Apple Gives Media Executives Vague Hints about Its Television Plans

[SeaFox]

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I found many community designs in EU for designs like D8000 owned by Samsung.

Apple better not make a TV that's rectangular, black, or indistinguishable from 10 feet away.

Don't worry. Building off Apple's patent claims with Samsung, Apple's TV will have round corners. Everyone remembers round-cornered TV sets here, right?

• Being made for the iTMS, it will max out at 720p. After all, that's HD and most people don't seem to be interested in 1080p, Apple's research says.
• It will also have a 4:3 screen like the iPhone and iPad, for compatability with Apps.
• It wont be possible to hook up a Bluray player to it, since there's no reason for bluray when you have the iTMS to supply your television series and movies.
• As mentioned in the article the new Apple television will receive its content via a wireless connection.
• Maybe they'll even make it available in that lovely orange color they used to offer the iPad 2 cover in that people really seemed to miss when it got discontinued...

 

[heffer2k02]

I think all this talk of voice controlled TV being lame because people want to sit in silence, and the noise levels, and having to shout etc etc, is maybe a bit short sighted.

If the TV is going to be controlled by voice, it will be done by a simple one button remote with a mic in it. Raise to lips, click, speak (quietly):

"BBC News", "E4+1", "Mute", "Record tonight's episodes of Family Guy and turn off", "Rewind 10 minutes", "Shuffle Futurama Episodes".

If anyone thinks that that is not going to be 1000 times better than what we currently have... Well, each to their own.

I will take issue that in a very noisy environment this may not work well. Siri doesn't cope to well when I'm surrounded by bawling family members...

 

[Quapps]

I am already awaiting the news of release and I will also be one of the first people to buy one as I love Apple products but I do think that it would be amazing if they included the TV with Mac inbuilt!

The usage out of that would be immense and definitely make it a worthwhile purchase.

That said, I am sure Apple will make it worthwhile anyway. They won't just throw anything out there as they know what the competition has and how high the bar is set already!

 

[Lesser Evets]

U: "Channel 20*MEOW*1, please."
Siri: ""Siri is confused. Siri recommends you lay off the booze and watch TV later."
*TV goes off*
U: "DAMN YOU, KITTY!"

 

[justperry]

As long as it can automatically bring the volume level of advertisements down to be the same as the shows, it will be awesome.

Although I agree that those adds should have the same volume as normal content, its not an issue for many TV sets nowadays.
I have a setting (LG) that levels all the sound to the same level and I am pretty sure many LCD Sets have it build in now.
Edit : And it works well

 

[00sjsl]

I'd like to see the future of TVs to be a setup like computers are. Ie:

- High quality monitor as thin as possible. No speakers, no other internals, just a monitor
- Small ATV sized unit that streams content from the internet, this means it is not relying on region/country specific connections etc Content is delivered all around the world at the same time and on demand. You pay a monthly subscription and can watch content when you feel like. No need to store content on your computer (although you can if you like) and no need to record your shows to watch them later. This ATV communicates wirelessly with the monitor and speakers.

I too would like such a product , but many people will just be content with local terestial tv, and not want seperate speakers etc. Also ATV et al is still limited by the quality/cost of you local internet connection.

 

[RyanR.]

Am I the only one who see's it? The t.v. Will be thin and sexy. In the bottom or side there will be a slot PC-I or the like where the atv as we know it can easily be upgraded.

You don't have to use your voice, but you can. Just like you can have an iPhone 4s, but you don't have to use Siri. I personally would love to be able to come home and say,"tv on, discovery channel, medium volume." or as I'm getting ready to leave for work" tv record today's whatever."

I for one only use my current atv2. I hate wires that much.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Being apps to the tv, that's all u really want.

I would actually agree. The only thing I'd want an "Apple" TV for is being a large screened Apple computer that gives me apps and the like. Talking to it is moot, and streaming content from one device to another or controlling the TV with an iDevice is already hear.

Would love to hear what they are thinking, but it's going to have to be much MUCH more than just an amalgamation of what's already available now.

 

[gnurf]

I'm nor sure how Apple is going to do it better than Netflix already does...

The major thing here is that Netflix is only covering America (at least it includes South America, according to Wikipedia). Apple got their movie service rolled out in many European countries all at once. Years later than the US service, but still ahead of Netflix. You couldn't sell a Netflix TV in my country, and the Xbox Live service is all games and ads. Mostly ads, actually.

