Apple's Rumored Amazon Echo Competitor Could Be a Next-Generation Apple TV

[Ed217]

If one could wave a magic wand and turn a solo cup into a Siri based Apple Echo...it would still be Siri based...

 

[Matt Leaf]

Something thats always annoyed me about Siri is the way it doesnt account for human thinking.

If i pause while talking, or say ah or um while coming up with a request, it cuts off the request at that point.

You cant even say 'hey siri' again. And have the press the button, annoying while driving ...

 

[bruinsrme]

Cool, but you are not the norm. Most people don't care about nature videos nowadays. 4K streaming of movies is just ok and unless you have a huge tv it won't make that much of a difference. I still prefer my BLurays. but how do you watch 4K from your iPhone? Uploading it to YouTube or something? Does 4K streams of movies have HDR?

Watch 4K?
Depends. Some is through the Oppo, stream from various devices, watch from a portable ssd.
I have a 60" Samsung 4K set.
I have no problem with content.
Then again I am not watching 80 hours of tv a week. I'm lucky if I can squeeze 10 in.
On play days I can take in a couple movies, check out some of the vid on you tube and other sites.
I agree 1080p is sufficient for casual viewing.
The old adage "if you don't have it you can't miss it" applies.

I had the opportunity to compare 1080p and 4K side by side. Just like moving from 720p to 1080p happened it depended on the media. Some "4K"media struggles to match 1080p quality while other media looks very real.

A larger screen is surely needed to appreciate 4k. To me, anything less than 60" doesn't seem to be worth it. I tried a 55" and it just didn't do it for me.
Not sure I would purposely down load 4k to watch on my phone.
In fact a applauded Netflix for secretly lowering the bit rate to cell phones.

 

[Technarchy]

I'm just here with my popcorn for the jokes about Siri, ignore me in the corner.

Siri was really ahead of its time when it first dropped. Now it's borderline useless and far behind the capabilities of Google Now. Google Now is smarter, more capable, knows you better and has vastly better speech recognition.

Apple will overthink it, and focus on how to lock users in and maintain control more than making smarter AI, which is clearly the future of the industry.

It's remarkable how little Siri has evolved in 2011. Embarrassing in fact for a company with $200 billion in the bank.

 

[tsang2320]

I swear that Siri used to be better at understanding me. This is me Sunday in my car:

Me: "Hey Siri, play album Believe, Hope, Endure."
Siri: "I can't find Believe, hope indoor."
Me: "Play album Believe, Hope, ENDURE (Enunciating as clearly and slowly as I can)"
Siri: "I can find Believe, Hope in Doer"

So I have to give up because the music app is so convoluted that I can't easily find it since it is a compilation of artists and it doesn't seem to be in various artists.

I never had these problems before, in fact my wife tells me that she sees Siri initially hearing everything she said perfectly and then changing it to something that makes no sense.

The only way it works for me is to say the artist's name. Anytime I wanna specify an album or song she goes crazy. Google picks those up much more comfortably.

 

[coolfactor]

Call it the Apple Hub and be done with it. Overdue.

 

[Soccertess]

Also the remote is too damn symmetrical. I can't tell which direction its facing in the dark. I will try to change the volume and end up exiting the app.

It's like they gave the designer full control and forgot it was suppose to be a remote!

And who the hell uses it for games! I bet Tim thought it was a great idea, but never tried it out himself!!! That's the biggest problem.. NO one is trying out these garbage products before being released!

ANYone who tries to use this awful remote screws up what they are watching with the slightest touch!

TIM, i want my money back!

 

[MacBH928]

I think Tim and co. are so rich that they don't realize other people can not afford to upgrade a $150 video playing device every 2 years, a $600 smartphone device every year, a $1600 macbook every 2 years on marginal upgrades, and pay $3000 for a Pro device that you can get a higher spec with a cheaper price on the WinTel side.

More and more people are opting for the non-Apple option

 

[512ke]

Siri is frustrating. It's like being with a person who just doesn't get you, too much of the time.

 

[simonmet]

I think Tim and co. are so rich that they don't realize other people can not afford to upgrade a $150 video playing device every 2 years, a $600 smartphone device every year, a $1600 macbook every 2 years on marginal upgrades, and pay $3000 for a Pro device that you can get a higher spec with a cheaper price on the WinTel side.

More and more people are opting for the non-Apple option

They know, they just don't care. They look at combined stats. As far as the current AppleTV goes it's decent enough for me now that it offers apps so they won't be getting me to upgrade any time soon.

 

[jonnysods]

I can't see Siri being that great because of Apple's excellent privacy policies. It's not as immersive and intuitive as Google now.

