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Apple AV - am I high here?

DB2k

DB2k

macrumors regular
Original poster
So.. this is clearly something I made with a prompt to demonstrate quickly something that I would be all over. Am I just the king of niche or is this something a cohort of customers would find valuable...?
Multi HDMI in, surround sound support, integrated Apple TV and speaker and Siri, pass through for other services and consoles, wired and wireless speaker support, home hub. I dunno... this just feels like something that'd really work for me... Don't get too invested in how it looks but as a concept I'd be all over this.

Thoughts?

Designer.png
 
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Seems kind of niche to me (and, I'm guessing, to Apple).

Lots of companies make AV switchers, some with AirPlay support. None that I know of with built-in Apple TV - though I don't see why they couldn't; TV makers can add it.
 
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FreakinEurekan said:
Seems kind of niche to me (and, I'm guessing, to Apple).

Lots of companies make AV switchers, some with AirPlay support. None that I know of with built-in Apple TV - though I don't see why they couldn't; TV makers can add it.
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But this would put Apple home as the overlay which no one does unless you’re only using Apple TV.
 
DB2k said:
But this would put Apple home as the overlay which no one does unless you’re only using Apple TV.
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So... other HDMI inputs are selected from the Apple TV Home Screen? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ okay. Maybe there's a market for that... it doesn't interest me much, but my needs aren't everyone else's needs.
 
FreakinEurekan said:
So... other HDMI inputs are selected from the Apple TV Home Screen? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ okay. Maybe there's a market for that... it doesn't interest me much, but my needs aren't everyone else's needs.
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or it gets an upgraded remote I guess - but you're going into the low level - I'm more just wondering out loud if people would want it and I think the consensus is no! ;-)
 
Personally, this is not what I need. This looks like an AV receiver, it already exists. What I need is a smaller size form factor, easier for traveling and access to local storage to directly download movies / shows. Although, I’ve been using Fusion & Infuse Pro and it works perfectly.
 
I like it! I have an old Marantz receiver in my TV room, so this would be cool. But as the poster above said, it needs speaker outputs, not RCA.
 
avkills said:
Doesn’t look to be an amplifier; better to have a digital output to hook to a AV receiver.

But if the goal is to replace the AV Receiver then yes it needs amps with speaker outputs.
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Yeah, that makes sense. Probably better to have the amp separate anyway - that way you can replace this thing as the tech gets better without having to replace all of it.
 
1) Apple doesn't design anything to disappear, not even the Siri Remote.
2) They wouldn't add analog audio to it. It would be all digital and they'd pair that with wireless Apple speakers.

AV receivers are incredibly niche. Most people own a smart TV and use its terrible audio. Some add a soundbar. Very few add a receiver and the whole kit. Honestly, they haven't really done much in this space simply because Sonos has been there for audio (and patented a lot of it, like grouping speakers). I could see them buying Sonos but that's such a niche market that isn't growing quickly. Apple only gets interested if they can add some value to the current technology and simplify the experience. This product doesn't really do enough to change the status quo.
 
Solved with a sleek soundbar with AppleTV built in and a couple of HDMI inputs, plus maybe a phono input for a turntable. Add the ability to support more HomePods for surround and rear channels. Maybe a camera in the soundbar for video calls. A new HomePod with upfiring speakers would be great for surround. Maybe a recharging wireless HomePod to keep things clean. Yamaha has a real nice new soundbar if they needed a model to follow:


Yes, one could just buy the Yamaha, but still need AppleTV and a camera for video calls.
 
QuarterSwede said:
1) Apple doesn't design anything to disappear, not even the Siri Remote.
2) They wouldn't add analog audio to it. It would be all digital and they'd pair that with wireless Apple speakers.

AV receivers are incredibly niche. Most people own a smart TV and use its terrible audio. Some add a soundbar. Very few add a receiver and the whole kit. Honestly, they haven't really done much in this space simply because Sonos has been there for audio (and patented a lot of it, like grouping speakers). I could see them buying Sonos but that's such a niche market that isn't growing quickly. Apple only gets interested if they can add some value to the current technology and simplify the experience. This product doesn't really do enough to change the status quo.
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I wouldn’t call a receiver “niche”. I’d call not having one being lazy though. People don’t know what they are missing. Soundbars do it for most people though for lack of space and inability to properly install speakers.
 
dmr727 said:
Yeah, that makes sense. Probably better to have the amp separate anyway - that way you can replace this thing as the tech gets better without having to replace all of it.
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Pre-amp outputs would do it, but that’s pushing things with a streaming device.
 
I'd go for a halfway-house on this. Apple HomeHub Pro with built in Apple TV but a few HDMI ins and a USB-C input for a FaceTime camera/mic, 6.2 HomePods via a combination of HP and HP minis and a new HP woofer.
 
(Tilts head)

An RCA and HDMI switcher really feels like the kind of thing Apple leaves to other companies. It seems Apple has always viewed cables as embraceable when necessary for quality but ultimately something to transcend.

And of course, there's no way they'd use the name "Vision" in anything that isn't the Vision Pro or its headset-related products.
 
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