I?ve been questioning BT as a replacement for a basic remote, but I can?t find any info as to the current iteration of the protocol or the HW itself being built for 1) a decent enough battery life in a perpetual waiting state and 2) being able to activate instantly the way IR can.
Yeah! I don't think BT is the answer for the living room. It can be a slow, PITA to pair the devices, and battery drain is an issue.
I've thought that there must be a better solution-- maybe it is IR (with all its warts).
After he left Apple, WOZ started a company called Cloud Nine. His first product was a $9.99 IR amplifier that you attached to any remote-- it would amplify the IR signal and rebroadcast it in all directions.
The second was a full-fledged IR remote (amplified) with a display, modem, dedicated keys, programable keys, timers, a learning mode, etc. This was essentially an Apple ][c in a handheld remote and completely programmable-- quite a thing for its time, ca. 1986.
I lived in Montreal and speak french, well nobody perfect. But lets say until a few weeks ago Itunes Canada didn't had any french movies or TV shows.
They added french movies just a few weeks ago and I just saw a french TV network ad for a new september show with an "will be available on iTunes" logo at the bottom left of the screen. I just check in the TV section and nothing in french is yet available on Itunes. Apple is going strong with TV negotiations even outside the US.
That is interesting.
I have no recent experience with non-US TV.
I suspect that other countries might have a "better" TV delivery system, just as many have "better" Cell Phone delivery systems.
Maybe the key to breaking into the US Video oligarchy lies offshore...
... Just like the game of Risk, where, if you mass your armies in Iceland...
Seriously, Steve said that the industry needed a "go to market" solution-- maybe Apple found one!
Yeah! I don't think BT is the answer for the living room. It can be a slow, PITA to pair the devices, and battery drain is an issue.
I've thought that there must be a better solution-- maybe it is IR (with all its warts).
Imagine if the antenna spacer on the top edge of the iPhone 4 had also been an IR transmitter with an API in the SDK. Those expensive remotes would have been indefinitely crippled overnight. An iPod Touch costs less than a lot of the touchscreen versions I?ve seen.
Of course, Apple may be forgoing this old tech, but I don?t see what could feasibly replace it. It?s one of those tried and true technologies that still has no equal for its intended usage? at least from I can tell.
I wonder if the current AppleTV will be upgradable to the new iOS? I think its an intel Atom inside
Nope it's a Pentium M or something similar. That's why Apple is going ARM with iTV! It's cheaper, for one, for the decoding power you want, plus running iOS apps, etc...
If you think a new iOS-based AppleTV is being presented today, do you think it will have an SDK presented along with it like the iPad or do you think it will be dropped the next year (or so) like the original iPhone.
Since I agree with you that this is the one feature that could make or break this device since it?s the one thing their competitors still have a problem competing with, I hope the delay of this product until now now was to make sure the SDK was ready.
PS: Consider this, interactive TV that allows you to access any video you?re watching and select elements for this live action show that are for purchase. Clothing, furniture, etc. We are not there yet, but I can foresee a future when even more product placement is sponsoring these shows, which may not otherwise get off the ground in the uncertain Wild, Wild West of á la carte internet streaming video. You could hit a button that would highlight all the for sale items in the video, or access a list from the menu. This data could be sent with the video as realtime metadata by simply denoting the item, description, URL, and pixel coordinations. This may seem complex today but once you link an image it could be possible for every other timestamp to map all or most of the other points, in most cases. Okay, I didn?t have much sleep last night.
The SDK needs to be today or by end of September, at the latest. I suspect we might see iPad iOS 4, too.
Apple needs to encourage (and remove any impediments) for content owners, networks, and even cable providers to embrace iTV as just a natural extension of the iPad as a delivery system.
For example, why wouldn't ABC, CBS, et al, want to take advantage of the same features/benefits they are using on the aPad to reach a larger audience?
Eventually, there will, likely, be a single universal app for all broadcast TV, another for streamed movies, another for special events, etc.
To get from here to there, the industry will need to go through a messy growing stage-- where each content provider tries to out maneuver the others to gain competitive advantage.
For Apple to make this happen, it is going to take: salesmanship; trust; a few key "flagship deals"; and timing!
Apple damn well better do a knock down job of their live video stream today-- just to show us how it's gonna' be done!
The interactive TV, you mention, is the "jonah stone"... but first you must catch the whale(s)!
Hint #1: The current (until 10AM) AppleTV is listed in the Apple Store under the iPod group of products.
