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Revamped Apple TV to Offer Netflix Streaming?

mddharma said:
if I could stream my mkv selection to it as well. I currently use a WDTV and having been mulling over getting the WDTV Plus which stream netflix. However, I would really like to stream my 4 2tb drives. It is a pain to keep moving drives with the WDTV as I can only get two to work at a time. Now, hopefully Apple will allow some other formats on this new itv and then I would be all set. Has anyone here streamed to an apple tv with MKV files?
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Not to an Apple TV but I have streamed MKV files to an iphone and an ipad with the Air Video app on the App Store and it is awesome! Plays pretty much any format you can throw at it. If the new Apple TV is gonna run iOS your days of worrying about what format the video is in may be over.

As a matter of fact, this might just be the first box that can play ANYTHING of importance since it will still probably be the only box that can play DRM itunes stuff. A $99 device combined with the Netflix app, Hulu Plus, the new Plex iOS app, Air Video app, and etc. should make it a killer buy.
 
Greydog said:
Ok maybe I am missing someting here. Why would Apple promote Netflix w/ the release of a new AppleTV which would compete directly with it's own iTunes store movie and video downloads? What does Apple get?
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Antitrust...
 
newamiga said:
http://www.plexapp.com/ios.html

I think this is the answer to all of the deficiencies Apple will have in the initial release. This app will let you stream from any Mac running the Plex server component in your house. This is the killer app for the new Apple TV.. assuming of course the new Apple TV is announced and it is in fact iOS based. Finally the ability for Apple TV to stream Video_TS files without having to hack your box.:D
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Ok I amend my post.. apparently the Plex app on the phone wont stream video_TS files. It works fine with ripped MPEG-4 files and even a MKV of a blu ray rip of Star Trek.
 
Mattsasa said:
If new apple tv runs iOS. doesn't iOS mean bluetooth keyboards, and bluetooth devices, and software like this: safari, mail, pages, keynote, itunes, imovie, games, ibooks, possible some iLife apps.


Then couldn't apple put this in a bundle for like $300 with remote, keyboard, mouse, preinstalled software, maybe bump up some hardware, and make it a nettop desktop computer?
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They could, but they won't. Cannibalisation of mini sales. Plus the iOS doesn't have a full file system, so isn't a full computer in the traditional sense (also underpowered for any significant processing draw). But I do see this supporting a blu-tooth keyboard.
 
So, iTV is going to be similar to Roku, less than WD TV Live and much less than Windows Media Center. Still might be useful for some. I wonder if it will work with universal remote though. Otherwise it'll be downgrade even compared to Roku.
 
Greydog said:
Ok maybe I am missing someting here. Why would Apple promote Netflix w/ the release of a new AppleTV which would compete directly with it's own iTunes store movie and video downloads? What does Apple get?
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Publicity and lot more content to announce tomorrow.

Greydog said:
Unless there is seriously better graphics horsepower under the hood of this new box, I don't see many people flocking to this.
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Why is "seriously better" graphics horsepower needed to stream web content or run existing iOS applications?
 
nelmat said:
Or maybe, there is no way to stream anything about 720 currently, but when the content becomes available this should be a simple firmware update. Don't forget that Apple haven't actually announced that this thing only provides 720, it's all speculation. But in the absence of ANY 1080 streaming content currently available, it would serve no point.
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TRUE HD 1080P has a bitrate of around 33,000K. That is a LOT of bandwidth. If the typical household had that kind of bandwidth they would stream it. But they don't because hardly anybody has 100MB internet.
 
lilo777 said:
So, iTV is going to be similar to Roku, less than WD TV Live and much less than Windows Media Center. Still might be useful for some. I wonder if it will work with universal remote though. Otherwise it'll be downgrade even compared to Roku.
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Windows media center and Roku don't run apps, unless I'm much mistaken? I think the remote will be something extremely clever, the big challenge Apple need to overcome in bringing the iOS to a non-touch-screen.
 
Peace said:
TRUE HD 1080P has a bitrate of around 33,000K. That is a LOT of bandwidth. If the typical household had that kind of bandwidth they would stream it. But they don't because hardly anybody has 100MB internet.
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...and therefore a good reason to keep the price-point low and only put "just enough" into this device at this stage. Redundant capacity in a $99 device makes no sense when trying to keep it inexpensive.
 
nelmat said:
It's not the box that's primarily US only, it's the content. Hulu, Netflix etc. don't stream outside the USA. It's going to take a while for content providers to allow international streaming. I'm hoping for some major studio announcements tomorrow, think I might be left wanting though.
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I know WHY they can't stream outside US. My point was that Apple is not so dumb to sell devices that can only be used within US.
The first and second apple tv were ok for us here in europe, cause they worked with iTunes (although i don't know anybody who owns one hehe). But just STREAMING device (netflix "powered") just for US. Nah. ************.
Anyway , apple is never gonna beat mac mini + plex 0.9 + plex .9 iOs.NEVAH :D
 
Technologically speaking this is a great way forward if the rumour is to be believed. For certain markets like Japan, the move to a streaming centred device versus a hard drive device is a big step backwards. The obvious reason being that the media content available to us is severely limited. Unless Apple partner with a locally based streaming company or simply add movies to iTunes, then this device will be all but useless. Apple is surely aware of this, so I actually do wonder if the rumour is accurate. Unless Apple is happy to sell the new Apple TV in limited markets only of course.
 
