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Apple Could Be Planning to Release Updated Apple TV Box Next Month
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It's hard to imagine them doing more than bumping the WiFi to 802.11ac and maybe putting in a newer chip for faster processing and future Apple-curated apps, much like those that exist currently.
The thing about apps and an app store and the current Apple TV is that the thing only has 8 GB of storage space onboard, and much of that is used for caching HD video when streaming so things run smoothly. The second you start talking about an app store, you're going to be filling this thing up real quick if not paired with an external drive of some sort or a home computer with iTunes Sharing setup to "stream" apps to it. But neither option, particularly the latter, sounds like a remotely intuitive solution now, does it? Not to mention you'd still have to allow apps time to temp-install with an iTunes Sharing setup, which we know for larger apps on newer devices with better processors can be a somewhat time consuming process. iTunes Sharing and internet streaming of video works great with video because if it's the right format, it just plays. And again, even if you can fill the thing up with apps, you're going to have a very compromised experience when attempting to view HD video on the device compared to how well it works now.
Obviously, there is a great deal more they could do, but it's just hard to imagine them doing anything too dramatic right now in terms of software without a dramatically new piece of hardware including a much larger storage solution and a better processor. It's hard for me to imagine them going there this year. I wouldn't be shocked if we see a more robust TV solution from Apple in the form of a box before a full-fledged Apple HDTV, but I just doubt it'll be this year, and again, all I'm expecting is 802.11ac and maybe (big maybe...) a slightly upgraded chip to drive it.
That said, I hope I'm wrong, and I'd gladly pay a premium price for a better device which would then replace my current trio of ATV 3s.
The thing about apps and an app store and the current Apple TV is that the thing only has 8 GB of storage space onboard, and much of that is used for caching HD video when streaming so things run smoothly. The second you start talking about an app store, you're going to be filling this thing up real quick if not paired with an external drive of some sort or a home computer with iTunes Sharing setup to "stream" apps to it. But neither option, particularly the latter, sounds like a remotely intuitive solution now, does it? Not to mention you'd still have to allow apps time to temp-install with an iTunes Sharing setup, which we know for larger apps on newer devices with better processors can be a somewhat time consuming process. iTunes Sharing and internet streaming of video works great with video because if it's the right format, it just plays. And again, even if you can fill the thing up with apps, you're going to have a very compromised experience when attempting to view HD video on the device compared to how well it works now.
Obviously, there is a great deal more they could do, but it's just hard to imagine them doing anything too dramatic right now in terms of software without a dramatically new piece of hardware including a much larger storage solution and a better processor. It's hard for me to imagine them going there this year. I wouldn't be shocked if we see a more robust TV solution from Apple in the form of a box before a full-fledged Apple HDTV, but I just doubt it'll be this year, and again, all I'm expecting is 802.11ac and maybe (big maybe...) a slightly upgraded chip to drive it.
That said, I hope I'm wrong, and I'd gladly pay a premium price for a better device which would then replace my current trio of ATV 3s.
I would love the ability to have the Apple TV automatically turn off/on my TV. Perhaps IR receiver/blaster like the Xbox One? Also, wouldn't it be awesome if the Apple TV aluminum remote had the fingerprint sensor in the middle button? It could be used to determine what person in the family is using the TV and bring up shows/movies/music/games/etc tailored to them.
Could it be better? Sure. But I think awful is a huge, huge stretch. It's an infinitely better option than most every other one out there for TV. What I'd like to see more than a UI overall is an iOS Remote app overhaul. It'd be great if my ATV app icons and submenus could be displayed on my iPad screen for example so I could more directly navigate them on the iPad. I'm surprised this hasn't happened yet.
I also wish they'd make the Remote app a stock app, and/or allow you to put an icon for it in Control Center where the Timer or Calculator links sit now. Love the Camera and LOVE LOVE LOVE the Flashlight, but I've thought for awhile that as ATV grows, it'd be great to have a quick launch to the remote app either on the lock screen like the Camera has been, but now that we have Control Center, it'd make more sense to put it there. It could even be intelligently rigged to only show up when on a network with Apple TVs it can control, which wouldn't be hard to code given that AirPlay knows right away what it can do when it hits a network with ATVs.
IR blasters are a nice idea, but I can tell you from firsthand experience installing them for some time, they don't work consistently. It's a crap option in reality and very slow. The way the XBox One plans to use them to control cable boxes will be a mess, guaranteed. The more modern HDMI method will be fine, but blasters are just the worst.
While on the topic, what I've always hoped for in an Apple HDTV is a device I don't worry about turning off so much. Let the software run in the background like a normal ATV and let the screen go to a screensaver and turn off when not in use. Let me just put the display to sleep and keep the system running. If I just want to AirPlay music, let me do that without having to turn the TV "on" because the TV software is still running, just the part that sucks the most juice is in sleep mode. Here's hoping...
I'm not familiar with IR, but completely understand what you're saying. As long as the Xbox One turns off/on my TV when i tell it without reaching for multiple remotes is good enough for me. Just hope a new ATV will be heading toward that territory just like you are saying. An actually 'smart' TV that is simple to use and looks great is all we need.
The only reason we saw lots of phone leaks was because of accesorization of the phones; third parties most likely received demo models or mockups. There is no such need for this with Apple TV because there are no cosmetic assecories to speak of.
I hope the time for an SDK is upon us. It seems like such an obvious next step. Im afraid apple might be too late to the party if they don't act on this within the next year.
But what do I know? Apple could do this three years from now and still have a captured audience.
But what do I know? Apple could do this three years from now and still have a captured audience.
