Mysterious 'Set Top Box' Shipment Records Hint at Refreshed Apple TV Coming Soon

[nosnhojm]

For all you commenters wishing for 802.11ac WiFi, it's not likely going to happen.

1080p Streaming = ~4 Mbps
10/100 ethernet = 100 Mbps
802.11n WiFi = 300 Mbps
Broadband Internet = ~25-50 Mbps

Streaming 1080p content does not saturate the existing ethernet or WiFi links, let alone your broadband internet link, so why would Apple add 802.11ac to the device? It would increase the cost of the device with no effective performance gain.

 

[unplugme71]

If it's an atv it's probably just a refresh to support AC wifi.

Most likely. And maybe 8GB instead of 4GB internal memory with a newer processor. I'm guessing this model will support "more apps".

Remember, Apple is adding more apps to the existing one. Those take up space. Space used for buffering.

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For all you commenters wishing for 802.11ac WiFi, it's not likely going to happen.

1080p Streaming = ~4 Mbps
10/100 ethernet = 100 Mbps
802.11n WiFi = 300 Mbps
Broadband Internet = ~25-50 Mbps

Streaming 1080p content does not saturate the existing ethernet or WiFi links, let alone your broadband internet link, so why would Apple add 802.11ac to the device? It would increase the cost of the device with no effective performance gain.

Because Apple likes to keep things consistent across their line up.

In your case, wireless N is not needed to as G supports the speed. So does B.

Apple probably uses the same wireless chip, orders millions and gets it a cheap price.

 

[Flynnstone]

I'll just back and iWatch what happens on Sept 10

 

[Kar98]

> In June, WatchESPN, HBO GO, Sky News, Crunchyroll, and Quello were added, and in August, Apple debuted channels for Vevo, the Smithsonian, and Disney.

...all of which where promptly hidden from the screen by this user, to unsightly avoid clutter.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Eh. Couldn't really care less about the Apple TV. iTV, that's another story. Doesn't the Chromecast, that's 65% cheaper put the Apple TV to shame anyways, price-performance wise?

Roku kills 'em both except for the laptop to TV streaming feature. I wouldn't say Chromecast puts ATV to shame, not just yet. Wake up call to be sure. All these boxes and dongles are still in their infancy though as all still have a very incomplete feature set.

 

[winston1236]

Eh. Couldn't really care less about the Apple TV. iTV, that's another story. Doesn't the Chromecast, that's 65% cheaper put the Apple TV to shame anyways, price-performance wise?

You said it before I had a chance to. Yes the Chromecast is the future.

 

[CausticPuppy]

App store would be nice.

Probably will be nothing new other than 802.11ac Wifi.

 

[winston1236]

Cable solutions continue to become more compelling.

TiVo just released their next-generation "Roamio" DVR for cable+FiOS with the following features:

1. Blazing fast, IOS7-inspired 1080p user interface (much more fined than prior Tivo HD UI).

2. Six tuners to record 6 HDTV channels simultaneously at full quality.

3. Built-in 3TB capacity to store 450 HD hours, with support for an external drive.

4. Full 1080p60 output for cable channels and streaming content.

5. Built-in gigabit ethernet, MoCA (150Mbps networking over coax), and 802.11n wireless (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz).

6. Traditional trick play functionality with replay, 30sec skip, fast forward, rewind, chapter skip, etc, when viewing live or recorded shows on the TiVo, TiVo mini extender, iPhone, and iPad.

7. With the Roamio, you can watch different high-definition recordings or liveTV channels on four iPads and iPhones, simultaneously, over your home WiFi network, without any extra equipment. You can watch one channel or recorded program on your TV, while, at the same time, others in your home watch different channels or recorded programs on four different iPads and/or iPhones, all in high-definition. All you need is the free TiVo IOS app, pictured below.

8. With a software update coming this fall, Roamio owners will be able to watch (stream) different high-definition recordings or liveTV channels on four different iPads and iPhones, simultaneously, over the Internet (I.e., away from home). It's like 4x HD Slingbox, built-in, with no awkward IR emitters. All you need is the free TiVO IOS app.

9. With the Roamio, you can download and save SD and HD versions of recordings directly from the DVR to your iPad or iPhone for viewing later (e.g., on a plane). All you need is the free TiVo IOS app, pictured below.

10. Using the Roamio's gigabit ethernet port, you can download pristine high-definition recordings from the DVR to your computer at 200Mbps (i.e., a 1-hour high-definition recording downloads in about three minutes). Alternatively, you can download programs using the box's built-in 802.11n wireless or MoCa, which creates a 150Mbps network using the existing coax cabling in your home. No hacks are required; this is built-in functionality.

