Best Buy Dreams Up a $1499 42-Inch 'Apple HDTV' for Customer Feedback

[AidenShaw]

If Apple wants to reinvent the TV, they just need to make the Apple TV box the hub into which your TV periphs are plugged.

I have that - here's the backside:

Only 8 HDMI ports and only 9 digital audio inputs, though - I'm beginning to consider a higher model.

 

[Primejimbo]

Will it have 3D. Hopefully Apple have cracked 3D tv with no glasses?

That's already done in the medical field and military. It's just not cheap enough for regular customers.

 

[jonnysods]

I'm hoping they just put nice features into the ATV and let me spend gargantuan amounts of money on a decent sized TV. Can't see the iTV being that much value for money.

 

[jlc1978]

I thikn what apple should do is beef up their current appletv to compete with Tivo. Add cable card access, DVR software (don't even need a hard drive, just record to the same hard drive on the network where your itunes stuff is stored), a blue ray player and amazon instatant, and you've got a winner...charge $400 and no monthly fees and appletv would easily take over the DVR industry.

The problem is DRM - Apple doesn't support the end to end DRM that is required for content; which is why there is no Mac solution that uses Silicon Dusts' cable card multi tuner box - if it did you'd have a Mac DVR solution that supports HD.

 

[powers74]

Eheheh

Meh. It's just an enormous iPod touch...

[/sarcasm]

I chuckled a little

 

[pagansoul]

I currently have a Samsung UN40D6300 40-Inch 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV with both a mini and a blu-ray player attached. I think it qualifies as a Apple HDTV .

 

[Clive At Five]

I have that - here's the backside:

Image

Only 8 HDMI ports and only 9 digital audio inputs, though - I'm beginning to consider a higher model.

lol, okay, you have a point, but I don't think most people have the demands that you do... maybe three add-ons...?

I have a lot of consoles, but they're on a switcher... a burden I choose to accept in order to have said content available on-demand.

Original Sonic the Hedgehog? No problem. *swith-box button* *power button* Rdy-Set-Go.

 

[Bubba Satori]

$1499, no thanks. I "could" understand $999, but $1499 for a tiny 42" is too much. Should be:

32": $699
42": $999
47": $1299
55": $1799

LED, 120Hz, and 3D for the 47 and 55 inch models.

Only twice as expensive as a non-Apple TVs.
Those aren't bad prices for the added features,
but they should all be 120Hz, 3D and LED.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

There will probably still be some 3D content for a while but I suspect it will be fewer films (mainly animation). Probably something for more of a special occasion a few times a year but that's about it. I suspect also audiences won't be willing to pay extra for it and once that happens the studios and theatres won't be willing to create the content.

There's more to 3D than just that. The movie makers want 3D to help battle piracy. With 3D films, it doesn't work to sneak in a camcorder and shoot the screen. Even 3D camcorders can't pirate 3D movies that way.

Sure, the higher ticket price is definitely a motivator... just not the only one.

 

[damir00]

I'm still amazed at how many people here don't know the difference between an LED back lit LCD TV and a true LED TV.

A "true LED TV" is an LCD front with LEDs as the backlight.

The only LCD-less LED displays out there are the billboard-sized things you see on the highway. And those look like crap at Couch Distance.

 

[JAT]

Only 8 HDMI ports and only 9 digital audio inputs, though - I'm beginning to consider a higher model.

You won't find more than that, not appreciably. Do you actually use all those? I've been dropping down, myself. Down to one Tivo, Mac, and 3 disc players for digital.

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A "true LED TV" is an LCD front with LEDs as the backlight.

The only LCD-less LED displays out there are the billboard-sized things you see on the highway. And those look like crap at Couch Distance.

Those are not "true" LED. The industry has always intended an actual LED-only flat panel. Either with multi-colored LEDs, or more likely with an LCD-like array of 3 colored LEDs per pixel. But I think this dream is over, and OLED will simply supercede it.

Of course, both are much later than the industry expected.

 

[krzyglue]

http://www.samsung.com/us/video/led-tv

A high end Samsung 40'' cost 1,499. You'd get 2 more inches plus Apple features.

The difference is, Apple products are always sold at MSRP. Samsung on the other hand... http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Samsung+LED&x=0&y=0

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Depends what you mean by LED - Give me OLED over Plasma any day of the week

Oh gawd, seriously this +10000. Those OLEDs at CES were stunning to look at, even on my computer monitor :/ I can't even begin to fathom how good they look in person.

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$1499? You're smokin dope

It's going to be closer to the $2000 range

Everyone else sells 27 inch computer monitors for $300-$400, Apple sells theirs for a grand due to the "premium features". No one seems to think that's weird here.

ACDs use some of the best panels available. A similar Dell sells for a similar price.

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I do agree that you can find decent tv's under $1500, but what are the lower priced ones specs? Are they LED? 120Hz or higher? 3D? SmartTV? Built in WiFi? I'm guessing not.

Why are you "guessing"? Just look it up, and you'll see that you're wrong.

 

[Renzatic]

The only LCD-less LED displays out there are the billboard-sized things you see on the highway. And those look like crap at Couch Distance.

Alright! I'm so glad I got this 150 foot billboard LED TV! I can watch my favorite shows in Big now!

