Apple discounts 160GB Apple TV to $229, nixes 40GB

[AppleInsider]

Apple this weekend discontinued the 40GB Apple TV and discounted the higher capacity model of its living room media player to $229.

The price drop places the 160GB offering at the cost previously represented by the now-defunct 40GB Apple TV. Currently, the 160GB model is the only version of the hardware available.

Weeks ago, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster noted that the 40GB Apple TV had a wait time for those looking to purchase, something that had never been seen before. That lead Munster to believe that Apple could discontinue the model and drop the price of the 160GB hardware -- a prediction that proved to be correct.

Munster also believes that a major upgrade to the Apple TV is planned at some point in the future, and that hardware would be based around a new iTunes subscription service. However, he does not expect the new hardware to appear soon, because negotiations with the content providers must take place first -- likely a process that will take some time.

The analyst has said he believes a new Apple TV would increase video purchases if a subscription model were to be offered. He believes the popularity of Hulu and Netflix Instant Watch are evidence of this.



"Apple could leverage its deep library of content with many network and cable channel content owners to provide unlimited access to a sub-library of its TV shows for a standard monthly fee ($30 or $40 per month)," Munster said. "Such a product would effectively replace a consumer's monthly cable bill (~$85/month) and offer access to current and older episodes of select shows on select channels."

In addition to subscriptions, Munster has predicted that a new Apple TV would also potentially include DVR capabilities. The analyst also believes that in the long-term vision for Apple is a full-fledged Apple television set with built-in media syncing capabilities. He expects such a device to appear in the next two to five years.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[digitalclips]

It seems, for the time being, updates will continue to be software only. Good news for me with a first generation ATV. It would now be a good time for Apple to allow that USB to be used for extra storage ...

[Vulcan1]

I too think it's good that Apple hasn't updated yet the ATV, to be honest, these days electronic "gadgets" get updated too frequently. Buy one product today and in 6 months it's obsolete. Ok, sure, it has it's good and bad sides. But i hope that Apple will continue releasing SW updates for the ATV! It's a really cool product with a lot of potential, not bad for a first try i have to say.

[success]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Apple this weekend discounted the 40GB Apple TV and discounted the higher capacity model of its living room media player to $229.

Do you mean discontinued and discounted?

[kotatsu]

As an owner of an Apple TV (160gb, but the HD is always empty) I'd love to see it developed further, as it really feels like a half baked product. It desperately needs access to streaming video sites, such as the BBC's iPlayer here in the UK and all the others too of course.

More than that though Apple just need to get off their backsides and give a damn about the iTunes store outside the UK. The disparity in content between the US store and what we poor slobs in the rest of the world get is shocking. The US store feels like an HD paradise compared to the largely SD world of the UK store, and of course we get new shows and films are around double the cost and months, or YEARS late. It's just not a very compelling offering.

[Aizmov]

Maybe next AppleTV would double as a game console? one can only hope

Originally Posted by kotatsu

As an owner of an Apple TV (160gb, but the HD is always empty) I'd love to see it developed further, as it really feels like a half baked product. It desperately needs access to streaming video sites, such as the BBC's iPlayer here in the UK and all the others too of course.

More than that though Apple just need to get off their backsides and give a damn about the iTunes store outside the UK. The disparity in content between the US store and what we poor slobs in the rest of the world get is shocking. The US store feels like an HD paradise compared to the largely SD world of the UK store, and of course we get new shows and films are around double the cost and months, or YEARS late. It's just not a very compelling offering.

Indeed. Apple needs to provide more content globally, how else do they expect the Apple TV to make a dent?

[al_bundy]

no optical drive, no deal

a lot cheaper for me to buy shiny disks of kids' movies than store them on hard drive and worry about backing them up

[digitalclips]

Originally Posted by Vulcan1

I too think it's good that Apple hasn't updated yet the ATV, to be honest, these days electronic "gadgets" get updated too frequently. Buy one product today and in 6 months it's obsolete. Ok, sure, it has it's good and bad sides. But i hope that Apple will continue releasing SW updates for the ATV! It's a really cool product with a lot of potential, not bad for a first try i have to say.

Yep, amazing really. All we need now is use of that USB for extra storage (without a hack).

[Jerseymac]

If Apple hadn't pulled out of MacWorld, I might have expected a new hardware configuration this January. I'm waiting for an excuse to pull the trigger and add another box to my TV table.

