneoni]

'Bout freakin' time!

 

[newyorksole]

Somehow I doubt all of this will be announced at WWDC. We get all these wild rumors and the actual event never lives up to them. Before the iPad event the rumors were it would have haptic feedback. Of course that never happened.

Usually I'd agree with this, but it makes sense for them to announce this stuff now.

With the AppleTV's last UI change, Apple basically gave it away that apps are coming for it. With the TV Set rumors ramping up also, I don't think any of this is a coincidence.

 

[smithrh]

Everything I read makes it seem like HBO is stubborn when bringing support to other platforms that they aren't comfortable with. I could be wrong though.

They're already on iOS big time.

Now - I'd say this - I don't expect them to change their subscription model yet. That is, to access content, you'll still need to be a subscriber from cable or sat.

 

[d21mike]

HBO Go requires a subscription to HBO through a cable/satellite provider. I doubt this will change that requirement.

Of course it would be nice to be able to subscribe to HBO without having to buy a CABLE Package if you do not want too, but that is not what we are saying. We are saying to provide the same options that you have on the iOS Device (and XBOX and Roku) on the Apple TV. HBO Go and MAX Go are just two examples.

Part of the problem with Cable is the rental fees for the boxes. With a 5 bedroom house and kitchen and living room and TV Room these boxes can be much more expensive the the content.

Regarding Content. We will need to pay for it one way or the other. If you can get all of the content over the internet as bundled packages (not free) from say Apple or Hulu or Intel (reading about it today) then my Internet Connection Charge will most likely go up or be limited (like with our Phone Data Planes - Some Cable Companies already do it). I am going to want all of the Network Channels and all of the Business Channels and Comedy Central and Golf Channel and others. If I dropped most of my Cable Boxes and some of the Premium Movie Channels I could save a lot of money and still keep Cable. It may not be all Cable or no Cable. There are options in between.

 

[convergent]

This is great news if it comes to be. For those of you hoping for XBMC or Plex, I think you are going to be disappointed. Both would be unnecessary if you could add apps directly to the ATV. Imagine an app store like on the iOS devices, where you can buy apps like MLB.tv. So rather than buying a cable package, you buy subscriptions for the individual channels you want to watch. MLB.tv is the model to me of how the content providers can do it right.

And, I assume there will be all kinds of other apps, games, etc.. If they work out the user interface, there's no reason why most apps on iOS couldn't be deployed on ATV.

 

[gugy]

The rumor mill is putting too much out there. It seems this is going to be the greatest WWDC ever. Pretty sure so many people will be disappointed and blame Apple.
I would say if we get 50% what has been said so far we will be lucky.

 

[Robin4]

*crosses fingers*

if its true, i'd expect the apps already on the iPad to work so i think they'll be a lot of content straight away.

oh well, not long until we find out which ones are true and which ones are just put out by apple to fish out who has the big mouth

This may be true. My iPad has been acting up a bit the last few days. It always does prior to a major upgrade.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

What's Apple going to do that will make me want to give up my DirecTV? I have any channel I want plus boat loads of sports programming. I have HD DVR with a simple/slick interface. I haven't heard or seen anything yet that would make me switch to Apple TV.

Live programming (and local) have long been the "cut the cable/satt" fly in the ointment. Paired with the fact that an TV cable killer replacement solution will typically have heavy dependencies on broadband pipes owned by those same cable TV providers and the typical dream becomes much more complicated.

I've thought it through again and again and I don't foresee a scenario where the dream as most popularly imagined comes to pass... that is, I don't see Apple replacing mainstream cable/satt with commercial-free programming of "only what I want to watch" at a cost of about 5% to 20% of "what I'm paying now for cable/satt". If there is a lot of progress in that direction, look for our broadband pricing to go up significantly for "heavy users" (to wash out the "savings"). And note that just killing off the commercials alone (which are other people's money paying for the development of the programming that we can watch for free or near free) would require a subscription price of about $54/month per U.S. household to hold the revenue line "as is". The typical dream scenario involves an Apple subscription of about $30/month or less (and note such an option would probably involve Apple taking their 30% right off the top).

 

[Rogifan]

The rumor mill is putting too much out there. It seems this is going to be the greatest WWDC ever. Pretty sure so many people will be disappointed and blame Apple.
I would say if we get 50% what has been said so far we will be lucky.

Agreed. No way are we getting ML iOS 6 Apple TV SDK new Macs and a new iPhone next week. apple wont't shoot its wad all in one day.

