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I think the TV market is a little different than ipads, mp3 and iPhones. The refresh rate is much slower and it's a major purchase. So I don't think you can look at the past to determine the future.

That being said - I am amused how obvious it is who actually reads threads and who just clicks on to add their smart remark seeing as quite a few people posted nearly the same thing (about ipods displacing the walkman).
 
Here's my fear about an Apple TV... (first, uh... what are they going to call it?) Seriously though, it's not an unwarranted concern that Apple would distribute something with limited connectivity options priced way higher than existing options. Whenever Steve got inspired to revolutionize an industry, he usually did so by chopping it down to its essence. In the case of the TV, he'd want to control what you could connect to it. I think this would be a mistake in the case of TV's as it would render existing gear useless and I don't think many people would embrace that like they do in other markets.

Secondly, while as a consumer, I applaud the centralizing of music and video in the iTunes ecosystem (still DETEST the $1.29 price), the record and movie industries are apparently much less thrilled. They see Apple as a huge threat to their ability to freely gouge customers by limiting their distribution. Look at how they're pushing back against Netflix. One could argue that they're single-handedly destroying that company (with a little help from their CEO). Apple's really good at making hardware and software and I think the rumored Siri interface would be an amazingly fresh way to get through so much content. But the challenge Apple will have is getting Cable companies and content providers to cooperate.

Lastly, I fear an ecosystem for my TV that mirrors iOS devices. Apple has a way of getting you hooked into their ecosystem then leaving you behind unless you continue to buy more hardware. That might work with a subsidized phone, but it's not going to work with a $2,000 television so their revenue stream better be more dependent on content than hardware.

Apple really doesn't sell hardware and software. They sell a technological experience. You can buy cheep hardware and software from most anyone, but Apple sells and provides what few others provide, so we're willing to pay for it. +$81B proves it.
 
Sony's innovations and especially quality in their TV's and computers has nose dived in recent years, they're heading the wrong way fast.

I heard once there was another industry or two or three that had been producing products for years as well ... I think maybe those industry's lost large sitting their hands while Apple just started out ...

What was that? music, phones, tablets, MacBooks Airs ... can't seem to recall.

:D :apple::apple::apple:

And Apple's quality recently has included finger prints BEHIND the glass of it's MacBook Pro's, iMacs that still suffer from yellow screens, iPhones that don't have alarms that work or the battery lasts a few hours.......

Apple has hardly been the pinnacle of 'quality' over recent years, despite it's premium pricing.

I would state Sony can be better.
 
"Beat Apple to the punch"; hopefully that isn't Sony's big business strategy.

It doesn't matter who does it first as much as who does it best. None of Apple's best products were the first in their category per se (computers before the Apple/Mac, Rio mp3 players predated the iPod, smart phones around before the iPhone, tablets before the iPad) but they were better than their predecessors.
 
Sony makes the sensors for many of Nikon's cameras. And i'm sure they make a lot of other components used by other companies, even Apple.

They may be inferior in some cases but they aren't going anywhere.

Correct. As a company they do good stuff still. It is as a consumer electronics brand that they've lost their luster and don't compete well.

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The main thing for a tv is the picture quality, I cant see Apple competing with the years of experience from other manufacturers. They would be better making the Apple TV better and including siri etc in it

The TV picture quality is dictated by the LCD (or plasma) panel used. These are commodity components. You pay more for a better-quality panel, but it's not like any company adds any "secret sauce" to this in general (marketing hand-waving aside).

Also, you may recall that Apple has been putting video screens on a number of devices for the past decade and change. LED/LCD even.

I'm also not a big fan of Apple producing a traditional TV set, and would much rather put that commodity display panel in a stupid enclosure with a single input for the Apple TV device to hook into. Still, if they go that route I don't see Sony's "experience" being a significant obstacle.
 
Sony is clueless when it comes to good UI and a platform. They'll launch whatever it is. Then they'll wonder why no one cares.

I really agree with you. I love Sony. They "almost" get it, but manage to mess up the experience somehow so that it's a gut-ache to use their products. Years ago I bought a Sony TV and Sony VCR (see I told you it was years ago). The TV had the best picture of it's time and the VCR is still the best quality one possible for playing back a tape. SInce they were from the same company, made at the same time, the remote control operated both units. It should have been a dream system, except there were no instructions other than how to use the very basic features.

Since then I've seen Sony make so many similar near-hits. I've not bought a Sony product since, and I've really tried hard to find one that could compare to an Apple experience.
 
I can't wait for a tv that will cost twice as much, only suppots 720p and will not allow me to hook up a blu ray player, a xbox 360, or a ps3.

Indeed, an Apple Television can't have too much functionality, or it will eat into iPad, iMac and Macbook sales. It will be very good at letting you buy stuff though...

I really hope Sony do something interesting. I don't want to just settle for what Apple wants us to settle for.
 
