Apple Confirms No Software Update for Original Apple TV

[MacMan86]

Sorry but you're very much incorrect. Read up on these issues before you post. Read "The Story of Stuff", a very enlightening 10-year study on North American capitalism and the impact our way of life has on the environment. It'll open your eyes and you might think twice about "yawning" and dismissing such comments.

No.

There are far greater issues threatening our planet right now than Apple TVs going into landfill. And anyway, most of the original Apple TV is recyclable and the PCB's contains valuable minerals & metals - there's no reason why they would be just thrown on a heap.

What exactly is it you would prefer Apple to do? Never bring out new products? Retro-fit old products to new ones?!

And before you talk about our impact on the environment, I'm from the UK. We're far far from perfect but we're destroying the environment at nothing like the pace you lot are.

 

[MacMan86]

But there is also every reason why customers who are spoiled on Apple's endless free upgrades

Yeah I'll try and remember that next time I drop 2 grand on a laptop.

Right so before iPhones were about, did you get free updates for your old cellphones with new features? No of course you didn't, you bought a phone and it did the same thing everyday until you bought a new one with new features.

The world doesn't owe you anything.

 

[eye]

My original Apple TV is still way cooler than the new one and I'll continue to use it and also I'll wonder why people want to buy that new piece of crap. Hack your original apple tv and you have a better product.

When I buy something, I buy it for what it is. Not what it might be. My old Apple TV still does what I bought it for, I knew what it would do. In fact, Apple even gave me a new one out of warranty when my old one died. I thought that was pretty above and beyond. I was ready to just spring for a new atv.

So, each time Ford redesigns a Mustang and gives it new wheels, they should send free wheels to owners of older models? I don't understand the mindset. You have to go and buy those new wheels and put them on yourself. Just like you'll have to go and find the old atv hack and make it cooler yourself. I did and I have no qualms. All I'm missing is renting tv shows and I think if you do that you're a bonehead anyway.

 

[Sol]

In Apple's defence, the original Apple TV was made partly out of aluminium and it was very power efficient compared to things like PCs and video game consoles.

Personally I am appreciative of Apple's environmental record and the effort that goes into miniaturising and compressing so much into devices so small and compact that make competitors products seem unrefined and wasteful in their designs.

The new Apple TV does consume even less power than its older brethren so kudos to Apple for that but it also appears to be all plastic when aluminium would have been so much better.

 

[bobbytomorow]

Right so before iPhones were about, did you get free updates for your old cellphones with new features? No of course you didn't, you bought a phone and it did the same thing everyday until you bought a new one with new features.

The world doesn't owe you anything.

When you have competing companies offering updates, you update, and as a consumer you expect

Why are you arguing with me, did you get sucked into a bad contract you can't get out of?

 

[scott911]

For all those who think 720 is good enough, I suggest you wear ear plugs while cutting mom and dad's lawn - protect your hearing - because your eyes are already shot.

Then - if you've really convinced yourself the 1080 is a way-out-there (dude) future technology - also keep in mind that some people don't browse forums every few hours to see what's next and dump all your paper route money into apple's pre-order lists. Many of us like a product to be somewhat future proof - good 'ol apple should have spend the extra - what? a couple dollars - to use a better chip set.

 

[3282868]

No.

There are far greater issues threatening our planet right now than Apple TVs going into landfill. And anyway, most of the original Apple TV is recyclable and the PCB's contains valuable minerals & metals - there's no reason why they would be just thrown on a heap.

What exactly is it you would prefer Apple to do? Never bring out new products? Retro-fit old products to new ones?!

And before you talk about our impact on the environment, I'm from the UK. We're far far from perfect but we're destroying the environment at nothing like the pace you lot are.

Did you even bother to read my posts? I guess not. Refer to post 272 please before jumping down my (and others') throat(s). We're all a part of the equation, and I wasn't just referring to the AppleTV but electronics as a whole.

