Agreed. What additional functionality can they add by making you buy a whole new television versus building a set top box? Is this like making people buy an iPhone 4s to get (or keep) Siri functionality?
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Apple Looking to Launch Siri-Enabled Television Set by 2013
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Now picture that same kind of Apple decision-making being applied to a much larger cost television purchase. When would an Apple television no longer be able to fully take advantage of the latest features of it's underlying software? What kind of upgrade schedule would it require to keep up with the desirable features rolled out in regular updates?
At $99, one can somewhat swallow having to replace an
TV with a new one every year or two to keep up with advances offered in newer versions from Apple. Are we going to want to play that game with a whole television?
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Who knows... I guess that whoever becomes SIRI's best friend wins. At least there will be no remote control to fight for.
That's unless SIRI gets angry and yells: "NO TV FOR YOU!"
I don't think Apple is going to make a Television with Siri centric voice commands. There's just way too much human voice interaction going on in front of a TV to make it practical. So there won't be any "Siri always on".
Maybe a single button remote similar to the apple remote that activates Siri.
That could change though if Apple engineers are able to make Siri much more intelligent in the next couple of years.
But I don't see it happening.
I'm going with facial recognition.
"Good evening Dave. Would you like me to to display your favourite channels list?"
And presumably 3-D too?
"Good evening Dave. Would you like me to to display your favourite channels list?"
And presumably 3-D too?
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Maybe you would have to "wake" it with a prompt: "Siri, show me...". Otherwise, your point is quite valid.
For most people, buying a TV is like buying new shoes. Have to pick through many models, sizes styles, colors, refresh rates, 3D Capable, LED Backlit or not, Plasma or LCD, etc.
I guess Apple is going to determine what size of TV a person should buy. They may release 3 or 4 different sizes, but will that be enough?
Now, imagine a TV with no HDMI, no Component, no DVI, no VGA. Only Thunderbolt Port.
Whatever it is they are building, I'm sure we will love it.
Well, I guess the speech recognitions will be not "always on", like it is not on the iPhone 4s actually..
But it can't tell the difference between my voice and my wifes voice. So if we are both talking Siri gets confused.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
If a stand-alone box is allowed to also exist for around $99 and it is pretty much the software of this television, I can't see it working much at all. If they kill the
TV to unify the software with the hardware, it would seem to have a better chance, but that target 40% margin is going to be hard to swallow for the television shopper seeing bigger screens (or worse, the exact same screen with someone else's logo on it) being pitched for probably a lot less right next to the Apple-branded model.
Then Siri would find NOTHING at all!
What Apple needs to do if they're serious, is build a "data bank" in their TV of all the shows, movies and games ever created. "Siri, show me the first season of I love Lucy explodes" and pick out an explode from there. "Of course the companies like BlockBuster and Netflix would have a fit." ALSO a "live" TV for live news, sports and whatever.
Can't wait
I can't wait for it, I'm sure it will be awesome!!!
I agree with some that it can't be revolutionary like iPhone & iPad. But give me a 42-50in. Cinema Display style TV with my Apple TV built in, options for service provider, Apple quality/customer service and I'm first in line! Just an Apple TV would be great for me!
I would love to see them be able to get TV into more of watch what you want when you want, and only pay for what you watch. It's not that I hate how I get my TV now, I just hate the company's we get it from and think there is room for one more way to get our service.
I can't wait for it, I'm sure it will be awesome!!!
I agree with some that it can't be revolutionary like iPhone & iPad. But give me a 42-50in. Cinema Display style TV with my Apple TV built in, options for service provider, Apple quality/customer service and I'm first in line! Just an Apple TV would be great for me!
I would love to see them be able to get TV into more of watch what you want when you want, and only pay for what you watch. It's not that I hate how I get my TV now, I just hate the company's we get it from and think there is room for one more way to get our service.
Also, there needs to be a great hardware-based reason for an Apple Television vs. all existing players. Everything that is a software innovation can be built into an
Totally disagree with you. Do people buy regular PC's and put OS X on them? Is there any WOW factor in any of the hardware Apple produces nowadays? So why would Apple bother with building an Apple branded TV? Umm, probably to make a ****load of money!
What's gonna make them more money, selling $99 set-top boxes or $1000+ television screens? And of course they will make the software specific to that hardware because that is how you drive sales of something that seemingly has similar hardware. Case and point, iPhone 4S.
I do agree though, the secret is behind the content delivery with iTunes...
That's a big part of my problem though... you can't release the television and then try and do the content deals that justify its existence after the fact (their success with the ATV has been underwhelming in this respect). Apple "could" install a Cable Card slot in the TV and do deals with Comcast, Time-Warner, etc. to piggy-back their content deals, but I REALLY don't see that happening (of course both Comcast and Time-Warner are working directly with Samsung and Sony on integrating their s/w into their televisions).
