Exactly my point. An obvious double standard is at work here. Apple has to hit a home run with every product or be judged to have failed. Microsoft bunts and everybody cheers. I don't care what "category" a product occupies. If it takes years just to break even, then it probably should not be judged a success, at least in business terms, where success is measured in profits.
No one is going to cheer on Michael Phelps competing in the... [edited as it could be offensive]
You pirate because you are a thief. Meaning, it's not them, it's you.
Take responsibility for your own actions. The world does not owe you free movies and music.
A bit of a confused combination, it may be essentially true, but it's not at all helpful to the point he was making.
Someone doesn't steal something "because they're a thief". They are classified a thief if they steal something. It's pedantic, but this kind of connection classes someone outside of a real customer base, unnecessarily. It doesn't give any voice to the underlying issue, and it's a mistake I think distributors fall into.
He pirates because he wants to watch something, and there is NO OTHER WAY he can get that content. He does not expect free movies and music - he asks for paid rental content.
Or put another way - he wants to watch something, he looks for a way he can watch it, there is only one option (pirating), so he chooses the only option he can find. This is a pattern the distributors could very easily change.
Personally, with movies I'm happy enough with my options. I can usually find something at the video store, iTunes, or at the movies (though this is hard with a newborn). It's TV shows that I feel we really have no options for, AND I think iTunes overcharges for me watching a show once.
Curious how Apple seem almost completely uninterested in the living room. Microsoft, Sony, Netflix, and others will own it for decades to come.
Not if they lower the prices of movies and tv shows for the ipad. imo this will boost appletv sales to the roof.
Also, international content sucks, I am in canada, where the hell are the french Tv shows and french audio on movies please... US store should also provide spanish audio if its not there already. This kind of scares me for the Ipad, will I get french books on the bookstore and french newspaper and mags?!?
They should also put a BR on that thing at price this only a bit more than BR players and rely on itune sales for profit.
Of course it's not designed for people with shitty networks, but you are full of it you think that a 1.5Mbps digital download will take longer than going to Netflix or Amazon to rent or buy a video and then wait for it to get processed and delivered. Apparently you missed the words "shipped" and "convenience".
So many movies aren't even available on iTunes when available on Netflix or Amazon if available at all. So who really has to wait longer? Is that the "convenience" you are referring to?
If a slower bit rate makes the network shitty, does a slower bit rate (compared with Blu-ray) make the max iTunes video shitty too?
Of course it's not designed for people with shitty networks, but you are full of it you think that a 1.5Mbps digital download will take longer than going to Netflix or Amazon to rent or buy a video and then wait for it to get processed and delivered. Apparently you missed the words "shipped" and "convenience".
If you have to have it same night, yeah, it falls short. However, selection and features seem to fall very short with the internet movie options. Netflix online has only a few TV shows for rent. Some series have very odd omissions, the first episode of Vicar of Dibley isn't available on Netflix online, seems to defeat the point of offering the rest of the season. Apple doesn't rent any TV shows at all that I've seen, buy only, so a night's marathon would cost a bit of change.
Also, I really don't think it's really that big of a deal to plan ahead and have something waiting when I'm done working, not compared to a dearth of titles for the internet renting options.
If you have to have it same night, yeah, it falls short. However, selection and features seem to fall very short with the internet movie options. Netflix online has only a few TV shows for rent, Apple doesn't rent any TV shows at all that I've seen. Also, I really don't think it's really that big of a deal to plan ahead and have something waiting when I'm done working, not compared to a dearth of titles for the internet renting options.
I have problems with any of that, they each have their pros and cons. I do have a problem with blanket statements that the AppleTV sucks and the iTS sucks when they clearly have plenty of benefits for many people.
Quote:
Also, I really don't think it's really that big of a deal to plan ahead and have something waiting when I'm done working, not compared to a dearth of titles for the internet renting options.
How do you plan ahead for a TV show if you were out the night before and the DVR didn't record it for whatever reason or you don't have a DVR? How do you plan for every eventuality that may occur with your video watching needs? Do you get their Netflix forwarded to your hotels when you're working abroad? There are just too many potential scenarios to say that digital downloads have no viable benefits to anyone.
Of course it's not designed for people with shitty networks, but you are full of it you think that a 1.5Mbps digital download will take longer than going to Netflix or Amazon to rent or buy a video and then wait for it to get processed and delivered. Apparently you missed the words "shipped" and "convenience".
He just said that a HD preview took 5 minutes to start. That's about right on a 1.5Mbps connection, since the trailer is at just under 5Mbps. Thus it'd take about 7 minutes to download a 2minute trailer... or 5 minutes before it could start playing.
Likewise a 2hr HD film takes 4-5 hours to start on a 1.5Mbps connection. Of course a 2hr SD film only takes about 30mins to start on 1.5Mbps.
Anyway - you're right that that's still quicker than postal.
A: It's not what it is. Our view is it's the DVD player of the 21st century, and so, we're not trying to be a DVR, be a set top box. We're all about taking the content already on your Mac or PC and watch it on your TV.
Speaking in the company's financial results conference call, Cook said, "there was a tremendous tickup year over year [for Apple TV]. In fact unit sales were up over 3 times vs the year-ago quarter. However let me be clear, we still consider this a hobby."
Comments
Exactly my point. An obvious double standard is at work here. Apple has to hit a home run with every product or be judged to have failed. Microsoft bunts and everybody cheers. I don't care what "category" a product occupies. If it takes years just to break even, then it probably should not be judged a success, at least in business terms, where success is measured in profits.
