Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple TV 3. What to expect?

I doubt we'll see one until 2013.

Original was released in 2007, current one in 2010... 3 year cycles?

As for what I'd like to see, all the features I'd like can be done with software so no real need for new hardware, things like better control over media, and apps :)
 
Mak47 said:
It could become the a la carte "cable tv" everyone has always wanted but cable companies will never provide. We could subscribe to the channels we want, ignore those we don't, rent one off programs from iTunes on occasion as well.

HBO, ABC & others already offer on demand content on the iPad. This could be a much more viable format.
Click to expand...

You're wrong here. It's almost overwhelmingly the content providers that don't want the cable/sat companies offering their programming ala carte. Even if they got in to a position to offer ala carte, it won't be what you probably want.

Do you think NBC Universal will let you subscribe to JUST Syfy without taking USA, The Weather Channel, MSNBC, E! and Bravo?

Do you think Fox wants you to have FX without taking Fox News?

I don't want to get off track, but having worked in that industry it's really irritating to see blame being laid at (most of the time) the wrong feet.

Look at the current situation with cable companies wanting to stream TV you already subscribe to another screen in your home (the iPad). Content providers flipped out, not the cable providers.

More often than not, it's content providers that are limiting progress. Not the cable/sat companies.

But more on topic, the only thing I want in the next-gen AppleTV is a pass-thru. Would love it to go inline like the Logitech Revue so that I don't have to switch inputs to airplay a video or something.
 
Bearxor said:
Do you think NBC Universal will let you subscribe to JUST Syfy without taking USA, The Weather Channel, MSNBC, E! and Bravo?

Do you think Fox wants you to have FX without taking Fox News?
Click to expand...

I'd be fine with that, too. Still better than what we have. Let me subscribe to smaller blocks of channels. That could work.
 
Dimwhit said:
I'd be fine with that, too. Still better than what we have. Let me subscribe to smaller blocks of channels. That could work.
Click to expand...

I understand the thinking, but unless you want a really, really small subset of channels, it's cheaper or slightly more expensive to subscribe to a complete package.

Not to say that it wouldn't be beneficial for some people but that number is in the extreme minority. These are just a couple of the reasons the FCC abandoned a push to mandate ala carte cable.
 
The main problem with the a-la-carte concept is in the math. Those wanting it usually perceive the math wrong. They think about what they pay now, divide by the total number of channels they get and assume an a-la-carte model would price the channels that way. For example, someone pays $100 per month for 200 channels today. $100/200 = 50 cents per channel. "I only watch 10 channels". 10 channels times 50 cents = $5 per month in the imagined al-a-carte model.

While that would be fantastic, that's not how it would work. Instead, all the people on the other end of the equation would want to continue making just as much as they make now. Since they are selling what we want to buy, they would just adapt pricing accordingly. Thus, all channels wouldn't be 50 cents each: some might be priced at a nickel (though probably just killed off) while others might be priced at $10+ each. The collective favorite channels would probably be priced pretty high to replace that $100 revenue stream for 200 channels (190 of each we don't watch) with the 10 we want al-a-carte that we do watch.

In the end, the objective for the seller would be to maintain or increase their revenues, NOT cut them. I'd love a-la-carte too within the dream concept of around 50 cents per channel. But I know what would really happen. The sellers can't make their business model work if the revenues dropped to 50 cents per channel and people only subscribed to a handful of channels they actually like.
 
Last edited:
Bearxor said:
I understand the thinking, but unless you want a really, really small subset of channels, it's cheaper or slightly more expensive to subscribe to a complete package.

Not to say that it wouldn't be beneficial for some people but that number is in the extreme minority. These are just a couple of the reasons the FCC abandoned a push to mandate ala carte cable.
Click to expand...

I'm probably in the minority. Aside from the main networks, I watch SyFy, USA, HGTV, Food Network, and maybe TNT/TBS if they have something good on. And the ESPN channels. I could do without everything else. (Well, ok, the wife might want to add a couple channels.)
 
nunes013 said:
i think apple will make an atv 3 with an iOS 5 chip and 1080p playback. the real deal comes when apple makes the apple (actual) tv. it will have a FaceTime HD camera built in apple tv and all that good stuff. i think they have to release an updated apple tv later this year or else everybody will start the rumors. "why didn't they update it, they must be launching the real tv soon."

what does everyone think the real tv by apple will look like. do you think more like a giant cinema display or more like the tv they show in ads next to the apple tv? im guessing

-apple cinema display like with apple logo on the bottom.
-run off of the new A6 chip when released
-built in FaceTime HD camera
-iOS 5.X to ship with
-between 40"-50" with a resolution a little higher than the cinema display
-built in speakers
-3 hdmi ports
-ethernet
-2 USB
-VGA and maybe DVI
-component and composite
-fibre optic sound
-co-ax cable
-and of course thunderbolt and maybe firewire
Click to expand...

Apple thrives off rumors of new and suspected products. They don't feel compelled to deliver products just to squelch possible rumors.

How little you understand Apple, my friend. :)

And, by the way, the original TV they used in the AppleTV ads is the now-defunct Pioneer Elite KURO plasma HDTV. (I know, because I own one and would recognize it anywhere).
 
kadams54 said:
* 1080p output
* Support for 7.1 surround sound

Both of the above likely require changes in both the AppleTV and in the HD content available from Apple, but they would put digitally-distributed HD on par with Blu-ray. The 7.1 surround sound is the primary reason I'm still buying Blu-rays and not digital files.
Click to expand...

