If Apple ever gets live content then it might replace cable, but I don't see the media giants handing over prime content to Apple without a huge fight.
I have to question the quoted $85/month cable cost. A full digital cable package costs $60 here and I think that's too much.
If Apple ever gets live content then it might replace cable, but I don't see the media giants handing over prime content to Apple without a huge fight.
I have to question the quoted $85/month cable cost. A full digital cable package costs $60 here and I think that's too much.
once you factor in taxes, DVR, etc it's around $85. NYC that buys us almost 100 HD channels and close to 1000 total channels.if you have a child, it's more than worth the cost
Time Warner cable has a nice new feature on selected channels. if you start watching a show after it starts, you can press a button and it will automatically start over from the beggining.
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.
I prefer watching my shows when they come on, commercials and all, rather than pay anything to get it. Streaming and watching on the computer is ok if it isn't available on TV. Maybe waiting is over for you but there are lots of people who do not have a problem with watching a show whenever it comes on. I watched a weekend of football without having to tinker with a computer, or waiting for a download and it was great.
All that I true, but like the iPod it's never been about features over the ability to use those features. but why stop there when you can built one that is better for less. If you want to connect to a TV a PC that you've built, configured, setup, or whatever then so be it. It'll always be cheaper than buying a dedicated device, but can you not see how a dedicated machine like an AppleTV or a TiVo offers options and simplifies the process that these homebrew solution that fit your needs may not fit the vast majority of people.
As if the vast majority of people have been buying the Apple TV.
If Apple ever gets live content then it might replace cable, but I don't see the media giants handing over prime content to Apple without a huge fight.
I have to question the quoted $85/month cable cost. A full digital cable package costs $60 here and I think that's too much.
The live content may not come cheap. ESPN paid over a billion dollars a year for the monday night football.
I don't see the point in tweaking the hardware when, as Steve Jobs might put it, "you don't have a great product yet" - by which I'm referring to the available content.
Maybe Apple are just trying to keep the Apple TV in-play until they can get the deals they need to give it mass appeal, but the movie/tv distributors have a lot more in their favor than the music labels, so it could be a long wait.
Why does there need to be new hardware to support streaming? If I order a TV show now, it starts playing within seconds. It doesn't wait to be completely downloaded, so streaming is more than possible.
I've already upgraded my aTV hard drive to 320 GB, and 270 GB of that is my CD collection RIPed as Apple Lossless files, so step one would be an upgrade to SATA so you can fit a bigger drive, or activating the USB port (the current work around are too geeky, and I consider myself a recovering geek). Wireless networking is OK for small files, but for an HD movie I often need to wait 10-20 minutes or more to start the film, even with 802.11n.
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...
I don't understand why everyone wants a DVR on this thing. If it could work right, then maybe, but the lack of open cable cards has pretty much made any htpc a no-dvr proposition. A tv tuner card, from my understanding is just like the tv tuner in your tv in that it will only tune maybe the first 100 cable channels. All the HD channels are above 100 on my cable (not that many of them are actually hd) meaning you need a cable box.
I know that TIVO currently works with cable cards, but I'm pretty sure that is one of the few devices out there that has been approved for cable card. The point being that any hope of an "open" cable card being supported in a mac or pc for media center is gone. That leaves dvd/br, internet content, and over the air tv.
Maybe over the air hd would be worth recording if sports are your thing, but otherwise if you need a cable box anyway...
It seems like the AppleTV would not be a good dvr, but is very good for internet content, and might be good as a dvd/br player
I've already upgraded my aTV hard drive to 320 GB, and 270 GB of that is my CD collection RIPed as Apple Lossless files, so step one would be an upgrade to SATA so you can fit a bigger drive, or activating the USB port (the current work around are too geeky, and I consider myself a recovering geek). Wireless networking is OK for small files, but for an HD movie I often need to wait 10-20 minutes or more to start the film, even with 802.11n.
Do you back up iTunes files in a different way when your collection gets that size? Do you maintain iTunes on an external drive rather than your computers to keep space available? And is Time Machine good enough for your backup?
As a hobby, Apple can build them cheaply and not have any reason to update them. Since they are probably so cheap to make, they can have it hang around for awhile, even though it does lousy in sales. Typically, a lousy selling product would be dead in a year (G4 Cube), but since this is such a cheap device, they probably don't lose any money on it.
It will never have an optical drive, nor will it ever be a DVR. The AppleTV's sole purpose is to lure the customer into iTunes sales. Apple won't make money off cable subscriptions, DVD/Blu-Ray, or NetFlix streaming. Apple won't build a box to support that. They are in it to make money, nothing more.
Since iTunes will never have live TV, you won't see many people dumping Satellite or Cable anytime soon for an AppleTV box. Live Sports anyone? Not on iTunes or AppleTV.
It is a dying hobby and Apple should just put the AppleTV to death. I would rather buy a DVD or Blu-Ray disc for the better quality and better content than anything on iTunes. Never purchased any iTunes TV or Movie content, and don't ever plan to.