11. Multi-room functionality with TiVo Mini extenders: Each TiVo Mini can access all of the recordings stored on the Roamio using MoCA and your home's existing coax cables (no ethernet or wireless required). The TiVo Mini has a guide and displays live TV by accessing an unused tuner on the Roamio. TiVo added dynamic tuner allocation, so you no longer have to dedicate a tuner on the DVR to each Mini; when someone isn't watching liveTV on a Mini, the tuner is free for use by the DVR and/or another Mini and/or iPhone/iPad in your home.

12. Built-in support for Netflix, Amazon, Youtube, etc. streaming services.

13. If you purchase a lifetime subscription (pricey), there are no cable STB/DVR fees, ever.

I'll never buy a Tivo because theres not way I'm paying a ton of cash for a box, and then still have to pay for an expensive subscription. The Tivo model only works if the boxes are free or if the subscriptions go away.

 

[monaarts]

Most likely. And maybe 8GB instead of 4GB internal memory with a newer processor. I'm guessing this model will support "more apps".

Remember, Apple is adding more apps to the existing one. Those take up space. Space used for buffering.

It already has 8GB of storage...

https://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/1...s-same-8-gb-flash-storage-bump-to-512-mb-ram/

 

[nosnhojm]

Because Apple likes to keep things consistent across their line up.

In your case, wireless N is not needed to as G supports the speed. So does B.

Apple probably uses the same wireless chip, orders millions and gets it a cheap price.

Is that why the ATV has a 10/100 ethernet chip rather than gigabit (like the rest of their line-up has)? /s

The ATV uses 802.11n instead of 802.11g because it gets greater range (not because of bandwidth).

 

[Ballis]

doesnt AC have even better range than N though?

 

[monaarts]

doesnt AC have even better range than N though?

Kind of... http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/802-11ac-vs-802-11n-what-s-the-difference

 

[regularg0nz0]

Mavericks

I think it's just gearing up for AirPlay Display in Mavericks. At a hundred bucks, it's a no-brainer add-on for every laptop sold (in most cases, add 2 or 3 of them). Most iMacs and Pros, too.

Even existing customers will buy one at the mere suggestion of being able to wirelessly use their existing TVs. Apple would be missing a fairly big boat not to have them in stock and push them.

 

[TXCherokee]

I would love to get an apple powered ip tv system and ditch "cable" TV. Please apple. Make it happen. Spend some of those billions to make the impossible possible. No more dvr. No more flipping channels.

We've ditched cable in my house with an Apple TV and an external HD antenna. All the local channels, netflix, and iTunes cover our needs. Saves about $60-100 a month depending on what we buy on iTunes. So easy my 3 year old can operate it. Make the jump, you will never look back.

 

[nosnhojm]

doesnt AC have even better range than N though?

802.11n works in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands
802.11ac only works in the 5 GHz band

The 5 GHz band has less interferences and operates at a higher frequency, allowing the greater speeds, but also has less penetration through walls than the 2.4 GHz band. 802.11ac overcomes this with "beamforming" technology. The end result is that yes, 802.11ac provides some amount of greater range, but it really depends on implementation (i.e., how many antennas in the device, router, etc.).

 

[newdeal]

If it's an atv it's probably just a refresh to support AC wifi.

Could also bump the cpu, perhaps a dual core A5 (I think the current is single core) and a better gpu to increase performance if they allow apps at some point down the road

 

[JohnDoe98]

A developer SDK for AppleTV would be so much fun to work with!

Can the people asking for an Apple TV SDK explain the need for it? I've never understood the request. With mirroring on all iOS and OS X devices doesn't that pretty much mean you can do anything on the Apple TV anyway? Why bother adding in an SDK for the Apple TV when there are already SDKs for iOS and OS X?

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Could also bump the cpu, perhaps a dual core A5 (I think the current is single core) and a better gpu to increase performance if they allow apps at some point down the road

Why bother adding apps on it at all? Just one more thing to track and manage on Apple's side, and right now you can run anyway app on your ATV anyway with mirroring. So I can't see why it's worth the effort. Might you explain a little more?

 

[nosnhojm]

Can the people asking for an Apple TV SDK explain the need for it? I've never understood the request. With mirroring on all iOS and OS X devices doesn't that pretty much mean you can do anything on the Apple TV anyway? Why bother adding in an SDK for the Apple TV when there are already SDKs for iOS and OS X?

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Why bother adding apps on it at all? Just one more thing to track and manage on Apple's side, and right now you can run anyway app on your ATV anyway with mirroring. So I can't see why it's worth the effort. Might you explain a little more?

AirPlay mirroring is not ideal. It works great for OSX->ATV, but iOS->ATV mirrors with black bars and strange aspect ratio. If you just want to project a clip, it works OK, but I would never watch a full movie/show via mirroring. AirPlay direct (for those apps that support it) in iOS works pretty good though.

 

[V.K.]

of course it would be cool if there's something new on the hardware side, but most likely it'll just be Apple TV with 802.11ac.

+1 It might even be just a regular shipment of ATV3. There is nothing here to indicate a new product. a shipment of 90k units when then sell a few million ATVs in a quarter. why is this news?

