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Apple doesn't even offer Apple Lossless iTunes downloads. The implication that they would offer 4k HD video is ridiculous IMO.

Yes. 4k is far, far in the future of internet downloads to the masses. Files sizes are much too large for 90% of American customers bandwidth limits. No one is going to use 1/2 their bandwidth for one movie hah
 
Not sure if I'd be interested in an Apple branded TV. I have an AppleTV and an iMac. I use my iMac to watch TV through Xfinity.

Maybe that's what Apple should focus on; make the Mac a better source for television. Why can't the AppleTV interface be brought back to the Mac. Remember FrontRow? Apple's came with remotes. My 2007 Macbook sure did.

With Apple making it easier to detach a Mac from its base and hang on a wall it only makes sense for them to treat the iMacs as televisions. But I didn't get a remote with my 2010 iMac. Nor with my 2013 MBA. Maybe Siri will be the channel guide.

Me: Battlestar Galactica season 1 episode 5 scene 3
Siri: Found on Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime
Me: Play from Hulu Plus

Me: Play the top Youtube videos according to my tastes
Siri: Found 10 videos you might like.
Me: Play all of them

Hopefully that's the case. I know too many people now that do not have a cable subscription but rely on streaming video alone. Cutting out cable is the future. Apple most likely is headed in that direction. :cool:
 
Yes. 4k is far, far in the future of internet downloads to the masses. Files sizes are much too large for 90% of American customers bandwidth limits. No one is going to use 1/2 their bandwidth for one movie hah

Huh? Why would a person not use half their bandwidth for one movie? I don't think the average consumer pays attention to how much bandwidth their stream is eating up. It either plays smoothly, or it does not.

I agree that we don't have the bandwidth yet for mass market though.
 
Its not technology holding up an Apple TV

But what IS holding up an Apple TV are the networks/content providers and the ISPs. The CEOs of the networks and ISPs are smart people and, unlike the Music industry, will not be under a 'Steve Job magical spell' and then loose control of their own industries.

They want to make sure that Apple does not become the clearing house for all TV/Cable content.

The myth is that Apple is inventing new technologies for TV but, guess what? They have that already done. Jobs pretty much said as much.

Jobs was working on the content providers, but the networks and ISPs will not give it away. Not a chance. Hence, the delay of an Apple TV.
 
Pioneer television division: Called it quits.
Sharp: Drowning.
Panasonic: Zero profit on TV's.
Sony: On the edge.

Exactly how is this a good thing for Apple?
 
Not to confuse... Growing Smart Tv vs. Streaming Platform (aka. appletv)

As the statistics prove to be right, doesn´t mean that the smart tv owners use 100% of the functionalities, especially the adopted name as "smart" on the tv´s(might use only the 1/5 funct. of it).

Several or almost all people just bought the newest LED tv with implemented smart as the only option. The function of Apps on the tv´s aren't as practical as the streaming platform. ;)

Statistics might confuse corporate strategy of what people/consumers really want, everyone wants tv´s on their houses.
 
Lovely idea. But as has been said many times before, if Apple is going to deliver the whole software experience in a cheap box, why buy the full TV? Apple's television is going to be made by someone else who will be very likely to take the exact same panel and put it in a less pretty frame with their logo on it and probably offer it for substantially less than the one with the Apple logo on it. It will be the exact same panel, which means the exact same quality of picture. If we can save many hundreds on THAT TV and then attach the full Apple software experience via a cheap add-on box, why buy the whole cow?

...Key to Apple's success is the lock of software to hardware. If they can be separately purchased, then the Apple Television hardware would be unique in that any head-to-head against other Television hardware specs would carry much more weight.

I agree that they would need to differentiate. I do think that if Apple were to produce an integrated display, it could be unique in several ways:
-beautiful design - more drool-worthy than the set-top box
-display quality - a thin, high-quality display with dead simple color accuracy, super sharpness, generous viewing angles, etc.
-cleaner setup
-user interface - touch? voice? gestures? easy input switching? something that isn't possible on the set-top box.
-greater performance/features. Faster processor (looser heat parameters), integrated FaceTime camera, decent compact speakers, more I/O

Really, it's why people spend $1,299 for an iMac when they could get a Mac Mini for $599. Both run OS X. One box, one machine, one cable. :cool: People have multiple TVs, after all. Pick up the set-top box for your big Samsung. Then in a few years, move the set-top box into the bedroom TV and pickup the Big Daddy Apple display. I really do think there's room for both form factors.
 
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Apple doesn't even offer Apple Lossless iTunes downloads. The implication that they would offer 4k HD video is ridiculous IMO.

I agree. Most people don't even care or notice bitrate or general quality (streams vs Blu-Ray, 720/1080...) differences. Marketing just slaps a "HD" moniker on the content and most people are happy. Sad but true.

Sony will have major trouble filling its 4K HD device they just started selling imho:

http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/07/sony-announces-fmp-x1-4k-media-player-and-distribution-service/

4K is where an updated Blu-Ray standard could have made sense. Sony could have added this to the Playstation4...since they didn't 4K will probably be a niche market and only make sense for digital upscaling most of the time. I highly doubt Apple will offer 4K in the near future, too small of a niche.

I'm sceptical Apple will ever produce a TV set at all. Samsung with its "Evolution Kit" shows the real power is in the small box attached to the TV, not in the "dumb" TV set/screen:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/20/4127552/samsung-smart-evolution-kit-hdtv-upgrade-ships-may-399

Why can't Apple just offer an updated AppleTV and a HDMI 2.0 cable in the future? Makes more sense in my view.

In short: Updated Apple TV boxes? Yes please. (Giant) Apple iTV set? No, everybody is bleeding money manufacturing TV sets and picture quality is good enough for most consumers. Everyone can start producing 4K sets with no margins, no need for Apple to jump into this shark pool...
 
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Pioneer television division: Called it quits.
Sharp: Drowning.
Panasonic: Zero profit on TV's.
Sony: On the edge.

Exactly how is this a good thing for Apple?

Fully agreed, I will sell all of my AAPL shares the day Apple announces a TV set.

Just think of the logistics nightmares before Holidays: Shipping giant TV displays over from Asia with razor-thin margins, storing them in Apple stores (is there enough space ?), hassle of buying these giant screens at Apple retail (home delivery ?!).

Apple has better margins on any iPhone or a tablet with a fraction of the weight and size of a TV set.

I find it funny most AAPL analysts didn't mention these logistics issues and jumped in joy when Apple TV rumors surfaced. Apple margins would be crushed with TV sets.

PS: Apple should just keep improving its Apple TV "hockey puck" and sell them for 49-99 USD. Plugging in an HDMI cable to your existing TV (or future TV with 4k/8k from Brand X and HDMI 2.0 cable) is simple enough...
 
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The new XBox One with Kinect looks very interesting:

http://kotaku.com/watch-the-reveal-of-the-next-xbox-as-it-happens-right-509034592

http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/21/4350918/xbox-one-microsoft-unveils-its-next-generation-console

Voice recognition and control looks great. Hope Apple can do something similar with AppleTV one day.

Hate to say it, but Microsoft looks well ahead on this one. Only downside is probably the price of the new console...but there are rumors that Microsoft will do a simpler and cheaper XBox One version in 2014 just for TV.
 
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