Clueless, obviously. Blu-Ray prices continue to fall and Amazon has great prices on Blu-Ray movies. Each year, Blu-Ray sales have increased over the previous year.
Clueless, obviously. Blu-Ray prices continue to fall and Amazon has great prices on Blu-Ray movies. Each year, Blu-Ray sales have increased over the previous year.
Perhaps you haven't noticed that unemployment in the U.S. is approaching, and will probably reach, or surpass, by the holidays, 10%?
I wouldn't bet on a big holiday season for anything this year... except maybe sweaters.
As a hobby, Apple can build them cheaply and not have any reason to update them. Since they are probably so cheap to make, they can have it hang around for awhile, even though it does lousy in sales. Typically, a lousy selling product would be dead in a year (G4 Cube), but since this is such a cheap device, they probably don't lose any money on it.
It will never have an optical drive, nor will it ever be a DVR. The AppleTV's sole purpose is to lure the customer into iTunes sales. Apple won't make money off cable subscriptions, DVD/Blu-Ray, or NetFlix streaming. Apple won't build a box to support that. They are in it to make money, nothing more.
Since iTunes will never have live TV, you won't see many people dumping Satellite or Cable anytime soon for an AppleTV box. Live Sports anyone? Not on iTunes or AppleTV.
It is a dying hobby and Apple should just put the AppleTV to death. I would rather buy a DVD or Blu-Ray disc for the better quality and better content than anything on iTunes. Never purchased any iTunes TV or Movie content, and don't ever plan to.
I generally agree with you right up til the end there. I think it is mainly being used by early adopters now, but I don't think it's dying. I don't think it's specifically designed to replace cable or live tv, although it could for some people. Most people can get live HD sports over-the-air for example, but if you are really a big sports fanatic, you would want directtv or cable for their sports packages. I think the main thing stopping me from cancelling my cable is the cost. Movie rentals are pretty much the same as cable on-demand prices, but season passes for tv shows are pretty expensive. No commercials is definitely worth something, but if you watch 3 or 4 tv shows regularly, it very quickly becomes more expensive than cable or satellite.
I may be missing the point, but I think once all the content deals are worked out, the quality is up to par, they get the pricing right, and big, network attached storage and backup at home is a no-brainer for the average user, then who would want to go to blockbuster to rent, best buy to buy, or even netflix for rentals, when you can get it immediately without leaving the couch.
For me at least, the jury is still out on whether the Apple TV will replace cable, but I would hate to see it die with so much potential, and I don't think it will die because digital distribution over the internet is the logical way things will and should go.
Comments
I have to question the quoted $85/month cable cost. A full digital cable package costs $60 here and I think that's too much.
If Apple ever gets live content then it might replace cable, but I don't see the media giants handing over prime content to Apple without a huge fight.
I have to question the quoted $85/month cable cost. A full digital cable package costs $60 here and I think that's too much.
once you factor in taxes, DVR, etc it's around $85. NYC that buys us almost 100 HD channels and close to 1000 total channels.if you have a child, it's more than worth the cost
Time Warner cable has a nice new feature on selected channels. if you start watching a show after it starts, you can press a button and it will automatically start over from the beggining.
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.
I prefer watching my shows when they come on, commercials and all, rather than pay anything to get it. Streaming and watching on the computer is ok if it isn't available on TV. Maybe waiting is over for you but there are lots of people who do not have a problem with watching a show whenever it comes on. I watched a weekend of football without having to tinker with a computer, or waiting for a download and it was great.
All that I true, but like the iPod it's never been about features over the ability to use those features. but why stop there when you can built one that is better for less. If you want to connect to a TV a PC that you've built, configured, setup, or whatever then so be it. It'll always be cheaper than buying a dedicated device, but can you not see how a dedicated machine like an AppleTV or a TiVo offers options and simplifies the process that these homebrew solution that fit your needs may not fit the vast majority of people.
As if the vast majority of people have been buying the Apple TV.
If Apple ever gets live content then it might replace cable, but I don't see the media giants handing over prime content to Apple without a huge fight.
I have to question the quoted $85/month cable cost. A full digital cable package costs $60 here and I think that's too much.
The live content may not come cheap. ESPN paid over a billion dollars a year for the monday night football.
Maybe Apple are just trying to keep the Apple TV in-play until they can get the deals they need to give it mass appeal, but the movie/tv distributors have a lot more in their favor than the music labels, so it could be a long wait.
And if the movie industry want's to give Pirate Bay (and alike) a match they need to let iTunes free!
Sure, when monkeys fly outta my a#@.
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...
I don't understand why everyone wants a DVR on this thing. If it could work right, then maybe, but the lack of open cable cards has pretty much made any htpc a no-dvr proposition. A tv tuner card, from my understanding is just like the tv tuner in your tv in that it will only tune maybe the first 100 cable channels. All the HD channels are above 100 on my cable (not that many of them are actually hd) meaning you need a cable box.
