'Apple TV Air' Concept Imagines a Simple HDMI Dongle

[octothorpe8]

Oh cool another random concept rendering that may or may not have any relation to anything real at all. Thanks.

 

[perealb]

LOL

That's all I wanted to write but then the moderators would remove my post because even though it seems frivolous, it represents a lot.

Anyways, it's not functional. This could block other ports. Access to ports like ethernet would make this flamsy. It's ugly. It's not going to be as powerful as it needs. I love Chromecast (I own 2) but it is a very limited gadget. The new Apple TV is going to be much more robust than that because it will do a lot more. I would not care if the new Apple TV quadrupled its size. It's not something I have to handle. Have I mentioned it's ugly? Apple would never make something like that.

 

[pgiguere1]

Wait, so what problem does this solve again?

Are people really annoyed by how much space their Apple TV takes?

Or do people constantly move their Apple TV around, and think plugging a cable it is too long?

Oh, it actually doesn't even try to solve an actual problem? It just follows market trends for the sake of it, just because the Chromecast and Roku are doing something similar?

Then Apple won't do it.

 

[giantfuzzball]

As long as next Apple TV has
iTunes extra & iTunes LP
Wouldn't mind if they worked with sky and virgin to replace my bulky receiver

 

[Born Again]

It's a concept. It's never going to happen and look like this.

Yup people have too much time making concepts

 

[anthonylambert]

Apple products are too small...

So not only do people find the Apple TV too small but they also find the iPhone too small as well....

So is 2014 going to be the year of larger Apple iProducts?

Can I have more buttons on the AppleTV controller too please, Is it only me that thinks it's almost too simple to actually work? More buttons please!

 

[anthony11]

The dongle is too wide and will block other HDMI ports. Fail.

... if the surrounding metal/plastic accommodate it at all.

We can be sure that it would be yet another device that wouldn't mount/play local media. Feh. Don't have good choices there -- dick for hours with DLNA and Plex requiring a machine to transcode, the abandonware Boxee Box, the dated WDTV, the expense and long hours to figure out and set up some sort of XMBC system ... :-/

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

I expect Apple would want their addition to your setup to be quite noticeable, like "Hey, look, there's an Apple product plugged into this TV."

 

[arkmannj]

The current aTV wants to be visible for the IR controller.

I understand that, however it certainly is not the only way to control an aTV. I use iPhone/iPad as often as the included IR remote. Also, angled properly an IR signal can still reach the aTV.

 

[macchiato2009]

omg, such an ugly design, looks like the 80's

 

[Iconoclysm]

I expect Apple would want their addition to your setup to be quite noticeable, like "Hey, look, there's an Apple product plugged into this TV."

Then why is the current Apple TV small, black, and indistinguishable?

 

[prowlmedia]

Oh and I forgot to mention the return to the Mk1 remote but in black. This is just lazy and crappy.

I could do a better concept in 15 minutes ( I do 3d stuff ) but I am on a sunbed at the hard rock panama.... Hard life

 

[carjakester]

as others have mentioned, i don't think size is an issue here. The capabilities is, i am fine with the size that it is now. what would be cool would be like what xbox one has done and be able to run your tv through apple tv. i would buy it.

 

[Parasprite]

I'm still waiting for Apple TV OTA.

 

[applesith]

Apple isn't going to hide their TV product behind the TV. Apple wants everyone to display their products, not hide them.

 

[Glideslope]

How dare a company that isn't Apple make a concept product that's too wide. Silly German überpfail.

Ja, sie lassen es so aussehen zu groB !!!!!

 

[GenesisST]

And the winner, in the "has too much time on their hands" category is... Curve Magazine!

Runner-up: me, for posting this...

 

[OrangeSVTguy]

Even the current model just "sits" behind my TVs just fine. I don't think I've never even used the apple remotes since we just use our iPads/iPhones to control it or to airplay. I don't like those plug in models since you still need a power supply and no optical out or Ethernet etc. At least the current design could allow for another HDMI for a pass through to control another device.
All while staying on one hdmi input which makes airplay easier.

 

[Zorrow]

Hdmi - in

I want an HDMI input so I can have the APPLE TV in line overlay what I watch on satellite/DBlu-ray, etc....

Also dot want to change input all the time..

I could have email Facebook twitter notification in the corner of my tv an read it on a touch of a button on my remote...

 

[Laptopdog78]

People who love gadgets, want to see their gadgets. Apple know this too, and they also know that when an apple tv is on display, it will create interest to the people who have never seen one.
Part of apples appeal is the look and feel of everything they make! Atv4 will not be getting hidden dongle style.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Then why is the current Apple TV small, black, and indistinguishable?

I can recognize them easily - what else looks like them?

 

[DavidLeblond]

Meh I'd never buy a dongle product. Can't control it with my universal remote.

 

[sblemmy]

Did MS develop this concept? The dongle looks like they reused leftover bodies for the Zune.

 

[rctlr]

My opinion This would be a step backward.

The chrome cast just is a streaming device enabled from another device. It's a stopgap gadget to get older TVs up to date.

The ATV is much much more, and has even more potential.

 

[Pakaku]

What a boring and uninspired design choice. If Apple chooses this route, I hope they put an interesting spin on the 'dongle' approach.