No one is going to cheer on Michael Phelps competing in the... [edited as it could be offensive]
You pirate because you are a thief. Meaning, it's not them, it's you.
Take responsibility for your own actions. The world does not owe you free movies and music.
A bit of a confused combination, it may be essentially true, but it's not at all helpful to the point he was making.
Someone doesn't steal something "because they're a thief". They are classified a thief if they steal something. It's pedantic, but this kind of connection classes someone outside of a real customer base, unnecessarily. It doesn't give any voice to the underlying issue, and it's a mistake I think distributors fall into.
He pirates because he wants to watch something, and there is NO OTHER WAY he can get that content. He does not expect free movies and music - he asks for paid rental content.
Or put another way - he wants to watch something, he looks for a way he can watch it, there is only one option (pirating), so he chooses the only option he can find. This is a pattern the distributors could very easily change.
Personally, with movies I'm happy enough with my options. I can usually find something at the video store, iTunes, or at the movies (though this is hard with a newborn). It's TV shows that I feel we really have no options for, AND I think iTunes overcharges for me watching a show once.
Curious how Apple seem almost completely uninterested in the living room. Microsoft, Sony, Netflix, and others will own it for decades to come.
Not if they lower the prices of movies and tv shows for the ipad. imo this will boost appletv sales to the roof.
Also, international content sucks, I am in canada, where the hell are the french Tv shows and french audio on movies please... US store should also provide spanish audio if its not there already. This kind of scares me for the Ipad, will I get french books on the bookstore and french newspaper and mags?!?
They should also put a BR on that thing at price this only a bit more than BR players and rely on itune sales for profit.
Of course it's not designed for people with shitty networks, but you are full of it you think that a 1.5Mbps digital download will take longer than going to Netflix or Amazon to rent or buy a video and then wait for it to get processed and delivered. Apparently you missed the words "shipped" and "convenience".
So many movies aren't even available on iTunes when available on Netflix or Amazon if available at all. So who really has to wait longer? Is that the "convenience" you are referring to?
If a slower bit rate makes the network shitty, does a slower bit rate (compared with Blu-ray) make the max iTunes video shitty too?
Of course it's not designed for people with shitty networks, but you are full of it you think that a 1.5Mbps digital download will take longer than going to Netflix or Amazon to rent or buy a video and then wait for it to get processed and delivered. Apparently you missed the words "shipped" and "convenience".
If you have to have it same night, yeah, it falls short. However, selection and features seem to fall very short with the internet movie options. Netflix online has only a few TV shows for rent. Some series have very odd omissions, the first episode of Vicar of Dibley isn't available on Netflix online, seems to defeat the point of offering the rest of the season. Apple doesn't rent any TV shows at all that I've seen, buy only, so a night's marathon would cost a bit of change.
Also, I really don't think it's really that big of a deal to plan ahead and have something waiting when I'm done working, not compared to a dearth of titles for the internet renting options.
If you have to have it same night, yeah, it falls short. However, selection and features seem to fall very short with the internet movie options. Netflix online has only a few TV shows for rent, Apple doesn't rent any TV shows at all that I've seen. Also, I really don't think it's really that big of a deal to plan ahead and have something waiting when I'm done working, not compared to a dearth of titles for the internet renting options.
I have problems with any of that, they each have their pros and cons. I do have a problem with blanket statements that the AppleTV sucks and the iTS sucks when they clearly have plenty of benefits for many people.
Also, I really don't think it's really that big of a deal to plan ahead and have something waiting when I'm done working, not compared to a dearth of titles for the internet renting options.
How do you plan ahead for a TV show if you were out the night before and the DVR didn't record it for whatever reason or you don't have a DVR? How do you plan for every eventuality that may occur with your video watching needs? Do you get their Netflix forwarded to your hotels when you're working abroad? There are just too many potential scenarios to say that digital downloads have no viable benefits to anyone.
Of course it's not designed for people with shitty networks, but you are full of it you think that a 1.5Mbps digital download will take longer than going to Netflix or Amazon to rent or buy a video and then wait for it to get processed and delivered. Apparently you missed the words "shipped" and "convenience".
He just said that a HD preview took 5 minutes to start. That's about right on a 1.5Mbps connection, since the trailer is at just under 5Mbps. Thus it'd take about 7 minutes to download a 2minute trailer... or 5 minutes before it could start playing.
Likewise a 2hr HD film takes 4-5 hours to start on a 1.5Mbps connection. Of course a 2hr SD film only takes about 30mins to start on 1.5Mbps.
Anyway - you're right that that's still quicker than postal.
Microsoft just about does better than break-even on hardware.
So three years ago they started making a small profit on the hardware, but there was a big hole to fill.
And what about all the broken consoles replaced during the last threee years?
Wednesday February 28, 2007 08:39 PM
Q: Why no DVR functionality in the Apple TV?
A: It's not what it is. Our view is it's the DVD player of the 21st century, and so, we're not trying to be a DVR, be a set top box. We're all about taking the content already on your Mac or PC and watch it on your TV.
February 28th, 2008 - 10.42 pm UTC
Cook also touched on the following…
Apple TV remains a “nichey” product but has “enormous opportunity.”
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Speaking in the company's financial results conference call, Cook said, "there was a tremendous tickup year over year [for Apple TV]. In fact unit sales were up over 3 times vs the year-ago quarter. However let me be clear, we still consider this a hobby."