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Report Claims Major AppleTV Update
- Thread starter gkarris
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I really couldn't care less about Apple TV, to be honest.
I am the same. Unless it becomes a lot cheaper or has an AEBS built in an is only a bit more expensive, I just dont need it.
Another two reasons why DVR won't be part of 
TV:
As for Blu-ray, nice idea, but I think it'd just be too expensive... unless the Blu-ray consortium felt like subsidising the retail price.
SL
TV:- There's too many standards of Digital TV throughout the world, and Apple aren't going to support them all. In the UK alone, there's at least three, at least one of which is proprietary. Okay, Apple could open up an API so people could plug in the correct Elgato device, but...
- Elgato's EyeTV effectively gives users DRM-free content, and the ability to edit-out advertisements, which I am sure brands the users and Elgato as "criminals" in the eyes of the big media corps. SJ wants to play nice with the media corps, so they put their movies on iTMS (and keep their music on iTMS). He's not gonna be seen to encourage "the criminals" by explicitly building-in such functionality into TV.
As for Blu-ray, nice idea, but I think it'd just be too expensive... unless the Blu-ray consortium felt like subsidising the retail price.
SL
How the hell can you call yourself TV with no cable or satellite input? Apple TV is a farse without it in my view. Instead ill be getting a Elgato product to bring TV into my Mac. Wake up Jobs.
They may include it as an option simply because people have DVD players already and putting one in the AppleTV will allow it to be replaced.
For instance I am in the market for a new DVD player. I am also thinking of buying an AppleTV. An optical drive to play DVD's is pretty much a commodity item today so why not throw one in if the consumer wants one? Lets face it, everyone has some kind of DVD player sitting under the TV, and they take up a lot of space.
Additionally, the deal with AppleTV and iTunes in general is that they are still severely lacking in content. Adding an optical drive would not only allow people to play their DVD collection it would provide a way to get those "iPod copies" off of the disc and copy (legal) content onto the main drive.
Apple hasn't pit out an fm iPod for the same reason they won't put a DVD player in the apple tv.
Its not happening. Face it.
I wouldn't be so sure...it is one of the most requested features for the Apple TV...also think about it...Apple can sell it as a not only an iTunes Bridge, but as a literal replacement for your DVD player...this will get more people interested in getting the device, at which point they will be more inclined to buy stuff right from iTunes once the store is right in the Apple TV interface.
They wouldn't put a dvd player as that is old technology on it's way out. They could however put a bluray player in it...
It looks like they won't be doing an update to the hardware of the device, as most major online retailers and the Apple Store report the item as "In Stock. Ships within 24 hours."
Here's hoping they open the platform to developers for plug-in support (I'm talking to you El Gato).
Here's hoping they open the platform to developers for plug-in support (I'm talking to you El Gato).
I'm hearing that the new core OS will be based on Leopard. Here's hoping of being able to download and use OS X widgets on it...
Agreed. The Sat/Cable companies have the DVR market locked and there is little to no profit to be made from outside parties. Think TiVo. Downloading movies, and all media, is where the future lies and I hope my ATV does not become obsolete this week.
Apple will never release any kind of DVR-they don't want you to record the shows from TV-they want you to buy them from itunes-same goes for movies. However, if that supposed digital copy thing with fox is real(that you can buy a physical dvd and then put it into the a mac and get a digital copy that can be played on ipods/iphone/ipod touches then things might change-
I think there a lot of posts on this thread that disregard Apple's core business model—hardware. Apple does NOT make anything off the iTunes Store.
The iTunes Store exists solely to sell iPods, Apple TVs, iPhones and Macs. If it makes a slight profit for the quarter, even better. But there is currently no money in paid premium content distribution—just look at the new Napster or Real Rhapsody. Content creators and publishers make sure of that, and Apple knows this.
There may be money in advertising-supported premium content distribution, but the major players will keep those "business opportunities" in-house (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, etc).
The iTunes Store exists solely to sell iPods, Apple TVs, iPhones and Macs. If it makes a slight profit for the quarter, even better. But there is currently no money in paid premium content distribution—just look at the new Napster or Real Rhapsody. Content creators and publishers make sure of that, and Apple knows this.
