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Actually ATV is a hobby. Even apple say so! Also i'd like to ask SD? Does anything other than the Wii use that now?

I know Apple claims it's a hobby, but if Apple is serious about getting into the TV biz, why should we believe it won't be AppleTV on an Apple Cinema Display? ACDs are already way too expensive for me when I can get an LED-backlit display for about 1/4 the price.

As for SD, a ton of cameras use it. I just bought a new one that uses SDHC, which I think goes up to 32GB now. Some video cameras also use them, which allows for smaller devices. My dad has a video camera with a hard disk. I don't see any issues with the disk, but maybe SD works better.

Apparently there is also SDXC, which goes up to 2 TB. I don't know what the read speeds are from these, but I don't think it's THAT bad. Maybe you can include more flash memory inside any of these TVs or players. I think my BD player has 1GB of flash for BD-Live stuff. There's obviously some other internal storage to hold the firmware that runs the 4 apps on the player.

I see no reason why Apple can't try to work its software onto other devices instead of trying to sell TV hardware.

Someone mentioned that most TVs now are "dumb." Yep, but a great deal of the ones sold this year are going to have Internet connectivity. Samsung started some of it with its LED TVs and has started putting it on all flat screens. As I said before, I'd much rather download an app to my TV than buy a new box or set. All these people who spent $3,000 for good TVs aren't going to shell out money for another one that syncs with iTunes.
 
The government tried to force them to offer cablecards that would allow customers to integrate far more advanced devices into the cable pipeline, but cable companies successfully crippled the technology (no program guide, not PPV, etc.) and made sure there were never enough cablecards available, to discourage customers from asking for them and interrupting their "pay a huge monthly fee for a used DVR with outdated technology, small HD, and tendency to overheat and break" racket.

I had no issues (Comcast, Bay area) getting a dual-tuner cablecard for my dual tuner TiVo HD XL.

Went to a little store-front Comcast store in a strip mall, walked out in 10 minutes with the cablecard and the authorization info. Not only that, but I asked for two cablecards (the TiVo has two digital tuners to do parallel recording) and the counterperson explained that their dual-channel card would decode two channels at once, and worked fine with the TiVo HD XL.

YMMV, as may your tin foil hat.
 
The high end TV market is too crowded these days and not enough people are buying in this economy. Why would Apple make TVs anyway? Everyone already owns one and there is nothing that apple could do differently aside from making it unibody or considerably cheaper that would set it much apart from everyone else. Not only that but Apple outsources their panels from LG who would become a competitor, what kind of sense does that make? I can almost guarantee that if something materializes it will be some sort of set top box like the current AppleTV but with a wider range of capabilities or even as simple as a firmware update.
 
Maybe a stripped-down version of the 27" iMac with iPhone OS?
Exactly. I would immediately replace my lcd-tv for an 55-60" apple set.

The user experience that apple could deliver in combination with an iPad or iPhone/iTouch for navigating trough channels, videos, photos, internet, games and apps etc would just be unbeatable.

Yes, it can be done today with a mac-mini or or something similar however I would expect a well designed all-in-one solution to top todays "media-pc's" by far.

So Apple, please surprise me again in 2012 !
 
Exactly. I would immediately replace my lcd-tv for an 55-60" apple set.

The user experience that apple could deliver in combination with an iPad or iPhone/iTouch for navigating trough channels, videos, photos, internet, games and apps etc would just be unbeatable.

Yes, it can be done today with a mac-mini or or something similar however I would expect a well designed all-in-one solution to top todays "media-pc's" by far.

So Apple, please surprise me again in 2012 !

Your enthusiasm seems awesome. I would only hope Apple would use plasma tech for the TV as LCD still doesn't have good enough PQ (direct lit led is close though). I would also hope that Apple would finally embrace the PVR concept (so far no go on their existing set top box) and include important things like SDV tuners and tru2way card support.

Ideally Apple could get the Kuro line revived from Pioneer and use that as their platform. The best PQ with the best Apple tech. Not sure about having a non tactile remote. To best current media center PC's Apple will also have to get on board with BD.
 
Not into it. There's too many TV technologies and they're not one size fits all.

Some people love those ultra-thin new LED LCD TVs. I like plasma because of the low input lag for gaming and better viewing angles.

Plug in my Apple TV, and any TV I choose has all these features.

Maybe someday there will be a standard in TVs that lets you load different a different media OS onto them, like software-only versions of Apple TV or Windows Media Center or Netflix.

this looks more like it.
and give the :apple:TV a boost,
 
All these people who spent $3,000 for good TVs aren't going to shell out money for another one that syncs with iTunes.

Certainly not when there are TVs out there today that support DLNA/Internet technologies. Anyone who wants to Tweet from their TV will already have bought what they want in 2-4 years time. DLNA is pretty fledgling right now, but in 2-4 years time, it'll be more than good enough for what most people want from it. If Apple's answer is 2-4 years from now, it'll be a me too technology already supported by everyone's Blu-Ray player or TV set.
 
