Apple Plans to Debut New Apple TV in September With Touch-Based Remote, Full App Store

[BMcCoy]

Is there any suggestion that this new iteration of Apple TV will actually be more of an Apple Hub?..

- integrating not just an improved TV UI, but also HomeKit functions, gaming, music streaming etc. All packaged into a beautiful intuitive interface and control unit.

 

[azentropy]

It is looooong overdue. I still think Apple TV is going to be a much larger and successful category than the Apple Watch in the long run - of course if they do it right (open up the app store, provide their own "tv" package, make it also a light gaming console etc.)

 

[Breaking Good]

Ive thinks it [the current Apple TV remote] is too thick

I'm sorry. I just thought this comment was funny as hell.

 

[Breaking Good]

The batteries last too long, and are replaceable. All devices need to have non-removable batteries that last no longer than 1 week per charge.

This one was funny also.

 

[VeryVito]

I used to get really excited by this article, but now that I've read the same thing twice a year for at least 7 years, I can't muster much enthusiasm for Apple TV anymore. Whatever, Apple. Just let me watch Alpha House on it, and I'll be good.

 

[Breaking Good]

I no longer watch "channels." That's so 20th century. I watch content. I don't care about AMC other than the select few shows I watch. I do not want AMC, I want the shows. It would be great if they let me choose 25 shows I like to watch, and then give me all that content. Why would I want to AMC as a regular channel when 75% of the time I won't watch it?

I'd much rather pay $20/mo. to choose 20 shows. They can keep the networks. My father has Sling TV, which is pretty good for what it does, but it's still a bundle. All these services are still bundles when it comes down to it. Apple, with all their money, could actually throw money at the problem, and kill the bundle once and for all. But they don't seem to want to give back to us. Apple could lose money on a TV service for a couple years, and that would be enough time to do real harm to the cable bundle.

But this is going to be a watered down, feeble attempt at cord cutters. I'm just going from one (cable) cord to another (ethernet) cord, with a bundle. Let me choose first my channels. Then someday, let me choose the shows I want to watch, they can keep everything else.

This is me also.

I know what TV shows I want to watch. I know what songs I want to listen to.

Let me choose the shows I watch and the songs I listen to. I don't care about the hundreds of TV channels or thousands of TV shows or millions of songs out there. I only care about what I want to watch or listen to.

I don't care if a particular recording artist has a thousand songs. I will probably only like one or two. Let me buy those and you can keep the rest.

Likewise, I don't care about the hundred shows a network has. I only care about the ones I want to watch.

And I hate having to take eight, thirteen or twenty-six weeks to watch a show. I don't read five books at one time. I don't want to watch five different shows. I want to watch one season. Wrap it up, and move onto the next show.

 

[samcraig]

why do we need buttons anymore .... conveniently touching stuff as we always do now ... and its extended to our tech gadgets.. let the remote join in.

If there is one good thing about it, at least there is no buttons that can wear out over time. How it integrates is so meting else.

Oh I don't know. I've had and used my Apple TV for several years and never once had an issue with the remote (breaking).

If the new UI warrants a touch interface, then it makes sense. If it's adding touch just for the sake of adding touch, then I don't see much of a point.

I do like the idea of authenticating purchases from the remote if they work that in.

 

[jeffe]

Agreed, but don't like the idea of it being touch-based. I don't want to have to look at it.

My TV allows me use my phone as a touch based remote. All it does is place a cursor on the tv screen that I move around with my finger. Works really well and you don't have to look at it at all. I imagine apple will do something similar... Probably with gestures too.

 

[uid15]

why do we need buttons anymore .... conveniently touching stuff as we always do now ... and its extended to our tech gadgets.. let the remote join in.

If there is one good thing about it, at least there is no buttons that can wear out over time. How it integrates is so meting else.

You're evidently not an engineer - you don't change something that works perfectly well JUST for the sake of doing it; that'd be called idiocy. "Keep it simple, stupid" - you may have heard that phrase? Well of course, because you don't use a sledgehammer to crack a peanut open, and you're not using a remote control to take photos or surf the net, you're using it to send commands to the device with the smarts, so *IT* does the displaying of content.

Touch screens drain batteries, and you can't get 12 month battery life when you've got a stinking great LCD to keep powered up, and then you've got to over engineer everything else... Yuck! Look, its very simple really, because there's a few buttons your muscle memory adjusts to, which are ALWAYS in the same place, and which you can find without even looking at the remote. Smash it on the floor, I bet it survives, but not a glass lcd remote I bet ya.

 

[flychild]

Hopefully it will support external hard drive through USB, multiple file format playability (AVI, MP4, MKV)

 

[npmacuser5]

This is me also.

I know what TV shows I want to watch. I know what songs I want to listen to.

Let me choose the shows I watch and the songs I listen to. I don't care about the hundreds of TV channels or thousands of TV shows or millions of songs out there. I only care about what I want to watch or listen to.

I don't care if a particular recording artist has a thousand songs. I will probably only like one or two. Let me buy those and you can keep the rest.

Likewise, I don't care about the hundred shows a network has. I only care about the ones I want to watch.

And I hate having to take eight, thirteen or twenty-six weeks to watch a show. I don't read five books at one time. I don't want to watch five different shows. I want to watch one season. Wrap it up, and move onto the next show.

I take the money that once went to my cable TV and just buy the show seasons I want. In my case, around $80 a month buys at least two shows on iTunes or Amazon. Translates to about 24 shows a year minimum.