I know that TIVO currently works with cable cards, but I'm pretty sure that is one of the few devices out there that has been approved for cable card. The point being that any hope of an "open" cable card being supported in a mac or pc for media center is gone. That leaves dvd/br, internet content, and over the air tv.
Maybe over the air hd would be worth recording if sports are your thing, but otherwise if you need a cable box anyway...
It seems like the AppleTV would not be a good dvr, but is very good for internet content, and might be good as a dvd/br player
The live content may not come cheap. ESPN paid over a billion dollars a year for the monday night football.
Maybe Apple should by 10 years worth, just for kicks...
I've already upgraded my aTV hard drive to 320 GB, and 270 GB of that is my CD collection RIPed as Apple Lossless files, so step one would be an upgrade to SATA so you can fit a bigger drive, or activating the USB port (the current work around are too geeky, and I consider myself a recovering geek). Wireless networking is OK for small files, but for an HD movie I often need to wait 10-20 minutes or more to start the film, even with 802.11n.
Do you back up iTunes files in a different way when your collection gets that size? Do you maintain iTunes on an external drive rather than your computers to keep space available? And is Time Machine good enough for your backup?
This will be a big Blu-ray holiday season.
Or not. I wouldn't hold my breath.
It will never have an optical drive, nor will it ever be a DVR. The AppleTV's sole purpose is to lure the customer into iTunes sales. Apple won't make money off cable subscriptions, DVD/Blu-Ray, or NetFlix streaming. Apple won't build a box to support that. They are in it to make money, nothing more.
Since iTunes will never have live TV, you won't see many people dumping Satellite or Cable anytime soon for an AppleTV box. Live Sports anyone? Not on iTunes or AppleTV.
It is a dying hobby and Apple should just put the AppleTV to death. I would rather buy a DVD or Blu-Ray disc for the better quality and better content than anything on iTunes. Never purchased any iTunes TV or Movie content, and don't ever plan to.
Or not. I wouldn't hold my breath.
Clueless, obviously. Blu-Ray prices continue to fall and Amazon has great prices on Blu-Ray movies. Each year, Blu-Ray sales have increased over the previous year.
Clueless, obviously. Blu-Ray prices continue to fall and Amazon has great prices on Blu-Ray movies. Each year, Blu-Ray sales have increased over the previous year.
Perhaps you haven't noticed that unemployment in the U.S. is approaching, and will probably reach, or surpass, by the holidays, 10%?
I wouldn't bet on a big holiday season for anything this year... except maybe sweaters.
As a hobby, Apple can build them cheaply and not have any reason to update them. Since they are probably so cheap to make, they can have it hang around for awhile, even though it does lousy in sales. Typically, a lousy selling product would be dead in a year (G4 Cube), but since this is such a cheap device, they probably don't lose any money on it.
It will never have an optical drive, nor will it ever be a DVR. The AppleTV's sole purpose is to lure the customer into iTunes sales. Apple won't make money off cable subscriptions, DVD/Blu-Ray, or NetFlix streaming. Apple won't build a box to support that. They are in it to make money, nothing more.
Since iTunes will never have live TV, you won't see many people dumping Satellite or Cable anytime soon for an AppleTV box. Live Sports anyone? Not on iTunes or AppleTV.
It is a dying hobby and Apple should just put the AppleTV to death. I would rather buy a DVD or Blu-Ray disc for the better quality and better content than anything on iTunes. Never purchased any iTunes TV or Movie content, and don't ever plan to.
I generally agree with you right up til the end there. I think it is mainly being used by early adopters now, but I don't think it's dying. I don't think it's specifically designed to replace cable or live tv, although it could for some people. Most people can get live HD sports over-the-air for example, but if you are really a big sports fanatic, you would want directtv or cable for their sports packages. I think the main thing stopping me from cancelling my cable is the cost. Movie rentals are pretty much the same as cable on-demand prices, but season passes for tv shows are pretty expensive. No commercials is definitely worth something, but if you watch 3 or 4 tv shows regularly, it very quickly becomes more expensive than cable or satellite.
I may be missing the point, but I think once all the content deals are worked out, the quality is up to par, they get the pricing right, and big, network attached storage and backup at home is a no-brainer for the average user, then who would want to go to blockbuster to rent, best buy to buy, or even netflix for rentals, when you can get it immediately without leaving the couch.
For me at least, the jury is still out on whether the Apple TV will replace cable, but I would hate to see it die with so much potential, and I don't think it will die because digital distribution over the internet is the logical way things will and should go.
1) hacking will be limited to iphone hacks and not mac (kext, etc) hacks
2) iphone/ipod touch games/apps
3) ARM can drive 720p and is a cheaper solution
With the aTV as a target game/app platform the lack of DVR or DVD/Blu-Ray becomes far less acute for a set-top box.
Perhaps you haven't noticed that unemployment in the U.S. is approaching, and will probably reach, or surpass, by the holidays, 10%?
I wouldn't bet on a big holiday season for anything this year... except maybe sweaters.
Blu-ray is one of the few items that has been projected to sell well this hoilday season.