 

[peterh988]

you know what this means right? some developers have already had access to the Apple TV SDK and will be present to demo some apps!

Read this on a blog a few days ago.

"If you’re going for the iOS version, you’ll notice it is universal for iPhone and iPad. We’re going to convert it for use on the Apple TV as soon as it accepts apps"

Thought it was just wishful thinking, but maybe they're expecting it to happen.

 

[bbeagle]

What's Apple going to do that will make me want to give up my DirecTV? I have any channel I want plus boat loads of sports programming. I have HD DVR with a simple/slick interface. I haven't heard or seen anything yet that would make me switch to Apple TV.

I think you're still thinking in terms of 'channels' and 'changing channels'. I think Apple wants to make the television more 'program centered' instead of 'channel centered'.

You'll have an app like 'NFL', where you can see all the NFL games in progress, move to any of the games you'd like, see standings, see press conferences, news stories, see any old footage. All while surfing your iPad as the control. It's different than remembering, oh, 701 is this channel, 705 is this one, etc. etc. and ALL the relevant information is available because we're connected to the INTERNET not just a DirecTV channel. Plus, it will be able to customize everything to your favorite team. If your favorite team is, god help me, the Dallas Cowboys, then you will see a little star in the corner of the screen, with relevant Dallas Cowboy / NFC East information and things like facebook messages or tweets for/against Tony Romo.

You've got to open up your mind and be creative. The current Apple TV is not there yet. Currently, DirecTV is a better choice - if you have the money. But, I can imagine and see what might lie ahead that is so much better. I'm not stuck in the past and an Apple hater. I'm more willing to broaden my horizon. (I'm not an Apple lover either - if anyone pulls off this vision I support them - I'll buy a Microsoft TV if that is the best thing out there - but I can't see any other company as future-thinking as Apple)

 

[Rocketman]

Since Apple seems to centrally focus the content ecosystem on prevention of piracy, and most 3rd party boxes and software installs are less focused on that, we may see apps which are effectively APIs for say attaching to a Comcast or DirecTV system or apps that compliment existing content owners and distributors. I think the TV OS ecosystem will likely be more "locked down" than most.

Rocketman

 

[paradox00]

Hyperbole much? Do you work for Apple marketing? Yeah I'm sure Comcast and DirecTV are quaking in their boots right now.

Don't kid yourself, they are terrified of online streaming. It's a huge threat to their cable business. Cable companies are like wagon manufacturers in a era where Henry Ford is about to release the Model T, a car for the masses.

 

[patsfan83]

HBO Go is already on iOS. Why wouldn't they port it to the Apple TV?

Because you can't view it on your TV. They locked off Airplay so you can't stream (dumb, I know).

 

[Rogifan]

Live programming (and local) have long been the "cut the cable/satt" fly in the ointment. Paired with the fact that an TV cable killer replacement solution will typically have heavy dependencies on broadband pipes owned by those same cable TV providers and the typical dream becomes much more complicated.

I've thought it through again and again and I don't foresee a scenario where the dream as most popularly imagined comes to pass... that is, I don't see Apple replacing mainstream cable/satt with commercial-free programming of "only what I want to watch" at a cost of about 5% to 20% of "what I'm paying now for cable/satt". If there is a lot of progress in that direction, look for our broadband pricing to go up significantly for "heavy users" (to wash out the "savings"). And note that just killing off the commercials alone (which are other people's money paying for the development of the programming that we can watch for free or near free) would require a subscription price of about $54/month per U.S. household to hold the revenue line "as is". The typical dream scenario involves an Apple subscription of about $30/month or less (and note such an option would probably involve Apple taking their 30% right off the top).

I thought I heard Dish Network was being sued for their service which cuts out commercials from DVR'd programs. I know Apple revolutionized the music industry with iTunes but TV will be a much tougher nut to crack. With the music industry they had to do something because they were being ripped off by illegal file sharing. Can't really say the same with TV.

 

[WannaGoMac]

At the moment I have an OpenELEC install on my HTPC. There was no setup involved other than pointing it at the shares on my network and telling it to output sound over HDMI. It took 5mins to setup and that was it.

I have been meaning to try that out, then I saw the warning of the installer requiring me to unplug all my hard drives as it tends to wipe them out during the creation of the bootable USb key?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

The Apple TV doesn't provide any of the shows that cable does, so it's not even a competitor with Comcast and DirecTV unless you count the movie rentals. They should add a coax input for antenna and cable with recording ability.

