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Apple TV update at the rumored 26 of January event?
- Thread starter kristoffer4
- Start date
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Apple TV Needs 2 things
I really hope they announce a new Apple TV at the event. They need to do 2 things in order to make Apple TV successful. First, as mentioned already, they need to update the hardware to support both true HD playback and to allow for a more fluid interface. Not sure if the new PowerVR chip is powerful enough to handle true 1080p output but it does support OpenGL 3.0 and OpenCL 1.0 so it may be a good candidate if it can do 1080p. Secondly, Apple needs to change it's iTunes service. The only way I see Apple TV being successful is if Apple changes it's iTunes business model. Apple needs to embrace some form of iTunes Subscription service. If iTunes allowed me to subscribe to a show, or "channels" at a competitive price compared to cable / sat service I would buy an Apple TV instantly. They need a service that competes with cable and can be accessed from any of their iTunes devices. I also should receive that programing at the same time as the show "airs" on that network. Apple has a great way to do this too. Apple could Push content that a user selects down to Apple TV and pre-cache it to become playable at a specific time set by the network. Apple could still allow you to buy shows you want so if you want to purchase a season pass of House when it downloads to be available at the Air time, it just stays on your apple TV like you DVR'd it. Thus a network can create a portal for a show, giving them the ability to upload new episodes, manage the description and artwork of the show and each episode, set the air time for each episode, manage bonus content for the show (like Extras for movies) such as out takes, cast interviews, etc. Apple could then build in easy tools to FinalCut Studio for encoding, publishing / managing content, and building the "iTunes Extras" content which would encourage networks and their studios to use FCS. These extras would only be available to season pass holders to encourage fans to buy the shows. But bottom line is Apple needs to get the networks onboard with a subscription service that is competitive on price.
I really hope they announce a new Apple TV at the event. They need to do 2 things in order to make Apple TV successful. First, as mentioned already, they need to update the hardware to support both true HD playback and to allow for a more fluid interface. Not sure if the new PowerVR chip is powerful enough to handle true 1080p output but it does support OpenGL 3.0 and OpenCL 1.0 so it may be a good candidate if it can do 1080p. Secondly, Apple needs to change it's iTunes service. The only way I see Apple TV being successful is if Apple changes it's iTunes business model. Apple needs to embrace some form of iTunes Subscription service. If iTunes allowed me to subscribe to a show, or "channels" at a competitive price compared to cable / sat service I would buy an Apple TV instantly. They need a service that competes with cable and can be accessed from any of their iTunes devices. I also should receive that programing at the same time as the show "airs" on that network. Apple has a great way to do this too. Apple could Push content that a user selects down to Apple TV and pre-cache it to become playable at a specific time set by the network. Apple could still allow you to buy shows you want so if you want to purchase a season pass of House when it downloads to be available at the Air time, it just stays on your apple TV like you DVR'd it. Thus a network can create a portal for a show, giving them the ability to upload new episodes, manage the description and artwork of the show and each episode, set the air time for each episode, manage bonus content for the show (like Extras for movies) such as out takes, cast interviews, etc. Apple could then build in easy tools to FinalCut Studio for encoding, publishing / managing content, and building the "iTunes Extras" content which would encourage networks and their studios to use FCS. These extras would only be available to season pass holders to encourage fans to buy the shows. But bottom line is Apple needs to get the networks onboard with a subscription service that is competitive on price.
There will NEVER be a update to the Apple TV until one of the following is true:
A) iTunes streams 1080p (not compressed "1080p" but true 1080p); this won't happen anytime soon, not because of the lack of a new server farm but due to the weak broadband infrastructure in the US (Apple's primary market). Most people don't have the broadband speed necessary to fully utilize this level of content.
B) iTunes rolls out its much rumored cable replacement service and they need to add higher specs to provide the functionality to utilize it (faster processor, more ram).
That's it. Other than that the only change would be its discontinuation.
Apple doesn't care about what people want at home beyond their own iTunes service. That's all the Apple TV is marketed as. They don't want or don't care about you streaming your dvd/bluray rips (questionable digital copy legality) or your stolen torrented files (not saying you have them, but if you do).
Apple doesn't want to grant you access to Netflix or Hulu as these are in DIRECT competition with the content they want to provide you.