 

[Tech198]

Talk to that AppleTV

These days i would argue its not just about competition, users just want too much..

Apple is no superman. Although Ive may be

 

[rp2011]

I have a Roku in the living room, a chromecast in my bedroom and an older Apple TV in a box somewhere. Just got them to try out. Roku specifically for Amazon Prime video. The worst by far is Apple TV but I think it's only because it's the oldest device of the bunch.
The best by far is the Chromecast.
Why? It's the simplest. There is no UI to frustrate you. Just launch the App you want, Netflix, Hulu whichever and you're done.
Roku and Apple TV require to go into the dam thing and mess with rotten UI's .
Not only is Chromecast the best and easiest to use, it's also the least expensive and easiest to install. Better selection of apps too.
I just have a folder on my phone with all my streaming apps. Now that's the best UI.

Not a fan of Roku either. I got it because it's the only solution besides Fire for Prime Video, but noticed I rarely use Prime anyway.

 

[Wanted797]

so basically apple is way behind on what has become a hot market niche and is throwing out leaks to reporters so that we know that eventually they will try to catch up even though there will be nothing to show in 2016.

everything i own in tech is an apple product but lately they seem to be chasing everyone else and nothing is an innovation.

Apple has never really been the first at anything. Even Steve Jobs admitted that. They wait and let everyone else make mistakes first, then they come in and do it right the first time.

 

[Ghost31]

so basically apple is way behind on what has become a hot market niche and is throwing out leaks to reporters so that we know that eventually they will try to catch up even though there will be nothing to show in 2016.

everything i own in tech is an apple product but lately they seem to be chasing everyone else and nothing is an innovation.

Damn. That is worded so perfectly and matches how I feel. I feel like half these leaks are just Apple trying to say "we're still relevant see? At some point later on we will have good products!"

 

[bbbb4b]

"Next generation"...
You better mean "Next software update"...
[doublepost=1464325193][/doublepost]

Every form of the current TiVo line-up is better than the Apple TV. Unless Apple buys Comcast or Time Warner, it is just an intermediary provider, just like TiVo or the other streaming devices.

Heck, it does not even want to provide cell service, whereas, a company called Cingular became so big that it bought up AT&T, and renamed itself!

Hell I've been screaming top of my lungs for Apple to buy TiVo for years. Many years. This should have been a no-brainer; even back in the Steve Jobs days. Even more so now.

 

[CFreymarc]

She is impossible to enjoy. For me anyway.

Siri is a lot like the hottest girl in the high school. Beautiful, attractive, you need to talk to her just right to get what you want, lots of issues and a rich father.

 

[Michael Goff]

I swear that Siri used to be better at understanding me. This is me Sunday in my car:

Me: "Hey Siri, play album Believe, Hope, Endure."
Siri: "I can't find Believe, hope indoor."
Me: "Play album Believe, Hope, ENDURE (Enunciating as clearly and slowly as I can)"
Siri: "I can find Believe, Hope in Doer"

So I have to give up because the music app is so convoluted that I can't easily find it since it is a compilation of artists and it doesn't seem to be in various artists.

I never had these problems before, in fact my wife tells me that she sees Siri initially hearing everything she said perfectly and then changing it to something that makes no sense.

And yet my Siri can pull up my anime songs I listen to. One of us got lucky.

 

[bbbb4b]

I have a Roku in the living room, a chromecast in my bedroom and an older Apple TV in a box somewhere. Just got them to try out. Roku specifically for Amazon Prime video. The worst by far is Apple TV but I think it's only because it's the oldest device of the bunch.
The best by far is the Chromecast.
Why? It's the simplest. There is no UI to frustrate you. Just launch the App you want, Netflix, Hulu whichever and you're done.
Roku and Apple TV require to go into the dam thing and mess with rotten UI's .
Not only is Chromecast the best and easiest to use, it's also the least expensive and easiest to install. Better selection of apps too.
I just have a folder on my phone with all my streaming apps. Now that's the best UI.

Not a fan of Roku either. I got it because it's the only solution besides Fire for Prime Video, but noticed I rarely use Prime anyway.

I don't understand what you are saying.
Doesn't Chromecast depend on a third party? (I had a 1st gen)
It sits between your TV and your Computer or phone. am I wrong? Have I not kept up?
Because otherwise; that is a piece of s*** that I have no use for.
I don't 'love' the Apple TV, but I would definitely take a Roku or Fire (or Apple TV) over Chromecast.

 

[sidewinder3000]

This is why Tech media is in a slow decline. ******* crazy articles like this do not instill trust.

