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Apple Television Set to Include Siri and Face-Tracking iSight for FaceTime Calls?
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yay a $6 movie to rent in worse quality, just what i want. its blu-ray btw
unless the prices of streamed "files" drop to 99 cent i do not want id laugh if the tv doesnt even offer hdmi and they'd call it the best thing ever which translates to BUY YOUR STUFF AT ITUNES SO WE MAKE EVEN MORE MONEY
Apple typically waits until the 3-4th generation to make a product really shine, so hopefully by then it will be a 4k display (read: retina display), however, if it's going to be LED LCD I think they'd have to make it much thinner as are most other TVs on the market.
Would love an elegant Apple tele to replace my 08 model Bravia but who wants to bet it will cost over 2 grand? I have a feeling there will be only one or two sizes to chose from with the biggest one offering all the goodies (bundled with a smaller iPad perhaps? and FaceTime HD cam).
Most people have a cable or satellite box that renders the TV's remote moot anyway.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20017018-37.html
APPLE did acquire Polar Rose Facial Recognition company....
APPLE did acquire Polar Rose Facial Recognition company....
I like what Apple could do with the TV but I don't know if I want to get their rumored small TV. I hope they could deliver something big enough.
Let's make a few baseline assumptions and see later if they come true.
The system can be controlled verbally vis Siri or via a pad, either a dedicated iPod Touch style remote or any iOS device.
Let's further assume that the new wifi standard is deployed everywhere for max wireless transport.
Let's assume there is an external Apple TV style box that shoots remote signals to your existing boxes and devices using their existing remote capabilities (universal remotes).
Now make an interface that discovers and integrates your pile of equipment, maybe even prompts you to buy certain things to improve you experience. "User, you need to consider a Macintosh pre-amp and amp to drive your audio experience with more power and clarity" (note circular reference). Link to Apple Store Accessories. We also sell great speakers for your movie room and offer how-to online classes for set-up and install for proper spatial results.
The trend that started about 3 years ago or so that made new flat TV's an architectural and interior design statement is likely to be addressed with accessories for wall mounting, tabletop placement and other practical means for product placement.
Rocketman
The system can be controlled verbally vis Siri or via a pad, either a dedicated iPod Touch style remote or any iOS device.
Let's further assume that the new wifi standard is deployed everywhere for max wireless transport.
Let's assume there is an external Apple TV style box that shoots remote signals to your existing boxes and devices using their existing remote capabilities (universal remotes).
Now make an interface that discovers and integrates your pile of equipment, maybe even prompts you to buy certain things to improve you experience. "User, you need to consider a Macintosh pre-amp and amp to drive your audio experience with more power and clarity" (note circular reference). Link to Apple Store Accessories. We also sell great speakers for your movie room and offer how-to online classes for set-up and install for proper spatial results.
The trend that started about 3 years ago or so that made new flat TV's an architectural and interior design statement is likely to be addressed with accessories for wall mounting, tabletop placement and other practical means for product placement.
Rocketman
If anything "the simplest interface" for a standalone Apple TV would be for the TV to in fact not be standalone and be completely interface-less; relying entirely on the presence of an iOS device to control the content being displayed, via the standard touch interface we've been used to or Siri - further demeaning the Apple TV to a 'dumb pipe', which may somehow even reduce costs (such as not needing to develop an on screen interface or display menu's onscreen when no content is playing).
You think Apple would do a 60+" TV? IMO, 4K really isn't useful unless you sit fairly close to the TV. @12' most people would believe that 1080p is retina quality on an average size TV (40-55").
You guys are missing the point. Based on Apple's previous products, the Apple TV wouldn't necessarily be technologically superior. It's going to be remarkably simpler to use than other products on that space. Smartphones and tablet computers existed long before the iPhone and iPad. Apple made them incredibly easy to use. What's the problem with TVs? Simple: There's too much to watch, and you never can find things you are interested in. Imagine if your TV understood you when you said "I want to watch the latest 'Mad Men'". Or if you said "Show me all movies that are on now" and it gave you a list. Or "show me the Knicks game", and it found it even when you don't know what channel it's on. Instead of you going through a guide that was thousands of entries big. And if it learned what you liked over time and made suggestions, so you didn't even have to hunt down something to watch.
The big question is how Apple can tie their tech into existing cable systems, or if they're going to go for an internet-only on demand type system, which would be revolutionary but much riskier.
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A 1080p set is already "Retina" at normal viewing distances.
Well. The same is said about computer, cellphones and tablets. Somehow people are prepared to pay for quality.
I don't think that is true. Text looks terrible when a PC is connected to an 1080p TV screen of greater than 37".
Since TV margins have been absolutely hammered the last few years, it's certainly possible for Apple to make a reasonably-priced TV. Sure, it'll cost a bit more than average, but if it offers amazing functionality and simplicity, I don't see why people wouldn't pay a couple hundred more for one. And a company like Sharp, who has great TVs but is being crushed in the race-to-the-bottom pricing, would be happy to partner with a company like Apple. They can sell panels to Apple at wholesale and not deal with direct-to-consumer sales.
I don't ever use FaceTime. If you do then you'll like this, but what would be a lot more useful for me would be the webOS trick of forwarding phone calls made to an iPhone to an iPad (or here, TV) on the same wireless network.
As for Siri, not practical as a primary means of control if there are multiple people in the room. If it's just there as an option along with a stand alone remote then ok.
As for Siri, not practical as a primary means of control if there are multiple people in the room. If it's just there as an option along with a stand alone remote then ok.
See When Does 1080p matter?
The chart there shows at what viewing distance you can resolve individual pixels. For 1080p, you can't see individual pixels on a 50" set at 7'. Most people sit further than 7'.
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I can imagine a remote like the current Apple TV remote, just with a mic on it. You hold down a button and talk to it, just like an iPhone.
How far do you sit from your TV when you have your computer attached to it?
There are three values you need to know to determine if a display is 'retina' or not:
- Display size (37" in this case).
- Display resolution (1080p in this case).
- Viewing distance.
If text 'looks terrible', you're either not running at the display's native resolution, or you're sitting too close. (Or something *really* weird is going on.)
So we're envisioning Apple's answer, more or less feature for feature, to Samsung's Smart TVs, right? What extra value would Apple bring? I've heard critiques that these Samsung Smart TVs don't live up to the hype in terms of software quality, so one could presume that Apple would do it "right."
It seems like a hard, non-traditional type of market for Apple. TVs are very durable commodity consumer goods that are expected to be bought once and last practically indefinitely. That's not the market Apple lives in or has ever pursued up to this point. But given SJ's strong enthusiasm, we have to optimistic about some kind of breakthrough.
It seems like a hard, non-traditional type of market for Apple. TVs are very durable commodity consumer goods that are expected to be bought once and last practically indefinitely. That's not the market Apple lives in or has ever pursued up to this point. But given SJ's strong enthusiasm, we have to optimistic about some kind of breakthrough.