Apple certainly NEVER caters to hackers of thier products, and do everything they can to discourage the use of their products for anything other than the original intended purpose.
I would love to be proven wrong, but I just don't see it, and I would think that most are in agreement with me.
As far as the existing iteration of the product, hack it, put XBMC on it, and pop it open and replace the wifi with the broadcom card. This will give you the ability to stream the dvd/bluray rips w/o issue. If that's not good enough, buy a second hand Mac Mini and rig that sucker up!
Have fun!
A) iTunes streams 1080p (not compressed "1080p" but true 1080p); this won't happen anytime soon, not because of the lack of a new server farm but due to the weak broadband infrastructure in the US (Apple's primary market). Most people don't have the broadband speed necessary to fully utilize this level of content.
B) iTunes rolls out its much rumored cable replacement service and they need to add higher specs to provide the functionality to utilize it (faster processor, more ram).
That's it. Other than that the only change would be its discontinuation.
Apple doesn't care about what people want at home beyond their own iTunes service. That's all the Apple TV is marketed as. They don't want or don't care about you streaming your dvd/bluray rips (questionable digital copy legality) or your stolen torrented files (not saying you have them, but if you do).
Apple doesn't want to grant you access to Netflix or Hulu as these are in DIRECT competition with the content they want to provide you.
Apple certainly NEVER caters to hackers of thier products, and do everything they can to discourage the use of their products for anything other than the original intended purpose.
I would love to be proven wrong, but I just don't see it, and I would think that most are in agreement with me.
As far as the existing iteration of the product, hack it, put XBMC on it, and pop it open and replace the wifi with the broadcom card. This will give you the ability to stream the dvd/bluray rips w/o issue. If that's not good enough, buy a second hand Mac Mini and rig that sucker up!
Have fun!
So this event we will see:
1. iSlate
2. Arrendale/whatever processors they stick in the MacBook Pro
3. OLED iPhone 4G
4. iPhone 3GS 8 GB
5. Apple TV Update
6. Massive iTunes update to accommodate the iSlate and Apple TV
For the hell of it let's just give the iPod touch a camera.
How long is Steve going to be up there?
1. iSlate
2. Arrendale/whatever processors they stick in the MacBook Pro
3. OLED iPhone 4G
4. iPhone 3GS 8 GB
5. Apple TV Update
6. Massive iTunes update to accommodate the iSlate and Apple TV
For the hell of it let's just give the iPod touch a camera.
How long is Steve going to be up there?
Meh.
Apple TV's features don't necessarily coincide with what's available on iTunes.
The Apple TV was released in March 2007 and could play back 720p HD videos out of the box. The iTunes Store didn't get HD movies until January 2008 or HD TV shows until September 2008.
I have no idea what you mean by "compressed 1080p." All 720p and 1080p video is compressed even on Blu-ray discs. 1080p is just a resolution. There's no inherent bit rate included in the spec.
I do agree with you that if 1080p comes, it'll come in the form of streaming. I think asking iTunes customers to store 1080p (or really even 720p) movies is not ideal.
Microsoft has already rolled 1080p streaming out on the 360's Zune Marketplace. It's dynamic in that it will scale down depending on your bandwidth connection. I'm sure Apple has similar plans eventually.
You're also right in that Netflix and Hulu will never come to the Apple TV for competitive reasons.
Despite requests, Hulu's owners (Fox, Disney, Universal) have prohibited Hulu from being added to set-top boxes (the Boxee debacle, etc) anyway.
Manufacturers claiming to have Hulu as a feature of their set-top box are doing so against Hulu's terms of service and will eventually be shut down (just like Google recently clamped down on a bunch of the XBMC-based boxes who were streaming YouTube without permission).
The Apple TV will not be discontinued simply because it's Apple's only living room device. I do expect it to get revved sometime this year. I hope they've took the last few years to really reconsider the product.
At this point, they need to upgrade the graphics to support 1080p (at a bare minimum 1080p@30/720p@60), remove the hard drive in favor of a minimum amount of solid state memory to boot the OS and buffer video and lower the price to be competitive against the WD TV Live, PopBox, Boxee Box and other similar set-top boxes.
The biggest problem with all of these devices is their main functionality is being built-in to HDTV sets and game consoles.