What I would really like to see is TV show rentals. I like old TV shows but don't want to own them. Hulu is great but it stutters sometimes, even with Fios.

[SGSStateStudent]

It's good news that a mini update is finally done for the Apple TV. I'll look forward to ordering one in no time!

[SGSStateStudent]

Originally Posted by digitalclips

It seems, for the time being, updates will continue to be software only. Good news for me with a first generation ATV. It would now be a good time for Apple to allow that USB to be used for extra storage ...

We can only hope for a design refresh.... . .. anybody with any mock-ups?

[Panu]

I don't see the point of DVR. I can use iTunes to purchase two seasons of a show that was on in 2003 and 2004; DVR won't let me go back in time. Also, over-the-air TV would just compete with iTunes.

[digitalclips]

Originally Posted by al_bundy

no optical drive, no deal

a lot cheaper for me to buy shiny disks of kids' movies than store them on hard drive and worry about backing them up

I went the opposite direction for our grand kids ... not a shiny disk in site and tons of movies on a hard drive (ripped from our DVDs). I found these days the streaming option for the ATV is way easier than transferring the data to the ATV (I initially tried that but my first generation ATV has a small drive). I added a 1 TB drive especially for the iTunes Library on my Mac Pro and then got a free App for my iPhone called 'Rowmote'. This app uses Wi-Fi so you can control the Mac from elsewhere in the house with an iPhone and stream any of the movies easily. After a visit from the family I can attest to the ease of this set up and a seven year old can work Rowmote flawlessly ... no scratched, sticky or lost shiny disks either

Backing this drive up was easy with an external Firewire 800 1TB (a little over $100 from Best Buy) and Carbon Copy Cloner.

[RichL]

No update in the UK. We didn't get the last price cut either.

Currently showing as £195 ($323) for 40GB and £263 ($435) for 160GB. Not that the HDD size really matters. If you've got a movie collection then it's probably over 160GB and it streams perfectly well in my experience.

[vandil]

It's still a better investment to buy a low-end Mac Mini, in my opinion.

[SGSStateStudent]

Originally Posted by vandil

It's still a better investment to buy a low-end Mac Mini, in my opinion.

+1. Mac Mini should be = iPhone!

[SGSStateStudent]

Originally Posted by RichL

No update in the UK. We didn't get the last price cut either.

Currently showing as £195 ($323) for 40GB and £263 ($435) for 160GB. Not that the HDD size really matters. If you've got a movie collection then it's probably over 160GB and it streams perfectly well in my experience.

Oh. Maybe hold on, they'll update it soon, hopefully.

[eAi]

Originally Posted by vandil

It's still a better investment to buy a low-end Mac Mini, in my opinion.

A low-end Mac Mini is 2.5 times the price (here in the UK)...

[steviet02]

Great, now Apple please let me use that USB port in the back so I can hook up a larger HD to my 40GB ATV.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by Vulcan1

I too think it's good that Apple hasn't updated yet the ATV, to be honest, these days electronic "gadgets" get updated too frequently. Buy one product today and in 6 months it's obsolete. Ok, sure, it has it's good and bad sides. But i hope that Apple will continue releasing SW updates for the ATV! It's a really cool product with a lot of potential, not bad for a first try i have to say.

In my opinion AppleTV needs more features that can be done in software anyway. An 2nd generation AppleTV would probably be mostly faster chips and higher resolution.

Originally Posted by al_bundy

no optical drive, no deal

a lot cheaper for me to buy shiny disks of kids' movies than store them on hard drive and worry about backing them up

Backing them up is the easy part.

I don't like clogging the internet connection though, and I really don't care to do the organization & ripping it takes to get everything on a hard drive, or in my case, likely enough for a Drobo.

Originally Posted by eAi

A low-end Mac Mini is 2.5 times the price (here in the UK)...

It is that way here too, but a mini is more than 10x more flexible in many ways. I don't know if regular front row can rent movies, I haven't revisited that app in a year.

[tumme-totte]

Originally Posted by kotatsu

The disparity in content between the US store and what we poor slobs in the rest of the world get is shocking.

Just underlining what you say - I would vote for some focus on Sweden and other small countries?

We have NO MOVIES at all. Tunes, Apps, podcasts and audiobooks. That's it. HD? SD? I guess there are many more countries like this. I realize Sweden with a population no bigger than London or New York alone represents a small market - but hey!!! Please! And I think there is a potential if you take several of us in one go! Not to mention how internet friendly we are - FTTH leaders and all.