Hint #2: Using iOS means compatibility, both hardware and software, with iPod Touch / iPhone
Hint #3:The mention of an "Unknown device" in the iOS 4.1 statements
Controlling it? The current Apple Remote is a good candidate -- an App running on any other iOS4 device may be even better. Hopefully our multi-device remote will soon get iTV intelligence... it is the only way to control TV, Blue-Ray, and Sound System.
Live TV? We watch very little, most of which is available as streams anyway (Local News etc.) -- The non-news shows are recorded and watched later. Streaming would be perfectly acceptable if I could get rid of the set-top box.
Nope it's a Pentium M or something similar. That's why Apple is going ARM with iTV! It's cheaper, for one, for the decoding power you want, plus running iOS apps, etc...
It is a tough call whether to support older AppleTVs.
It is technically feasible-- almost all iOS apps run on x86 architecture on the simulator.
I believe Apple and developers would like to be able to sell [some of] their apps on the Intel desktop machines, too!
Apple could provide an enhanced universal binary solution-- where the target binary needed is selected as part of the download/install process (little overhead).
In this way, Apple could support existing AppleTVs, similar to the way they support older iPhones:
-- a definite cutoff for older machines (though they can share the same network an the iTV)
-- certain, later models of AppleTV would be fully supported for the functions they are capable of performing.
I believe Apple will try to do this, as they [especially] want to sell the new "iTV function" to existing AppleTV users, too.
The $ lost in new sales of iTVs would be minimal-- the $ PR, customer-loyalty value would be significant!
They would be saying: "You took a chance on the AppleTV... We are taking care of you... why not take a chance..."
Comments
I?ve been questioning BT as a replacement for a basic remote, but I can?t find any info as to the current iteration of the protocol or the HW itself being built for 1) a decent enough battery life in a perpetual waiting state and 2) being able to activate instantly the way IR can.
Yeah! I don't think BT is the answer for the living room. It can be a slow, PITA to pair the devices, and battery drain is an issue.
I've thought that there must be a better solution-- maybe it is IR (with all its warts).
After he left Apple, WOZ started a company called Cloud Nine. His first product was a $9.99 IR amplifier that you attached to any remote-- it would amplify the IR signal and rebroadcast it in all directions.
The second was a full-fledged IR remote (amplified) with a display, modem, dedicated keys, programable keys, timers, a learning mode, etc. This was essentially an Apple ][c in a handheld remote and completely programmable-- quite a thing for its time, ca. 1986.
http://www.ktronicslc.com/core.html
There were also several IR dongles offered for the iPhone and iPod Touch,
But none of these things solve the issue of entering URLs, search terms, etc.-- that is still best gone by a keyboard...
Hey, somewhere, I have an old IR "chicklet" keyboard from a PC/jr....
... I wonder if....
.
I lived in Montreal and speak french, well nobody perfect. But lets say until a few weeks ago Itunes Canada didn't had any french movies or TV shows.
They added french movies just a few weeks ago and I just saw a french TV network ad for a new september show with an "will be available on iTunes" logo at the bottom left of the screen. I just check in the TV section and nothing in french is yet available on Itunes. Apple is going strong with TV negotiations even outside the US.
That is interesting.
I have no recent experience with non-US TV.
I suspect that other countries might have a "better" TV delivery system, just as many have "better" Cell Phone delivery systems.
Maybe the key to breaking into the US Video oligarchy lies offshore...
... Just like the game of Risk, where, if you mass your armies in Iceland...
Seriously, Steve said that the industry needed a "go to market" solution-- maybe Apple found one!
.
Yeah! I don't think BT is the answer for the living room. It can be a slow, PITA to pair the devices, and battery drain is an issue.
I've thought that there must be a better solution-- maybe it is IR (with all its warts).
Imagine if the antenna spacer on the top edge of the iPhone 4 had also been an IR transmitter with an API in the SDK. Those expensive remotes would have been indefinitely crippled overnight. An iPod Touch costs less than a lot of the touchscreen versions I?ve seen.
Of course, Apple may be forgoing this old tech, but I don?t see what could feasibly replace it. It?s one of those tried and true technologies that still has no equal for its intended usage? at least from I can tell.
I wonder if the current AppleTV will be upgradable to the new iOS? I think its an intel Atom inside
Nope it's a Pentium M or something similar. That's why Apple is going ARM with iTV! It's cheaper, for one, for the decoding power you want, plus running iOS apps, etc...
If you think a new iOS-based AppleTV is being presented today, do you think it will have an SDK presented along with it like the iPad or do you think it will be dropped the next year (or so) like the original iPhone.