Most people aren't purists. If their new Sony HDTV has built-in support for Netflix and Amazon Unbox, that's what they'll use.
The future for Apple TV really should be as a platform for TV manufacturers. Apple needs to develop a "Made for iTunes" program that allows TV manufacturers to stream and purchase iTunes DRMed content natively.
Of course, we all know Apple has problems partnering with other companies. So that'll never happen. But getting iTunes into big brands like Samsung, Toshiba, Vizio, Sony, etc could make iTunes the dominant media store/player for the foreseeable future.
Some percentage of people will be happy with their TV's widgets, some won't (or will buy TVs without such widgets).
Some people will want a better/more dedicated service of some sort, ie will want to buy a separate box.
Among those people, some will care about iTunes and some won't.
What Apple should do - and is doing - is market the Apple TV for these people:
- have a TV without such widgets
- have a TV with widgets, but want more
- want iTunes on their home theater systems
They don't need the fastest processor or the longest checklist of features. They need a good design and good user experience, and good marketing.
There have been plenty of mp3 players at every stage of development with better (at least arguably better) specs than the iPod.
It is not Apple's job to help you win arguments with friends who buy other products, it's their job to make money selling devices, and within the context of this niche market, I am pretty sure they are in a leading position.
There are a few changes I'd like made, but I'm also pretty happy with ATV as it is. Everybody on this board seems to have a list of changes they think are "obvious," and no two are the same. I think most of them are pretty far afield from how Apple sees the device.
My requests are modest:
- an "off" button
- user-definable YouTube playlists
- 1080p of some sort (not picky on details)
- 160gb seems pretty small these days, why can't it be 500gb or so?
I use my ATV every day to play my iTunes collection of music on my home theater system, to watch YouTube videos, to view photo slideshows, and every now and then to rent a movie.
Some people will want a better/more dedicated service of some sort, ie will want to buy a separate box.
Among those people, some will care about iTunes and some won't.
What Apple should do - and is doing - is market the Apple TV for these people:
- have a TV without such widgets
- have a TV with widgets, but want more
- want iTunes on their home theater systems
They don't need the fastest processor or the longest checklist of features. They need a good design and good user experience, and good marketing.
There have been plenty of mp3 players at every stage of development with better (at least arguably better) specs than the iPod.
It is not Apple's job to help you win arguments with friends who buy other products, it's their job to make money selling devices, and within the context of this niche market, I am pretty sure they are in a leading position.
There are a few changes I'd like made, but I'm also pretty happy with ATV as it is. Everybody on this board seems to have a list of changes they think are "obvious," and no two are the same. I think most of them are pretty far afield from how Apple sees the device.
My requests are modest:
- an "off" button
- user-definable YouTube playlists
- 1080p of some sort (not picky on details)
- 160gb seems pretty small these days, why can't it be 500gb or so?
I use my ATV every day to play my iTunes collection of music on my home theater system, to watch YouTube videos, to view photo slideshows, and every now and then to rent a movie.
Stream baby stream... I have well over 500GB of iTunes media and I'm currently looking into a home server specifically for iTunes (see my earlier 'wish list' post within this thread). What we need as consumers and AppleTV owners is in my mind 'local-cloud/home-cloud' with an extremely simple interface and easy to use where we can turn external HD's into our own media servers.
Hopefully apple will deliver with something true to Apple products, unlike the HP or Drobo.
I've alluded to this in prior posts:
What Apple should do with appleTV is NOT integrate it into an HDTV set as an "all-in-one", nor tie it into the tablet (having the tablet be the "new" appleTV).
No, what Apple should do is relatively simple. Release new Apple TV hardware, running on relatively inexpensive, but relatively powerful, next gen mobile processors that can be used in future iPhone/touch devices. Eventually the mobile devices will be multicore. It might be a few years, but in the meantime Apple can leverage Apple TV to "test" the hardware, shrinking the die as time goes on, and therefore already have low cost processors ready to manufacture into new iPhone/touch devices years from now.
A multicore ARM Cortex A9 CPU and multicore PowerVR SGX GPU solution can be implemented right now or in the near future for relatively low cost, have low power consumption, and in a few years be shrunk down in size ready to put into new iPhone/touch devices. Apple TV would serve as a way for Apple to lower costs in the future and test the hardware.
