Apple to Debut New A8-Based Apple TV Box With App Store and Siri at WWDC

[SBlue1]

I don't think so. TV is a one-app-at-a-time device. It has unlimited storage back at the computer where all the media is stored. It could stream over the app you want to run from hundreds or thousands stored over in the big storage attached to your computer. iPads and iPhones only need big onboard storage because they are MOBILE devices not permanently tethered to your computer back home. TV is different. It's always got immediate access to HUGE storage attached to the computer running iTunes.

What if I use my MacBook at work and the kids are at home? They can't access the movies or games stored at my external drive attached to my Airport Extreme without the MacBook present and open and iTunes running. So the Apple TV needs more storage. Or a home cloud kind of use option where it can connect to external drives.

 

[mike1726]

Siri capability doesn't interest me ,but it would be good to be able to put apps on it.

 

[Bigsk8r]

An actual real choice of what to buy, better hardware, HBO Now, and a price point well under $100. I would say they are making some positive moves here.

A new user interface will be great too.

 

[scapegoat81]

What's wrong with Search? I've never had an issue with searching.

Just a bit redundant the way they implement it. Searching w/ Siri would be more efficient

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

What if I use my MacBook at work and the kids are at home? They can't access the movies or games stored at my external drive attached to my Airport Extreme without the MacBook present and open and iTunes running. So the Apple TV needs more storage. Or a home cloud kind of use option where it can connect to external drives.

That's how it is now unless those kids are only watching rentals or purchased movies. If it's personal content (your own movies, your own TV shows, your own home movies or- as I suggest- your own apps), it's stored on a connected computer elsewhere in the house. Loading it up with storage like it's a mobile iDevice when it's really not one is mostly a recipe for (IMO, needless) higher prices. (IMO) Much better to give it just enough on-board storage to hold a good chunk of video or the ONE app you want to run at any given time and that should be plenty. TVs are tethered to a computer and it can be the huge storage that happens to be external.

If Apple tries to build storage inside a new TV, it will be the same problem they had with the first generation... that no size they choose will make their market happy. If I had all say, I'd keep the TV storage pretty lean and implement app storage as I've already described it AND
2. also normalize the USB port so that those wanting more local storage without depending on a computer running iTunes could attach whatever size storage they want AND,
3. implement a NAS and time capsule option for storing media on a network attached drive.

But the main point I was trying to make is that this is one kind of iDevice that doesn't generally go out with it's owner. So it doesn't need 32GB, 64GB and 128GB variants. Just as movie files far larger than any iOS app can be streamed over from the computer to which it's tethered, so could any TV apps (be stored on that same computer).

Very simply, an TV is like an iPad with the storage OUTSIDE the box... and that storage is flexible in that it can be as much or as little as you want. Need more space for movies you own? Just add another hard drive to your computer. Need more space for TV shows? Add another hard drive. Need more space to store more apps for the next-gen TV? Add a hard drive.

In your case, I suggest picking up a cheap Mac or Windows machine (even a used one) with big storage and let that be the always-available iTunes computer to feed media to your TV.

 

[Orange Computer]

Great news if true!

So need an App store! Plex here we come!

Hope its has -

-4k
-good amount of RAM
-new interface

For now, plexConnect works OK, and I only miss the Trailers app a little.

 

[Psytrix]

Allow a XBMC/Kodi app and we'll talk. That's why people were buying the older versions of these bricks in the first place.

 

[LudwigZildjian]

I'll buy one..... Or two.....

 

[Sol]

I just want Siri to understand my Scottish accent.

I want Siri to have a Scottish accent

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Cable spends hundreds of millions of dollars on content licensing agreements with the networks and have a long history of cooperation. Apple has only been doing this a short time and doesn't want to play ball on Cable's terms. They think they can bully the networks like they did the music industry back in the day.

Apple did not "bully" the music industry; they saved it from LimeWire and all the other free downloads services/apps that the music industry was making no money on. Apple brought the online music and video stores to the mainstream with licensing deals that meant content providers got paid for downloads. Without the iTunes Store and the prevalence of iPods and iOS, users would still be getting their music from CDs and illegal downloads.