Why would I want an Apple TV with a microphone? I sit 12 feet away from my HDTV.
There's nothing synergistic about cramming these AI features into device that plugs into a TV.

This idea is so preposterously stupid yet the author ran with it anyway.

SMH

Thank you! How has no one else commented on how stupid it would be to anchor an Echo competitor to the TV with an HDMI cable?
1. It's 12 feet away, and often under the TV or hidden behind a cabinet, which won't be great for audio pickup.
2. It's near the TV, which is often emitting LOUD SOUNDS of its own.
3. It will be almost useless as a small audio speaker if it's near the TV, since most people already have much better speakers near their TV, and it will likely wind up across the room against a wall.

The thing that seems cool about Echo is that you can have it throughout your home, in the middle of a room, making it easier to talk to, listen to, and interact with. And if I want a convenient speaker to hear music through, that's not my main stereo, I sure as hell don't want it against a far wall in that same room.

The only circumstance that this would be a good idea is if they offered a stand/alone Siri Speaker thingy that works via wifi and could go anywhere in the home, and then they offered two versions of the HDMI-tethered Apple TV: a plain one and a full featured one with the Siri Speaker added to it that would supplement the stand alone version. They already do something similar with AirPort Extreme and Airport Time Capsule, so it's not out of the question.

 

[BuddyTronic]

Makes sense. The Apple TV should be the main hub in the household.

I don't think so.

Apple TV is connected to an HDMI cable - perhaps buried in a cabinet and out of sight and not ideal for listening.

If you want a copy of an Amazon Echo, you need the Apple device to simply be a wireless paperweight that can be placed in such a way that you can speak at it and be heard.

The Apple remote does have a microphone, ( I own one), but to tell you the truth, I use my logitech harmony remote to control the Apple TV. I miss out on the wonderful Siri functionality on the Apple TV, but I haven't been getting into using too many apps - I just use it to rent movies for convenience.

Apple Home Kit will figure highly in any Apple counterpunch against the Amazon Echo - Apple just has to get Home kit to work properly and be impeccable and timely about it. Home Kit has been dragging out without much to show yet - that might soon change

 

[sidewinder3000]

The lack of 4K on the current box was the red flag.

Red flag for what? That it would be a device without features that won't be used by 95% of current TV owners?
[doublepost=1464328178][/doublepost]

I don't think so.

Apple TV is connected to an HDMI cable - perhaps buried in a cabinet and out of sight and not ideal for listening.

If you want a copy of an Amazon Echo, you need the Apple device to simply be a wireless paperweight that can be placed in such a way that you can speak at it and be heard.

The Apple remote does have a microphone, ( I own one), but to tell you the truth, I use my logitech harmony remote to control the Apple TV. I miss out on the wonderful Siri functionality on the Apple TV, but I haven't been getting into using too many apps - I just use it to rent movies for convenience.

Apple Home Kit will figure highly in any Apple counterpunch against the Amazon Echo - Apple just has to get Home kit to work properly and be impeccable and timely about it. Home Kit has been dragging out without much to show yet - that might soon change

I agree about the remote. I love my Harmony remote, and while I do occasionally use the Apple Remote for voice search, I'm disappointed that TV is evolving to force us to use MORE remotes, not less.

 

[KPandian1]

Something thats always annoyed me about Siri is the way it doesnt account for human thinking.
If i pause while talking, or say ah or um while coming up with a request, it cuts off.
You cant even say 'hey siri' again. And have the press the button, annoying while driving ...

You can't form full sentences in the privacy of your space, with time to practice, and deliver a command or message to a microphone in front of you. You are blaming an automated system that did not allow pauses - just like answer machines just a decade ago - and claim your speech deficit is on the machine?

Drive - don't worry about missed words in a conversation while your primary job is to drive, not worry about not crashing your two ton + missile at 60mph into a pedestrian or another such missile coming at you at about or even greater momentum.

 

[Spendlove]

There is either people talking inside tubes or people making exesive jokes about Siri. And if you hear me speaking English, my accent can't get any broader!!

I have a pretty thick East Lancs accent and Siri understands me quite clearly. Siri even understands my squeaky six year old (Cambridge accent la de da) as long as he speaks loudly enough.

The only thing missing is that Siri needs to do MORE with a greater vocabulary.

 

[KPandian1]

I don't understand what you are saying.
Doesn't Chromecast depend on a third party? It sits between your TV and your Computer or phone. Because otherwise; that is a piece that I have no use for. I don't 'love' the Apple TV, but I would definitely take a Roku or Fire over Chromecast.

Try TiVo - everyone of its current products is better than all the other "streamers"! And, it stores for playback, no streaming or bandwidth use at time of use - just like a VCR!