And such a multicore CPU and GPU setup would be more than enough for 1080p support. Single core PowerVR SGX GPUs can process 1080p video right now. Multicore just makes it all the more efficient. Same deal with Cortex A9. Link the two, and you have a mega iPhone/touch hardware. And it would be relatively inexpensive to link that up with a 250 - 500GB HDD, built in WiFi, etc.
Since it would be a sort of superset of the iPhone/touch hardware, Apple can then simply open up the platform via an App Store, ala iPhone/touch. This can solve a lot of the issues people might have with it. There are TV streaming apps right now on the App Store, but in limited fashion (due to RAM and WiFi constraints). Apple TV streaming apps would resolve a lot a big issue folks have with
TV now: lack of Hulu, etc. Hell, Hulu is working on an iPhone/touch app, apparently. CBS.tv is already there, etc. So Apple doesn't seem to mind it at all.
DVR capability? There'd be an app for that too
A subscription option would be great too, if Apple can work it out with the providers.
The App Store would also extend the USEFULNESS of the Apple TV platform.
It wouldn't just be an entertainment set top box. Yes, there'd be movies, tv shows, music, and games, but there'd also be simple photo editing apps, office apps, etc. Apple TV then would transform into a low cost entry platform for Mac computing. Not as powerful or as full featured as iMac, Mac Mini, or Macbook, but enough to be a companion for current Mac owners, or an entry to Mac for newbies.
And as much as I like my idea of the multicore ARM and PowerVR SGX (as it makes business sense), Apple could use Tegra or whathaveyou. Just as long as the 1080p issue is resolved, and, more importantly, the app issue. There NEEDS to be an Apple TV specific App Store. This simple "fix", along with new hardware for 1080p, would greatly increase the usefulness of Apple TV.
Oh, and, IMHO, a new Apple Remote is needed. I don't like the idea of using the iPhone/touch as a remote. It only really is useful for iPhone/touch owners. No, this new Apple TV hardware should have it's own remote that is very much like iPhone/touch but not nearly as costly. It could be something like the new touch based Magic Mouse but in addition it would have the motion sensing/accelerometer of the iPhone/touch. Think the Wii remote, but with touch controls as well as motion controls.
And that would open the door to many a useful app, including games....
What Apple should do with appleTV is NOT integrate it into an HDTV set as an "all-in-one", nor tie it into the tablet (having the tablet be the "new" appleTV).
No, what Apple should do is relatively simple. Release new Apple TV hardware, running on relatively inexpensive, but relatively powerful, next gen mobile processors that can be used in future iPhone/touch devices. Eventually the mobile devices will be multicore. It might be a few years, but in the meantime Apple can leverage Apple TV to "test" the hardware, shrinking the die as time goes on, and therefore already have low cost processors ready to manufacture into new iPhone/touch devices years from now.
A multicore ARM Cortex A9 CPU and multicore PowerVR SGX GPU solution can be implemented right now or in the near future for relatively low cost, have low power consumption, and in a few years be shrunk down in size ready to put into new iPhone/touch devices. Apple TV would serve as a way for Apple to lower costs in the future and test the hardware.
And such a multicore CPU and GPU setup would be more than enough for 1080p support. Single core PowerVR SGX GPUs can process 1080p video right now. Multicore just makes it all the more efficient. Same deal with Cortex A9. Link the two, and you have a mega iPhone/touch hardware. And it would be relatively inexpensive to link that up with a 250 - 500GB HDD, built in WiFi, etc.
Since it would be a sort of superset of the iPhone/touch hardware, Apple can then simply open up the platform via an App Store, ala iPhone/touch. This can solve a lot of the issues people might have with it. There are TV streaming apps right now on the App Store, but in limited fashion (due to RAM and WiFi constraints). Apple TV streaming apps would resolve a lot a big issue folks have with
TV now: lack of Hulu, etc. Hell, Hulu is working on an iPhone/touch app, apparently. CBS.tv is already there, etc. So Apple doesn't seem to mind it at all. DVR capability? There'd be an app for that too
A subscription option would be great too, if Apple can work it out with the providers.
The App Store would also extend the USEFULNESS of the Apple TV platform.
