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Apple in Talks to Build Cable Set-Top Box to Display Live Television

I think Cable Companies have a simple question...do they want to be AT&T or RIM?

Apple can support live tv via OTA or cable pretty easily. The fact they gave in on Hulu suggests they are ok giving up share on content in exchange for hdw sales

Scientific Atlanta will get crushed

Think about how outdated the concept of a channel is? There's brand and content.
 
tdar said:
Steve said he had cracked the INTERFACE, not the source of delivery.
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If that's the case, then I'm sorely disappointed.

The interface of my TV is either on or off, and i press a channel and see what's on.

I don't pay for any cable or satellite feeds, and never will.
 
koobcamuk said:
If that's the case, then I'm sorely disappointed.

The interface of my TV is either on or off, and i press a channel and see what's on.

I don't pay for any cable or satellite feeds, and never will.
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Our family used to just use public TV, but we now have paid cable. Of course, the chumps in charge of programming the cable box for Verizon did a horrible job. There's a big delay when pausing, the box crashes randomly, the iOS app for it never works (used to until an update), and they spelled "search" as "seach".
 
bommai said:
That is exactly what I was thinking too. I already cut the cord and have not missed it.
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Yeah, what is there on cable TV that is even worth watching? They put ads anyway... on channels that you have to PAY for.
 
If apple (or anyone really) could make a box that allows you to access channels ala carte I would pay serious money for it. Cable is ridiculous. Most of the programming is duplicated junk that just reruns non-stop.

Give me a box where I can subscribe to individual channels and pay by the month per channel. They'd get my cash in a heartbeat.
 
MacRumors said:
Apple is said to have considered a set top box as long as 2 years ago, but Steve Jobs had previously dismissed the market due to the lack of national-providers. Meanwhile, cable companies are reportedly reluctant to give up some control and revenue by allowing Apple into their set top boxes.
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More like as long as 20 years ago. ;)
 
If this is true, it sounds as if they've given up on the content providers....which is sad.

Why are all the content providers idiots that don't just look at what the public wants and come up with a solution to provide it instead of trying to come up with some castrated version of what they think is best? They would make so much more money if they just played nice and let us buy the content we wanted the way we wanted it.

More and more I find myself watching independant and foreign entertainment. Screw the big studios and their draconian ideas of how to deliver their product. I'll just not buy it at all.
 
I hope apple comes with something great sooner than later. Microsoft has a HUGE head start in the Home Theater area with Xbox. It is not just a gaming console anymore. It crushes the :apple:TV in content and apps. I just hope Apple is making the deals they need to because Microsoft sure is.

The Xbox has allowed me to cut cable because I get every single NCAAF game for no extra cost other than my Xbox Live subscription. That is killer.

Granted the Xbox costs more than the :apple:TV but it is a MUCH more capable device. (quite loud though).
 
jayhawk11 said:
Sounds fishy.
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It also sounds idiotic:

1. The cable companies wouldn't want to share revenue

2. Many who are looking for a streaming solution are also trying to get rid of cable/satellite.

3. It sounds expensive, yet I fail to see what particular value it would bring to consumers (great UI, sure, but the La-Z-Boy crowd hardly cares much about that).

If Apple was a little less controlling/greedy and had the App Store and a browser, as well as network (I mean NAS streaming capabilities) on Apple TV, they could control this market.

Instead, the box market will probably end up with Google, who will get there, just slowly and much less elegantly.
 
Last edited:
There will never be an Apple Television.

An AppleTV, with an improved interface and apps is the direction Apple has been going.
 
brendu said:
...

Granted the Xbox costs more than the :apple:TV but it is a MUCH more capable device. (quite loud though).
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"Quite loud" is an understatement :)

The Xbox is too big, too hot and way too loud. That's why I returned mine.

The UI is marginal, too. WMC, while close, just looks more elegant, don't know MS didn't just use that for the Xbox UI.
 
mambodancer said:
There will never be an Apple Television.

An AppleTV, with an improved interface and apps is the direction Apple has been going.
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That is what they need to do. It is what Microsoft is doing with the Xbox and its great. ESPN app, Hulu Plus, LastFM, HBOGO, Netflix, even XFinity and Fios apps. Apple could roll all of these into the current :apple:TV. I don't know why they havent other than possibly they really are working on something even better.

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macUser2007 said:
"Quite loud" is an understatement :)

The Xbox is too big, too hot and way too loud. That's why I returned mine.

The UI is marginal, too. WMC, while close, just looks more elegant, don't know MS didn't just use that for the Xbox UI.
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The UI works for what it is. Annoying that they put all the big ads in but I get it. The content is what matters and right now Xbox is the best option when it comes to content.
 
SomeBody please tell me how to get in touch with Brian Roberts at Comcast. I live in Philadelphia and would be more than happy to go tell him to eff himself for delaying the future of TV.
 
Probably the most useful thing out of this is having a Wi-Fi cable access point.

I see it as more of an Apple Airport cable-modem/router, with possibly a home server, than just a simple simple AppleTV.

Right now there's quite a few wires and cables to set up a cable modem and a separate set-top DVR box. Apple is really good at integrating these things together, given its computer/Wi-Fi background.

Would love a simple home email & web server that's always on.
 
faroZ06 said:
Our family used to just use public TV, but we now have paid cable. Of course, the chumps in charge of programming the cable box for Verizon did a horrible job. There's a big delay when pausing, the box crashes randomly, the iOS app for it never works (used to until an update), and they spelled "search" as "seach".
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Not surprising! That's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg as to why I won't get a cable service.

I simply don't consume that much television.
 
My cable company gave me two DVR's (one HD, other one standard), The Movie Channel and Showtime free when I signed up for the life of our service agreement. I then upgraded to Wideband and added HBO and a third set top box. I am paying around 175 a month for these services. And honestly, it doesn't bother me. And before anyone thinks otherwise, no I am not rich, in fact some may call me impoverished since the economy collapsed.

Growing up however, I remember we had satellite, telephone, AOL broadband and at one point satellite and cable, including cable internet when we got rid of AOL. Then a cellphone for me, my sister, and my mom (my dad's work provided his) which were an additional $145.

So to me a $175 dollar cable bill isn't so far fetched, even now, and honestly I could care less about sticking it to the corporation. I like my cable company.
 
newyorksole said:
The TV industry really needs a shake up and Apple are the perfect corporation to do the shaking.
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I work in broadcast weather graphics, couldn't agree more considering the "greatest" innovation many TV execs see as going 3D... Really from a UX perspective it add little to the definition of the broadcast and the cost rise considerably.
 
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