There may be money in advertising-supported premium content distribution, but the major players will keep those "business opportunities" in-house (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, etc).
Exactly. People are buying Blu-Ray players. People are buying DVR's. Apple makes and sells hardware. See where I'm going with this? Maybe it won't be called the
TV. Maybe it's a whole new product. But if App;le wants to stay in the video game, they have to make and selll the appropriate hardware. They don't mind raising the prices, either. If they can make one box that does it all, they could sell it for a premium. Any of this sounding familiar to anyone?
To suggest that adding a physical media player or DVR functionality to an AppleTV to avoid loss of sales from the iTMS is silly.
There are plenty of people who use "on demand" service from their cable/satellite company in addition to renting DVDs. The two are no mutually exclusive. Just like how people buy phyical CDs and buy music through download.
As much as I'd like an AppleTV to have a built in Blu-Ray player and, to a lesser degree, a DVR, I'm not so sure it'll happen, as I think it simply falls outside the scope of the product.
I would like it if they opened up the USB port for an external drive and added DVD Player functionality when the external drive was detected.
There are plenty of people who use "on demand" service from their cable/satellite company in addition to renting DVDs. The two are no mutually exclusive. Just like how people buy phyical CDs and buy music through download.
As much as I'd like an AppleTV to have a built in Blu-Ray player and, to a lesser degree, a DVR, I'm not so sure it'll happen, as I think it simply falls outside the scope of the product.
I would like it if they opened up the USB port for an external drive and added DVD Player functionality when the external drive was detected.
And yet Apple is starting to understand that there is money to be made outside of hardware and you get the advantage of an ongoing revenue stream instead of a one-shot deal.
Witness the iPhone. A great idea that has sold like gangbusters. Apple could have just released it in an open format and sold even more. Instead, they partner with a provider and take a not insignificant cut of that action, bringing them a revenue stream for two years that is close to equal of the initial revenue they made from the sale. It allows them to stretch the iPhone's RoI without being forced to release a new version quickly to both drive new sales and to get current users to scrap their handset for the new one while still brining in money in the interim.
Apple is already starting to yield on the demands of the studios when it comes to content pricing. But in so yielding, Apple can improve their own internal cut while covering it by saying "we want to give you cheap, but those bad old media companies are forcing our hand". And chances are that people who were first attracted by the price, but eventually bought in because of the model (convenience, whathaveyou), will continue to patronize the service at these new, higher prices (within reason, of course).
All that means is that they haven't exhausted their stock, regardless of what they do or don't plan to introduce tomorrow. Mac Pros, for instance, were deeply stocked at Apple Stores, at Apple.com and at independent retailers right up through the time when they released the new Mac Pros.
Someone mocked up a fake wireless NAS and said it will be announced tomorrow at MWSF.
While the mock-up is fake, the idea has merit. It would allow content to be streamed to a Mac, an
tv, an iPhone and an iPod Touch over WiFi and would not require the Mac to be on since that is usually where most current content is stored in the home (due to available space).If it could be integrated to the iTunes Store so content purchased via any of those devices could be sent to the NAS (either directly or when the device was next synced), that would improve it's usefulness and value even more.
It would have to at least work better than the bluetooth in my phone sync'd with the bluetooth in my phone headset only a few scant feet away but admittedly in a pocket sometimes. Maybe if I don't keep my refrigerator in my pocket I can get it involved in the wireless nirvana that is bluetooth and my ATV can tell me when my milk expires.
It's a noble idea, but the content industry believes Apple needs them more than they need Apple.
You could put movies on your iPod as soon as the 5th generation iPod was released. However, movie studios were/are not clamoring to put their content on iPod. Paramount had to be caressed into joining (Disney was given).
Apple is having a hard enough time keeping current partners involved (look at what happened with NBC).
Cingular (at the time) was dying to get the iPhone exclusively. They knew it would be cause an influx of consumers to switch over and agreed to Apple's price because they are a service provider.
Television and movies studios are in a completely different situation. They don't sell their products directly. Apple is one of many distributors. If they're smart, they we will realize that they need distribution channels to make money and refusing to "sell wholesale" (theoretically speaking) to one of the largest online distributors is not wise for shareholders.