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Steve Jobs on an Apple Television: No Need for 'All These Complicated Remote Controls'
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We might see Reed Paul Jobs in the future..
Steve Jobs Let His Son Sit In Closed Door Meetings As Apple Grappled With The Antennagate Fiasco
Uh ? No, I'm talking about my home theater setup. A bunch of boxes with each one having a different remote. This is what the article is about here...
What does designing hardware and coding an OS have to do with this ? Again, I'm simply stating that I don't understand how an Apple TV Set comes in and solves the "All these complicated remote controls" equation.
There's always iPad, iPhone remote that can control with gestures. Apple can even go further and use Facetime camera for gestures as someone is sitting or standing near the tv.
30 Rock touched on this concept once. I could not find the whole bit, but here is a quick part of it.
The only way it will make things simpler is if it got rid of your other devices like the cable box. TVs are complicated because you have so many devices doing different things. An Apple TV needs a cablecard tuner so you can cut the cable box out of the equation and use internet media and live TV all from one device.
I got rid of my cable box and am using an HTPC with a cablecard tuner and Windows Media Center and it is ridiculously better, I have unrestricted Hulu, Netflix, Youtube, anything all without having to switch inputs or boot anything up along with the best live TV and TV guide interface on the market by an insane margin. I also dont pay any rental fees because cablecards are required to be free. But its still an extra device, if my TV did everything instead of the computer then it would be even better.
I got rid of my cable box and am using an HTPC with a cablecard tuner and Windows Media Center and it is ridiculously better, I have unrestricted Hulu, Netflix, Youtube, anything all without having to switch inputs or boot anything up along with the best live TV and TV guide interface on the market by an insane margin. I also dont pay any rental fees because cablecards are required to be free. But its still an extra device, if my TV did everything instead of the computer then it would be even better.
Same thing could be said about Voicemail on smartphones. People couldn't even imagine what would make it usable and friendly, then Apple made visual voicemail and people were like 'Ohhhhhhh,'
There's a solution for every problem and Apple loves to solve them. As long as tech industry creates complicated, messy technology Apple will always come up with a better solution.
A Siri enabled TV doesn't sound like that great of an idea just yet, there is still the need for a remote control because there are a lot of functions that would be difficult to use with Siri.
I bought a Logitech Harmony 700 to tie all of my different remotes together, it makes more sense for the Apple TV to have a smart programmable remote.
The Apple TV interface will be a thing of beauty, I'm sure, but the UI for just about everything else is pretty crappy.
The solution to that problem would seem to be an Apple interface that dominates that of peripherals and an intelligent enough programmable remote to replace all other required remotes.
The Harmony is a nice remote but Logitech went with a cheap screen and the UI, otherwise it would be the perfect replacement for 5 other remotes.
If Apple can succeed where Logitech has done a pretty mediocre job then they can effectively improve the user interface across all peripherals.
I bought a Logitech Harmony 700 to tie all of my different remotes together, it makes more sense for the Apple TV to have a smart programmable remote.
The Apple TV interface will be a thing of beauty, I'm sure, but the UI for just about everything else is pretty crappy.
The solution to that problem would seem to be an Apple interface that dominates that of peripherals and an intelligent enough programmable remote to replace all other required remotes.
The Harmony is a nice remote but Logitech went with a cheap screen and the UI, otherwise it would be the perfect replacement for 5 other remotes.
If Apple can succeed where Logitech has done a pretty mediocre job then they can effectively improve the user interface across all peripherals.
Live TV is a dying format. I dropped my cable subscription about a year ago and have found TV to be a surprisingly more enjoyable experience. I think this will be the next big revolution moving all content to on demand.
That's the way I see it. I, and I am sure I am not the only one, hate to use voice control all the time. Sometimes it's ok, but sometimes it's inappropriate.
I like the remote that comes with the
TV. Its only drawback is that it is a pain to 'type' with. Voice control would solve that.The fact that you can't visualize how to do it says more about you than it does about Apple's possible implementation.
I had 1 single phone with voicemail before. I now still have 1 single phone.
Again, my TV already has 1 remote. Not "All these complicated remote controls". An Apple TV Set does not bring a single remote, it does what is already here : Each device has their remote.
Building a better universal remote does not require attaching a TV set to it.
I'll give you 3 remotes if you enjoy being in an Apple eco-system.
The TV Remote
The Apple TV Remote
The Cable Box Remote
Currently, I have a Logitech Harmony remote that controls them all (including Xbox and Sound System).
