Rogers and BCE Already Have the Apple iTV in Their Labs, Controlled with Voice and Hand Gestures

[S.B.G]

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I'm certainly interested to know how they accomplish an on screen keyboard without a physical interface. Air-keyboard, like the air guitar?

Regardless, it will be neat to see an iTV (or whatever) be released. My only concern is the cable providers archaic business models and cut-throat tactics.

I'm waiting for the hammer to drop on people like me who subscribe to their Internet services only and not television. I pipe all my TV content in via their pipe with my ATV2.

Eventually, I think they'll come around and try to force our hand into their TV service and throttle the Internet service somehow.

 

[JohnDoe98]

My Canadian ISP serves a minimum of 125GB per month with the basic speed (10Mbps). The top pack includes 1TB (250Mbps). Not sure what sad ISP you use

I have a hard time believing that! What isp gives 250mbps?

 

[AppleScruff1]

I can't wait to try it with interactive 3D porn.

 

[sbrhwkp3]

These TVs are in FAR more labs than just Rogers. The only reason we're only hearing about Rogers right now is because of what a terribly run company they are.

They'll probably lose their shot at offering the Apple TV if they're at fault for this information leak.

 

[AppleScruff1]

And what about Cable providers in the US. I mean Apple is based in California so why wouldn't they work first with a cable provider here?

Because LTD is in Canada.

 

[damir00]

I have a hard time believing that! What isp gives 250mbps?

Shaw. $115/month, with 1TB cap.

I'm on a 25mbps plan - 400GB cap - $50/month including phone and basic cable (don't even have the cable plugged in).

 

[Mr Fusion]

Shaw. $115/month, with 1TB cap.

****in' ripoff.

EDIT: Read that wrong, HOLY CRAP THAT'S FAST!!!

 

[JohnDoe98]

Shaw. $115/month, with 1TB cap.

I'm on a 25mbps plan - 400GB cap - $50/month including phone and basic cable (don't even have the cable plugged in).

Incredible!

 

[Peace]

I have a hard time believing that! What isp gives 250mbps?

Comcast does.

Not sure about cable providers in Canada.

 

[Friscohoya]

My guess is that...

...there is misinformation in this rumor and somebody is going to lose their job over this one. Apple probably makes crazy statements regarding the device's capabilities to each company so that they can determine the source of leaks. I hear Subway is hiring...

 

[entatlrg]

Steve said he wanted to work on a TV, but this is indeed incredibly sloppy.

It will be a leak from the Bell or Rogers side that got the info to the National Globe and Mail newspaper.

No doubt Apple won't be too happy about it.

 

[damir00]

There is no reason for either company to have access to prototypes unless Apple is integrating something very deep with them.

 

[iChrist]

Is like Kinect? No? Does other people see how is same? Jobs 'cracked it' when Kinect came out. lol

 

[Zaqfalcon]

STOP CALLING IT iTV!

ITV already exists, they will not be permitted to call it this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itv

Unless Apple buys ITV of course. Will the real ITV please stand up.

 

[RollTide1017]

If true, I hope it works better than Kinect. My Kinect is most useful for collecting dust. I have to yell at the thing for it to recognize any voice commands and the hand gestures don't work at all if I'm sitting in my comfortable spot on the couch.

For the gestures to work I have to sit straight up, on the edge and center of the couch, and even then they still don't work very well. Now, if I stand a few feet in front of my couch they work great, but who wants to have to stand up to change channels. With the 360, it is 10x easier to grab a controller or remote and get to what you want in about half the time it takes to get there with Kinect.

 

[JamesGorman]

So Apple is trying to work with the very same ISPs that keep increasing their fees and keep diminishing the monthly caps?

If you think your monthly caps in the USA are bad, try 80, 50 or even 35GB in Canada. And that's for cable-based, home internet.

What isp? I don't have a cap at all.

 

[washby4]

They can't be that dumb can they? Releasing this information when Apple obviously would not let them and most likely having signed a NDA. Apple would go ballistic if true information about this was revealed.