Certainly not when there are TVs out there today that support DLNA/Internet technologies. Anyone who wants to Tweet from their TV will already have bought what they want in 2-4 years time. DLNA is pretty fledgling right now, but in 2-4 years time, it'll be more than good enough for what most people want from it. If Apple's answer is 2-4 years from now, it'll be a me too technology already supported by everyone's Blu-Ray player or TV set.

Eh, DLNA is picking up steam. I wouldn't call it fledgling. It has been around for a while. I remember hearing about it when the PS3 first came out.
 
there are TV's out now that will connect directly to Amazon's digital media store and buy media without the need for a computer. with flash memory capacities about to explode again i can see this.

apple is going to have to make it like the iphone though. competitive price, better features and the competition. no one is going to buy a locked down $2000 IPS TV with yellow banding that only works with other apple devices just because it's apple
 
apple is going to have to make it like the iphone though. competitive price, better features and the competition. no one is going to buy a locked down $2000 IPS TV with yellow banding that only works with other apple devices just because it's apple

Maybe the analyst saw these, and figured the last two were TVs ;)

ipad-imat.jpg
 
I can't quite see Apple making a TV.
But it does explain the AppleTV "hobby".

I see the advantage.
Instead of buying a 250 channel package with maybe 5 to 10 good channels.
You subscribe to what you want.
 
This could explain why we have not seen any hardware updates for a new AppleTV. I have been waiting for what seems like forever for Apple to update the AppleTV.
 
I can't quite see Apple making a TV.
But it does explain the AppleTV "hobby".

I see the advantage.
Instead of buying a 250 channel package with maybe 5 to 10 good channels.
You subscribe to what you want.

From my understanding of how it works now, the networks (content owners) dictate to the cable networks what channels they can offer. So if you want say ESPN you have to have say the Crime and Investigation Channel as well. So a la carte may not happen. Shoot cable companies would love to drop the least watched channels to free up bandwidth, but they can't.
 
I think it's pretty obvious that they *will* do this, and I personally will welcome it since I have long desired a cable plan where I can buy exactly what I want, nothing more.

That said, Apple will lock our whole media lives into their hardware and content delivery schemes, so it will feel even more prison-like. You can't exactly switch when your $2000 TV only works with their system.
 
Apple has the knowledge of electronics and software. They have the knowledge of content delivery. They just have to buy the screen (LCD or Plasma) to a manufacturer. But I think that Apple wants to make something else than "just" a TV connected to an ITunes Store. I think they want to make a kind of 50 inches IMac, remotely piloted by an IPad/IPhone/Ipod Touch. You want to play a multiplayer game ? OK, just buy some IPods for your kids :D(and keep the IPad for you !).
If I am right, then they could have an entry point with just a 32" TV (for those who already have an IPad/IPhone/Ipod Touch), some bundles TV+Ipod Touch with various sizes of TVs, and a "family pack" with a medium-size screen (42" for example), 3 Ipods and the complete works of Walt Disney.
Message to Apple : if this is what you intend to do, then please think about the sound. I am OK to buy some music on ITunes with an Apple branded TV but only if I can listen it in good conditions. Most TV sets are very disappointing when it comes to sound... You could re-tighten the links you had with Bose ?
 
Anyone who's owned a digital cablebox or TV and has seen the posibilities would realize TVs are getting increasingly reliant on good software.
Samsung, LG, Sony etc are all plagued by poor and slow software.

Imagine what apple could do to EPGs, quick channelswitching, organizing recordings, widgets and TV web browsing, and cointegration with other apple products.
 
I doubt it.

I don't. Steve Jobs said at the intro of Apple TV, "You can see where we're going with this product." I paraphrased what he said but I'm sure he was meaning for the AppleTV to either be adopted by TV manufacturers to include in their hardware or Apple would make their own TVs.
 
I don't. Steve Jobs said at the intro of Apple TV, "You can see where we're going with this product." I paraphrased what he said but I'm sure he was meaning for the AppleTV to either be adopted by TV manufacturers to include in their hardware or Apple would make their own TVs.

Or, the simpler explanation which makes sense based on the environment at the time: he was referring to content deals.
 
i wouldn't put it out of realm of possible someday, just probably not within the next couple years. i would like to see a more robust apple t.v. in the meantime, however.

also, apple denied getting into the mobile business . . . then the netbook/slate/tablet business . . . they'll eventually do it.

An emphatic +1.

Maybe one day, mainstream will see "computers" as more than "a box that sits on your desk or lap." Until then, the moaning about Apple not being a real computer company will persist.

If anything, as they branch into different "computer" markets, they're more a computer company now than they have ever been.

Anyone who has followed Apple since Steve's return knows when they say "we're not interested in that market" that means that they're not interested in that market... given current market conditions. Don't let their medicore sales of TVs fool you: Apple has very deliberately been making it's way into your sacred living rooms.

Take the television service provider industry (at least here in the US): it's as jacked up as any of the industries Apple has already redefined. From my perspective (a Comcast subscriber), I think a overhaul of this industry is long overdue. And, especially based on track record, I very much welcome Apple's input.
 
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