Remote App paves way for Safari on Apple TV

[themanfromvlad]

Now that YouTube is really useful on the Apple TV thanks to the iPhone's Remote App keyboard, I think it's just a matter of time before that remote app allows us to drag a cursor around the Apple TV screen. I think we'll see an Apple TV update in the near future that will give us Safari and real web browsing, tied to a Remote app that will act as our mouse and keyboard.

As neat as the Wii browser is, it's awfully low resolution doesn't cut it. The PS3 browser is useless due to input methods that would work while lying on a couch.

 

[gcmexico]

I just don't see Safari on AppleTV...the device is for entertainment, sitting on the couch and just watching stuff on your big screen...web surfing, is mostly computer related...if u need to surf the web, would u really want to be typing stuff on your iphone, and looking at it on your big screen?? just doesn't seem right to me

 

[ayale99]

I just don't see Safari on AppleTV...the device is for entertainment, sitting on the couch and just watching stuff on your big screen...web surfing, is mostly computer related...if u need to surf the web, would u really want to be typing stuff on your iphone, and looking at it on your big screen?? just doesn't seem right to me

You can already have a browser on AppleTV. It's called CouchSurfer. The reason people want a browser on their AppleTv is for internet video sites like Hulu. Not to mention, viewing your photos on Fliker, checking movie times, email...the list of conveniences goes on. I can't wait till Safari hits the AppleTv!

 

[P-Worm]

You can already have a browser on AppleTV. It's called CouchSurfer. The reason people want a browser on their AppleTv is for internet video sites like Hulu. Not to mention, viewing your photos on Fliker, checking movie times, email...the list of conveniences goes on. I can't wait till Safari hits the AppleTv!

I'd rather these things be added to the AppleTV as standalone applications. Using a browser on an AppleTV sounds like a nightmare to me.

P-Worm

 

[dbwie]

no way

Let's see, so Apple would put a web browser on appleTV, and then say "wait, if you need to type in a URL, you need to buy an iPhone with the remote app ($199 + 2 year AT+T contract) or an iPod Touch (> $200) in order to use it? No way. Some sort of bundled input device would need to be included with AppleTV (or be an inexpensive additional purchase) before they could add a more advanced program that requires point-and-click.

 

[DeuceDeuce]

Let's see, so Apple would put a web browser on appleTV, and then say "wait, if you need to type in a URL, you need to buy an iPhone with the remote app ($199 + 2 year AT+T contract) or an iPod Touch (> $200) in order to use it? No way. Some sort of bundled input device would need to be included with AppleTV (or be an inexpensive additional purchase) before they could add a more advanced program that requires point-and-click.

It has YouTube and no keyboard, why cant it have Safari and no keyboard?

 

[Cave Man]

With 256 mb of RAM? They'd really have to strip down Safari to work on it. Right now, my iMac's Safari is taking up 270 mb.

 

[i.Feature]

With 256 mb of RAM? They'd really have to strip down Safari to work on it. Right now, my iMac's Safari is taking up 270 mb.

Wouldn't the stripped down version on the touch/iphone be good enough. i think it would.

 

[Lexoticstylez02]

They won't put Safari on the AppleTV.. it would kill their Mac Mini sales. This is one of the main reasons people go for the Mini over the ATV.

 

[Cave Man]

Wouldn't the stripped down version on the touch/iphone be good enough. i think it would.

It would be extremely limited in its functions. I get frustrated with my iPhone when doing web tasks. Can't be close to the full Safari.

 

[dynaflash]

No doubt it could happen with future atv's. The ram, as cave man mentioned would definitely be questionable in the current atv rev (of course with the amount of vm swap space made available by the 1TB esata mod ... maybe ) .

The biggest issue afaiac would be the input device. To go much further you would assume that a different remote would be necessary. Though given the success of the remote.app with the iPod Touches and iPhones, such an advanced remote does not seem entirely unlikely.

To be sure, with everything sort of "coming together" so to speak amongst apple's media devices, you would think it would only be a matter of time.

I still say not likely on this hardware rev . Apple does great things in software with their hardware, but it seems to me this would require another hardware rev to really come to successful fruition.

Otoh, thats just my .02

 

[dbwie]

Safari

It has YouTube and no keyboard, why cant it have Safari and no keyboard?

They built a specific interface for YouTube in the AppleTV software. They won't do it for every site that Safari could possibly visit. Also, I would not want to type in URLs using the current text input method with the AppleTV remote.

 

[severe]

You can already have a browser on AppleTV. It's called CouchSurfer. The reason people want a browser on their AppleTv is for internet video sites like Hulu. Not to mention, viewing your photos on Fliker, checking movie times, email...the list of conveniences goes on. I can't wait till Safari hits the AppleTv!

I agree with gcmexico. I've used CouchSurfer for awhile now, and it's just about pointless. It's a "look what I can do" novelty type thing. It took me quite a while to get flash enabled on it, and after all was said and done all I could do was say "hmm.. wow". Hulu runs like crap on it as well. I'm not sure about the "conveniences". I can walk over to my computer and call up anything in a fraction of the time.

I'm sure there are a number of users that would agree.

 

[gcmexico]

You can already have a browser on AppleTV. It's called CouchSurfer. The reason people want a browser on their AppleTv is for internet video sites like Hulu. Not to mention, viewing your photos on Fliker, checking movie times, email...the list of conveniences goes on. I can't wait till Safari hits the AppleTv!

*
not for me again

 

[bacaramac]

I would really hope for this feature. It would be nice to have it and I think they could strip down safari as there are probably a lot of add ons now that would not be needed or could be optimized for strictly web surfing.