It wouldn't just be an entertainment set top box. Yes, there'd be movies, tv shows, music, and games, but there'd also be simple photo editing apps, office apps, etc. Apple TV then would transform into a low cost entry platform for Mac computing. Not as powerful or as full featured as iMac, Mac Mini, or Macbook, but enough to be a companion for current Mac owners, or an entry to Mac for newbies.
And as much as I like my idea of the multicore ARM and PowerVR SGX (as it makes business sense), Apple could use Tegra or whathaveyou. Just as long as the 1080p issue is resolved, and, more importantly, the app issue. There NEEDS to be an Apple TV specific App Store. This simple "fix", along with new hardware for 1080p, would greatly increase the usefulness of Apple TV.
Oh, and, IMHO, a new Apple Remote is needed. I don't like the idea of using the iPhone/touch as a remote. It only really is useful for iPhone/touch owners. No, this new Apple TV hardware should have it's own remote that is very much like iPhone/touch but not nearly as costly. It could be something like the new touch based Magic Mouse but in addition it would have the motion sensing/accelerometer of the iPhone/touch. Think the Wii remote, but with touch controls as well as motion controls.
And that would open the door to many a useful app, including games....
if it is not integrated into a TV set, they should position it as the ultimate entertainment center computer. using a custom OS, similar to the current front row setup, add an app store for everything. add a full fledged version of safari, and downloadable games (on par with xbox 360/ ps3/ wii games) using their current ties with EA games and other companies. Have it come with a nice simple touchpad remote that is essentially the footprint of the ipod touch without the OS, just a few different remote / gamepad options. And an optional controller for gaming, maybe let logitech make it like the old xbox and ps2 wireless controllers they made.
at the VERY LEAST the thing needs a full on web browser or its a failure IMO.
at the VERY LEAST the thing needs a full on web browser or its a failure IMO.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
While I appreciate your stance (and agree with some of your points), keep in mind that Apple does:
- give all Macs iMovie whch can render 1080p camcorder footage in full 1080p
- give every Mac iPhoto which can hold pictures shot at resolutions way above 1080p
- give us iTunes which can already import iMovie 1080p renders and play them back (in iTunes) just fine
- gives every Mac Quicktime which is fully capable of playing back any 1080p content in the appropriate containers
TV.Apple does not seem to be against low-res or high-res music we've ripped from our CDs, playing back via
TVApple does not seem to be against low-res or high-res photos we've shot ourselves, playing back via
TVWhy not let the 1080p video we shoot ourselves, process via iMovie, easily import into iTunes, playback via
TV on the HDTV set?I don't think it is solely about iTunes content. But I do know this: it makes virtually no sense for any studio to ever add 1080p video to iTunes for
TVs that can only play back handicapped 720p. However, put the next-gen TV into lots of homes, and then it will make sense for the Studios to at least test whether we'll buy 1080p movies (and deal with slow US downloads).Similarly, until the pressure is on the broadband networks, it makes little sense for those owners to upgrade for higher demand. But have them start feeling the pressure and then they'll work on it.
If the problem is chicken & the egg, Apple only has direct control over what they can choose to do with the
TV. If Apple has to wait on the other players to first add the 1080p content to iTunes and/or expand the broadband infrastructure of the USA, it will almost never make sense to advance the platform.Apple added features to the iPhone that AT&T has not yet been able to support.
Apple added features to the latest computers that would simply work better with faster broadband infrastructure, and that are not yet fully supported by the software creators.
Apple has a track record of building hardware ahead of where supporting pieces are today, which then can act to motivate related companies to move along to the next level. The same should apply here.
Don't forget....
7. Gulftown Mac Pros
8. 21.5", 27" and 30" Apple Cinema LED displays
I somewhat agree. Apple could definitely update the hardware there is no doubt about that. The main reason for this is that to increase the hard drive space beyond 320 GB they would need to change to a SATA interface which would mean changing the internals. At the same time refreshing the CPU and GPU would allow the platform to do 1080p which is pretty much standard these days. This has to happen sooner or later otherwise the platform might as well be discontinued.
While we only recently had the 3.x release and the new look is the best yet few new features were added and there is still room for improvement. Here are some of my suggestions:
-Some way of accessing legit free online streaming sites like iplayer. This could be via an App store for the apple tv or by the giving the users the ability to add links to URLs to the main menu and flash support.
