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AppleTV Survey
- Thread starter ipedro
- Start date
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FWIW, the wife and I have an appleTV and an HD TiVo. Just this week we made the decision to dump cable, get an OTA antenna, and save some serious cash.
Why? The only shows we really love are available over the air. We generally watch some trash off the cable channels, but that's really a waste of time we should spend reading or sleeping.
If there is something we really need to watch that we can't get OTA, we can do it on our laptops. On that point, I'd like the appleTV to be able to stream content from the internet. As others have pointed out, Boxee can do that. I'd like a solution from Apple on that front.
No biggie, though. HD movie rentals and airTunes are what got me to buy it, one year ago this Saturday (it was a "valentine's gift" for the Mrs.)
Why? The only shows we really love are available over the air. We generally watch some trash off the cable channels, but that's really a waste of time we should spend reading or sleeping.
If there is something we really need to watch that we can't get OTA, we can do it on our laptops. On that point, I'd like the appleTV to be able to stream content from the internet. As others have pointed out, Boxee can do that. I'd like a solution from Apple on that front.
No biggie, though. HD movie rentals and airTunes are what got me to buy it, one year ago this Saturday (it was a "valentine's gift" for the Mrs.)
Close...
Apple shouldn't put Hulu on the
TV, however what they should do is make all of their content available for free with advertising. Users would still have the option to buy if they wanted (or rent if it was a movie), however, if they wanted to view it for free they could. This would give users the widest variety of options and would still keep Apple in control. They already have tons of content partners...they just need to start negotiating to allow for ad-supported media. If Hulu can do it then surely Apple can!
Some people don't like the Ad-supported idea, however, for discovering new shows, I think it's a great idea. For example, if you hear that LOST is a great show but you've never seen it then you could view the ad-supported version to see if you like it. If you like it, then you could buy the whole season. You're surely not going to know if you like it or not by watching a 30 second preview.
This kind of service would makeTV a killer device because it really would make cable TV irrelevant. Why channel surf for a show when you could just hop on your AppleTV and watch whatever you want instantly for free. The shows that you really like you can buy, otherwise you could just browse around discovering new good shows for free b/c they're ad supported.
Apple shouldn't put Hulu on the
TV, however what they should do is make all of their content available for free with advertising. Users would still have the option to buy if they wanted (or rent if it was a movie), however, if they wanted to view it for free they could. This would give users the widest variety of options and would still keep Apple in control. They already have tons of content partners...they just need to start negotiating to allow for ad-supported media. If Hulu can do it then surely Apple can!Some people don't like the Ad-supported idea, however, for discovering new shows, I think it's a great idea. For example, if you hear that LOST is a great show but you've never seen it then you could view the ad-supported version to see if you like it. If you like it, then you could buy the whole season. You're surely not going to know if you like it or not by watching a 30 second preview.
This kind of service would make
TV a killer device because it really would make cable TV irrelevant. Why channel surf for a show when you could just hop on your AppleTV and watch whatever you want instantly for free. The shows that you really like you can buy, otherwise you could just browse around discovering new good shows for free b/c they're ad supported.
@shiseiryu1
So basically all they have to do is negotiate with Hollywood to lower the prices of all their content. Free/Ad supported for TV shows and Netflix like subscriptions for older Movies.
Sadly, I can't see this happening because Hollywood will be leery of giving this much control/power to Apple after the music studios have whined so much about Apple's control of their industry.
In the end, if Apple wants to move the AppleTV beyond the hobby stage, I think they will have to cut deals with others like Netflix/Hulu to do this.
Oh and I stand by my earlier statement that Blu-Ray/DVR functionality would be good selling points even if content delivery is moving away from physical media...
So basically all they have to do is negotiate with Hollywood to lower the prices of all their content. Free/Ad supported for TV shows and Netflix like subscriptions for older Movies.
Sadly, I can't see this happening because Hollywood will be leery of giving this much control/power to Apple after the music studios have whined so much about Apple's control of their industry.