 

[rchdly]

I'd rather just use my phone as a remote. Type in what I want to watch, etc.

I have an inkling that if Apple really are going for Siri-like control, then it's going to be via the iPhone/iPad rather than direct to TV or its own remote control.

In which case, button-based control would still be an option, just as controlling the iPhone 4S with your fingers is now--perhaps through a TV remote app.

It'll be interesting to see which way they go with this any how.

 

[Abazigal]

As of now, I find that siri still lags significantly in carrying out commands. How would this be faster/more convenient than pressing a remote?

 

[cjbryce]

But Apple customers might buy a new set every 2 years like they do with the iPhone. If it is a big enough change, they will buy every year. The bottom line is the Apple consumer cares more about Apple than they do about themselves. Even if the technology is a generation or two behind, people will buy it because it just works. People who want the latest tech will buy a Windows or Android TV.

How much can change in TV hardware to change people's buying cycles?

At the end of the day it's all about content consumption and the vast majority of people are probably OK with what they have today or may be about to biy for the Olympics/Superbowl/whatever - i.e. their first major hardware upgrade for n years where I'd guess n is 3-5 on average.

Now, if Apple makes a TV where the hardare lasts the usual TV lifespan iof n years, but it updates software to make it behave differently (3D &etc) and also a one-stop route to content (iTunes??) then people may subscribe to Apple for that, but I really can't see a 12 or even 24 month hardware lifecycle - people just aren't used to that for TVs. More like 36 to 60 months.

 

[samcraig]

I have an inkling that if Apple really are going for Siri-like control, then it's going to be via the iPhone/iPad rather than direct to TV or its own remote control.

In which case, button-based control would still be an option, just as controlling the iPhone 4S with your fingers is now--perhaps through a TV remote app.

It'll be interesting to see which way they go with this any how.

Do you see people willing to pop down $2K for an TV just because of it's cool remote?

I don't.

Will people pay a premium to have iTunes built into their TV? Not when you can just spend $99 and get an Apple TV.

Would people pay for a TV with AppleTV built in if they were already looking to get a new TV - possibly. But I think many would want to know that the hardware involved wouldn't get outdated too too soon vs just paying $99 for an external Apple TV which could easily be swapped out if/when new technology becomes available.

 

[Navdakilla]

I would honestly prefer a apple tv3.. what if I want to use apple features over a projector. Or a 3D tv (assuming this appletv won't be 3D)

I like the idea of a small plugin device because it gives users more options to what tv to watch it on

Coming into the tv market is going to be a tough challenge!

 

[G4DP]

Perhaps we'll be able to speak to Siri on our iOS devices and it will control the
TV that way, in addition to touch input. All this could easily come as an upgrade to the Remote app.

So instead of pressing 1 button on a remote.

You then have to pick up your phone, make sure Siri is active, press the button to let it know your talking to it and them tell it what you want, the phone then has to work it out via Apples servers, send the command back to the phone and finally change the channel?

Just pick up the remote and press a button.

 

[OllyW]

I've just seen this on the BBC news site talking about gesture controlled TV interfaces.

Apple get a brief mention towards the end of the article.

Apple has also filed patents that involve allowing users to touchlessly "throw" content from one device to another, for example from a tablet onto your TV screen.

 

[PlipPlop]

Sounds like Apple are going to be just stealing what Kinect does.

 

[ILikeTurtles]

So basically this tool knows nothing more than any of us do.

Shocking!

 

[KnightWRX]

iPad/iPhone as a remote control is daft. Sure it could be an option, but I'd expect a 1999$ TV set to come with a free remote control.

And if really all we'll see is AppleTV 3, a 99$ set top box (which can do anything that has been "rumored" so far about the TV thing), I really doubt they'd force you to use a 600$ device to control it.

iPad/iPhone as a remote is not this thing's main feature you can be sure of that.

 

[JHankwitz]

Am I the only one that doesn't want to speak to my TV? I like voice control on a phone, because I can do simple tasks while driving. But on a TV I feel like I would have to talk very loud or sit very close to the TV.

I would think you will be able to use your iPhone, iPad, or iTouch as the remote, speaking commands or using the remote GUI to manage TV control.

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2- iTunes content is DRM'd to hell and it costs just as much (if not cheaper) to buy the DRM crippled crap on iTunes as it does to buy a DVD or even bluray.

