The average Mac costs about 15-20 times more, so I don't see how there is an analogy. Compare it to the number of iPod shuffles that Apple sold 1 year after its introduction, like 5 years ago. And you see how this is not a success.
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Apple TV Seeing Moderate Success, But No Hardware Update Imminent?
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The average Mac costs about 15-20 times more, so I don't see how there is an analogy. Compare it to the number of iPod shuffles that Apple sold 1 year after its introduction, like 5 years ago. And you see how this is not a success.
Apps on AppleTV would instantly mean DVR functionality, which I've long thought to be the "one more thing" the device was missing. Of course, DVR does nothing to promote the iTunes Store - in fact, it would hurt. It seems Apple is not interested in making it a ubiquitous "set-top" box, but rather a means to consume iTunes Store media from your couch.
In that respect, it's an extremely successful device. I don't see the need for a hardware update at all.
-Clive
In that respect, it's an extremely successful device. I don't see the need for a hardware update at all.
-Clive
actually it's a perfect product.
it's 99 USD (68 for europeans that by in the US) ... that's less than one tank of fuel.
jailbreak + PLEX = win.
i'm actually glad that the hardware cannot do 1080p as it keeps the costs down. I wouldn't spend twice as much to have a 1080p model. but, then again, I also wish that I could have a 299-399 low-spec MacMini.
it's 99 USD (68 for europeans that by in the US) ... that's less than one tank of fuel.
jailbreak + PLEX = win.
i'm actually glad that the hardware cannot do 1080p as it keeps the costs down. I wouldn't spend twice as much to have a 1080p model. but, then again, I also wish that I could have a 299-399 low-spec MacMini.
Out of all those you mentioned, Hulu is the only one missing and that is their choice for not enabling Airplay. Therefore having an app store on the Apple TV isn't going to change that. But in iOS5, I don't think there will even be a way for them to prevent Airplay mirroring.
The Apple TV has an NBA app and I enjoyed watching all the games in HD this season from it. You even get free highlights and game recaps even if you don't buy the subscription. Better than ESPN because it's archived and you can pick and choose which one you want to watch.
Also, Pandora has been on the Apple TV for a while. It's called Airplay. Having a Pandora app on the Apple TV itself and attempting to control it using a remote will never be as good an experience as the current one where you use your multitouch device to browse and select content directly on the screen in your hands and then the audio and/or video appears on the big screen.
Airplay really is the killer feature of the Apple TV. The only thing good about a traditional TV screen is its size. Your mobile device is far better at browsing and selecting the content. Apple's plan for the living room is the content and apps are on the high powered mobile device and the tv screen is basically a "dumb" display device. Airplay and the Apple TV is the perfect low cost and easy to use combination that makes that happen. This strategy makes all the sense in the world.
Excellent rephrasing of Jobs! If he did it with the iPhone and iPad, why not the Apple TV?
I guess - to a certain point - this is what iCloud will provide. But having to have a computer on just to run iTunes as a server is a pain in the backside.
Since I have both a computer and an iPad, I can add up the cost: two HDMI adapters, or one Apple TV for not that much more money. The Apple TV won't make me plug anything in or switch cables. Even for portable presentations, an AppleTV is convenient.
Im very tempted! But since I can wait, I will. I have no 1080p screens anyway, but Id like the feature.
Dont quote me, but I seem to recall that developers are given the ability to block video mirroring if they choose. Probably a necessary concession to content owners. I hope that few apps use that option!
There are workarounds, though: iOS devices all have HD video cameras, and it sounds like iOS 5 can mirror a FaceTime call. So, just get three iPhones instead of one: play the content on one, capture it with the camera of the second, and broadcast via FaceTime to the third, which then streams to your AppleTV. Easy! Lots of families have three iPhones anyway.
Im very tempted! But since I can wait, I will. I have no 1080p screens anyway, but Id like the feature.
Dont quote me, but I seem to recall that developers are given the ability to block video mirroring if they choose. Probably a necessary concession to content owners. I hope that few apps use that option!
There are workarounds, though: iOS devices all have HD video cameras, and it sounds like iOS 5 can mirror a FaceTime call. So, just get three iPhones instead of one: play the content on one, capture it with the camera of the second, and broadcast via FaceTime to the third, which then streams to your AppleTV. Easy! Lots of families have three iPhones anyway.
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I haven't looked at the offering available. Anything useful? Or yet more apps for Netflix, Pandora, Hulu, and YouTube?
I have my doubts. After a phone, I suppose anything is possible. But it doesn't "feel" right.That's because the next Apple TV .... will be a TV.
An amazing concept... One step from greatness
After having the old aTV and loving it, the thought of owning a new device, a quarter of the size, running on the same workings and software of the iOS devices the logical thing to me seemed to be that it had access to the app store.