And because I'm pretty sure this question will arise within this discussion, Apple should (and most likely would) partner up with a company (or downright buy them) to create a protocol that would control devices through Siri. Most likely through the HDMI cable hooked up to the TV.
Or if the timeline on the TV is still very far away, they could use Wireless standards to connect to the TV. Also create HDMI Adapters for older devices. Minimal to no licensing fees on using the standard, and boom. TV Industry blowup. Design wise, clean, beautiful, simple, one power cord. Technologically advanced to recognize, as well as understand.
Not too farfetched for Apple IMO.
Maybe that remote would be the iDevices, like you can tell iPhone to play something on TV or change a channel and it'll understand. Kinda like how Siri knows who your mom or wife is, you can assign a TV to the profile.
Yah but you are thinking like today...not tomorrow.
You have to push a button on the remote, then scroll through various things to find what you want, then enter it.
I think what Steve is imagining is a remote that obviously has a microphone on it to enter commands such as
"Go to the Boston Redsox game"
"Record FRINGE on Friday"
"Show me Cooking shows"
and so on...and we already know that Siri is changing search in this fashion..especially that Google is getting worried about Siri, you know Jobs was on to something....now add that level to a TV and it's a lot easier to find what you are looking for then going through a cable grid of shows and times.
What is so complicated about current TV remotes? Too many buttons confuse you? I can understand people getting frustrated with having remotes for all different devices (Logitech Harmony remotes are lifesavers for this), but the basic TV/DVR remote is easy to use. If you're confused by buttons without bothering to figure out what they do, then you shouldn't be using a TV in the first place (even my 87-yr old technology-inept grandma has all the DVR playback functions down, so come on).
I'm talking about the complexity of the project. Which is harder, an entertainment system setup or designing hardware and coding an OS? Point being, again and again Apple has changed the way we view things when before, ppl were like, how can than possibly make better "_____". At the end of the day, i don't know what hardware or software integration we'll get, maybe it simply the fact that it will control everything freak'n piece you attach to your tv... i don't know, but if Apple is going to do it, I know they'll do it well.
Aren't their Options viable for cutting the cord. I just Can't see what this would add in that front. Now I can see apple TV changing what it means to be an App of the TV.
Also wondering how this Will Differ from Apple TV and What Mircosoft is doing with Xbox. I'm guessing Siri is the big clincher here.
Also wondering how this Will Differ from Apple TV and What Mircosoft is doing with Xbox. I'm guessing Siri is the big clincher here.
It's obvious that, as many commenters have said, they will implement Siri into a remote. However, they also need to implement physical volume controls and a play/pause button at the very least. When you're watching a movie with your family, and a loud bit comes up, it's mighty inconvenient to have to yell over the din "SIRI, TURN THE VOLUME DOWN." You also don't want to have to interrupt what you're watching when you need to pause. Having to speak a command is disruptive, and should only be used when you're currently looking at something you're about to make go away, e.g. change the channel, or fast forward. Play/pause is used when you're going to continue viewing the same content, and thus has to be able to be subtly invoked through use of physical buttons.
That probably made no sense. Just accept it as fact
That probably made no sense. Just accept it as fact
But that's not Apple's philosophy. Anyone can figure anything out if they put enough time into it, but Apple doesn't want you to waste time on that. Instead, it wants to work right out of the box with minimum training/understanding.
IMO, I'd doubt they would just do a remote. Apple wants complete control... end to end, ecosystem! They want to control your WHOLE experience. From turning the tv, to the games being played, to how you get your content and how it's served up. Has the iPod, iPhone, iPad not taught us anything at how apple can change things up?!
An Apple HDTV is a red herring. The problem isn't the TV, it's getting content to it. It's getting sports without having to pay for cable/satellite. It's getting streaming content over the Internet straight to your devices. It's paying for only what you want and nothing you don't need. And none of that involves building a TV.
Sure, having everything integrated into one device would be nice, but that doesn't solve the actual problem of TV. That's just making a shiny device that only the Apple faithful would buy.
The future is people who never want to buy cable because it has 100 channels they don't care to watch, but still like live sports. Oh, and the cable companies hold all the cards. Good luck!
Sure, having everything integrated into one device would be nice, but that doesn't solve the actual problem of TV. That's just making a shiny device that only the Apple faithful would buy.
The future is people who never want to buy cable because it has 100 channels they don't care to watch, but still like live sports. Oh, and the cable companies hold all the cards. Good luck!