In the end, if Apple wants to move the AppleTV beyond the hobby stage, I think they will have to cut deals with others like Netflix/Hulu to do this.
Oh and I stand by my earlier statement that Blu-Ray/DVR functionality would be good selling points even if content delivery is moving away from physical media...
Thanks to whomever broke the story, for completely ruining Apple's market research process.
F*cking douches.
F*cking douches.
Well if uninvited individuals have such a strong opinion as to crash a "private" market research survey maybe they have something substantial to say.
point taken
@ Fireteller
Your point is well taken. Hulu is in its infancy, and a good many shows will go online in due time.
You prefer to have your shows on your computer to watch whenever and wherever you want, and as frequently as you like. However:
WCLPeter, has a better solution IMO. He prefers physical copies of his shows. The advantage being, he can loan or sell his DVDs should he choose.
Yes, I do watch TV via rabbit ears. Am I the only one still doing this? However, I haven't turn it on for over two weeks now. I do watch news and TV shows online e.g. NBC Nightly News and The Daily Show.
Cinch
@ Fireteller
Your point is well taken. Hulu is in its infancy, and a good many shows will go online in due time.
You prefer to have your shows on your computer to watch whenever and wherever you want, and as frequently as you like. However:
WCLPeter, has a better solution IMO. He prefers physical copies of his shows. The advantage being, he can loan or sell his DVDs should he choose.
Yes, I do watch TV via rabbit ears. Am I the only one still doing this? However, I haven't turn it on for over two weeks now. I do watch news and TV shows online e.g. NBC Nightly News and The Daily Show.
Cinch
Feedback
Though the survey is now closed, anybody wanting to voice their opinion and suggestions on the tv can do so here:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/appletv.html
Though the survey is now closed, anybody wanting to voice their opinion and suggestions on the tv can do so here:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/appletv.html
ATSC receiver / DVR
My needs are for an ATSC HD TV converter and DVR capabilities.
I can't stand how "over the air ATSC HD" looks better than TV shows in iTunes or even on cable. I will not pay for a service that is less quality than what's available for free.
As soon as the internet is fast enough to support solid quality shows, I'll switch.
My needs are for an ATSC HD TV converter and DVR capabilities.
I can't stand how "over the air ATSC HD" looks better than TV shows in iTunes or even on cable. I will not pay for a service that is less quality than what's available for free.
As soon as the internet is fast enough to support solid quality shows, I'll switch.
Agree. Apple has lost touch and will do so if they think they can corner the TV market. Right now there are TV's you can purchase that you can network, download a show, even a movie if you want, and stream it FREE on your TV.
Then of course there is HULU and the likes of Netflix. Meanwhile, Apple TV can't record like a DVR. It has been flawed since the beginning, thus the "hobby" label it receives. I see no way for Apple to corner this market unless they too can make a $1500 great TV (Samsung 700+ series, or plasma now, a year ago, well over $2500), and you can ethernet them to your network and many come with a USB port so you can play movies using it. Apple has a long way to go, let alone paying for inferior content or movies that zap away in a few days.
Heck! I never could get through to get past about the third question.
My ideas are:
I'd also recommend miscellaneous usability tweaks and an energy efficient, scalable home media server in the periphery to let you stream without having your computer on, but oh well.
I'm just worried that the peanut gallery got in asking for 1080p, a Blu Ray drive, and a web browser, all of which I find to be horrible ideas for various reasons.
My ideas are:
- More content.
- Identical rental release dates as Blockbuster.
- Three days to watch a rented movie instead of 24 hours.
- Ability to insert DVD and have it ripped into a DRM protected file associated with your iTunes account (only way it would fly with the movie industry).
- App Store with interfaces wirelessly powered by the iPhone or some new controller. (Good apps would be Hulu, a quiz show game, interfaces into content provides like CollegeHumor.com, etc.)
