New York Times: Apple Gearing Up to Take Apple TV to the Next Level

[tigerphilosophy]

Mute Commercial Advertising

Sure, I want a 300 dollar a month TV. You do realize the content creators need to get paid right?

They already get money from my cable subscription. All I'm saying is that I want some control. I'd happily pay more to "opt-out" of commercial advertising. And I do not want to TiVo everything and fast forward through commercials. I want not to have to interact with any button to get away from commercials.

 

[lfitz85]

Magic Mouse is the key to new Apple iTV running iOS-4-TV? (more thoughts contained)

PREDICTION (no idea if mentioned before): Apple will most definitely update the the new Apple TV software to some custom version of iOS (iOSTV 4.0??).

And the key is the Magic Mouse (at least), and possibly/probably the Apple Wireless Keyboard, the iPad, and the rumored iTouchPad? I believe that when you move the mouse it will be similar in appearance to the SDK where grey bubble/s mimics your fingertips on your TV screen. The onscreen keyboard can still appear for text input via movement+clicks, or a bluetooth keyboard can supplement.

I also think that the Apple TV software will be a self contained app, and the home screen will still be accessibly via some finger gesture, a keyboard command, or via the Apple Remote so custom apps can be created for iTV, and current apps can function in normal or expanded views (also finger gestures/keyboard commands to facilitate rotation). I'm thinking iPad apps big screen to start (e.g. wireless video stream of in-game action) then, and i think this will be awesome, custom high-res iTV games where you use iPhones/iPod Touch's and iPad's as controllers/secondary screens to play against friends and online. Also, with new Game Center, your friends come over, they've got they're own controller with they're stats and data contained. Brilliant if i do say so, that Apple crew is smart aren't they?

I think Apple (and this is only if they figure out some sort of secure access system, i'm thinking faces??) might implement some sort of central hub idea, where a families collection of iDevices data can be stored/organised/and viewed (i'm guessing with user-imposed restrictions) in one location, giving networked access to all Mac's (and maybe iTunes on Win) data allowing for OTA wireless/bluetooth syncing, and maybe streaming of music, pics, videos, books, bookmarks, emails, calenders, etc. all while you're watching TV!!
Also, giving the family an easy one stop spot in front of the TV to figure out what you're family are up to in Calender, etc. etc. (I could go on and on)

It'll give them a really good direction to really get people excited about the Apple iTV platform, and maybe get some deals worked out with TV/Music/Movie studios to really change the face of television. TV's going to change forever!!

Let us know thoughts, coz i'm interested to hear how we could make this dream a little bit cooler!! If it's stupid and no one cares, i'll let it slide, but i'll probably be thinking about this till the refresh, so if there are requests i'll put more thoughts down. (Sorry for bad grammar, or whatever, running on very little sleep, very odd how this all came to me)

Catch ya, i'm running really late for work, gotta stop typing!!

 

[opinioncircle]

I am working with a multimedia external HDD right now, and would like to buy the Apple TV. I hope, if an update should come, it will fast !!!

 

[Great Dave]

Still no blu-ray! WTF!

 

[goobot]

It better have a browser.

 

[zedsdead]

It better have a browser.

It will, but it won't handle Flash.

 

[badhorsie777]

make it $99, make it easily connect to my 2tb hd (raided to 1tb redundant) which hooks into my airport extreme router, so I can easily stream all... ALL my songs and movies to this thing... and make it hit netflix, pandora, youtube, and hulu (hulu may not come, but I gotta dream)

I'm buying it THAT DAY. Hear us, Apple - don't drop the ball on this one. I am one of (presumably) millions who have left cable/satellite for services like hulu and netflix. Put this content on our tvs easily... and let me stream my itunes collection. bam. and price it right.

 

[macerroneous]

Buy out

Jobs says you can't monetize the market because the cable companies subsidize the cable boxes. So, the best case would see apple buying the cable box company (scientific Atlanta?). You put a cable modem in the box. And wifi. Then, you add front row. And iPhone apps. Now, your apple tv is "free". It will sell itself. Cable company, of course, will only give it to you if you buy it with high speed Internet. Win-win-win.

 

[wreckshop]

Jobs says you can't monetize the market because the cable companies subsidize the cable boxes. So, the best case would see apple buying the cable box company (scientific Atlanta?). You put a cable modem in the box. And wifi. Then, you add front row. And iPhone apps. Now, your apple tv is "free". It will sell itself. Cable company, of course, will only give it to you if you buy it with high speed Internet. Win-win-win.

Why would the cable companies give up control of their box (and the revenue that comes with it) to apple?

 

[godslabrat]

Why would the cable companies give up control of their box (and the revenue that comes with it) to apple?

I guess by the same logic that makes people (including Steve) think that the general public is going to turn to iTunes as its SOLE source of content. It seems that common sense gets really twisted when this particular topic rears its head.

 

[res1233]

In the UK it's a bit different as our TV channels are mostly completely separate from our internet providers. Sky do supply broadband, but don't really charge for it (people moaning about low caps may be astounded to know that Sky are currently advertising free 20 Mbps broadband, but in the small print there is a 2 GB cap. And that's not a typo!).

It's funny... It sometimes seems rare, but personally, I have never had an ISP that HAD a cap... Considering there are 3 people that use my internet connection, any cap would probably be too low anyhow, once you're done downloading games on Steam and watching youtube/netflix vids.

 

[zim]

It's funny... It sometimes seems rare, but personally, I have never had an ISP that HAD a cap... Considering there are 3 people that use my internet connection, any cap would probably be too low anyhow, once you're done downloading games on Steam and watching youtube/netflix vids.