I just don't see any evidence that the content guys are any more interested now than they ever have been about stabbing their existing distribution partners in the back (i.e. violating, and as a result nullifying their existing VERY lucrative "to the TV" programming "agreements") and cutting a major deal with Apple (and you know Apple is going to get their % of the revenues). And I'm not even taking into account the advertising implications of undercutting their broadcast ratings model.
Regardless, when SJ said he "cracked" something, I'll bet he wasn't talking about a content deal... so it must be something more clever and innovative than anything I've seen mentioned to date.
I guess a good place to start is "Where did GoogleTV go so wrong?" and what lessons can be learned from that debacle.
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
That's all great but Apple doesn't need to deliver a television to roll out much better pricing on content. They could do that now or even years ago... IF the content providers wanted to sell their stuff at those kind of prices. A "magical" (whole) television is NOT required for the above. Getting the content creators to take the hit (vs. current pricing) and an
TV with Siri gets the job done for around $99.For most people, buying a TV is like buying new shoes. Have to pick through many models, sizes styles, colors, refresh rates, 3D Capable, LED Backlit or not, Plasma or LCD, etc.
I guess Apple is going to determine what size of TV a person should buy. They may release 3 or 4 different sizes, but will that be enough?
Now, imagine a TV with no HDMI, no Component, no DVI, no VGA. Only Thunderbolt Port.
Whatever it is they are building, I'm sure we will love it.
It better be a robot sex slave if it expects me to not have a way to plug in my Xbox.
Interesting if this is true... is the Television market really broken so much as the content within it? Displays today are both cheap and well made, with a variety of consumer options fit for every situation.
If anything needs to be changed within tv it's the content itself. The drab reality shows, contests and celebrity whore fests are getting old. If Apple can find a way to change this aspect, then I get it. Otherwise, I'm not so sure I believe the rumors. Very "un-Steve" like.
If anything needs to be changed within tv it's the content itself. The drab reality shows, contests and celebrity whore fests are getting old. If Apple can find a way to change this aspect, then I get it. Otherwise, I'm not so sure I believe the rumors. Very "un-Steve" like.
Imagine watching a TV show where the characters give commands to SIRI, on your own AppleTV.. The show will be able to control your TV.
How will SIRI be able to hear commands if let's say you are watching a loud movie? I would imagine two possibilities:
1) A remote control for voice commands (in that case, why have SIRI!)
2) A noise canceling system that would pickup the audio from the environment and remove the audio being currently played. This is very possible to do, and theoretically not very hard.
If it's not #2, I have no idea, unless SIRI can read lips.
all flat glass you say? isn't that most tvs now sold? you described a tv that's already out in the market, i just dont see the point when they can sell a box for far less.
why would they be working on this television as far back as 2007 and at the same time release a product so far removed from their goal?
I still say people are going to miss having a constant feed of tv on, unless apple implement a cover-flow style method of flipping thru the content, like you do now with a cable/satellite provider, the experience will just leave a lot to be desired
I'm imagining a TV running iOS tightly integrated with all the iOS devices. We can probably subscribe to TV channels through iTunes, play multiplayer games using our iPhones and iPods as controls, or even remotely control the TV to do certain tasks like recording certain episodes of a show through iCloud.
After the TV, I'm not sure what is left for Apple to conquer. Everything else I have in my room is already made by them.
After the TV, I'm not sure what is left for Apple to conquer. Everything else I have in my room is already made by them.
This is possible already today with Eyetv. It's not as good as you would think.
Ugh. Maybe we should ban anyone who has no common sense or who has never used a Kinect from commenting in this thread.
To get Siri to listen, you would have to prompt her first. Just like with Kinect. "Siri, [command]." There would surely be an on-screen icon to alert you that Siri is in fact listening, just like there is with Kinect.
Seriously, I would recommend that anyone who is interested in the logistics of voice controlling your TV, stop before you post and go read about the Kinect and NXE 2.0 coming to Xbox 360 next month.
I like Siri and I think it's a great idea to voice-control a web-connected HDTV, but all of the "revolutionary" technology that you're speculating about either already exists on Xbox or will be released next month.
To get Siri to listen, you would have to prompt her first. Just like with Kinect. "Siri, [command]." There would surely be an on-screen icon to alert you that Siri is in fact listening, just like there is with Kinect.
Seriously, I would recommend that anyone who is interested in the logistics of voice controlling your TV, stop before you post and go read about the Kinect and NXE 2.0 coming to Xbox 360 next month.
I like Siri and I think it's a great idea to voice-control a web-connected HDTV, but all of the "revolutionary" technology that you're speculating about either already exists on Xbox or will be released next month.