 

[Dmunjal]

What if I use my MacBook at work and the kids are at home? They can't access the movies or games stored at my external drive attached to my Airport Extreme without the MacBook present and open and iTunes running. So the Apple TV needs more storage. Or a home cloud kind of use option where it can connect to external drives.

What it needs is the ability to access local NAS using standard protocols like SMB, NFS, etc. A jailbroken ATV2 can do it with Firecore or XBMC. Not that difficult. Maybe connect to a Time Capsule?

 

[Mliii]

You either don't have an Apple TV, or don't know how to use it.

Bizarrely, for a Bluetooth enabled device you could always pair a keyboard for tect entry, or use the keyboard on the remote app. People complaining about one of the few things that Apple has nailed with this device.

We have one in the bedroom, kitchen and living room - 90% of all our viewing is via the Apple TV.

I simply disagree with you. Input is ridiculous- scrolling through the alphabet to enter passwords? That's "nail(ing) it?!?

 

[Sol]

I simply disagree with you. Input is ridiculous- scrolling through the alphabet to enter passwords? That's "nail(ing) it?!?

That's only if you navigate with the Apple Remote. You can actually pair an iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch (soon) or a physical Bluetooth keyboard to use for entering passwords and writing searches. The iOS devices have on-screen keyboards that can be used when the Remote app is in use.
https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201664

 

[unplugme71]

There is no need for storage for tv shows and movies because everything is streamed. Storage would be necessary for games.

I could see a $199 model with new features and ability to play games etc if they keep the $69 model around.

clearly you can't read. Go back and read what I actually wrote before you make another comment.

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Unless Apple are going to be competitive, I can see a 16GB ATV starting at $99. The Razer Forge TV ( with 16GB ) is supposed to start at $100 ( $150 with a controller ), and the Nvidia Shield microconsole at $150.

Apple is rarely, if ever, competitive with pricing. Look at how much they charge for stupid adapters.

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I like your pricing...the 199 price point is like getting an Ipod touch - but they may pull that 16G 64G 128G crap again.

I'm just throwing a wild guess with the line up. But at least those prices may be reasonable. Who knows, your ISP may even start subsidizing the damn thing.

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Like a Gaming Console almost, eh?

It would be cool. Use your iphone as the controller, your iPad as the map or something, and your tv as the main screen.

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but will it come in gold?

Rose gold... 10k tv

 

[RobertMartens]

Holding off on that 69 (giggity) apple tv now. How they tease me.

What a waste it would be. Go buy two pizzas instead. That was a close one.

 

[matthewhuk]

Perhaps iTunes chief - Eddy Cue should concentrate on overhauling iTunes so it doesn't "suck" first! Has to be the worst Apple software I have ever used!

 

[IscariotJ]

Perhaps iTunes chief - Eddy Cue should concentrate on overhauling iTunes so it doesn't "suck" first! Has to be the worst Apple software I have ever used!

Damn right. As the version number has increased, so has the number of WTF moments. I wish they'd split everything out into separate apps, and have a "server" app for local streaming / syncing.

 

[Sol]

Damn right. As the version number has increased, so has the number of WTF moments. I wish they'd split everything out into separate apps, and have a "server" app for local streaming / syncing.

Splitting the podcasts into a separate app did not turn out to be an improvement on iOS. Since I started using iOS 7 and the Podcast app, my iPhone keeps putting duplicate streams of podcasts, starts downloading podcasts that I deleted, takes a long time to load content, etc. Podcast management was much better in earlier versions of iTunes and iOS.

 

[IscariotJ]

Splitting the podcasts into a separate app did not turn out to be an improvement on iOS. Since I started using iOS 7 and the Podcast app, my iPhone keeps putting duplicate streams of podcasts, starts downloading podcasts that I deleted, takes a long time to load content, etc. Podcast management was much better in earlier versions of iTunes and iOS.