Since I agree with you that this is the one feature that could make or break this device since it?s the one thing their competitors still have a problem competing with, I hope the delay of this product until now now was to make sure the SDK was ready.
PS: Consider this, interactive TV that allows you to access any video you?re watching and select elements for this live action show that are for purchase. Clothing, furniture, etc. We are not there yet, but I can foresee a future when even more product placement is sponsoring these shows, which may not otherwise get off the ground in the uncertain Wild, Wild West of á la carte internet streaming video. You could hit a button that would highlight all the for sale items in the video, or access a list from the menu. This data could be sent with the video as realtime metadata by simply denoting the item, description, URL, and pixel coordinations. This may seem complex today but once you link an image it could be possible for every other timestamp to map all or most of the other points, in most cases. Okay, I didn?t have much sleep last night.
The SDK needs to be today or by end of September, at the latest. I suspect we might see iPad iOS 4, too.
Apple needs to encourage (and remove any impediments) for content owners, networks, and even cable providers to embrace iTV as just a natural extension of the iPad as a delivery system.
For example, why wouldn't ABC, CBS, et al, want to take advantage of the same features/benefits they are using on the aPad to reach a larger audience?
Eventually, there will, likely, be a single universal app for all broadcast TV, another for streamed movies, another for special events, etc.
To get from here to there, the industry will need to go through a messy growing stage-- where each content provider tries to out maneuver the others to gain competitive advantage.
For Apple to make this happen, it is going to take: salesmanship; trust; a few key "flagship deals"; and timing!
Apple damn well better do a knock down job of their live video stream today-- just to show us how it's gonna' be done!
The interactive TV, you mention, is the "jonah stone"... but first you must catch the whale(s)!
SDK == Harpoon!
.
I guess they realized, after all, that the studios are not the easiest people in the world to negotiate with.
yup. check out on-demand on comcast, fios, uverse or anything else. it's 5+ bucks to watch one new-release movie.
Kinda tough to negotiate a $20 unlimited monthly service getting the same movies at the same time.
Hint #2: Using iOS means compatibility, both hardware and software, with iPod Touch / iPhone
Hint #3:The mention of an "Unknown device" in the iOS 4.1 statements
Controlling it? The current Apple Remote is a good candidate -- an App running on any other iOS4 device may be even better. Hopefully our multi-device remote will soon get iTV intelligence... it is the only way to control TV, Blue-Ray, and Sound System.
Live TV? We watch very little, most of which is available as streams anyway (Local News etc.) -- The non-news shows are recorded and watched later. Streaming would be perfectly acceptable if I could get rid of the set-top box.
Good bye 200+ channels that I never watch.
I'll probably buy the iTV!
Thanks for proving my point (your language notwithstanding) -- that's a laughable list!
So, because you haven't heard of the content, it's laughable?
Like the "Red Riding" series, which isn't even available on DVD in the US?
Or:
Louis C.K.: Chewed Up
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 2009
Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion 2006
Big Fan 2009
The Sweet Hereafter 1997
Gods and Monsters 1998
Django 1966
Moon 2009
The Last House on the Left 1972
Event Horizon 1997
The House of the Devil 2009
District 9 2009
The Big Lebowski 1998
House of Games 1987
Breathless 1960
And those are just the ones listed on the home page.
The only thing laughable is how far you have your head up your ass.
Better get in line for the next Jennifer Aniston rom-com!
Nope it's a Pentium M or something similar. That's why Apple is going ARM with iTV! It's cheaper, for one, for the decoding power you want, plus running iOS apps, etc...
It is a tough call whether to support older AppleTVs.
It is technically feasible-- almost all iOS apps run on x86 architecture on the simulator.
I believe Apple and developers would like to be able to sell [some of] their apps on the Intel desktop machines, too!
Apple could provide an enhanced universal binary solution-- where the target binary needed is selected as part of the download/install process (little overhead).
In this way, Apple could support existing AppleTVs, similar to the way they support older iPhones:
-- a definite cutoff for older machines (though they can share the same network an the iTV)
-- certain, later models of AppleTV would be fully supported for the functions they are capable of performing.
I believe Apple will try to do this, as they [especially] want to sell the new "iTV function" to existing AppleTV users, too.
The $ lost in new sales of iTVs would be minimal-- the $ PR, customer-loyalty value would be significant!
They would be saying: "You took a chance on the AppleTV... We are taking care of you... why not take a chance..."
.