-The ability to add new radio links and delete the ones that are there. The current internet radio setup is far too US focussed and most of the stations are crap (no offence).
-I like the idea of a monthly subscription for content as the current pricing is too high to access the content every day
I'm not the slightest bit interested in any form of tablet device.
I've had my Apple TV for 18 months and, in that time, have rented one movie. Expensive, slow, and the movies on offer are awful.
I also hope there'll be an update - personally, I think it's vaguely likely.
What is there to watch on Youtube? The content I've sent on my ATV is blocky and low rent.
While I agree this is where it should be heading, I don't want to wait for that. Just give me 1080p capabilities, easy apps, SATA, and easy external storage for now.
Ok, I'm on board with that too. (That way Hulu has NO excuses.)
Dan
There is some HD content on YouTube. Check out this music video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDQ4NWRf6Q4
I've viewed this and several other Sarah Darling music videos with my Apple TV and they look pretty good.
But that update proved extremely buggy if you look at the Apple tech support boards -- to the point where some support folks say it is no longer recommended that you purchase content directly from ATV due to the syncing problems.
I would be happy for a 3.0.2 that works.
I think a major AppleTV update is in the works. It won't necessarily be hardware focused, but keep a few things in mind.
The AppleTV OS is based on OS X 10.4 Tiger and we're already running OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. It isn't much of a stretch to think there will be a major OS update to bring it up to 10.6.
The AppleTV hardware is more than adequate for the content on iTunes. As much as people here clamor about 1080p, it isn't widely available via any downloadable service due to the bandwidth required to power it.
The current AppleTV is x86 based. An ARM based AppleTV would go in a completely different direction and would use a completely different OS. Remember the AppleTV is more like a Mac than an iPhone.
I think the 3.0.x updates are just a precursor to a larger update. The old OS, the expandable hardware, and the video market that is just now starting to heat up all lead me to believe we haven't seen the best yet.
The AppleTV OS is based on OS X 10.4 Tiger and we're already running OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. It isn't much of a stretch to think there will be a major OS update to bring it up to 10.6.
The AppleTV hardware is more than adequate for the content on iTunes. As much as people here clamor about 1080p, it isn't widely available via any downloadable service due to the bandwidth required to power it.
The current AppleTV is x86 based. An ARM based AppleTV would go in a completely different direction and would use a completely different OS. Remember the AppleTV is more like a Mac than an iPhone.
I think the 3.0.x updates are just a precursor to a larger update. The old OS, the expandable hardware, and the video market that is just now starting to heat up all lead me to believe we haven't seen the best yet.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Again, why do people keep seeing that as a requirement BEFORE Apple updates the
TV to 1080p? Should they not have built MMS and tethering capabilities into the iPhone because AT&T was not quite ready for that? Should they not advance Macs with hardware options well beyond what most software can take advantage of today?Until there is a 1080p
TV, there is NO reason for Studios to even think about wanting to try to sell 1080p content via iTunes for the TV. Using this logic there was no need to build BluRay players because BD movies were not widely available when the players first rolled out. However, now that more and more BD players are being added to the home AV stack, more and more BD movies are eating up shelf space. Advances like this can't wait for the software. They should LEAD. There is never a reason for 1080p movies for
TV until there are 1080p TVs. The bandwidth pipes won't get expanded until they are clogged enough that it starts costing their caretaker's money. Until then, it is more profitable to leave those pipes largely "as is".Besides, Apple does give us iMovie which can render a 1080p home movie we shoot on a (cheap) 1080p camcorder, easily insert that movie into iTunes where it will play just fine, but we have no current
TV way to push that movie on to our 1080p HDTV. Give us the next-gen
TV and at least there's a chance that a Studio will test the market for 1080p content. Stick with hardware "as is" and it is IMPOSSIBLE to test the market for 1080p content. But either way, there is still plenty of legal content readily available- such as iMovie home video creations- to enjoy NOW on a 1080p TV. And it's pretty easy to imagine that some of the vodcasters would quickly offer up a 1080p version as soon as there were enough 1080p TVs in place (but none will do so if there is no 1080p hardware on which to play it).