Dismissing the U.K.'s impact and blaming North America for its impact on global climate change is ignorant. While I do not excuse the U.S. for anything, China is now a huge game player in industrial pollution. One of the few countries that comes to mind as being extremely environmentally aware is Germany, although I'm certain there are a few others.

Educate, don't hate.

 

[NT1440]

For all those who think 720 is good enough, I suggest you wear ear plugs while cutting mom and dad's lawn - protect your hearing - because your eyes are already shot.

Then - if you've really convinced yourself the 1080 is a way-out-there (dude) future technology - also keep in mind that some people don't browse forums every few hours to see what's next and dump all your paper route money into apple's pre-order lists. Many of us like a product to be somewhat future proof - good 'ol apple should have spend the extra - what? a couple dollars - to use a better chip set.

First, you've made a lot of assumptions about people who don't give a **** about 1080. It's kind of like ranting and raving to the balloon that was left behind when the people you insulted left.

Second, if the ATV indeed does have the A4 inside it is more than capable of driving 1080p. In that case, it's far more likely that Apples statement on the matter of trying to find a balance between quality and bandwidth is the reason for 720.

Critical thinking, its fun.

 

[MacMan86]

Did you even bother to read my posts? I guess not. Refer to post 272 please before jumping down my (and others') throats. We're all a part of the equation, and I wasn't just referring to the AppleTV but electronics as a whole.

Yes I read your post, not that I'm in any way obliged to. I saw the words 'environmental activist' and 'passionate about e-waste' and I read that as 'nutjob' and moved on.

 

[3282868]

Yes I read your post, not that I'm in any way obliged to. I saw the words 'environmental activist' and 'passionate about e-waste' and I read that as 'nutjob' and moved on.

You're a mature bugger aren't you. I feel sorry for people such as yourself. Being passionate about something doesn't make any one a nut, believing so makes you ignorant. You're young and have much to learn, one day you'll understand, but for now, passing judgment on people you don't personally know gets you nowhere.

 

[Macinposh]

I live in Europe and I can rent and buy movies. Maybe you shouldn't generalise to an entire continent.

Lucky you.
What,2 countries,german and uk(?) have marginal amounts of material aviabile. Rest of the 25 have nada. Economical centre with a population of 600million and apple stubbornly sits on their profit margins and refuses to negotiate with EU..

You bought something based upon what you heard it might do later? Wow awesome.

Isnt it? Damn,no more can you trust companies promises! It is totally,totally ok to eat your word. Because that is business,you know!
Good to know that you like to be shafted,I dont.

 

[Cleverboy]

My original Apple TV is still way cooler than the new one and I'll continue to use it and also I'll wonder why people want to buy that new piece of crap. Hack your original apple tv and you have a better product.

Personally, I'd prefer hacking into an Apple TV with iOS on it than one with Mac OS X on it. I think everyone will come to agree with that if they don't already.

~ CB

 

[eye]

Personally, I'd prefer hacking into an Apple TV with iOS on it than one with Mac OS X on it. I think everyone will come to agree with that if they don't already.

~ CB

I have no idea why that matters if you can make the product have the features you want.

 

[OllyW]

Personally, I'd prefer hacking into an Apple TV with iOS on it than one with Mac OS X on it. I think everyone will come to agree with that if they don't already.

~ CB

Can you explain why?

 

[vastoholic]

The new one just makes it easier for those who already had the older model and were thinking of getting a second device for another room to make that choice. At this price, most families would be able to put one on each TV in the house.

 

[eye]

The new one just makes it easier for those who already had the older model and were thinking of getting a second device for another room to make that choice. At this price, most families would be able to put one on each TV in the house.

"Most families"? May want to reword that. Although the families we may know can afford that, "most" families can't afford any Apple products.

 

[BC2009]

So let me get this straight....

Old Apple TV - was $229, now $149: Buy or Rent Movies, Buy TV Shows, sync content, no Netflix, no Airplay, no $0.99 TV Show Rental, slow processor, hackable, HDMI + Component output.

New Apple TV - $99: Rent Movies, $0.99 TV Show Rental, no sync, Netflix, AirPlay, fast processor, not yet hackable, HDMI output, no component output.

