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

[jkichline]

Not a party...

Only years late to the party... lol. Maybe it will actually be a box worth buying now.

Yeah, a party with three dorks drinking out of juice boxes. Sorry I'd rather go to Apple's actual party.

 

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

I wonder if the recent price drop to $69 will stay for the current model only, and one of these predicted new units will be higher?

Yes. But, if they are trying to use it to push their own 4K services, they can't afford to make it too high.

The new Apple TV will feature Apple's latest A8 system-on-a-chip and a "dramatic increase" in internal storage, well beyond the 8GB included in the current third-generation set-top box. The addition of Siri will enable Apple TV owners to control a wide selection of HomeKit-enabled home automation devices through the set-top box, according to the report.

I'm sure some will use Siri if available. I find Siri to be not so useful since I have to shout at it and keep repeating myself.

A refreshed Apple TV would make sense given reports that Apple is also planning to announce its oft-rumored streaming TV service at WWDC, anchored by popular networks such as ABC, CBS, Fox, ESPN and FX. The web-based TV service for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and other devices is expected to deliver a lightweight package of about 25 channels for between $30 to $40 per month.

If Apple can deliver ESPN without Comcast, Verizon, ... (etc.), it will be a massive hit. But, I doubt if it will happen. The cable companies grip is too strong.

I hope the new Apple TV will support 4K movies.

That would be one of the main reasons to do it. The existing box already supports HD streaming. The other reason would be if they plan to make it into a real set-top cache-based system.

The new Apple TV will probably return to the $99 price point. The recently announced $69 price point is probably to clear out the inventory of the current product.

Undoubtedly.

 

[theusualsuspect]

I’ve always thought the apple tv should be the true “hub” of the home. It’s the only device that’s always there, always on, and always connected to the internet. It makes sense that it should do more than just entertainment.

Personally, I wish the apple tv would have the ability to locally backup iphones/ipads via wifi, rather than syncing it to a computer. Cloud backups are great, but nothing beats a local restore when you need it. Why do I need to use a mac for this? Same with time machine. An apple tv with a 2TB hard drive could do the same for my macs. Imagine if the airport time capsule and the apple tv had a baby.

Apps on the apple tv are long overdue, so that makes sense. And making the apple tv the hub of all the home automation devices is a natural fit. The only downside I see is the 2-3x price jump coming. I’m guessing it’s a $199 / $299 / $399 price point for the new apple tv with various storage tiers.

 

[Sandstorm]

Hopefully AppStore comes to previous models as well.

I kind of hope that too, but maybe it's not the best solution. Maybe it's better for all apps to be optimised to the new, powerful ATV...

 

[Reason077]

Faster, smaller (maybe a stick?) and new interface design.

I really hope it's a stick design. It's 2015 - nobody wants all those cables and boxes hanging off their TV and cluttering things up!

 

[KdParker]

Cost...??

This will be a big concern along with sporting events too see if this can replace my cable.

 

[Frankied22]

If the Plex team comes out with a nice app for the new Apple TV I'll pick one up. However, the rumor is a Roku 4 is coming out soon so I'll be interested to see that. Honestly, I just use my Chromecast for everything now, especially Plex.

 

[Plutonius]

forget the watch, this is exactly what I was waiting for and something people will actually use. AAPL is going to make a lot of $ with this.

They are going to make a lot more money selling the watch.

 

[samcraig]

For apple to say TV is "stuck in the 70's" is sensational rhetoric.

Back in the 70's you might have a remote, but then you had 10 channels and to know what was on TV you needed a printed TV Guide either in the newspaper or was delivered to your house monthly.

It is ridiculous for Apple to suggest that this is the current state of TV. While I think that most cable TV boxes have antiquated user interfaces, they are years behind what on-demand set top boxes offer, not decades.

Also Apple clearly needs to play catchup in the set-top box market as Apple TV has largely stagnated since its first release. It is more like Apple is stuck in 2007 while their competitors have had features like voice search and a significant improvement over access to content including "apps" and "stores" long before Apple has done so.

I just want Apple to stop all this ******** rhetoric and hyperbole with everything they do. I am ALL FOR a new Apple TV, I have been waiting a long time for Apple to do something better after seeing what Google and Amazon and others have done. But Apple has to seriously swallow some humble pie because they have CLEARLY not been the drivers to improve the TV experience until they come out with something that is clearly a game changer.

