Apple Close to Completing Apple TV Deal with Time Warner Cable

[macs4nw]

What if Apple is prepping a streaming service? iWatch not as a wearable computer but as a service ' i Watch television' ?

Nice idea, unfortunately those rumored, exclusive long term contracts, the cable cos have with many content creators/owners, are preventing APPLE and others to gain a foothold for now, and hopefully offer a more realistic entertainment model. All we can do, is be patient.

 

[BaldiMac]

lol at all people saying "I don't want a cable subscription!".

What do you think pays for TV content?

Advertising and/or a percentage of cable/satellite subscription fees. Do you not see an advantage to cutting out a middleman that operates with 53% gross margins? Not much of your cable subscription goes to actual content.

 

[bliggs]

lol at all people saying "I don't want a cable subscription!".

What do you think pays for TV content?

I think people are just tired of paying for content that they don't watch! Which is what you get with a CATV subscription.

 

[dragje]

Its all very nice when you're into watching blockbusters. If you taste for movie content goes beyond what Hollywood has to offer then you still have a "problem".

That's one of the reason's why I still by blu-rays and dvd's. The movies I watch are not being broadcasted by any of the companies that will be on Apple TV. And quite a lot of them are also not available for download. I still see a good market for companies like Criterion Collection and Masters of Cinema.

But again, if you're into blockbusters and popular movies then this is need.

 

[davidg4781]

lol at all people saying "I don't want a cable subscription!".

What do you think pays for TV content?

Consumers pay for it. Cable companies just pass the money along and take a chunk out for profit. I'd love to pay Apple directly for a few channels or something of the like. I can't get cable service where I live and I'm not interested in going satellite.

What if Apple is prepping a streaming service?

iWatch not as a wearable computer but as a service ' i Watch television' ?

God I hope so. I can't believe so many people get excited because they can wear something on their wrist that'll tell them who sent their last iMessage. I really hope Apple isn't wasting precious R&D on a watch.

 

[komodrone]

lol at all people saying "I don't want a cable subscription!".

What do you think pays for TV content?

why can't we buy the content only? percentage of the monthly cable bill goes toward upkeep of hardware.

 

[mic j]

Would people anywhere in the US be able to subscribe to TWC or is it only for areas that already have it?

I know in our city, Comcast has an exclusive contract. They negotiated with the city when they came in to lay the cable. So we either have a choice of Comcast, AT&T U-verse, DirecTv or Dish. TWC is not even something we can sign up for.

 

[jeffmetanna]

Maybe, this is what he meant when Steve Jobs said that he finally "cracked it." Simply, bring the traditional TV into Apple TV as an app. So you won't need that set top box from your cable company. And finally, open up the Apple TV via Appstore.

 

[mic j]

Maybe, this is what he meant when Steve Jobs said that he finally "cracked it." Simply, bring the traditional TV into Apple TV as an app. So you won't need that set top box from your cable company. And finally, open up the Apple TV via Appstore.

That would be disappointing. The aTV as just a portal to get to your cable tv content/program guide...bummer. No DVR...what good would it be?

 

[MacDav]

Content is King

It's all about content. What Apple could do to help things along would be to take about 10 billion and hire the best writers and producers around the world to create original content for Apple TV. If they have great original content, i.e.
"Breaking Bad, Mad Men, etc. that can only be accessed on ATV more people will want ATV and more will buy ATV. Prying content providers away from exclusive cable control is all about money. Content providers want money and cable companies give it to them. Until content providers can make more money without cable than they do with cable, things will continue as they are.

 

[jdechko]

lol at all people saying "I don't want a cable subscription!".

What do you think pays for TV content?

That's how traditional media works, yes. But Netflix and Hulu are coming out with original content. House of Cards was quite good, but limited in appeal. Given time, I think that Netflix and Hulu will increase the quantity and quality of self-produced content and we will have a shift away from traditional Cable. Think about if Apple, with their billions, created their own content.

 

[Minimoose 360]

Is everyone here ignoring the fact that Time Warner Cable is god-****ing-awful? I can't wait for this to run into the ground because of them.

 

[musicianm]

Never will I sign up for cable tv.

I am waiting for an a la carte service.

Really wish Apple would give them the finger and start it up themselves.

 

[BaldiMac]

Is everyone here ignoring the fact that Time Warner Cable is god-****ing-awful? I can't wait for this to run into the ground because of them.

Navigator is the worst piece of software I have used in the last 10 years on a regular basis. They have managed to make their DVRs buggier with less features than the software they replaced 7-8 years ago to bring development in house. I have little faith in their ability to create a good Apple TV experience.