Roku HD - $69: Netflix, Amazon Video-on-Demand (buy TV shows @ $0.99), various other channels, HDMI + Component output.

What I do _not_ understand is why Amazon Video-on-Demand can _sell_ me an episode of Glee for $0.99 and I can stream that to a Roku, but Apple's best negotiation with Fox/ABC yields a rental at $0.99?

What I want is the ability to buy it for that price, stream it now to the Apple TV, and download it to iTunes later.

Seems to me the only reason to get the new Apple TV over the Roku is for iTunes streaming and AirPlay. The Roku will handle Netflix + Amazon Video-on-Demand at less price.

I think Apple could have done better with the new Apple TV. Out of the gate it needs a software update.

 

[Sol]

The new one just makes it easier for those who already had the older model and were thinking of getting a second device for another room to make that choice. At this price, most families would be able to put one on each TV in the house.

Yes, one for every TV must be what Apple are aiming for with the smaller profile and low price. The ability to airplay the content of your iPhone to any one of these screens is very exciting. This may be the killer app of the new Apple TV. It gives every iOS device a bigger screen to display content and soon that may include applications.

 

[Cleverboy]

Can you explain why?

Sure. Because there is a larger community of hackers concentrated on iOS right now. Due to the nature of the beast, an HDMI equiped iOS device is inherently more powerful... right now... given the massive over-the-air infrastructure that is already being brought to bear. I'm almost certain that Cydia would be running through it with third-party sources pretty quickly. With iOS and its Bluetooth/Wifi device discovery system in place, adapting this to work an assortment of emulators would be very nice. Even better if these resources were streamed from a remote hard drive over the network.

~ CB

 

[Cleverboy]

What I do _not_ understand is why Amazon Video-on-Demand can _sell_ me an episode of Glee for $0.99 and I can stream that to a Roku, but Apple's best negotiation with Fox/ABC yields a rental at $0.99?

The funny thing is... Amazon lowered its prices the day Apple TV was announced. Amazon makes a habit using loss-leaders. They do it all over the place. It's actually one of the things they got angry about regarding the Kindle/iBooks kurffufle. Pricing flexibility. Or more specifically... UNDER pricing flexibility.

What I want is the ability to buy it for that price, stream it now to the Apple TV, and download it to iTunes later.

Up to the studios, really. I believe Apple currently offers its movie rentals at 99 cents every Thursday on a few select titles. Amazon tends to do this more broadly (sell at a loss, just to artificially boost interest).

Seems to me the only reason to get the new Apple TV over the Roku is for iTunes streaming and AirPlay. The Roku will handle Netflix + Amazon Video-on-Demand at less price. I think Apple could have done better with the new Apple TV. Out of the gate it needs a software update.

Same thing with the OLD Apple TV when it was released. LOL. Same with the iPhone, right? Apple tends to take their time with major steps.

~ CB

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

The old Apple TV is probably incapable of handling Netflix and what not, but I would think that certain features like AirPlay should be supported by an update to the system. There is no reason why it cannot receive streamed video in addition to the traditional "AirTunes" audio (which for audio is just relabeled "AirPlay" now and still works with Airport Express and Apple TV, etc. as audio). And of course, offering 99 cent TV show rentals has NOTHING to do with the firmware/software of the Apple TV. That is purely an Apple Store thing so I would imagine those should work with Apple TV just fine. I mean other than Netflix, what else can the new Apple TV do in Version 1.0 here beyond the current model? Not much. It's best feature is that it's cheaper. The lack of storage quite frankly sucks. They should have at least 8GB on the thing to store slow network loading things like large photos, etc. OTOH, I don't know how much storage it DOES have. It might very well have 8GB on it like a bottom model iPod Touch. I'll wait and see.