I don't believe this report.

Ever heard of controlled leaks. Its a tactic not unfamiliar to apple. What better way to build up hype for a new product then by periodically reminding people that its coming without having to spend money on advertising. Not saying this is definitely one, but i would not be surprised in the slightest if it was

 

[Can't Stop]

Incredible!

Indeed it is, people still have caps on their cable internet plans.

 

[Tech198]

Apple

Not bad.... but i wonder how the hand gestures would work.

I mean, it cannot be direct contact with the screen, as no-one would sit THAT close to watch anyway.

So, it must be probably be kind something like the wii, sensor bar attached with a remote very similar, only this one also has speech.

I'm not really into the habit of speaking into anything. so I don't really like the voice.. (aka. Similarly, Siri on the IPhone 4S only lasted 30 seconds of excitement, then the feeling wore off)

Is this be still good, depending on price when available, to get rid of you external ATV 2 ? *shrugs* we'll see.

 

[marksman]

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The interesting thing is the tv market is a mess with many companies losing money. I think Sony's tv division lost close to 3 billion dollars last year. It seems the tv industry needs a shake up.

 

[mcfmullen]

They seem to compete up here as we have a few like Shaw, Telus and Bell as the big 3 who always have promotions to win new customers over. People never thought Apple could do what they did to the Cell world too, Apple has a HUGE following and this would bring a ton of new customers over.

Oh please! What illusion of competition do you believe??? Telus vs Rogers in the west = duopoly. Rogers vs Shaw in ontario = Duopoly. Bell vs Videotron in Quebec = duopoly. Bell vs Bell Aliant in Atlantic Canada = Monopoly.

THERE IS NO COMPETITION.

 

[marksman]

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If you are partnered with a cable provider, you don't need a specific internet connection. Set top boxes communicate back to the server without subscribing to full internet service. It's just part of the TV service.

arn

yeah and I don't see many cable providers wanting to work with apple on this here in the US. The cable providers wouldn't want something like iTunes on that tv if they work with apple and they would want to use there own PPV system that they have now. So unless apple plans to remove iTunes content from the tv then it would not work.

There will be an AT&T out there who takes a competitive edge.

We all thought apple would try to compete against the cable cos directly but partnering with them would be very shrewd. Cable cos own content and also have content deals. If apple tried to go it alone it would have been like releasing a carrier free iPhone to start, it would have never taken off.

If they can work with cable and satellite companies who also work with subsidies they could control their product and guarantee penetration. In 5 years the apple tv is a must have for all distributors but apple calls all the shots.

We have all been looking at this short term but this could be a real long term strategy. If apple can sell TVs for 699 instead of 1499 because of subsidies it would potentially work well.

I never even considered this route but it makes sense. This way apple gets distribution and content quickly. They also breakdown the wall of cable cos playing games with content

 

[mcfmullen]

My Canadian ISP serves a minimum of 125GB per month with the basic speed (10Mbps). The top pack includes 1TB (250Mbps). Not sure what sad ISP you use

Bell: 4GB/2Mbps base plan
Videotron: 5GB/3Mbps base plan
Rogers: 15GB/3Mbps base plan
Telus: 30GB/1Mbps base plan
Sasktel: unlmtd?/256Kbps base plan

Don't toot your horn with lies. All other ISPS are third parties relying on the above, with exception being that they have UNLIMITED caps (for the most part) but they match speeds on the low end so no, your ISP DOES NOT serve a minimum 125GB with a base speed of 10Mbps.

 

[marksman]

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I can't wait to see people coming out of the Malls carrying a big apple tv. lol Are they going to carry it for you to your car? Good luck carrying that big thing in the mall.

That is your takeaway?

By the way a 42" flat screen is not some kind of massive burden and people likely buy TVs at malls now

 

[tylerk36]

If Siri doesn't work without an Internet connection then it's already failed.

Maybe SIRI doesn't work without internet but simple commands do. Such as the iPhone 4 had simple commands that would work without internet. So maybe that will be an option. No internet then simple commands internet then SIRI.