Apple's TV Plans Fell Apart Over Content Owners' Resistance to Skinny Bundles

[tpluth]

The record execs opposed downloads for a long time, until they saw CD sales plummet, then they got on-board.

TV execs will do the same as cable subscribers continue to cancel.

 

[easy4lif]

Good Riddance. what ever price / content Apple Could have convinced the media companies to accept, in 2 years prices would go up, extra crap channels would be added.

 

[Nunyabinez]

Every time I see stories like this it infuriates me. I feel like I should cancel my cable and torrent any shows that I want to watch. Not because I think it's right to steal, but somehow the cable companies need to be punished for their terrible behavior.

What if when I went to the grocery store to get corn they said I had to buy okra, hominy and black-eyed peas too? Btw, wife likes those but I can't force 'em down. I can't think of another industry that forces you to buy stuff that you have no interest in whatsoever to get the things that you do want.

 

[sputnikv]

Apple needs to offer their movie and tv show library in the same manner netflix functions. Then they can throw their weight around to have à la carte news and sport programming to be included. No one wants to have channels bundled.

 

[npmacuser5]

We have complete control over this if we really want change. Start with sports fans, as long as they are willing to pay any amount to watch their team nothing will change. The same with the I cannot live without my favorite shows people. My new perspective, I can live nicely without any of it, so take it all away and I will one prosper, and two find even better options for entertainment. As long as we are in the cannot live without mode, pay up and enjoy.

 

[William Gates]

For the love of Pete,

Here's what you do Apple:

Figure out a way to integrate this:

into this: ------->

and also add this:

to this --------------------->

Pour your billions of dollars and engineering to perfecting OTA reception. Slap on the usual Apple interface polish (7.1 WHABC-TV listing = ABC) and....

Voila! The TV industry will collectively **** its pants and will come back to the table and reason for a more acceptable price.

This would terrify them.

I'm not sure if just that would work. Maybe allow the Apple TV with Coax to have DVR functionality that uploaded to iCloud (and auto edit out the commercials) so you can access on all your apple devices.

For me, i'll continue to use a VPN service to get the shows I want.

 

[TheRealTVGuy]

I just like the pert of the article that states "Eddie Cue... Doesn't want filler". Which shows there's still hope that Apple is in the consumer's corner. (Even if it helps their bottom line)

 

[motulist]

Channels? Who wants channels? Most people want specific SHOWS and movies. The "channel" concept itself is a dying dinosaur.

 

[Jarman74]

I'm sure I'm not the first to point out that Steve would have gotten it done...

Actually he tried, but he didn't:
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/1...ial-television-deal-with-cbs-ceo-les-moonves/

 

[bdkennedy1]

The problem with having a bunch of TV station apps is that there's no program guide.

 

[BiscottiGelato]

I don't know the media business, but here is my thinking.

I think time for Apple to open a platform for content creators to create high quality original content. If somehow it's easier for producers to produce Netflix Original like content. Maybe Apple can fund some shows part-time, have a framework to help up and coming talents, etc.

Maybe Apple can bid for rights to NFL, NBA, NHL broadcasting rights directly. And then do their own streaming/on-demand service. Who needs networks as an inbetween?

The networks should be skipped entirely. It should be just Content/Event -> Apple, direct. Traditional TV should just roll over and die.

 

[naeS1Sean]

Actually he tried, but he didn't:
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/1...ial-television-deal-with-cbs-ceo-les-moonves/

Hell...if he couldn't no one can. lol

 

[H2SO4]

Apple's depends on bundling useless stuff to your iPhone/iPad/MacBook?

You are paying for stuff you don’t want. Don’t you get it?….. and yes - this is all part of the mix.

 

[cardfan]

Even the system that Apple was working toward is too fat for me. I would opt for a solution that would give me all of the shows, up to date, watchable when I want it, for under $10/month. Anything other than that does not interest me. I can get enough entertainment using an antenna, YouTube, and TWiT.tv, all of which are free.

You're on the right track. I can't keep up with all these channels. Channels is the problem anyways. I don't watch channels. I don't care what channel a show is on, or day, or time. I search for a show, record or set a pass, done. Watch it on DVR later. I set Louisville as a season pass and directv auto records all Louisville games, bball or fball. I don't flipping care what channels these things are on. It's on my dvr. I press play.

Ideally, I'd go to apple tv now or whatever they'll call it, search for a show or browse shows by popularity or genre, press play, done. Do sports the same way. Set a favorite team.

In no place should a channel enter into this. Disney junior or disney? Huh? Is there a difference? I don't care. I can't imagine watching a live channel in this day and age and be subject to commercials. That's last decade.

 

[gotluck]

This isn't like the music industry in the early 2000s. Media companies have all the leverage and they're not dealing with people steeling their product.

It is incredibly easy to pirate movies and TV shows though. I wouldn't say they aren't dealing with that. Live sports are really the most difficult thing,though acestream is an impressive piece of software.

 

[teknikal90]

For the love of Pete,

Here's what you do Apple:

Figure out a way to integrate this:

into this: ------->

and also add this:

to this --------------------->

Pour your billions of dollars and engineering to perfecting OTA reception. Slap on the usual Apple interface polish (7.1 WHABC-TV listing = ABC) and....