Amazingly, they just removed the "DVR compensation" feature (the jump back after you stop fast forwarding) which has been a basic feature of DVRs since their introduction. Reportedly because of memory problems. After 7-8 years of development. Craptacular.

 

[Lancer]

Great more features for US users, screw the rest of the world!

I'm still wondering if the so called Apple TV will just be a vastly updated set top box, maybe with built in gesture controls like xBox. So you can connect it to any TV and get all the new features without paying out for a 4k big screen TV.

 

[elistan]

Don't care.
TWC doesn't offer service in my area.
I couldn't subscribe if I wanted to.

I wonder about a few things:
What the TOS would be - how will they restrict multiple households from using the same logon?
If a friend with a TWC account comes over for dinner and puts in his credentials, is that a violation?
If that friend went home but left his account logged in to the TWC app, would that then be a violation?

Does TWC on Roku require a TWC Internet connection in addition to a TWC cable subscription, or would it work if, for example, you had your own OC3?

 

[IJ Reilly]

More content is good, but I'm looking forward to the day we no longer need that cable subscription, to enjoy all that content.

Free, as in cable!

 

[ness96]

Dream on, someone has to pay for that content and they're never going to give it away. Whether you pay a cable company or you pay Apple/Netflix/Hulu you will pay in some way for the content you watch, that aspect will never change.

How about letting me buy HBO GO without also having to pay TWC for the privilege?

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Great more features for US users, screw the rest of the world!

I'm still wondering if the so called Apple TV will just be a vastly updated set top box, maybe with built in gesture controls like xBox. So you can connect it to any TV and get all the new features without paying out for a 4k big screen TV.

You're not missing out. TWC is an evil company. You're better off not ever tainting your life with their service.

 

[Carmenia83]

I would LOVE to see Apple reinvent the way we get the content, but either way you slice it, the cable company is going to get their money. Even if Apple figured out a way to cut them out of the deal completely, they'll just charge us more for the internet that we need to stream content to our TVs. You think the data caps on your iPhone are annoying? How about your home internet too? Some of them are already doing it.

In the meantime, this will help ease the pain of being a Time Warner customer because at least I wont have to deal with the terrible software of their boxes as much. Now Apple, just give us iCloud DVR!

 

[ness96]

Is everyone here ignoring the fact that Time Warner Cable is god-****ing-awful? I can't wait for this to run into the ground because of them.

Seconded. TWC is a stain on humanity. We'd be better off without them. **** monopolies.

 

[IJ Reilly]

What the TOS would be - how will they restrict multiple households from using the same logon?

IP address. That's how the TWC on iPad app works.

I'll wait for the implementation, but if it's any good at all, I'll be thrilled to delete my cable box. The thing is not only huge, the UI is awful, and it sucks up lots of power even at idle. Other than that I like it.

 

[ness96]

lol at all people saying "I don't want a cable subscription!".

What do you think pays for TV content?

Me. I pay for TV content. I buy individual episodes all the time. I will NEVER have another cable subscription. I do not wish to pay for garbage television.

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Dream on, someone has to pay for that content and they're never going to give it away. Whether you pay a cable company or you pay Apple/Netflix/Hulu you will pay in some way for the content you watch, that aspect will never change.

He didn't say anything about not paying. He said he didn't want a cable subscription. I'm in the same boat. I buy content from iTunes and amazon all the time. I have a Netflix subscription. I will NEVER have another cable subscription. If you have one, you should cancel it.

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I know. Some of these replies seem very naive to the economic realities of cable companies and their emeshed relationships to the content providers.

The status quo is atrocious. Allow me to purchase only the content I want, please. I do not need the deluge of cable trash in my life.

 

[flux73]

Seconded. TWC is a stain on humanity. We'd be better off without them. **** monopolies.

Funny. Out on the West Coast, we hate Comcast.

 

[IJ Reilly]

He didn't say anything about not paying. He said he didn't want a cable subscription. I'm in the same boat. I buy content from iTunes and amazon all the time. I have a Netflix subscription. I will NEVER have another cable subscription. If you have one, you should cancel it.

Why thanks, and if I watch sports, I can just forget about it. Is that your point?

 

[Yvan256]

I don't understand why people are still asking for the AppleTV to have a DVR function.

If Apple becomes the content provider, shows would become available for streaming once they're released. There's no need to "record" your shows. In fact it's better than DVR because you don't need to think about recording anything.

Family Guy starts at 21:00 and you forgot about it? Doesn't matter, you can start watching it from the beginning at 21:10.

And please no comments about how the Internet doesn't have the capacity to stream everything to everyone. Fifteen years ago it would have been insane to think about streaming music all day long, let alone things like YouTube. ISPs will have to increase their bandwidth capacity or just die from the loss of customers.