You're evidently not an engineer - you don't change something that works perfectly well JUST for the sake of doing it; that'd be called idiocy. "Keep it simple, stupid" - you may have heard that phrase? Well of course, because you don't use a sledgehammer to crack a peanut open, and you're not using a remote control to take photos or surf the net, you're using it to send commands to the device with the smarts, so *IT* does the displaying of content.

Touch screens drain batteries, and you can't get 12 month battery life when you've got a stinking great LCD to keep powered up, and then you've got to over engineer everything else... Yuck! Look, its very simple really, because there's a few buttons your muscle memory adjusts to, which are ALWAYS in the same place, and which you can find without even looking at the remote. Smash it on the floor, I bet it survives, but not a glass lcd remote I bet ya.

I agree with you conceptually however, Apple is no longer run by engineers. Today Apple will in fact make a change in product for nothing more then a design change. Use ability now takes a backseat to how cool does the product look.

 

[sofila]

Hopefully it will support external hard drive through USB, multiple file format playability (AVI, MP4, MKV)

I'm sorry for you pal, this is Apple we're talking about. You won't see anything like this even if you go 6/7 parallel universes beyond this one

 

[aasimtech]

This time

How is this any different than the six other times i've heard this in the last three years?

its different BCoz this time, it's true

 

[DotCom2]

At least I know what I'm getting the wife for Christmas this year...

I hope you're not getting her something *YOU* want for Christmas cuz that would be a fail.

 

[topmounter]

What part of new remote did you not understand?

The ambiguous part. They didn't specify whether it was a hardware or software remote.

 

[HenryDJP]

Sounds terrific, however, will Apple be able to keep it at the $99 sweet spot?

I can easily see the new TV possibly priced at $149.

 

[BaldiMac]

I hope they stick with $80 price tag, they could even go up slightly again to $100, like they where. but nothing higher then that.

My bet:

Apple TV with simple remote*: $99
Bluetooth Touchscreen remote: $149
*All functionality of the advanced remote duplicated by iOS app.

I'm basing the price on the advanced remote on a combination of the iPod touch ($199) and the Harmony touchscreen remote ($249). I think they could undercut both prices. Smaller screen, less storage, less processing power, smaller battery than an iPod touch. Also, no camera, no headphone jack, no wifi would allow for a much thinner device. And it could offload much of the functionality of the harmony remote to the Apple TV box (and to a lesser extent to an iPhone or iPad.)

 

[HenryDJP]

Hate to say it but they could actually learn a thing from *GASP* Samsung (even if it looks like a mini trackpad clone) I have this remote for my tv and the trackpad like touch control works great.

I have this one too. I definitely works very well.

 

[DEXTERITY]

What's wrong with the Apple TV remote we got?

It sucks - too small, hard to navigate with - a joke

 

[chappel]

As soon as Plex has an App then I'll be all over at least two of these

Also some way to plug in headphones (like I can on my Roku Remote) or Bluetooth headphone support would be great.

I got plex running on my ATV3 a couple weeks back by using this clever hack that pipes DNS requests from the ATV through the Mini that hosts my plex server, which redirects traffic from the 'trailers' app and turns it into Plex. It sounds goofy, and requires a little command-line tinkering on the mini, but it has worked great, and allowed me to retire the old mini I was previously using as a plex player.

I'm with you on the volume-controlled output; would love to just connect some self-amplified speakers to the apple TV and have volume control on a single Apple remote.

 

[Denmac1]

I can easily see the new TV possibly priced at $149.

Especially if it comes as a home hub.

 

[C.Calthrop]

Apple is planning to introduce its long-awaited next-generation Apple TV in September, reports Buzzfeed's John Paczkowski. According to sources familiar with Apple's plans, the new set-top box will be unveiled in September at the same event where Apple will unveil the next-generation iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

As has been previously rumored, it is said to include an A8 processor, a touch-pad based remote that's "drastically improved" compared to the current version, a new operating system that supports a full App Store, developer APIs, and Siri voice control, and more on-board storage to accommodate apps. Physically, the Apple TV will take on a new, slimmer look.

Apple will not be introducing its rumored television service at the same time, with sources telling Buzzfeed that the Internet-based streaming service could possibly launch in late 2015, but 2016 is more likely. Current rumors suggest Apple's television offering will bundle approximately 25 channels and cost between $30 to $40 per month.

Apple was widely expected to introduce both its new Apple TV and its upcoming streaming television service in June, at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, but the two products were not ready for launch at that time. Apple postponed its release of the set-top box because it was "not ready for prime time" and held off on the television service because deals were not completed.

Apple has not introduced a revamped version of its Apple TV since 2012, so an updated set-top box with App Store support and other features will be a major change from the platform that we know and use today.

Article Link: Apple Plans to Debut New Apple TV in September With Touch-Based Remote, Full App Store

 

[C.Calthrop]

I hope it supports 802.11ac.

 

[chirpie]

I don't know, it's right at the edge of what makes sense. It's $70 a month for Google fiber here. Add $40 for 25 channels through this and you're at $110. But Google offers 150 HD channels for only a bit more than $110. It seems like by the time I've paid for the internet and this, I might as well spend a few bucks more and get the real deal.

If it turns out it's only $30 a month and the service works on ATV3 (Of which I already have two), then I might give it a swing...

 

[Bigsk8r]

Apparently, you aren't a Walking Dead fan

I am, but I am not afraid to watch the show in my time rather than AMC's. In fact, I need to watch the last couple episodes of season 3 and then season 4 now to be ready to watch 5 when it's released to Netflix.