Wow! I really want to know from where you purchase your DVDs and Bluray disks. Must be from Tokyo, Hong Kong, or other exotic location.

 

[alent1234]

I would think you will be able to use your iPhone, iPad, or iTouch as the remote, speaking commands or using the remote GUI to manage TV control.

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Wow! I really want to know from where you purchase your DVDs and Bluray disks. Must be from Tokyo, Hong Kong, or other exotic location.

duh, amazon?

i'm about to buy polar express on blu ray for $12.99. The Dark Knight is $7.99 right now.

 

[bketchum]

Eddy take a cue, don't tell Les Moonves unless you want it out there faster than you can say "Chenbot"

Haha! Good one.

 

[divinox]

That's not the way to build an all-in-one device if you want to make money. You want it all built in so people will upgrade the entire thing every 3 or 4 years. That is how you make big bucks!

Until everyone else does the same in an unbundled fashion, at a tenth of the price rapidly taking over the market, yeah.

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So, if Apple makes a rectangular TV with a thin bezel, can Samsung slap a design-copy cat case against Apple in Dusseldorf Germany?

Image

I found many community designs in EU for designs like D8000 owned by Samsung.

Apple better not make a TV that's rectangular, black, or indistinguishable from 10 feet away.

Apple would obviously revolutionize the TV, in turn rendering prior art void. Duh... Apple is magical, Samsung isn't!

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Very anti-Apple. They are more likely to push the studios and networks to creating a digital format that falls somewhere in between the current 720p and a true Blu-ray (in terms of bit rate etc). Exclusive to the iTunes store of course. With disk like special features, assistive visual audio, subtitles etc. Not unlike the Avatar Extras being released this week.

Apple is about to invent 1080i -- i1080, its magical!

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Jobs has never made anything himself. He chose the right people to design and help him come up with ideas. Those people are still employed at Apple Inc.

While true, you're ignoring what was probably Jobs greatest skill: choice selection; what you need is not the ability to come up with great ideas - ideas are a dime a dozen - what you need is the ability to turn them down.

 

[Cory Bauer]

I'm not hearing any features here that couldn't be achieved with the Apple TV set top box; the addition of Siri would require a new model with microphone, but that's it. So what's going to make people drop two grand on an Apple-branded television that has the same functionality as the $99 set top box that most people aren't looking to buy?

I've yet to hear what Apple can actually do for the television itself.

 

[divinox]

The technology is secondary to programming.

Maybe Apple will decide to become a network?

If they ever considered it, now is the time to act. They have the momentum to make it work. Question is, would it be allowed by regulators? And, would it essentially be a step backwards - de-standardizing infrastructure.

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Kinect meets Siri, with TIGHT iTunes Store integration. But I am sure that you will believe that Apple came up with motion detection before Sony and Microsoft, just like everybody now believes that Apple invented voice recognition and voice assistants in cell phones.

What would be truly great were if MSFT and Apple could cross-license their ****, standardize it and push out together. The sooner we get NUI-enablers standardized, the better. Kinect is well on its way to becoming standard for body interaction with rumors of Kinectified-TV sets*, Siri could very well become at least benchmark for voice. Smack them together; don't reinvent the wheel - twice.

* to be followed by a) monitors and b) all in ones.

Also, while I'm on my rant: MSFT should give away their dashboard for free. Development is paid for through Xbox anyway, so whats the big deal.

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Which I'm pretty sick of quite frankly. Its not just apple doing it, Microsoft has their own, Amazon has their own, and Apple has their own. Each with their own selection (Apple's obviously 1st in most regards) and closed system.

I don't like these closed eco-systems all over the place. It sucks for the consumer. Companies are using doing this as a way to "trap" users into one ecosystem by hoping a person will purchase a bunch of content that is stuck to their ecosystem and not want to switch because they'll "lose" all that content.

Yes - it definitely sucks for the consumer, and in many ways constitute several steps back. Personally, i hope that my government will have the foresight to step in and regulate rather soon. Rampant lock-in just leads to rampant gouging . To quote the footnote of an article i just read:

"...monopoly pricing in general imposes a deadweight loss. Under imperfect information about consumers’ individual preferences, the monopoly trades off efficiency (a high volume of trade) and rent appropriation (through a high markup)." (Rochet & Tirole, 2006).

Overly sticky ecosystems are essentially monopolies in nature (while not by definition).