Who do you have? Comcast has a 250 GB cap. Caps seem to be common now.

 

[bigpics]

I really wish Apple would use the option key a little more and the command key a little less.

wry, dude

 

[SBlue1]

now imagine if the itouch or iphone could serve as a remote for the new apple-tv! or even better, as a controller for your ios games and apps!

 

[eye]

now imagine if the itouch or iphone could serve as a remote for the new apple-tv! or even better, as a controller for your ios games and apps!

You can use the touch or iPhone as a remote for Apple tv with Apple's remote app.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

now imagine if the itouch or iphone could serve as a remote for the new apple-tv! or even better, as a controller for your ios games and apps!

That enthusiastic imagination only works in practice if you are single living alone. As soon as you leave the house with the "good remote," you'll have a number of people mad at you when you get back.

While our iDevices can double as remote controllers (even game controllers), they can't be THE remote, unless the market for the new TV is just a bunch of single people living alone.

 

[macerroneous]

That enthusiastic imagination only works in practice if you are single living alone. As soon as you leave the house with the "good remote," you'll have a number of people made at you when you get back.

While our iDevices can double as remote controllers (even game controllers), they can't be THE remote, unless the market for the new TV is just a bunch of single people living alone.

In my household of six humans, there are 3 iPhones, 2 iPod touches, and an ipad. Problem solved.

Maybe you didn't get the memo.

BTW. Nobody ever loses their idevice. Nobody can ever find a remote control.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

In my household of six humans, there are 3 iPhones, 2 iPod touches, and an ipad. Problem solved.

Maybe you didn't get the memo.

BTW. Nobody ever loses their idevice. Nobody can ever find a remote control.

Terrific. So if your household is representative of the whole market for a next-gen TV, Apple can save the cost of shipping any kind of remote with the new TV. After all, every buyer- and everyone who lives with them- will each already own a remote.

Apple should be very happy to ship it without any kind of controller.

And a market size in which every single person living in each home owns an iDevice should be a very huge, global market

 

[z4n3]

Terrific. So if your household is representative of the whole market for a next-gen TV, Apple can save the cost of shipping any kind of remote with the new TV. After all, every buyer- and everyone who lives with them- will each already own a remote.

Apple should be very happy to ship it without any kind of controller.

And a market size in which every single person living in each home owns an iDevice should be a very huge, global market

I really wish they would ship without remotes! I have 6 and they never seem to die!!! I would rather have a free white HDMI o Fiber optic cable

 

[hayesk]

In my household of six humans, there are 3 iPhones, 2 iPod touches, and an ipad. Problem solved.

Maybe you didn't get the memo.

BTW. Nobody ever loses their idevice. Nobody can ever find a remote control.

My house has 2 AppleTVs, one iPhone, and no iPod Touches.

Touch screens make for terrible remotes because you have to look down at them to use them. With the exception of being able to use the keyboard, I just don't see the advantage of using the Remote App for my AppleTVs over a remote with physical buttons.

 

[JediZenMaster]

Touch screens make for terrible remotes because you have to look down at them to use them. With the exception of being able to use the keyboard, I just don't see the advantage of using the Remote App for my AppleTVs over a remote with physical buttons.

Yep, Touch screen remotes do suck. I had an old sony remote it was touchscreen and you had to program it and it required multiple tapping of on screen buttons.

Needless to say i got rid of it.

 

[macerroneous]

My house has 2 AppleTVs, one iPhone, and no iPod Touches.

Touch screens make for terrible remotes because you have to look down at them to use them. With the exception of being able to use the keyboard, I just don't see the advantage of using the Remote App for my AppleTVs over a remote with physical buttons.

I'm going to have to politely disagree with you here. You do realize there are many people paying $200 for touchscreen remotes? Of course, they all pale in comparison to the iRemote. I've long thought that an IR emitter would be a very valuable addition to the iDevice hardware. It would be extremely easy to program so as to control every aspect of your system. If you like, it could probably even transform into "4 button" mode.

In fact, my main complaint with the cable remote is that there are too many buttons, none of which are illuminated, so I have to wait for a very bright seen to find the right button to change the channel.

 

[macerroneous]

My house has 2 AppleTVs, one iPhone, and no iPod Touches.

Touch screens make for terrible remotes because you have to look down at them to use them. With the exception of being able to use the keyboard, I just don't see the advantage of using the Remote App for my AppleTVs over a remote with physical buttons.

And another thing: you're not much of an apple supporter, are you? Unless if course you live alone. I guarantee you steve would prefer you keep >1 iDevice per human.

 

[wimbledonsound]

My house has 2 AppleTVs, one iPhone, and no iPod Touches.

Touch screens make for terrible remotes because you have to look down at them to use them. With the exception of being able to use the keyboard, I just don't see the advantage of using the Remote App for my AppleTVs over a remote with physical buttons.

I have my AppleTV as a music player running via optical into a high end DAC and some hifi kit. With my iPhone as remote it's awesome, and no need to turn on the screen. I rarely use it for it's "TV" functionality as it's so crippled power-wise - have a TVIX box for that, and the TVIX can stream a DVD (and play HD!) across my (apple) wireless network without choking. AppleTV is unusable for that.

I'm surprised more people don't use AppleTV as a music source.... It's way cheaper than the dedicated solutions, it's awesome as a wireless speaker-out for computers running iTunes, and from time to time, when you can't be bothered to go to the video store for a blu-ray, the "HD" rentals will do just fine.

"Blu-what?!"

 

[Dah366]

It's about time Apple did something to Apple TV. It's a product that has such unrealized potential. I hope they increase the resolution output if they do it might make up, a little, for them only putting an HDMI port on the Mac MINI.