Just think the possibilities are almost endless and could be profitable. You don't need another store, just use the iOS store and have a tab/button that takes you to specific apps to aTV, then you can download them form there. Order Domino's, google maps, watch videos, think of the VLC (mmmm mmmm) and 'Air Video' that can convert as they stream, TED talks, TWiT, plus countless others, reading you have Wikipedia, newspapers & magazines adapted for the screen, the educational apps are already out there I'm sure they could be tinkered with, if that was necessary. then you ad the advantage of the 'remote app' for the iOS devices you have a particularly powerful piece of kit... Plus, lets not for get that the BBC goes worldwide later this year with subscription on the iPad ;-) .. remember the one thing that makes the iOS devices plough ahead are the apps! .. it seems foolish to have something that needs a simple software update to not achieve what it could
Please can we have an Appstore 'section' for the aTV????? ... go on you know it makes sense!
PS So much sense that I'd buy one :-D
After having the old aTV and loving it, the thought of owning a new device, a quarter of the size, running on the same workings and software of the iOS devices the logical thing to me seemed to be that it had access to the app store.
Just think the possibilities are almost endless and could be profitable. You don't need another store, just use the iOS store and have a tab/button that takes you to specific apps to aTV, then you can download them form there. Order Domino's, google maps, watch videos, think of the VLC (mmmm mmmm) and 'Air Video' that can convert as they stream, TED talks, TWiT, plus countless others, reading you have Wikipedia, newspapers & magazines adapted for the screen, the educational apps are already out there I'm sure they could be tinkered with, if that was necessary. then you ad the advantage of the 'remote app' for the iOS devices you have a particularly powerful piece of kit... Plus, lets not for get that the BBC goes worldwide later this year with subscription on the iPad ;-) .. remember the one thing that makes the iOS devices plough ahead are the apps! .. it seems foolish to have something that needs a simple software update to not achieve what it could
Please can we have an Appstore 'section' for the aTV????? ... go on you know it makes sense!
PS So much sense that I'd buy one :-D
The fact you need two boxes is a big minus point in my eyes. If Boxee can do all these things, why can't Apple TV? Although, having said that, I guess it can if jailbroken...
I'm puzzled. How this can be called a "moderate success" if you consider that the old Apple TV cost more than twice as much. It seems to me, they actually LOST revenue.
Almost every person on this planet owns a TV, but only the tiniest fraction _worldwide_ buys this box. It's nothing else but an epic fail.
Not surprising, actually.
What exactly is the purpose of the revamped Apple TV anyway? I don't get it. Most modern TVs or BluRay players can flawlessly stream media via WiFi / LAN too, or play it from an attached USB device. I don't need a clunky additional box for that. Even better, they usually support "regular" video formats and best of all, full HD resolution. And they're just as simple to use as Apple's UI.
The only feature that you can't get anywhere else is access to the Apple Store to buy/rent videos. Now that's supposed to get me to shell out 100 bucks? Dream on, Apple.
I actually own a 1st gen Apple TV, and I 'm quite happy with it, but I wouldn't buy it again. There are far better media boxes out there now, like the WD TV Live, and if I wanted a mere streaming device, I wouldn't buy a box at all, since my TV can do this just fine.
Media boxes are a dying species, like the TomToms, Garmins and iPods of this world. And like the Palm Pilot of the former world. Their functionality is sucked up by a more general device that everyone buys and owns anyway, in this case the TV.
Almost every person on this planet owns a TV, but only the tiniest fraction _worldwide_ buys this box. It's nothing else but an epic fail.
Not surprising, actually.
What exactly is the purpose of the revamped Apple TV anyway? I don't get it. Most modern TVs or BluRay players can flawlessly stream media via WiFi / LAN too, or play it from an attached USB device. I don't need a clunky additional box for that. Even better, they usually support "regular" video formats and best of all, full HD resolution. And they're just as simple to use as Apple's UI.
The only feature that you can't get anywhere else is access to the Apple Store to buy/rent videos. Now that's supposed to get me to shell out 100 bucks? Dream on, Apple.
I actually own a 1st gen Apple TV, and I 'm quite happy with it, but I wouldn't buy it again. There are far better media boxes out there now, like the WD TV Live, and if I wanted a mere streaming device, I wouldn't buy a box at all, since my TV can do this just fine.
Media boxes are a dying species, like the TomToms, Garmins and iPods of this world. And like the Palm Pilot of the former world. Their functionality is sucked up by a more general device that everyone buys and owns anyway, in this case the TV.
An Apple television set feels wrong to me too. Some people would like it, but TVs come in so many shapes and sizes and styles—they’re like the central item of furniture in the room, and a very personal decision. And everyone already has one! So the standalone box has a far bigger market, with more flexibility. The thing is already so tiny. Building one into a TV would be an interesting niche experiment, at best. A hobby of a hobby!
Are you saying the price drop means they lose money on the new ones? The new ones don’t have a hard disk, for starters.
And if I sold 2 million a year of something, plus content to go with it, I’d sure call it a moderate success
Really, whether it’s an amazing cash cow or just a niche accessory like a travel charger, it’s still an important part of the ecosystem: Apple wants to supply its users with video and music, and the users want to have it. Getting video on your TV is a pretty reasonable intention, so having a way to do that with iTunes important. AppleTV is just one of many ways to get iTunes to TV—but certainly the simplest.