Mattsasa said:
If new apple tv runs iOS. doesn't iOS mean bluetooth keyboards, and bluetooth devices, and software like this: safari, mail, pages, keynote, itunes, imovie, games, ibooks, possible some iLife apps.


Then couldn't apple put this in a bundle for like $300 with remote, keyboard, mouse, preinstalled software, maybe bump up some hardware, and make it a nettop desktop computer?
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It's too bad Apple puts no emphasis on market share.
 
I see some business articles related to Apple on any other business site and suddenly I think this must have been posted on MR too. Then I refresh MR RSS feeds and boom...the article is there :)

MR must be scanning the web for Apple articles. Once found just write a short synopsis on MR and link that to the original site. eReporting!
 
nelmat said:
They could, but they won't. Cannibalisation of mini sales. Plus the iOS doesn't have a full file system, so isn't a full computer in the traditional sense (also underpowered for any significant processing draw). But I do see this supporting a blu-tooth keyboard.
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your right it wouldn't be a full computer, but I don't think its underpowered, it just needs to be as strong as like a first gen iphone/ipod touch right.
 
This would make me buy one for sure. I already own a Roku and I love it. It cost me $99 when I bought it. I have been debating buying another one for a while now for use in another room.

If the Apple TV supports netflix streaming, it would give me a reason to buy one, especially for the pricetag. Anything else it did would be nice... Until now I saw no reason or purpose to buy one.
 
AZREOSpecialist said:
It's too bad Apple puts no emphasis on market share.
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Nope. Which is why the dominate the mp3 player sector, are on their way to dominating the smartphone sector, just wiped the competition in tablet computing out of existence and are the market leaders in digital media sales?

Market share != success

Apple are now worth more than Microsoft. Apple have 9 - 10% of the market, Microsoft have 80 - 90 % - who is the more successful?
 
nelmat said:
Windows media center and Roku don't run apps, unless I'm much mistaken? I think the remote will be something extremely clever, the big challenge Apple need to overcome in bringing the iOS to a non-touch-screen.
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WMC does not run apps indeed but Windows does :) As long as PC is connected to TV it's all that matters. In reality though I do not think that people want to run any apps on TV. The two obvious uses for TV are TV content and games. Anything else is available on computer, iPad, phone etc. TV is probably the least convenient option for running other types of apps.
 
Mattsasa said:
your right it wouldn't be a full computer, but I don't think its underpowered, it just needs to be as strong as like a first gen iphone/ipod touch right.
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Not if it wants to run microsoft office, adobe software or any high-end CAD package, 64 bit software, multi-track audio editing/recording, video editing...

iOS isn't intended as a desktop/laptop replacement, it's for the app store and content consumption with light creation thrown in. This will no doubt have the iPhone/iPad processor in it and tiny amounts of RAM - it's all about low cost, sell as many units as possible and then try and convince the studio to release content once the boxes have sold a few million units.
 
Greydog said:
Ok maybe I am missing someting here. Why would Apple promote Netflix w/ the release of a new AppleTV which would compete directly with it's own iTunes store movie and video downloads? What does Apple get?

Unless there is seriously better graphics horsepower under the hood of this new box, I don't see many people flocking to this.
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Ummm....Sales of the "iTV"?

Apple effectively makes no money from any of the iTunes Store. This is not just pie in the sky statements, but clearly visible facts in their Annual Reports. If you lay out their revenues from all their SW and media Stores on a pie chart with other revenues, that slice is barely going to be visible.

Apple only provides media as a service, making it easy for iPod/iPhone/iPad owners to get content to consume on their devices, encouraging them to buy those devices.
 
lilo777 said:
WMC does not run apps indeed but Windows does :) As long as PC is connected to TV it's all that matters. In reality though I do not think that people want to run any apps on TV. The two obvious uses for TV are TV content and games. Anything else is available on computer, iPad, phone etc. TV is probably the least convenient option for running other types of apps.
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That's not the point though - I can connect a mini to the TV - the point is that WMC does not run apps or have access to an app store, the iTV will. So there's why it has more functionality than WMC. (A game is an application btw). I'd very much like to run apps on my tv - news tickers, in-video content, type my blog, view interactive PDFs and browse the net. The killer app would be facetime with the re-introduction of the external iSight camera.
 
deviant said:
I know WHY they can't stream outside US. My point was that Apple is not so dumb to sell devices that can only be used within US.
The first and second apple tv were ok for us here in europe, cause they worked with iTunes (although i don't know anybody who owns one hehe). But just STREAMING device (netflix "powered") just for US. Nah. ************.
Anyway , apple is never gonna beat mac mini + plex 0.9 + plex .9 iOs.NEVAH :D
Click to expand...

They will. You have a short memory. International roll out takes time, but it will come just as with the early days of iTunes. My bro has an original appleTV, it's fab and he streams lots of content from the house macs and windows machines, most of it not purchased from iTunes.

BTW, i read a quarterly report and did some math - the Apple TV had sold over 6 million units, over half of these outside the US, so plenty of people have them. it's actually one of the biggest selling devices of it's type.
 
If true, sold. I was just thinking about getting a Roku device for the bedroom. I'd rather have Apple tv w/Netflix.
 
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