And if the movie industry want's to give Pirate Bay (and alike) a match they need to let iTunes free!

[Hugh Jarse]

Originally Posted by RichL

No update in the UK. We didn't get the last price cut either.

Currently showing as £195 ($323) for 40GB and £263 ($435) for 160GB. Not that the HDD size really matters. If you've got a movie collection then it's probably over 160GB and it streams perfectly well in my experience.

I totally agree. When the previous price-cut happened in the US I was considering getting one, but then the price cut never made it to the UK. If this price cut happens over here I might think again, but $229 should be £185 inc VAT - not £263!!!

[DJinTX]

Originally Posted by SGSStateStudent

We can only hope for a design refresh.... . .. anybody with any mock-ups?

I don't have any mockups, but I did find this link. It's not a very good mock-up, but has an interesting color scheme that interests me.

http://machappens.com/2007/09/19/alu...lass-apple-tv/

Personally, I think Apple should increase the size of the box slightly in order to squeeze in more hardware goodness (an optical drive perhaps, or much larger HDD, and hopefully better heat dissipation). They could easily make it up to 1 inch higher (keeping the same width and depth) and it would still seem like a small box compared to all the other AV equipment under my TV. And it would keep its same small footprint.

As for the current aesthetic, I think it's time for a makeover. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the top panel of the Apple TV is white-ish glass. I like the aluminum side casing and am fine with it staying, but I think the white top needs to go away in favor of a glossy black top (a la iMac/iPhone). I think it would be a welcomed change, and look pretty awesome. Of course Apple may have some interesting new materials in mind to further blow us away with. I could see an all black box being pretty killer. I mean, what tech junkie doesn't need a little black box?

[paxman]

A substantial rental library (thousands) is a minimum for the atv to be at all interesting. In its present form it is so far from reaching its potential it is a lame duck indeed. When SJ said it was a hobby I guess he was referring to hacking as a hobby.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by vandil

It's still a better investment to buy a low-end Mac Mini, in my opinion.

BUY both and use the mini as a backup and all a round extra content device.

so your 3 or 4 mac would funnel info to the mac mini gatekeeper
and then on to APV

or i may have gotten the whole thing wrong
my roku box is amazing for 130 bucks

go apple

[Gazoobee]

Originally Posted by Panu

I don't see the point of DVR. I can use iTunes to purchase two seasons of a show that was on in 2003 and 2004; DVR won't let me go back in time. Also, over-the-air TV would just compete with iTunes.

I agree. And even those *with* a DVR would agree I think, that the days of watching a show when it comes on TV and waiting for the next episode and so on are pretty much over.

I think if the price is right, that most people would rather look up a show on the internet and either buy on DVD, or stream it to their AppleTV, computer, or DVR device a season at a time. The only interest I see nowadays about when a show is going to be on, is usually for a premium content, season ender that's debuting for the first time.

[Cory Bauer]

How much hard drive space it came with for $229 was the least of the Apple TV's problems.

[BenRoethig]

Originally Posted by Panu

I don't see the point of DVR. I can use iTunes to purchase two seasons of a show that was on in 2003 and 2004; DVR won't let me go back in time. Also, over-the-air TV would just compete with iTunes.

iTunes does not do live T.V. and believe or not, there are actually people who enjoy sports and racing. Plus, people are choosing live T.V. and Hulu over iTunes anyway. The lack of capability and choice is just shooting Apple in the foot. Other options can't take anyway business you don't have.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by vandil

It's still a better investment to buy a low-end Mac Mini, in my opinion.

Totally agree. I can't believe I actually spent $399 for my Apple TV way back when- I was so excited. This pricing is much more realistic considering it's basically an iTunes JukeBox which is geared towards getting you to buy and rent, rent and buy. Whatever.

[Cory Bauer]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Totally agree. I can't believe I actually spent $399 for my Apple TV way back when- I was so excited. This pricing is much more realistic considering it's basically an iTunes JukeBox which is geared towards getting you to buy and rent, rent and buy. Whatever.

The best investment — and the one that makes the Apple TV look outright silly — is a $289 Blu-Ray player that has built in Netflix streaming, VUDU streaming, YouTube streaming, and of course DVD backwards compatibility. For what little it does, $229 for the Apple TV is absolutely outrageous.

[cmf2]

Originally Posted by Cory Bauer

How much hard drive space it came with for $229 was the least of the Apple TV's problems.