But at least with separate apps, that sort of thing could be fixed without the entire suite having to be updated ( or at least it was until they forced the app upon us in iOS8, a huge step back ), and Podcasts was able to function without iTunes. Each revision of iTunes has taken a step back in usability ( and in some cases functionality; the bright spark that moved eBooks into iBooks without providing any method of syncing deserves a slap ) as they try and make it more like iOS. At the very least, the Home Sharing functionality should be split out, it could even become something managed by Server.app.

 

[peppespizzapie]

I want Siri to have a Scottish accent

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It has a mongolian accent already

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I hope it will be 4k and can run movie files from my server.
I need to upgrade my current media players in my house (i have 8 lol) and it would be nice to buy apple tvs.

Hear hear!! I agree, but knowing Apple that will take another 10 years

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I hope it will be 4k and can run movie files from my server.
I need to upgrade my current media players in my house (i have 8 lol) and it would be nice to buy apple tvs.

Hear hear!! I agree, but knowing Apple that will take another 10 years

 

[Tech198]

If Siri can launch shows from Netflix all good.

At least Siri can look up song name (like Shazam can)

 

[s2mikey]

This will just be one of many choices out there that will have positives and negatives. The Roku, Fire, and Google thingie all are solid products too.

And as others have mentioned, iTunes blows and the prices are just stupid for video content. Until thats fixed they got nothing. It's like adding horsepower to a car that won't start. Gotta get it started first there, Skippy.

 

[Nee412]

The App Store is definitely something that I would be excited about if this happens, and would seriously make me consider replacing my current Apple TV.

However, if Apple really want to impress they will announce a streaming service for the UK and other countries, not just the US. A lot of the TV that we watch is actually American made and if Apple were the first to bring it to our screens with a new streaming service I would pay almost any price. In fact we regularly pay for season passes on iTunes for content we can't get on our other streaming services.

There are decent shows that we just can't watch over here because our networks won't pick them up, or delay on picking them up for no obvious reason. Here in the UK both Agent Carter and iZombie have no channel yet.

I'm guessing they will just announce a US only service though, and act like its revolutionary and amazing. Meanwhile the rest of the world will have to wait for other companies to make similar services via the App Store.

 

[violentblogger]

What needs to be in the upcoming apple tv 4

native 4K support
Siri voice search
camera system similar to playstation camera/xbox kinect
the ability to link to your local media on your local network
support for mkv files
bluetooth to add as many 3rd party game controllers as needed

 

[grahamwright1]

Potential to accelerate 4K deployments

If the new ATV supports 4K and Apple also follow through and introduce a streaming package of network and cable channels at a competitive price, then they could single-handed push the consumer adoption of 4K displays by delivering H.265 4K versions of those channels from their new channel package.

With the current limited availability of 4K content, there is little incentive for the average consumer to purchase a 4K display, and anecdotal evidence is many consumers are returning these 4K displays where they get them home and are disappointed by the Standard Definition or typical over-compressed HD content on them. Knowing you could get a $30 package of channels from Apple through the new ATV and the content providers are going to deliver real 4K content could really push-start the transition. At the rate the current cable providers make these changes it could be another 5 years before they actually push out 4K content, and the extra compression from the satellite providers probably means the quality isn't going to be where it should be.

Having Apple pushing the content providers for 4K content would be a great thing for consumers and the display vendors by pushing the average consumer to open their wallets and buy a 4K TV. I suspect it would also help Apple sells a lot of monthly packages!

Combine the sensors in the Apple Watch and your hand becomes the new remote control, scrolling up, down, selecting items, pausing, etc. It would make perfect sense in leveraging the Apple environment, and provide another reason to consider the Apple Watch. Using Siri to control the ATV just seems a little strange to me - I really don't want to be shouting across the room at the ATV, and I certainly don't want a system like Amazon's where it's continually monitoring and transmitting audio back to Amazon for processing.

 

[scapegoat81]

Damn right. As the version number has increased, so has the number of WTF moments. I wish they'd split everything out into separate apps, and have a "server" app for local streaming / syncing.

^This is exactly why i'm holding off on subscribing to iTunes Match. I'm hoping the redesign of Beats Music will have something similar