 

[FlatlinerG]

Can the people asking for an Apple TV SDK explain the need for it? I've never understood the request. With mirroring on all iOS and OS X devices doesn't that pretty much mean you can do anything on the Apple TV anyway? Why bother adding in an SDK for the Apple TV when there are already SDKs for iOS and OS X?

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Why bother adding apps on it at all? Just one more thing to track and manage on Apple's side, and right now you can run anyway app on your ATV anyway with mirroring. So I can't see why it's worth the effort. Might you explain a little more?

I kind of agree, I see the Apple TV as being more of a tool to send what you have on your device to your TV wirelessly, instead of it being its own device.

Apple is positioned very well for this and I don't think many people saw it coming but the iPhone/iPad/Mac could be the next gaming console and it all connects to your TV through Apple TV.

You want to play, example, Mario Kart? Then load it up on your iPhone, tap the AirPlay icon and voila. All you need is a controller - which Apple has already released the concept to manufacturers. I mean, isn't this what the Wii U does? But then again, there are more iPhone's sold worldwide than Wii U's.

The Apple TV has HUGE potential if you ask me.

 

[jdag]

With mirroring on all iOS and OS X Why bother adding apps on it at all? Just one more thing to track and manage on Apple's side, and right now you can run anyway app on your ATV anyway with mirroring. So I can't see why it's worth the effort. Might you explain a little more?

I kind of agree, I see the Apple TV as being more of a tool to send what you have on your device to your TV wirelessly, instead of it being its own device.

Mirroring/AirPlay certainly have value. But having a native app built into the AppleTV ecosystem is simply a better experience (assuming a well developed app).

First, it is a single device experience. No need to have an iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc. as your "remote controller".

Second, while many if not most of the people on this board do have multiple Apple devices, not all people do.

Third, even if you do have a device that. You can AirPlay/mirror from, you have to have it handy with you when you sit down in front of the TV.

Fourth, it is not easier to AirPlay/mirror than use native apps. I know the people here will all say it is really simple. But it is just not as easy as starting up the app from the main AppleTV menu. Think about it...if you want to use Netflix on your AppleTV, what do you do? Grab your iPad, start up Netflix, start the video, then AirPlay it? No,you open the Netflix app on the AppleTV. Done.

Etc...

 

[ericinboston]

I wonder if Apple will still include a 1996 100Mbit ethernet port...to stream all the super HD data that far exceeds 100Mbit throughput.

Sheeeeez. Although ATV does presently include N wireless, wireless is just not as reliable as wired.

 

[mcarling]

For all you commenters wishing for 802.11ac WiFi, it's not likely going to happen.

1080p Streaming = ~4 Mbps
10/100 ethernet = 100 Mbps
802.11n WiFi = 300 Mbps
Broadband Internet = ~25-50 Mbps

Streaming 1080p content does not saturate the existing ethernet or WiFi links, let alone your broadband internet link, so why would Apple add 802.11ac to the device? It would increase the cost of the device with no effective performance gain.

1. Range.
2. Real-world bandwidth through walls, etc. is degraded from theoretical limits.
3. Interference from neighbors with Wifi.
4. Streaming requires getting as much as you can when you can, because availability of packets fluctuates.
5. Other applications on one's Wifi network may be using some of the available bandwidth.

 

[FlatlinerG]

Fourth, it is not easier to AirPlay/mirror than use native apps. I know the people here will all say it is really simple. But it is just not as easy as starting up the app from the main AppleTV menu. Think about it...if you want to use Netflix on your AppleTV, what do you do? Grab your iPad, start up Netflix, start the video, then AirPlay it? No,you open the Netflix app on the AppleTV. Done.

Etc...

True enough, but at the same time it is much nicer when you want to take the content with you. Example, if I were watching Netflix streaming from my iPad to my Apple TV then wanted to go into a different room, I could just tap the AirPlay icon and stop the streaming, carry the iPad into the other room and keep watching it on my iPad.

Both methods have their advantages, which is why both should be an option. Built in app for people who don't have other Apple products, but improved AirPlay for those of us that do.

 

[JohnDoe98]

AirPlay mirroring is not ideal. It works great for OSX->ATV, but iOS->ATV mirrors with black bars and strange aspect ratio. If you just want to project a clip, it works OK, but I would never watch a full movie/show via mirroring. AirPlay direct (for those apps that support it) in iOS works pretty good though.

Thanks for your answer. So it sounds to me like they just need to tweak the way iOS mirrors by remove the black bars/weird aspect ratios (on OS X you can set the mirroring to be optimized for the external display, so they could easily have an option in iOS regarding how to handle mirroring, i.e. optimized for the iOS device or the external display). And the iOS devices are so strong now, watching a full movie/stream should be equivalent to how it performs on OS X, which is good.

And with AC wifi, the latency issue should be non-existent. On good setups with no interference, even on N wifi there is virtually no lag (in my experience).