 

[handsome pete]

When you buy a plasma you can get better deals, it is an old technology that suffers from problems. LED and LED/LCD TVs are brighter, consume half the amount of power, do not suffer from burn in, are thinner, and have better picture quality. If the Apple TV is an LED or LED/LCD, then the price is worth it. If it is a plasma, then no it should not be $1500. The top TVs of 2011 were LG and Samsung LED TVs.

you lost me there. I'll agree on the rest, evn though burn in is pretty much a non-issue.

There's more to 3D than just that. The movie makers want 3D to help battle piracy. With 3D films, it doesn't work to sneak in a camcorder and shoot the screen. Even 3D camcorders can't pirate 3D movies that way.

Sure, the higher ticket price is definitely a motivator... just not the only one.

Bootleg films like that are only a small fraction of the piracy studios are combatting. That doesn't do anything to stop hard copies from being ripped and distributed down the road.

 

[damir00]

ACDs use some of the best panels available. A similar Dell sells for a similar price.

If someone has a link to one of these mythical $300 27" 4Mpixel IPS displays, I'd sure appreciate it if they'd share...cause I sure as hell can't find one...

 

[Master-D]

3D was a big moneymaker in the first year or so after Avatar came out. Since then, the proportion of money made from 3D showings versus 2D has been dropping like a rock. These days most 3D movies make much more money from 2D showings than 3D.

There will probably still be some 3D content for a while but I suspect it will be fewer films (mainly animation). Probably something for more of a special occasion a few times a year but that's about it. I suspect also audiences won't be willing to pay extra for it and once that happens the studios and theatres won't be willing to create the content.

No way, all the cinemas have spent a fortune on 3D projectors, and there are lots of seriously expensive 3D cameras knocking around. It's a future market too, look at the money they will generate with the 6 Star Wars films over the next few years, it will drag the whole thing along. Glasses free TV sets, more content, and it's here for keeps.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I know for a fact that a 42" TV won't be separating me from my $1500.

Maybe $1000 for a full 1080p, 120Hz, LED . . . sure.

Definitely less than $500 for an LCD 1080 or 720.

NO way at $1500.

Only twice as expensive as a non-Apple TVs.
Those aren't bad prices for the added features,
but they should all be 120Hz, 3D and LED.

Agreed! Most of the TVs I've seen with those three features are still less than $1500.

 

[bungiefan89]

Computer Monitors >>>>>>>>>>>> TV screens

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Bootleg films like that are only a small fraction of the piracy studios are combatting. That doesn't do anything to stop hard copies from being ripped and distributed down the road.

The studios aren't as hung up on "down the road". They want to make the "first run" money without the pirates getting the movie the first day it hits the screens. 3D does that very well. They're working on their "down the road" problems too but their first cut with this 3D push is to at least get a chance to sell a bunch of tickets before it's being passed around for free.

 

[Minimoose 360]

*yawn

If I wanted an Apple TV, I would buy one. There's pretty much no benefit for me to buy an actual TV made by Apple.

 

[Mr. McMac]

An Apple TV will probably be overpriced and no better than a Samsung

 

[krzyglue]

If someone has a link to one of these mythical $300 27" 4Mpixel IPS displays, I'd sure appreciate it if they'd share...cause I sure as hell can't find one...

Yeah they certainly don't exist. Really the bigger question is whether you want a Dell panel or the ACD for virtually the exact same price. When you think about it like that, the ACD is very attractive. Dell, to their credit, do hold sales where the U2711 drops in price though. Or just accept no compromises and go for the $1500 Dell 30 inch

 

[AidenShaw]

lol, okay, you have a point, but I don't think most people have the demands that you do... maybe three add-ons...?

I have a lot of consoles, but they're on a switcher... a burden I choose to accept in order to have said content available on-demand.

I dislike multiple layers of switches - all the inputs go into the AV receiver where one remote control handles them all.

You won't find more than that, not appreciably. Do you actually use all those?

Kind of.

The AV receiver has logical devices - so I can say the "Microsoft TV" is the component video input from "Component 3" merged with the audio input from "TOS 4". So you can have a situation where there are open input jacks on the back, but no way of directing those to an output.

My inputs are

• HDMI - BD
• HDMI TiVo
• HDMI Cable box
• HDMI HTPC
• XM satellite
• TOS - HDMI audio for MCE
• HD Radio

So, at 7 inputs I'm pushing the limits of the crossbar switch.

 

[Pentad]

To all the people saying that $1500 is to much for a 42" TV are crazy. If you are spending less then that (minus sales or wholesalers), then you bought a crap TV. The only places you can buy a 42" or larger top spec'd TV for under that much would be at Costco or the like. The great TV's from Samsung are double that. The best brand to buy that will get you a 47" LED 120Hz 3D for under $1500 would be LG. If Apple has these specs or above on their TV, i'm guessing a 42" will go for for $1200 and the 47" will go for $1500, ect.. ect...

So how is the Apple Kool-aid this week?

 

[newyorksole]

Yes, but Apple has been entering markets where there has been a real dissatisfaction with the existing offerings. Remember MP3 players before the iPod, smart phones before the iPhone, or tablets before the iPad? They invariably sucked. People are generally pretty happy with their televisions as-is.

Nah not really. People were content with what they had because there was nothing better until Apple came about.

People think their TVs are ok because they're generally mostly the same now a days in terms of quality and looks.

Remotes are still clunky and delayed. Interfaces are still mediocre. Combining Internet & Apps with TV sets is still slow. People think its fine because that's what they're used to. But when Apple releases there's then people will realize what a bad experience they've had with their old TV.

Consumers want certain features, but don't think about it constantly since they interface/features they want haven't been done.

That's where Apple comes in.