Apple has to stop showing up late and bragging about what they bring to the party.

Exactly the point I was making as well

 

[carrrrrlos]

If Apple keeps the $69 price tag for these, I’ll gladly replace our current Apple TVs.

 

[JoEw]

sounds like it won't be 99 dollars this time, yet alone 69

 

[theheadguy]

I want Siri for my MacBook Pro.

And the option of built-in 4G while we're at it.

Why would you want Siri on a MacBook Pro?

 

[Sonmi451]

4k h.265 or no thanks.

 

[HenryDJP]

Apple has to stop showing up late and bragging about what they bring to the party.

Then just don't buy their stuff. Simple as that.

 

[zorinlynx]

Wouldn't it make more sense for the Time Capsule to do these jobs? It's always there, always on, and always WIRED to the Internet; it has the best network connection and even provides the WiFi so any iOS devices that would back up to it would have a direct connection and not have to hop through to another device.

Also, people tend to own more than one Apple TV, having one on each TV. You want the Apple TV to be as inexpensive and "generic" as possible.

Your idea sounds pretty awesome, but for the Time Capsule, not the Apple TV.

I’ve always thought the apple tv should be the true “hub” of the home. It’s the only device that’s always there, always on, and always connected to the internet. It makes sense that it should do more than just entertainment.

 

[brianvictor7]

I want Siri for my MacBook Pro.

And the option of built-in 4G while we're at it.

Wait for the next OS X. Always a chance we will get it.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

It would be SO AWESOME if I could use the new Apple TV as a Steam Link, to stream Steam games from a dedicated gaming pc to my tv in another room.

 

[centauratlas]

I want Siri for my MacBook Pro.

And the option of built-in 4G while we're at it.

And 17 inch retina.

 

[Heltik]

SDK? Rebirth of Pippin.

Give me 4K and I'll trash my Playstation.

 

[Joe Rossignol]

Oh..

John Paczkowski is one of the more accurate Apple reporters, having been recruited by BuzzFeed News after previously working for Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher's Re/code and The Wall Street Journal's AllThingsD. Some pretty big publications there.

BuzzFeed News should also be viewed separately from the traditional BuzzFeed of 40 things every college graduate experiences and cat memes. They are trying to assemble a reputable news team over at BuzzFeed News and Paczkowski certainly fits the bill.

 

[rtdunham]

So my idea for how Apple will transform the TV viewing experience is by completely throwing away the concept of "channels." No longer do you go to HBO to tune into the latest ep of Game of Thrones. You don't have to remember to tune in to ABC to find Shark Tank. You just explore the Apple TV in a Netflix style interface. Looking for sci-fi? Drill down and see what's available. Looks interesting? Tune in and you start watching the SyFy channel. But it doesn't really matter to you what channel you're on, all you care about is the content. Nor does it matter if you're watching live TV or on demand. If it's available to stream, then it just works.

Comments, criticisms, thoughts? Any other ideas?

It would be like on the iPhone when you use the search function to find an app and then open it, not really knowing or caring which folder of apps it is in.

 

[hippo206]

I'm very excited. Will definitely be ordering several of these.

 

[beanbaguk]

Great news....but will it work with Plex or allow app add-ons like Plex?

I've spent a small fortune setting up a Plex environment in my home, managed to "hack" the ATV3 that I have to play through trailers and also purchasing two NowTV Roku boxes and hacking them also to include the client.

The biggest cost of course was the server and storage but it would be great if the new ATV4 would support a Plex client

 

[69Mustang]

Wouldn't it make more sense for the Time Capsule to do these jobs? It's always there, always on, and always WIRED to the Internet; it has the best network connection and even provides the WiFi so any iOS devices that would back up to it would have a direct connection and not have to hop through to another device.

Also, people tend to own more than one Apple TV, having one on each TV. You want the Apple TV to be as inexpensive and "generic" as possible.

Your idea sounds pretty awesome, but for the Time Capsule, not the Apple TV.

That would require mass ownership of the Time Capsule. Thus two purchases for those who don't own one. That group is a massive group. From a marketing standpoint what would be the appeal of the ATV if I have to buy another device to get all the features I want?

 

[xmichaelp]

I JUST bought an current one. Oh well, I love it and it's worth it. If the new one is only 69 then I can just upgrade if I feel I really need it.