- A subscription service for on-demand TV shows and older movies (something like you'd pay a cable company for, but completely on-demand)
I'd also recommend miscellaneous usability tweaks and an energy efficient, scalable home media server in the periphery to let you stream without having your computer on, but oh well.
I'm just worried that the peanut gallery got in asking for 1080p, a Blu Ray drive, and a web browser, all of which I find to be horrible ideas for various reasons.
I was expecteding Apple to already have a new product more or less ready for launch by now - seems odd only starting to do market research this late in the day.
my .02
completely agree with the first poster. apple tv would be better if it stored all itunes media from ur computers perhaps and served as a repository? and also games, weather and customizable widgets. make it more of a media server, as much as a came into this as a htpc approach, i think it cud be so much more. and maybe radio and a tv tuner, altho we know they wont do this prob not.
completely agree with the first poster. apple tv would be better if it stored all itunes media from ur computers perhaps and served as a repository? and also games, weather and customizable widgets. make it more of a media server, as much as a came into this as a htpc approach, i think it cud be so much more. and maybe radio and a tv tuner, altho we know they wont do this prob not.
No kidding.... I figured that the Atom based rumors for the Mini were really about the
TV and I was hoping that better models (subscription/ad based) for TV and Movies were already on their way.If this market research is any indication than maybe the Atom rumor really were about the Mini?
If so then boo hiss!
PS: What does this mean for the possible Apple Media server that was rumored before MWSF? Maybe I should just give up and get an HP one?
I just wish Apple would get on with it and give us the ultimate convergence box that could accommodate:
-streamed content (Hulu, Netflix, etc.)
-purchased content (iT/iTMS)
-broadcast content (ATSC, Tru2way)
-DVR/timeshifting capability
-apps/widgets
-a new paradigm, polished UI that would dispense with the anachronisms of the past like channel numbers. Current program guides are better than blindly hitting up/down buttons when channel surfing, but are still a poor way to navigate content.
The closest ready-made solution now is a Tivo, but for me, they've crossed the line into obnoxiousness by increasingly sullying their UI with ads all over the place. Yeah, the Tivo-poligists will argue that that's their business model, but it's not one I'm willing to support any longer.
-streamed content (Hulu, Netflix, etc.)
-purchased content (iT/iTMS)
-broadcast content (ATSC, Tru2way)
-DVR/timeshifting capability
-apps/widgets
-a new paradigm, polished UI that would dispense with the anachronisms of the past like channel numbers. Current program guides are better than blindly hitting up/down buttons when channel surfing, but are still a poor way to navigate content.
The closest ready-made solution now is a Tivo, but for me, they've crossed the line into obnoxiousness by increasingly sullying their UI with ads all over the place. Yeah, the Tivo-poligists will argue that that's their business model, but it's not one I'm willing to support any longer.
Yes I kind of agree. I used to love Laser Disks because the collectors editions had great extra stuff. You never see that any more with DVD's or BRs (well at least not very often), but nevertheless it is often better to own the 'hard copy' so I agree.
However, the point that everyone is missing, is that I'm not paying to 'own' shows, having a permanent copy of the show is a side effect. You see if I pay $100 for cable per month, and I then replace that with $50 a month for Apple TV the fact I 'own' the shows is just an add, I didn't own the shows with cable. At the end of a month I've got $50 I didn't used to have. I can still go out and buy stuff on DVD if I want the boxed set etc. If me and WCLPeter go shopping for some DVDs I got $50 more then he does (assuming everything else is equal).
People are getting stuck on the 'buying' idea and not realizing they are netting more cash in hand at the end of the month, then 'not buying' on a cable subscription. Of course this doesn't apply to people on rabbit ears, and that's where you really do have an argument not to buy shows on apple TV.