(Is every product that meets a specific need a failure? Only mass-market universal products are successes? Then we shouldn’t have wall-mounts for displays, or art programs, or specific types of games, or compact mice, or ergonomic keyboards, or anything else that only certain people want.)
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May I ask if/how you are backing up all that data?
I am just using Time Machine to back up one external hard drive full of media (a few DVDs and a lot of home movies) to another external hard drive. I'm wondering if there is a better way to do that, though, in terms of prevention of data loss.
Ripping DVDs takes a long time, and I wouldn't want to have to do it again. And if you actually get rid of the DVDs after you rip them, a hard drive failure could mean a huge loss.
I don't believe it would be too limited at all, for the sorts of apps you'd want on an AppleTV. It's perfectly possible to design a good UI with seven buttons, and that seems like a perfectly good design constraint for Apple to put on AppleTV apps. Otherwise, you end up with the monstrous carbuncle that is Google TV, and nobody wants that...
Agreed! Put iTunes on the Airport Extreme. All my music is on a hard drive attached to my Extreme and some video too. This would allow us to play music and m4v videos without leaving a computer on.
I have my main hard drive (external) - 2 TB. I then have two additional externals which I have the library backed up on. One is in storage (not in my apt) and has everything I ripped originally. The second is a more recent backup. I stream most movies these days (and reserve buying to blu-ray) so there hasn't been a need to back up too often since I'm not adding new media that much.
But I agree - it's important if you get rid of the media to make sure you have at LEAST one backup - because you never know...
MLB on ATV2
I purchased ATV for one reason - to watch baseball games. When the set up works its fabulous and worth every penny of the 99 bucks for this limited use. The funny thing is that I purchased the ATV2 from the Apple Store in May and I am on my third unit as they just break. At the Genius Bar they run a test and give me a new one. Clearly, I love the thing despite my problems but feel there must be a thousand other reasons for it's use.
I purchased ATV for one reason - to watch baseball games. When the set up works its fabulous and worth every penny of the 99 bucks for this limited use. The funny thing is that I purchased the ATV2 from the Apple Store in May and I am on my third unit as they just break. At the Genius Bar they run a test and give me a new one. Clearly, I love the thing despite my problems but feel there must be a thousand other reasons for it's use.
It would be disappointing if they don't update it. Not updating it means they are no where near ready to deliver streaming 1080p, which is just sad.
How well is AppleTV going to handle AirPlay Mirroring? As it stands, AirPlay is way too slow, even over fast WiFi.
I think AppleTV is definitely in need of the dual core A5 treatment.
How well is AppleTV going to handle AirPlay Mirroring? As it stands, AirPlay is way too slow, even over fast WiFi.
I think AppleTV is definitely in need of the dual core A5 treatment.
Not really, if you treat the AppleTV as just the video equivalent to the Airport Express, it still serves the purpose of bringing video content from your computer (or iOS device) onto your TV.
Well nobody's iTunes library is getting smaller. Here is my setup (currently running off a Mac Pro)
Backup Configuration
2 TB -- Internal HD Main iTunes Library (only 300GB free, getting scary!)
2 TB -- Internal HD Replica of my main iTunes Library (Chronosync runs every night)
1.5 TB -- External iTunes Music & TV Shows Backup (Chronosync runs nightly)
1.5 TB -- External iTunes Music & Movies Backup (Chronosync runs nightly)
So my Music is backed up in 3 places, my movies and tv shows are backed up twice...I would like everything to have 3 backups but just not in the cards right now. I will probably get the Promise Pegasus R4 either 4TB or 6TB when I get some money to eliminate the need for all these external HD's. I was going to get a Drobo but have heard horror stories of people losing 1 drive and it craters the whole damn Drobo. I will wait 6mo to read reviews of the pegasus...and even then I will probably still have another drive replicated with all my data. almost 2TB in iTunes I cannot risk losing that....WAYYYY to much time will be lost.
Anyone buy the Pegasus yet?
Not true...it only streams video content that can be PLAYED on appletv. Unless you want to spend hours converting a majority of your videos, the appletv has a long way to go.
One method would be to have the "app" reside on your iOS device, and just use the ATV2 as a method to project the app's display on your big screen TV. That way, you control the app on your iOS device, which has proven to be easy and intuitive, and just enjoy the display of the big screen.
For example, the ATV2 has YouTube functionality, which lets you use the onscreen keyboard (or the Remote app on your iOS device) to search for YouTube videos. This works ok, but I find it to be a bit of a hassle.
On the other hand, my iPhone has a YouTube app that I can use to search for videos much more easily. I find myself using the iPhone app to find the video, then just hitting the airplay button to stream to the ATV2. I think this could be the solution for most apps that use video or audio.
Granted, things are different for games.
No idea about timeframe, but when Apple moves the iPhone off of the A4 chip they are not going to keep the manufacturing line open just for ATV2 demand. So yes, I would expect to see a hardware update no more than 3 months after the iPhone 5.