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New York Times: Apple Gearing Up to Take Apple TV to the Next Level
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Well, since I just bought a refurb apple tv yesterday, hopefully a software update will be able to pipe through to it. Either way, I'm fine with my purchase as it'll do what I bought it to do. Then maybe I'll buy the new hardware after a year or so after the kinks are worked out.
I can't see Apple going into the TV business, although I can see them trying to compete with Google TV and Boxee.
The biggest problem Apple has is that they really lag badly in these areas and because they are the only one who has their own content to sell any offering they have is at risk for going overboard in pushing their paid for content over other provider content such as Hulu, Netflix, etc.
What I would really love to see is a Boxee like product from Apple that would allow for both iTunes purchases, and Amazon VOD purchases and Netflix rentals as well as very high quality playback of 1080P content a user might already have on their own network.
The quality of these offerings needs to improve too. For a company that is as focused on audio and video as much as Apple is, it is very disappointing that they claim Blu-ray is "niche" and most consumers would be happy with 720P over compressed HD video and DD 5.1 sound.
The biggest problem Apple has is that they really lag badly in these areas and because they are the only one who has their own content to sell any offering they have is at risk for going overboard in pushing their paid for content over other provider content such as Hulu, Netflix, etc.
What I would really love to see is a Boxee like product from Apple that would allow for both iTunes purchases, and Amazon VOD purchases and Netflix rentals as well as very high quality playback of 1080P content a user might already have on their own network.
The quality of these offerings needs to improve too. For a company that is as focused on audio and video as much as Apple is, it is very disappointing that they claim Blu-ray is "niche" and most consumers would be happy with 720P over compressed HD video and DD 5.1 sound.
I hope they don't stop making/selling the ones that are on sale, but improve the software and maybe a little hardware tweak.
And release a second apple tv device which is smaller, has a small amount of memory, is cheap but it has the ios software which can have apps on and you can stream media to this device as well.
That's the dream anyway for me. I would be dissapointed if they did ditch the current apple tv for this streaming device though, mainly because the current apple tv when hacked can do so much.
And release a second apple tv device which is smaller, has a small amount of memory, is cheap but it has the ios software which can have apps on and you can stream media to this device as well.
That's the dream anyway for me. I would be dissapointed if they did ditch the current apple tv for this streaming device though, mainly because the current apple tv when hacked can do so much.
Airport Express with HDMI?
What if they released an Airport Express with HDMI and programmability for $99? The USB port could be usable for anything it could be programmed for, like a GuruPlug. Could this be at least a partial replacement for an Apple TV?
What if they released an Airport Express with HDMI and programmability for $99? The USB port could be usable for anything it could be programmed for, like a GuruPlug. Could this be at least a partial replacement for an Apple TV?
I really hope they only make a box and not as a TV solution. Unless they can deliver anything close to Pioneer performance black levels and colors, then I'll stick with what TVs I want to use and just have a box.
I was seriously thinking to replace my Apple TV with a new mac mini.
That way I could also surf the web with safari, play my DVD rosetta stone courses and see full iTunes.
I just had to find a good mouse replacement (any hint ?) and bye-bye Apple TV
But if the new AppleTV will run iOS apps then things become more complicated unless the same iOS apps can be run on the mini too...
That way I could also surf the web with safari, play my DVD rosetta stone courses and see full iTunes.
I just had to find a good mouse replacement (any hint ?) and bye-bye Apple TV
But if the new AppleTV will run iOS apps then things become more complicated unless the same iOS apps can be run on the mini too...
One of these years, this rumor will come true. Just keep betting on "double or nothing" and eventually you'll come out even.
Just imagine if it had 3G :0. A small device you can plug into any tv , anywhere and stream content via apps and safari.
Streaming 1080p content over 3G would be a disaster. Not to mention that LTE/"4G" will be in use before Apple releases something like this.
Not going to happen with the current FCC make up. That would violate their net neutrality guidelines.