For all the other people who are arguing that they don't want to 'buy' their tv shows, all I have to say is why don't you just delete the show when your done watching it on apple TV like you might do with a TIVO, you will STILL be saving money over cable!
f
- DVR... YES
- 1080P... Yes
- Netflix... Not going to happen as long as iTunes is around
- Hulu... Ditto
- 4:3 Support... I think you miss the entire point of Apple TV and the future of TV and digital home entertainment, DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!!
all video content from my Mac
I wish Apple would survey those of us who've lived with the device for a while. The biggest disappointment for me was to find that I couldn't access all the video files I had on my Mac (e.g. .avi). My Apple TV has become an expensive and fairly redundant box in my Living Room that I only use now to show home movies and pictures if I have a house guest.
What would make me sit up, apart from the above? iPod games on my TV, iTunes downloads that are closer to rental prices in Blockbuster, a music 'visualiser' like on my Mac... But the clincher is all video content from my computer. It's what I expected in the first place. Until that is delivered I'm slightly embarrassed by it.
I wish Apple would survey those of us who've lived with the device for a while. The biggest disappointment for me was to find that I couldn't access all the video files I had on my Mac (e.g. .avi). My Apple TV has become an expensive and fairly redundant box in my Living Room that I only use now to show home movies and pictures if I have a house guest.
What would make me sit up, apart from the above? iPod games on my TV, iTunes downloads that are closer to rental prices in Blockbuster, a music 'visualiser' like on my Mac... But the clincher is all video content from my computer. It's what I expected in the first place. Until that is delivered I'm slightly embarrassed by it.
Please, to those of you who fill out this survey, dream big. So the rest of us can get one that is worth a purchase.
DVR
1080P
Apps
Sound of hitting nail right on the head! DVR is what is keeping me from buying an Apple tv.
Hulu would be nice, and I think Apple should agree to let ads stream. They might not sell shows on itunes, but they will sell hardware!
btw - is there any way to download hulu shows onto desktop/ipod?
Very interesting. No more than 4 days ago, I used the TV Feedback form to request the addition of HDMI-CEC support (for both power off, and remote control). The little apple remote works good for your computer, but sucks as a TV remote (too easy to lose/misplace). And the bottom line is that I already have a TV remote with a perfectly operational set of arrow buttons. Why can't I just use that to control the TV?
As for power-on/off. When I turn off my TV,TV should go into standby, there is no reason for it to be pushing signal down the HDMI cable if my TV is off. If it's downloading something, it doesn't need to power off, but certainly it should go into standby mode.
The only issue is you need to own a TV that has CEC support to get the benefit, but it is nearly impossible to find a new HD TV that doesn't support CEC in at least it's most basic form (on/off, remote control).
The other things I would like to see would include Boxee integration (or at least Hulu/Netflix streaming), access to (legal) torrents of public domain movies, and an optical drive (so I could replace everything under my TV with one box). I get that the optical drive is something Apple simply won't do, because they are trying to wean people away from hard media and over to digital media. But I am still going to want a BluRay player someday, and if I just get one in myTV, well that makes the purchase decision that much easier.
TV Feedback form to request the addition of HDMI-CEC support (for both power off, and remote control). The little apple remote works good for your computer, but sucks as a TV remote (too easy to lose/misplace). And the bottom line is that I already have a TV remote with a perfectly operational set of arrow buttons. Why can't I just use that to control the TV?As for power-on/off. When I turn off my TV,
TV should go into standby, there is no reason for it to be pushing signal down the HDMI cable if my TV is off. If it's downloading something, it doesn't need to power off, but certainly it should go into standby mode.The only issue is you need to own a TV that has CEC support to get the benefit, but it is nearly impossible to find a new HD TV that doesn't support CEC in at least it's most basic form (on/off, remote control).
The other things I would like to see would include Boxee integration (or at least Hulu/Netflix streaming), access to (legal) torrents of public domain movies, and an optical drive (so I could replace everything under my TV with one box). I get that the optical drive is something Apple simply won't do, because they are trying to wean people away from hard media and over to digital media. But I am still going to want a BluRay player someday, and if I just get one in my
TV, well that makes the purchase decision that much easier.