I just realized the new ATV has no component output. Frankly, that kind of sucks. When I bought my last receiver for my 93" screen based home theater a few years ago, HDMI switching was *EXPENSIVE* (an extra $500 for the same brand Yamaha receiver with otherwise identical features and only 3 inputs at that) so I'm all component at the moment (my HD projector has HDMI, however). This is one (although not the only) reason I've avoided the PS3 thus far. I'd have to run an additional HDMI wire (at least 30 feet long) to the projector and hide the cable and I could only handle one device until I get a new receiver to handle switching. I'd then be moving the old receiver to another room and it wouldn't have HDMI support there either. I kind of hate new standards without backwards compatibility. You get equipment that is otherwise functional but outdated. But then there's the new audio formats, etc. I wouldn't have support for either even if I HAD put out the extra $500 for HDMI switching back then. The only good news is that receivers are cheap these days compared to the past.

 

[Cleverboy]

I have no idea why that matters if you can make the product have the features you want.

It doesn't sound like you do. And that's a HUGE "if". It's got a shadow a mile long.

For me, its not about simply hacking something together... it would be about hacking something together so that it becomes something you can build on further. For instance... why go through the hassle (HUGE MONUMENTAL) hassle of getting Netflix to work on the old Apple TV. It's a dead platform (be honest, its not Mac OS Snow Leopard, its a dated Mac OS rev and its being abandoned). The future of Apple TV is now iOS. Likewise, why hack a dead platform, when its been ported to work on a forward-looking one. A closed version of iOS beats a closed version of Mac OS X, simply because hackers have standardized how to work with the former.

~ CB

 

[markgo2k]

The old Apple TV is probably incapable of handling Netflix and what not, but I would think that certain features like AirPlay should be supported by an update to the system. There is no reason why it cannot receive streamed video in addition to the traditional "AirTunes" audio (which for audio is just relabeled "AirPlay" now and still works with Airport Express and Apple TV, etc. as audio). And of course, offering 99 cent TV show rentals has NOTHING to do with the firmware/software of the Apple TV. That is purely an Apple Store thing so I would imagine those should work with Apple TV just fine.

Ditto! Speaking as an iOS and OS X developer, I can see exactly why Apple won't ever update the original Apple TV to get Netflix--that's a very significant piece of dev work. On the flip side, I'll be very mad if I can't get the .99 rentals for TV shows on my gen 1 Apple TV: it's either a trivial software update or no update at all.

Don't get me wrong--I'd love to have Netflix, but I guess I'll keep streaming it from my Wii for now. Or maybe the Netflix iPad app could add Airplay?

 

[eye]

It doesn't sound like you do. And that's a HUGE "if". It's got a shadow a mile long.

For me, its not about simply hacking something together... it would be about hacking something together so that it becomes something you can build on further. For instance... why go through the hassle (HUGE MONUMENTAL) hassle of getting Netflix to work on the old Apple TV. It's a dead platform (be honest, its not Mac OS Snow Leopard, its a dated Mac OS rev and its being abandoned). The future of Apple TV is now iOS. Likewise, why hack a dead platform, when its been ported to work on a forward-looking one. A closed version of iOS beats a closed version of Mac OS X, simply because hackers have standardized how to work with the former.

~ CB

I'm saying it already has everything I want with what I've added to it. I'm saying the work is already done.

 

[kntgsp]

The reason is simple
The original Apple TV has some low grade, old intel processor and the new Apple TV has the A4 chip. The new software wont work on the old hardware.

I don't know how true that is. Yes it's old, but it was a scaled down PC rather than a scaled up phone/mobile device. The original Apple TV had a Pentium M running at 1Ghz and a dedicated GPU with dedicated memory. The hardware is likely more than enough to run the interface that runs on the new Apple TV since the new one only uses Apple's redesigned Cortex A8.

So from a purely hardware standpoint, there shouldn't be any reason why the old Apple TV's shouldn't be able to run it. The only limitation would be that I assume the new Apple TV OS is based on iOS, which means they would have to compile it for x86 architecture.

You have to understand that the hardware in the Apple TV was much more on par with an actual computer than the mobile hardware they've stuffed in the new one. And while it's more than capable of displaying 720p resolution, I can't imagine it surpasses the old Apple TV in raw computing power.