I think it's tome for them to release a cheap controller sleeve that you slip your iPod or iPhone in that has bumper, trigger, d-pad and ABXY buttons that will connect up to the AppleTV so that Apple can take on Nintendo in the living room.
I don't give a rat's ass about 3D or 4K right now. One is a joke and the other is still a few years off from being even remotely mainstream. But everything else seems so obvious and easy to execute. Why they get so picky about what audio formats especially it'll handle drives me nuts. I've done great Blu-Ray rips that easily get 95% of the way to Blu-Ray on Apple TV which is fine by me given the convenience of an iTunes media library as opposed to discs, but I'm still stuck with Dolby Digital, and that's just the worst. I've encoded all of the rips I've done with the DTS-HD or Dolby True-HD tracks hoping it'd pay off someday if/when Apple decides to advance past 1992, literally, and allow decoding for more modern audio formats in iTunes and Apple TV for movies.
Given that Apple tends to create such high quality hardware and software, it's always surprised me how much they've limited audio and video. I get why the iTunes Store sells what it sells, but in 2013, I don't for the life of me get why I can't stream 24/96 audio from iTunes to an Apple TV/AirPort Express and have it output properly to a DAC/Processor/Receiver, and I don't get why I can't stream videos with DTS-HD (or DTS period!) and Dolby True HD soundtracks to the Apple TV. It's not like it'd require amazing advances in hardware and software. Other people made those advances years ago.
I'd be completely fine if the stock configuration came setup as is so novice users could plug it in and get a straightforward experience. But make it an option already!
iTunes: Preferences: Playback: Stream HD audio formats over AirPlay and iTunes Home Sharing
Check!
Popup: Note: You must have the proper hardware to decode HD audio formats or you may experience static or failed playback. Okay/Cancel.
Okay!
Apple TV: Pass thru HD audio formats to external decoder
Popup: Note: You must have the proper hardware to decode HD audio formats or you may experience static or failed playback. Okay/Cancel.
Okay!
Drop the HD audio option into AirPort Utility for AirPort Expresses, rinse and repeat, call it a day. Basic users get a basic setup upon first use. Advanced and/or more discerning users get the option to use newer HD audio formats. This isn't rocket science, and we're not talking about the need for crazy hardware. This would not be hard to implement and it would be a majorly welcome improvement for many users. And again, for the love, it's 2013! Dolby Digital is really the best they can do for us?!?
The Apple TV has WAY more than 20 channels. Actually it has even more than the Roku. The only difference is that Apple separates out the premium ones and put them on the home screen. The rest of the "channels", Apple calls them "Podcasts". Few people realize that there are a TON of free channels on the Apple TV listed under "Podcasts". Many of the very same ones that the Roku refers to as "channels". Now it's true that the Roku offers some channels that you can't get on the Apple TV like Amazon Prime but it's also true that the Apple TV offers some that you can't get on the Roku like Youtube.
But to claim that the Apple TV has only about 20ish and the Roku has 750 or so means you have fallen prey to their marketing because Apple offers hundreds of channels too if you want to count the non premium ones. They're all available under Podcasts on the Apple TV and there are hundreds of those channels available free of charge.
They might be able to get that right, and hopefully they've found a way to keep everything in better sync. But it's unlikely...thankfully though, most people go off a guide now as opposed to scrolling through channels, and that can become a real mess with an IR system if they get out of sync.
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Yep.
Not to mention the endless possibilities opened up through AirPlay for content, which really kinda makes the whole conversation worthless for most Apple TV users, as typically an Apple TV user has some sort of AirPlay-capable device.
And I'd still venture to guess that 99% of those channels ROKU talks about are rarely if ever used by anyone. I don't know anyone with a Roku that bought it for more content. They're using it for the same content Apple TV covers. They bought it because it's cheaper. They usually realize they made a mistake though when they see how smoothly an Apple TV works in comparison.
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Again, an SDK is a great idea, no doubt, but without hardware with more storage, it'd be mostly worthless.
Furthermore, native gaming absolutely wouldn't be such a great experience running off a single-core of an A5 chip.
I don't think we see an SDK until we see an entirely new TV device from Apple. Maybe it'd just be a fourth generation Apple TV, but I feel like they'd almost have to have it in a separate class to properly distinguish it from the current Apple TVs, as again, it'd just have to be very different on many levels to work well with what developers armed with an SDK will do.
I understand the need/want for an Apple TV App Store, but there is a much simpler way for an ideal Apple TV app experience, have the apps be Airplay compatible. There aren't very many around as of now, but if more apps had Airplay capabilities there wouldn't even need to be an Apple TV App Store, buy the content via iDevice and stream it through Airplay. With the inclusion of the M7 chip in the 5S, I am sure that would make for a great motion controller for games and apps played via Airplay.
I've had one on my wish list for years but still haven't got one as I want to be able to play various media types without converting it all to Itunes formats. I want airplay, but I'm not paying £100 for it. Allow it to run Plex or from NAS drives etc. and I'd buy it in a second rather than fool around with all the other streaming devices I have. Please!!!
The problem with AirPlay and games is still lag. It's gotten much more subtle as each year the iOS processors in the iPhone/iPad get faster at doing the conversion necessary to do the AirPlay stream, but you need a really fast network still to have a marginally serviceable experience with AirPlay games that require any sort of reflex response if you know what I mean.
I think we will see more 3rd party controllers that will work over bluetooth with all Apple devices soon though, which will minimize the need to use the iPhone as a remote. Personally, I wouldn't want to go too nuts with waving my iPhone around to play a game on a TV...
Anothergadget ...
Since when does Apple make a 17" MBP?