Do you really mean 7.1? Or do you mean Lossless audio like Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio? Because you can count on one hand the number of films so far mastered in 7.1. I also love my Lossless audio. But I don't want the TV to do that. I haven't seen a TV do it well yet. Apparently, most HDTVs don't even try.

kadams54 said:
* iTunes locker

Being able to simply stream purchased content from the internet to the AppleTV, without the intermediary of another computer + iTunes, would alleviate many of the complaints (you have to have the other computer on, you have to have iTunes up, etc.).
Click to expand...

I agree this would be a compelling feature. I still think that the grand plan with regard to iCloud will bring the AppleTV more into the fold, and at that point, it will cease to be "one more hobby".

kadams54 said:
* App Store

For me, what this boils down to is that I want Hulu Plus on my Apple TV :) But I'd love to see what other creative uses third parties could come up with for the box. Note that having an app store doesn't mean we'd have Twitter on the big screen. Apple could limit apps to only video-related. Vevo, ESPN, Justin.tv/Ustream.tv, Hulu, Pandora, etc - all sources of audio/video content that are currently excluded from the Apple TV. Opening up to third parties means that Apple would no longer be on the hook for doing the work of adding something like Vimeo themselves. They're effectively outsourcing the work to the parties that would benefit from it the most.
Click to expand...

I'm changing my mind about Hulu Plus. I don't really see it as a compelling content solution FOR ME like I used to. They just don't seem to be inking the deals they need to in order to have new shows day-after-air that they'll NEED in order to stay differentiated from Netflix. Right now, Netflix is the Gold Standard by which the others are measured. They know who they are and they deliver it. The clock is ticking on Hulu Plus and they don't seem to care.

kadams54 said:
* Airplay support extended to everything

I've seen videos of Airplay support in iOS 5 that basically makes your Apple TV-connected display a wireless second monitor. Sweet! Now I want that in Mac OS X as well. The idea is to be able to easily take anything you see on any of your Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac) and throw it up on the big screen with minimal fuss and cables.
Click to expand...

I think they plan to call this iTunes Mirroring, correct? Where it mirrors video and audio from a pc, mac or idevice directly. I would prefer this to the hit or miss method now. (HBO Go, for example, Airplays only sound but not video. Same with the recent Star Wars Blu-Ray app).

:apple::cool::)
 
Apple Tv 3

I think storage space so that it's not so network/cloud based would be good. I like my ATV 1 because it is a good music server (except that the music annoyingly pauses when I open my MBP). However, I doubt this will be changed. Perhaps nice TV screens with ATV (and other net capabilities) built in.
 
A thought on FaceTime capabilities...

People have pointed out that positioning of could make an integrated camera awkward. However what if the ATV took on a a form factor similar to Microsoft's Kinect? In other words a big bar that could be sat on top of the television. They might need to switch on an external power adapter, but otherwise the hardware should easily fit.
 
Irishman said:
I think they plan to call this iTunes Mirroring, correct? Where it mirrors video and audio from a pc, mac or idevice directly. I would prefer this to the hit or miss method now. (HBO Go, for example, Airplays only sound but not video. Same with the recent Star Wars Blu-Ray app).

:apple::cool::)
Click to expand...

I really do not like the mirroring, I can see the benefit for a few things but do I really need the same thing playing on my ipad or iphone. For me Airplay is a much better solution, just fix it so that every app sends video and audio.
 
paulcdb said:
I doubt we'll see one until 2013.

Original was released in 2007, current one in 2010... 3 year cycles?
Click to expand...

You can't extrapolate this from two points. If we had 2004, 2007, 2010, it would be a little more convincing, but there's still not much there to suggest the ATV follows a fixed release cycle.
 
Che Castro said:
So what are the chances we get a new apple tv announcement on the 4th ?
Click to expand...

I'm really hoping so, but the title of the invite implies that we might only be talking about one brand of device next week. I recently decided I want one of these things, but I can't justify buying a year old Apple product. Seems like nothing lasts over a year anymore (sans Mac Pro).
 
Last edited:
The near dead silence in the rumor mill strongly implies either it is a "best kept secret" and "one more thing" candidate or we can hope for a software updated at best. I haven't seen anything that implies a new (hardware) model, but they are doing things in the software for developers that imply there will probably be some new software benefits.

I so want 1080p in an :apple:TV but I'm increasingly pessimistic for 2011.
 
What about that new HD+ thing announced a while back for iTunes movies
I think its suppose to be apples converted version of 1080p

Also it wouldnt be right that apple is updating everything to the A5 chip [ipad/iphone/ & probably the ipod] and leave the apple tv using the A4 chip

The first apple tv 1 didnt have the same hardware as the iphone 3g right?

So since they thought hey lets use the same processor in all our devices the A4 ,we can just upgrade them all every year
 
Is there another apple media event being held after the october 4th one ?

Im still keeping hope Alive for an ATV3
 
I have not read the thread, so forgive me if already mentioned.

The next AppleTV will be a 40" led with all kinds of neat stuff inside. Late 2012 or early 2013.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back