Apple's Eddy Cue on Existing TV Interfaces: They're 'Pretty Brain Dead'

[Michaelgtrusa]

Ok TV dev still lives.

 

[Carlanga]

Someone needs to tell him that the atv4 is also a mess.

 

[mattopotamus]

??? I don't even have them on my phone, yet...

View attachment 666868

I think you know what he means. I'll elaborate.

Me: "Play ESPN Radio".

Siri: "Sorry Matt I cannot find station ESPN Radio".

I do the same thing 3 times and it finally works:

Siri: "Playing ESPN Sports and News Radio".

Siri is pretty terrible. Even simple things like reminders and calendar events are 50/50. It is easier to just not use her/it.

 

[macduke]

On competition, he said Apple can compete with companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Spotify but "still be together" because all of those services are on Apple's platform. Cue says Apple's platform will win if the company gives customers the best way to pay for and access content, even content coming from direct competitors.

Amazon doesn't have an app for the Apple TV. In this context they're talking about the Apple TV. Either he's just talking more broadly about their Prime Video app for iOS, or maybe he knows that Prime Video is coming to Apple TV and let it slip in a round about way? I'd love a Prime Video app on tvOS because I never use it on my iPad.

 

[keysofanxiety]

I think you know what he means. I'll elaborate.

Me: "Play ESPN Radio".

Siri: "Sorry Matt I cannot find station ESPN Radio".

I do the same thing 3 times and it finally works:

Siri: "Playing ESPN Sports and News Radio".

Siri is pretty terrible. Even simple things like reminders and calendar events are 50/50. It is easier to just not use her/it.

Oh. I genuinely wasn't sure what he meant. I just tried it there and it immediately worked, hence my confusion. Wasn't trying to patronise or call anybody out. My apologies

 

[Mascots]

I don't think the ATV4 UI is very smart, either.

But he's on point with the provider issue - there needs to be radical change in the market.

 

[fcapriles]

What about single sign on? Announced but still MIA?

there is a lot more to be done and you can declare something as "brain dead" unless you have an alternative out there... Im sure Apple can figure this out and have an excellent alternative, but take it down a notch prior to sending it out there.

 

[samcraig]

How does this explain the mess that is the app store. Talk about hard to find content.

Sorry Eddy - maybe your team should focus on what you currently offer before entering a new market there...

 

[BornAgainMac]

Maybe Apple TV is getting another major update.

 

[blacktape242]

I wonder if they call him "Cue Ball" at the office?

 

[rGiskard]

Brain dead GUI? He would know, having green-lighted the atrocity that is iTunes.

 

[SuprUsrStan]

I really wish apple would bring to the table a package like Sling TV. I absolutely can not stand the user interface for Sling TV and how you need to watch it within the application and not a web browser. If sling TV is able to get togther a handful of channels for $25 or $30 why can't apple? I'd gladly swap over to an Apple subscription program if I can have access to the 30 or so most common channels.

Here's to hoping the new google/youtube live tv program turns out to be good...

 

[2457282]

Finally. Cue making some sense.

Would love for the television monopoly to be broken up but not at the expense of a dozen $12/mo each subscriptions to get the channels I want.

Streaming is the reality. The sooner providers embrace it, the better off we all will be.

I think that the ultimate solution is not streaming a channel like they do through cable. I think the solution is probably closer to Netflix, where a season or movie is released and you can watch it whenever you want. There will really be two options I think. One is to make the subscription high enough to support the content on it's own, or make the subscription lower, but place ads with the shows/movies to subsidise the cost.

In my case I would probably opt for the latter. I almost never watch TV. once in awhile (maybe once or twice a month) I will log into Netflix and watch a documentary or rent a movie through Apple. I will watch house of cards 2 shows at a time when it comes out. but for how little I watch, a commercial subsidized approach makes sense. but what does not make sense is scheduled showings. Put it on the server and let folks watch it when they want.

 

[citysnaps]

Siri is pretty brain dead... It still amazes me when she writes exactly what you say, but then says she doesn't understand. Me, "Play Guns and Roses." Siri, "Sorry, I don't understand play Guns and Roses."

I just asked Siri the same thing. She quickly brought up a 40+ song playlist of G-n-R music and started playing "There Was a Time."

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Well I'm glad he realizes the ATV interface is weak sauce. Will be interested to see the less annoying GUI Apple comes up with. Also hope that includes making Siri for ATV useful... and also for the other OSes. I use Siri for basic things, even basic HomeKit things, but still has that "cheap parlor trick" feel to it because you never know if it's going to work.

 

[Kobayagi]

It's not that bad. Just slow to navigate and a little clumsy for searching. But it does the job.

Whenever I read something about Cue, I immediately remember your hilarious comment about him, it had something like "having the charm of a dirty rag used to clean bar stools." Priceless

 

[Max Portakabin]

Remember Vinny, the dog the Griffins got to replace Brian in Family Guy? That's Eddy Cue.

More bluster from Tony Soprano today and zero actual product or service improvement to show for it.

 

[Derekuda]

Another Apple exec talking out their "you know what".
Use a Roku 4 and tell me the interface sucks. It literally is the quickest and fastest device i have. You hit the search button and literally speak into the remote a show name, movie title, actor name, etc. It works everytime with just about every content provider imaginable.

 

[d4rkc4sm]

apple is brain dead.

beats aquisition, ios7, maps, courageous drop of headphone jack, mac pro 2013, camera bump, etc.

 

[JeffPerrin]

I think that the ultimate solution is not streaming a channel like they do through cable. I think the solution is probably closer to Netflix, where a season or movie is released and you can watch it whenever you want.

Me too! But I was raised in the 80's on MTV and cable TV. My daughter's teenage friends, however, rarely watch TV. They could care less. They watch YouTube personalities, music and whatnot. Simultaneously co-mingled with social media.

I just can't really see "TV shows" in general as being a huge part of Apple's future. Not if their future customers aren't sitting on the couch watching TV every night...

 

[CrystalPepsi]

Siri is pretty brain dead... It still amazes me when she writes exactly what you say, but then says she doesn't understand. Me, "Play Guns and Roses." Siri, "Sorry, I don't understand play Guns and Roses."

Try using their official name: "Guns N' Roses" . Not that it matters too much, Siri should be able to discern your intent.

 

[Robert.Walter]

Maybe this interview was strategically timed, so next week in addition to macs and other things, he can pop out of a cake and say, we cracked it!

 

[thekeyring]

I really love the Apple TV. Siri actually works on it, way more accurately than it does my iPhone. However, I wish Apple would offer incentives for companies to make apps for it.

There's no All4 or ITV Player app - and here in the UK those are major TV networks. What's more, they're on iOS, Android, a handful of smart TVs etc... Why not also on the Apple TV?

 

[Rogifan]

Amusing that he talks about brain dead UI when TV is essentially a grid of apps. If I want to know what to watch where does TV tell me that?

 

[desmond2046]

Apple makes great hardware and OS and has arguably the best marketing team. However, their services, e.g. iCloud, Siri, are very bad compared to competitors. Eddy should feel shame. He's the worst executives in Apple.