The coax input days are long gone. Everything is digital now and digitally encrypted. There was an effort called "cable card" aimed at making all cable system video accessible via third party boxes by plugging in a "key" card. However, the industry worked well to insure that THAT solution was painful... at best.

To go where you suggest might be something possible by building in an HDMI IN jack so that a cable box could do the decrypting and then pass the signal out of that box and into the TV. However, there's also a bunch of hoops to jump there too (but it would be the more likely way toward accomplishing what you are suggesting). Basically, the key is that you would need the signal decryption done BEFORE it gets to the TV. Else you would need Apple making deals with all of the cable companies to try to build cable box decrypting INSIDE the box and why would the cable companies want to help Apple replace their cable boxes (usually rented) with one box (to rule them all)?

 

[Rogifan]

I think you're still thinking in terms of 'channels' and 'changing channels'. I think Apple wants to make the television more 'program centered' instead of 'channel centered'.

You'll have an app like 'NFL', where you can see all the NFL games in progress, move to any of the games you'd like, see standings, see press conferences, news stories, see any old footage. All while surfing your iPad as the control. It's different than remembering, oh, 701 is this channel, 705 is this one, etc. etc. and ALL the relevant information is available because we're connected to the INTERNET not just a DirecTV channel. Plus, it will be able to customize everything to your favorite team. If your favorite team is, god help me, the Dallas Cowboys, then you will see a little star in the corner of the screen, with relevant Dallas Cowboy / NFC East information and things like facebook messages or tweets for/against Tony Romo.

You've got to open up your mind and be creative. The current Apple TV is not there yet. Currently, DirecTV is a better choice - if you have the money. But, I can imagine and see what might lie ahead that is so much better. I'm not stuck in the past and an Apple hater. I'm more willing to broaden my horizon. (I'm not an Apple lover either - if anyone pulls off this vision I support them - I'll buy a Microsoft TV if that is the best thing out there - but I can't see any other company as future-thinking as Apple)

I'll believe it when I see it. Right now it's just a lot of people projecting on to Apple what they want to see.

 

[patsfan83]

I guess you've never seen an iMac. Every three years you have to toss out a perfectly good 27" monitor.

It doesn't work after 3 years? Can't resell it?

 

[skuid87]

THIS is the announcement that I've been waiting for ever since I got my hands on the ATV2. That little puck has SO much potential. Been there every step with the community developers as the device was jailbroken and reverse engineered to get Plex up and running. We've come a long way since then...

Just imagine the possibilities that would open up if Apple release an SDK. This could really open up the AppleTV and set it apart as a new Killer product.

I remember watching the E3 Demo for WiiU last year... it was so infuriating that they were touting it as revolutionary when Apple had already accomplished this with Airplay! Granted, its the other way around (iPad streaming to AppleTV instead), but Real Racing was a great example of having the action on the TV set, and lap times/map on the iPad, which also acted as a controller.

If the AppleTV could take some of the processing burden away from the iPad and run the Apps natively, a LOT more could be accomplished!

Hands down the best announcement that could come out of WWDC. Really hope it happens.

**Fingers crossed**

 

[7709876]

I have been meaning to try that out, then I saw the warning of the installer requiring me to unplug all my hard drives as it tends to wipe them out during the creation of the bootable USb key?

That was a bug in the installed in earlier versions. It only really applies if you have a drive connected to your HTPC that isn't going to be installed and formatted anyway.

I have OpenELEC running from a USB stick and no HDD in my HTPC. I have all my media on a WHS server.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

I have 3 apple tv's and 1 Roku, and as a roku owner, i welcome a more open Apple TV.

Content on Roku is king, they allow third party channels to be added without restriction on content. THis is a welcome shift from Apple's approach which runs from protection of the itunes movie/tv store to simple censorship.

On Roku, you can add things like tv channels, independent content like Glenn Beck/Alex Jones... other things like indie channels of radio, tv, heck even adult content like Fyre Tv (if thats your bag).

the owner of the units can decide what to watch instead of being limited by the technology.

also, on roku you can play games, like angry birds.

But... the big differential is that on Roku you have a micro sd slot, so you can add capacity for content, channels and programs. Apple TV, right now you can't add any memory... this would be great to upgrade, but you know apple... sometimes they skimp on things like slots that cost an extra buck or two. here. it would be great if it was like Roku. expandable.

 

[dagamer34]

8GB of flash storage on current Apple TVs is small enough that I wouldn't expect games, just video streaming services. I also don't think this will be open to the public, you'll probably need to apply to get access to these SDKs.