This might be true (They did mention moving the ATV to 10.6), but I can't see why this didn't happen with the 3.0 update.
But does it need to be more like a Mac? A slightly redefined iPhone OS could work on an Apple TV quite easily (especially if the Tablet does run iPhone OS) and the new ARM chips are supposed to be able to decode 1080p (look at the Tegra2).
Sadly, the complete lack of rumours says to me that beyond a simple hard drive upgrade, there won't be anything new for the AppleTV next week even though it would surely be cheaper to use ARM chips than continuing to order 4 year old cpus, gpus and hard drives.
Again, why do people keep seeing that as a requirement BEFORE Apple updates the
It isn't a requirement, but think about it from Apple's perspective. The AppleTV exists to sell content from iTunes. They sell content via the internet so what they sell has to be sent via the internet. Most home broadband internet connections range from 1 - 8mbps with many of those capped at 250GB data transfer per month.
If you are watching anything except a Blu-ray movie, you are most likely watching 720p content. Cable, satellite, and others push content at 720p resolution because of bandwidth constraints which means Apple's competition is mostly using 720p.
Note: For reference, a 1080p Blu-ray movie is approximately 22GB+ when stored on a hard disk. 10 of these movies would consume most of the monthly data transfer quota associated with a Comcast internet connection. Exceeding this quota can cause your internet connection to be disconnected.
HobeSoundDarryl said:Advances like this can't wait for the software. They should LEAD. There is never a reason for 1080p movies for
The broadband pipes were clogged with Bittorrent, Youtube, Facebook, and similar traffic long before the idea of selling TV shows via the internet reached the mainstream. Comcast, Time Warner, and other services have no incentive to upgrade their networks to assist competitors with taking their cable television customers from them.
The 3.0 update was actually very minor. It changed the interface a bit and added iTunes LP.
Is it just me or does this seem like a last maintenance update before the 10.6 based release?
kiranmk2 said:
The AppleTV's current hardware is old which means it is dirt cheap. The chips have been produced for a long time so they don't command a premium like the latest chips will.
Do you know the cost of a new ARM chip vs. the ancient pentium M chip from Intel? I don't, but I'm willing to bet that the Intel chip is a lot cheaper than you think.
It might also be easier to move from x86 10.4 to x86 10.6 with newer software under a tweaked interface.
Finally, Apple's current AppleTV install base is in the hundreds of thousands. Changing to an entirely new platform would exclude their massive existing install base which limits new media purchases.
While I would consider 3.0 a reworked 2.0 release, Apple considers it a major update. It also added iTunes Extras and official support for Internet Radio.
Since when has Apple been concerned about the cost of hardware? Not to mention, Apple bought PA Semi to deliver integrated solutions for devices like Apple TV and iPhone.
If companies like Western Digital can deliver media boxes capable of playing back 1080p content for $120. Apple can surely do it for $229.
You can bet a hardware revision is in the pipeline regardless of component costs.
Analysts have pegged total Apple TV sales at roughly 6.6 million, making its user base way more than "hundreds of thousands."
It's a better selling product than people think.
I just wish someone at Apple would talk about it in a positive way. The only positive comment about the Apple TV from an Apple Executive was Tim Cook who said in January 2009:
"There was a tremendous tickup year over year [for Apple TV]. In fact unit sales were up over 3 times vs the year-ago quarter," Cook said. "However let me be clear, we still consider this a hobby."
He went on to say they would continue to invest in it as a platform.
I suppose a 3.0 version number might make it a major update in Apple's eyes, but I'm not convinced. There is a lot of additional functionality that could be brought to it when the base operating system is updated and the AppleTV is the last device still sold that runs OS X 10.4 Tiger.
jaw04005 said:
The AppleTV is a high margin device. The older components have certainly dropped in price as time has gone on so it likely costs less to build now than it did a year ago.
A new hardware revision is almost a certainty, but I don't see where the ARM speculation is coming from. Apple purchased PA Semi to design chips used in the iPhone, iPods, and Apple Tablet etc. Those are all mobile devices that require ARM chips as no other solutions are available.
Could the next AppleTV be based on ARM? Sure, there are many devices that are based on it, but the current software could be ported to OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard with more features rather than using OS X Mobile on the AppleTV.