You don't need lots of storage as the unit itself doesn't need it. All of your in house viewing would be over wi-fi (so no bandwidth limits). The only time you would have to worry about bandwidth would be streaming over the net, and that doesn't matter whether the data is coming to/from your
TV, your desktop, or your mini....I like the $99 price point.
Apple spend millions on researching this. They aren't "saying" it. They "know" it for fact.
Just so happens that most MacRumors posters fall outside this demographic so you hear lots of complaining about it.
My experience with my less technical friends and family lead me to believe this with ease. I can't tell you how many people I've met that have 1080p 55" screens that are watching standard def in stretched mode. And are completely content. And don't understand that they don't have "HD". When I tell them they look at me like I'm crazy and point to the "HD" sticker on their TV.
I have no doubt Apple is right on this point.
I have a hard time believing that apple would get into the tv market. I know jobs said that nobody wants another box to connect to their tv's, but it just seems like they are getting into an already bloated and competitive market. With apples quality and premium prices, I can't see how they can compete in anything other than the highest pricepoint elite market. A new box is welcomed and could add great functionality, which i think would be more welcome, as people could choose the tv of their choice and get the functionality they want from an apple box. I own 3 apple tv's and love them. I'd probably even buy an expensive apple television, but I think I may be in the minority.
No this isn't. This is the last place they're going to put a blu-ray drive or DVR. This device is for streaming digital media and displaying it on a television in your living room. That's the purpose. It's not for watching movies on disks or recording shows from satellite, cable, FTA, etc.
I have an ATV and aside from my iMac, it's my most used piece of hardware in my house. An upgrade could be interesting, though.
AppleTV will fail....again.... if it is simply one box, one service. Imagine buying a TV that only received one channel? If AppleTV were to include Apple's offerings as well as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Blockbuster, and new ones as they become available. it would make sense. Since the iPad and iPhone offer these things as apps already, it could happen. These online services are the new "channels". That along with being able to add your own set of RSS feeds would go a long way to adding new customers. I would definitely be interested. If it is simply another gateway to iTunes and nothing else, I'll pass.
Oh, and AppleTV will NEVER include DVR or tuner for recording TV. Of that I am 100% positive.
Oh, and AppleTV will NEVER include DVR or tuner for recording TV. Of that I am 100% positive.
The next-gen AppleTV has to be the Tivo for the cord-cutting generation. It needs to be less dependent on iTunes content. Maybe iAds is the justification they need to make that happen. Adding AppStore support is key, but the trick will be getting the interface right.
Right now I have a TivoHD, RokuHD, Blu-ray player and a PS3. The next AppleTV needs to be a viable 1st or 2nd device, not a 5th device (well not a 4th device since my Roku is mostly redundant to the TivoHD already).
Right now I have a TivoHD, RokuHD, Blu-ray player and a PS3. The next AppleTV needs to be a viable 1st or 2nd device, not a 5th device (well not a 4th device since my Roku is mostly redundant to the TivoHD already).
This is where iOS, Hulu Plus and Netflix comes in. iOS can run plenty of different apps.
I don't want to stream. I want to record and playback locally, with the ability to transfer recorded programs to my computer. AKA a TiVo. But Apple could do it better
If it's iTunes streaming, then Apple is bound to hit a bottleneck.
Even if Apple overhauls the Apple TV, it's still going to be limited to countries that has iTunes stores with multimedia contents.
How long is Apple going to ignore the fact that despite international sales are responsible for 70-80% of iOs sales, and yet many of these countries are left without content to purchase? Apple is simply leaving these markets open to MS and what not.
Even if Apple overhauls the Apple TV, it's still going to be limited to countries that has iTunes stores with multimedia contents.
How long is Apple going to ignore the fact that despite international sales are responsible for 70-80% of iOs sales, and yet many of these countries are left without content to purchase? Apple is simply leaving these markets open to MS and what not.