Voila! The TV industry will collectively **** its pants and will come back to the table and reason for a more acceptable price.

This would terrify them.

I love the idea but I dont know if it would terrify them.
Doing this will just turn Apple into another Sony or Samsung that makes another smart TV on display in bestbuy...
They still have to use the networks 'pipe' to get the content through.
Am I missing something?

 

[gugy]

I think something between $3 to $5 per channel and off course more for premiums like HBO and then would be ideal. Local I would use OTA.
I watch something like 5 to 6 channels and wouldn't mind to get HBO and Netflix. So my total monthly bill would be something like $40 to $55 p/month. Much better than the $90 I pay for DirecTV and Netflix.

 

[easy4lif]

The record execs opposed downloads for a long time, until they saw CD sales plummet, then they got on-board.

TV execs will do the same as cable subscribers continue to cancel.

they don't make thier money on the good channels, they make their money on the crappy channels

I don't know the media business, but here is my thinking.

I think time for Apple to open a platform for content creators to create high quality original content. If somehow it's easier for producers to produce Netflix Original like content. Maybe Apple can fund some shows part-time, have a framework to help up and coming talents, etc.

Maybe Apple can bid for rights to NFL, NBA, NHL broadcasting rights directly. And then do their own streaming/on-demand service. Who needs networks as an inbetween?

The networks should be skipped entirely. It should be just Content/Event -> Apple, direct. Traditional TV should just roll over and die.

you know all that pretty money they have in the back. they'd like to keep it there. hell time warner's deal for the dodgers was 8+ billion

 

[easy4lif]

The record execs opposed downloads for a long time, until they saw CD sales plummet, then they got on-board.

TV execs will do the same as cable subscribers continue to cancel.

they don't make thier money on the good channels, they make their money

I don't know the media business, but here is my thinking.

I think time for Apple to open a platform for content creators to create high quality original content. If somehow it's easier for producers to produce Netflix Original like content. Maybe Apple can fund some shows part-time, have a framework to help up and coming talents, etc.

Maybe Apple can bid for rights to NFL, NBA, NHL broadcasting rights directly. And then do their own streaming/on-demand service. Who needs networks as an inbetween?

The networks should be skipped entirely. It should be just Content/Event -> Apple, direct. Traditional TV should just roll over and die.

you know all that pretty money they have in the back. they'd like to keep it there. hell time warner's deal for the dodgers was 8+ billion

 

[sudo1996]

I agree, but I don't think the fight is over just yet.

Yeah, it'll happen someday, but I don't think through Apple.

This isn't like the music industry in the early 2000s. Media companies have all the leverage and they're not dealing with people steeling their product.

Funny. It seems that rampant piracy is the best leverage there is. The fact is that many (most?) people are willing to pay for cable, so the companies will sell it at whatever terms the public will accept. Nothing wrong with that. People who want it but aren't willing to pay will complain, as it is with everything. My big complaint (if I even watched TV anymore) is just that the cable boxes all suck for no apparent reason; they're all late 90s technology, maybe with gimmicky add-ons for the 2010s.

 

[agsystems]

I don't think he could have. A lot of other media industries were weary of apple after what they did to music

I've been saying this forever....any proposal that involves content owners getting less money will go nowhere.

The whole industry needs to be blown up and Apple doesn't want to do it. Apple needs to license, produce and bid for content and bring all of it Netflix style to IOS devices.

 

[mattopotamus]

For the love of Pete,

Here's what you do Apple:

Figure out a way to integrate this:

into this: ------->

and also add this:

to this --------------------->

Pour your billions of dollars and engineering to perfecting OTA reception. Slap on the usual Apple interface polish (7.1 WHABC-TV listing = ABC) and....

Voila! The TV industry will collectively **** its pants and will come back to the table and reason for a more acceptable price.

This would terrify them.

You mean be tiVo? They already do a damn good job at this.

 

[mlabonte21]

I love the idea but I dont know if it would terrify them.
Doing this will just turn Apple into another Sony or Samsung that makes another smart TV on display in bestbuy...
They still have to use the networks 'pipe' to get the content through.
Am I missing something?

Nope-- they won't be using their pipes at all. The BIG 4 (ABC, FOX, NBC, & CBS) are all broadcasted for free OTA.

Build-in an OTA antenna into all of your products w/ slick interfaces and watch them all come crawling back.

Millennials are surprisnigly tolerant of commercials if it is free. It would create an impact.

Watch the oscars, local Sunday football, etc...

If they can legally bake in a DVR into the system= game over.

 

[lewisd25]

For the love of Pete,

Here's what you do Apple:

Figure out a way to integrate this:

into this: ------->

and also add this:

to this --------------------->

Pour your billions of dollars and engineering to perfecting OTA reception. Slap on the usual Apple interface polish (7.1 WHABC-TV listing = ABC) and....

Voila! The TV industry will collectively **** its pants and will come back to the table and reason for a more acceptable price.

This would terrify them.

Even better: integrate the antenna directly into Apple TV, and include a nice EPG interface.

 

[mattopotamus]

Even better: integrate the antenna directly into Apple TV, and include a nice EPG interface.

I just do not know how easy that is to do...if at all. If you are 40+ miles away you really need an outdoor antenna.