Maybe there will be a video event in January introducing a new AppleTV and a tablet. I don't see Apple giving up on the living room yet. This is probably a move to sell down the remaining stock to make room for all new models.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by Cory Bauer

The best investment — and the one that makes the Apple TV look outright silly — is a $289 Blu-Ray player that has built in Netflix streaming, VUDU streaming, YouTube streaming, and of course DVD backwards compatibility.

All wireless too.
I plan to get one this holiday season ( hopefully they'll add some free discs then as a promotion) and put last years Sony model in the bedroom so I can watch my MadMen and True Blood blus on it late before bed. Is that model you speak of Samsung? I know Sony's is wireless now for the live feature and I think it has Netflix.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by cmf2

Maybe there will be a video event in January introducing a new AppleTV and a tablet. I don't see Apple giving up on the living room yet. This is probably a move to sell down the remaining stock to make room for all new models.

Well if the new model includes Blu-ray it would be foolish to introduce in January after the holiday season. This will be a big Blu-ray holiday season.

[Cory Bauer]

Originally Posted by cmf2

Maybe there will be a video event in January introducing a new AppleTV and a tablet. I don't see Apple giving up on the living room yet. This is probably a move to sell down the remaining stock to make room for all new models.

I should hope so. Unfortunately, so long as Apple's in the business of selling content first and hardware second, they're not going to be anywhere near competitive with those companies who aren't in bed with the music and movie studios. Consumers will never see Netflix, VUDU, Pandora, Blu-Ray, DVD or DVR capabilities in an Apple TV, whose content will be forever limited to what the iTunes Store has for sale.

[razorpit]

Originally Posted by Panu

I don't see the point of DVR. I can use iTunes to purchase two seasons of a show that was on in 2003 and 2004; DVR won't let me go back in time. Also, over-the-air TV would just compete with iTunes.

Your point has merit but what about sports shows, and things that are on today? I spend most of my TV watching time watching current episodes of programs, and I think most people do as well. I wish they would give Apple TV DVR capabilities but we all know that's a pipe dream...

[copeland]

Here in Austria you can still buy the 40GB ATV.
And no price cut either. I know we pay a premium for Apple products over here,
but with the new US price we should pay € 156.-, but we have to pay € 333.- - all prices without tax.
(if the ratio would have been less than 1:2 I would not mention it)

And as Apple doesn't offer any real content for the ATV, the only thing you can use it over here
is to fry some egg on a stylish Apple product.

[saarek]

I know that many say stop complaining about the price difference, but put yourselves in the UK or rest of the world's position. Apple is a company I love, I own many of their products, but I an so pissed of with reading a post about a new product or a refresh, I excitedly get my card out to order only to find that Apple is again expecting everyone outside of the USA to bend over and prepare for penetration, I'm so fed up with being royally shafted!

Guess that credit cards going to have to go back into my wallet!

[Marvin]

Originally Posted by saarek

I know that many say stop complaining about the price difference, but put yourselves in the UK or rest of the world's position. Apple is a company I love, I own many of their products, but I an so pissed of with reading a post about a new product or a refresh, I excitedly get my card out to order only to find that Apple is again expecting everyone outside of the USA to bend over and prepare for penetration, I'm so fed up with being royally shafted!

Guess that credit cards going to have to go back into my wallet!

The Apple TV is a waste of money even with the price cut IMO. You can get an Acer Aspire Revo 160GB for less than the cheapest ATV and it's a full computer. Set it up with Windows Media Center and maybe a TV tuner with DVR software and it's far more functional than the ATV as well as cooler and cheaper.

[saarek]

Just to put this into perspective, $229 is £138.10, add on our vat (currently 15%) and you get £158.86. Currently we are expected to pay £263.

I don't think any reasonable person even taking into account higher costs of trading etc could say that we are not being taken for a ride.

That means that the UK is paying (including vat) $436!!!!!!!!!!!

[al_bundy]

Originally Posted by Gazoobee

I agree. And even those *with* a DVR would agree I think, that the days of watching a show when it comes on TV and waiting for the next episode and so on are pretty much over.

I think if the price is right, that most people would rather look up a show on the internet and either buy on DVD, or stream it to their AppleTV, computer, or DVR device a season at a time. The only interest I see nowadays about when a show is going to be on, is usually for a premium content, season ender that's debuting for the first time.

my wife likes to watch AI and the dance shows live, not a week after they air. Football is also meant to be watched live.