The TV picture quality is dictated by the LCD (or plasma) panel used. These are commodity components. You pay more for a better-quality panel, but it's not like any company adds any "secret sauce" to this in general (marketing hand-waving aside).

Wrong, the picture quality derives from the controller chips, all manufactures can use the same panel, but use Bravia, Viera, etc controller or processing technologies and they will all produce different pictures, just visit any electronics store to see it.
Not all TV pictures appeal to all purchasers, Apple would be the same if they launched a TV.
 
And Apple's quality recently has included finger prints BEHIND the glass of it's MacBook Pro's, iMacs that still suffer from yellow screens, iPhones that don't have alarms that work or the battery lasts a few hours.......

Apple has hardly been the pinnacle of 'quality' over recent years, despite it's premium pricing.

I would state Sony can be better.

Sony COULD do better than they have, but WILL they? One huge difference between Sony and Apple is that Apple will easily replace product to correct their quality issues and send out an update to fix their design problems. With Sony, what you get out of the box is what you have to live with.

The Sony UI designer works in a total vacuum. He has no idea of how the user expects the product to function. The instruction manual writer never meets the IU designer and has no idea of the how the product works outside of the basic functions.

You can throw rocks at Apple's quality, but while it is excellent, the expectation level is almost unrealistic...still Apple goes the extra mile to meet that expectation. The difference between Apple customer service and Sony customer service is as wide as the Pacific.

If, as the Sony CEO says, they are losing money with every sale, then I don't expect them to suddenly spend the money for a first class customer service center.

I don't see Sony able to put together a total solution, a la Apple, because they have a cultural blind-spot when it comes to bridge between user and UI design.

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Indeed, an Apple Television can't have too much functionality, or it will eat into iPad, iMac and Macbook sales. It will be very good at letting you buy stuff though...

How in the world can you imagine that a home-based TV would cut into portable device market share?? You make no sense there.
 
Apple really doesn't sell hardware and software. They sell a technological experience. You can buy cheep hardware and software from most anyone, but Apple sells and provides what few others provide, so we're willing to pay for it. +$81B proves it.

I'm not arguing with those results and make the same point myself to others often. But in some ways, I think the content providers (who are consolidating en masse, btw) aren't going to take the bait twice. In order for Apple to solve the problem with the television, they're going to need the cooperation of all the content providers. I'd be very surprised if Comcast sat back and let Apple provide a technological experience that makes their cable service irrelevant while increasing the demand on their Internet services. There's simply no way they're going to give up that revenue. And then there's satellite TV and satellite radio etc.

To put it succinctly, everyone with even a toe in this industry's pond has staked out territory and no one wants to play nice or give up an ounce of revenue for our benefit. Sounds like congress, but I digress.
 
Y but ...

having 81b warchest kindah places apple in way better position then comcast
 
I think Sony can beat Apple with the TV because Sony has been making TV's for a long time. Apple has not.
 
having 81b warchest kindah places apple in way better position then comcast

How exactly? Unless Apple buy Comcast, or roll out public WiFi, which I don't think anyone sees happening, Comcast are in a position to do real hurt to Apple.

Apple is selling data hungry devices. The price point for data directly affects the desirability of Apple's products.

Apple is selling media consumption devices. The price point for media directly affects the desirability of Apple's products.

Comcast owns significant portions of both of those markets.
 
I would let the gentleman in the photo do my taxes, but would I buy a cutting-edge gadget from the guy? [Rhetorical question]

Honestly, I'm trying to figure out how to unload the Sony stuff I already have. I'm not necessarily hankering for more.
 
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Sony hasn't revolutionized anything since the Walkman.

Not true. Ever heard of the Playstation TV? You can use 3D to be able to have two players look at what they're doing without the TV being split screen. Pretty revolutionary if you ask me.
 
Not true. Ever heard of the Playstation TV? You can use 3D to be able to have two players look at what they're doing without the TV being split screen. Pretty revolutionary if you ask me.

That's setting the bar pretty low for revolutions if you ask me, but that aside. You can't really consider this revolutionary until it's actually changed the market. Unless this gains significant traction, it's just another off the wall idea that goes nowhere. The history of CE is littered with them, quite a few of them Sony's. The iPod was a revolution because it shifted the entire dynamic of the market. The AppleTV as an example, is not a revolution. See also CDTV/CDi/Newton/Laser Disc/Polavision ....
 
I think both companies have clear advantages. Apple is a master of the internet/computing device industry which they could certainly integrate into their televisions. They also would probably make sure that it is not only easy to use but it would probably look very attractive. As for sony, they have entered into the same industries as Apple and more. (It would be awesome if it had a built in PS3!). Sony has access to anything they could need to make a T.V. I think Apple would be more daring in their endeavor, as they are with most things, while Sony tends to play it safe, while still offering top notch quality products. I think as of right now it could be hard to tell who could actually succeed over the other, but if Apple knows what they are doing, they could definitely revolutionize the television industry.
 
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