Some of you are missing the potential of this. I got rid of my cable 6 months ago and I've been watching netflix streaming on my iMac since. Ive been buying DVDs of shows I like, such as "Curb" (HBO). After watching them, I sell the DVDs on ebay. I have ZERO interest in cable subscriptions. I have ZERO interest in "owning" physical or virtual content. I have ZERO interest in "owning" a show or movie. I want to watch what I want, when I want, all for a reasonable price, via an awesome interface. And if I can use my ipad for a remote, I'm doing headstands. This is the real promise of on demand...not some crap comcast wants to serve me over their craptacular hardware after they've collected $100/mo for a crap subscription. Can you tell I hate the cable companies?
Point is, there are more and more people thinking like me, and more to come in the future. BTW, I'm an old geezer at 52 so the future looks great for apple tv in my view. All the young kids are going to love this in due time. As soon as I upgrade my ancient TV, I will be all over this box. In fact, I finally have a good excuse for a new tv.
That only makes sense, if all you did with your cable, was watch movies or the occasional TV show in the first place.
This new ATV isn't much different than the previous; still just an iPod for the TV, but adds Netflix and YT streaming (what doesn't do streaming Netflix and YT anymore?).
Until the day comes along, that I can stream anything on-demand (all networks, not just those that agree to sign distribution deals), including sports, this is still just a hobby device. It's only advantage is that it's $99 and can stream Netflix too, but both my computer and 360 can already do that, and they're both connected to my HDTV.
No one is addressing what to me continues to pose the biggest limitation on the Apple TV: the Internet! I pay for the fastest speed available in my town, but even so I haven't been able to stream even a two-minute QuickTime movie trailer in less than five minutes. Even then half the time some glitch or other mars the viewing experience. Isn't all this talk about 1080p streaming a little premature considering Internet 2 is still not even on the horizon?
No one is addressing what to me continues to pose the biggest limitation on the Apple TV: the Internet! I pay for the fastest speed available in my town, but even so I haven't been able to stream even a two-minute QuickTime movie trailer in less than five minutes. Even then half the time some glitch or other mars the viewing experience. Isn't all this talk about 1080p streaming a little premature considering Internet 2 is still not even on the horizon?
And I agree with you. But Apple and Steve Jobs don't agree with us. If they did, Blu-Ray would be an option in Macs, if not the Apple TV. They truly believe the physical disc will die at the hand of expensive, limited selection, limited use pay-per-view. Steve Jobs has more or less said so himself, and the Apple TV eliminating the ability to buy content at all backs it up.
I would bet anything that Steve Jobs agrees with you. I bet he has more than one Blu-ray player in his home. What I bet he won?t agree with is that Apple should support all technologies that others support. Sometimes the best play is to not play at all and I see no way that Apple could compete with a $99 Blu-ray appliance that some folks here say work flawlessly, and when Apple only supports 9.5mm ODDs in all their Macs, sans the Mac Pro, which would mean a very, very very costly piece of HW to be up to what I?d expect from an Apple product: as small as humanly possible while also being fast for that size.
I think it?s safe to say that the optical drive is just an obsolescing placeholder for when they can feasibly regain that ¼ of the 13? MBP?s internal space.
Cool device overall, but it's a bit nonsensical to expect users to 'rent' TV episodes for US .99 (at only 720p) when it's so easy to simply use a DVR/Tivo type device.
We'll See...
Not if you don't have cable (like me). I've gone without cable for about 6-7 years now and have been using the internet for news/info and AppleTV (for about 3 years now) for TV/Movies. Can't stand all the waste and trash that's on cable. AppleTV allows us to pick only what we want. Bravo Apple for this update. Keep it up! Add more networks, Apps and GameCenter one day and this'll kill every other competitor!
Remember, it's STREAMING... Two minute QuickTime in 5 minutes???? I have a 1Gb, $24.95/mo, internet connection and can start watching TV shows in about that timeframe (5 min). Full length movies take about 15-20 minutes to be able to start watching but still, for a 1Gb internet connection, that's pretty good.
Now of course, I'm NOT talking about HD, but 5 minutes to start watching a 2 minute QT movie? You must have dial-up or at best, ISDN. ;-)
if the Hulu works on this puppy, i'm going to seriously consider it.
I'm more interested in studios letting netflix have next day episodes of tv. $9 a month and ad free is better than hulu plus
I do have an issue with itunes/netflix and movies. the special features. I want to see them. this itunes Extras hasn't yet taken off and when you rent you can't see them. I wouldn't mind paying another $1-2 dollars to see them also. I enjoy them. sometimes more than the movies.
If you have netflix its a no brainer. I think Roku is dead after this. For all the people here who want more give it some time. They might exand on this and later offer a more premium box with additional featues etc. They want a key price pioint. They need to sell rnough of these to get more contact from these entertainment companies. If I was a cable TV exec I would be quaking in my boots.
No, this is better. No skipping of commercials and no dancing with networks and cable co's screwing with start/stop times in lame attempts to screw up DVR recordings.
And finally, I can kill my cable subscription!
Quote:
and on those you can keep the episode indefinetly, no?
Sure, until you run out of space. Unless you transfer the show off - if you can. But my Tivo S3's are basically useless since the majority of content I am interested in is flagged as no copy. I might as well stream it from Netflix, and rent from Apple what Netflix doesn't have.
I've owned Tivo's since 2001, and helped friends and family install over 40 - but I won't miss Tivo. I never wanted a DVR, I wanted to watch the shows I want, when I want, without commercials. The gap has finally closed enough were my Tivo's are now redundant. I won't be renewing any of my subs, that's for sure!
Pretty surprised about no Apps. There are clearly complications but I thought there would be some kind of intro to Apps.
Netflix isn't an app? Hulu couldn't eventually be an app on it?
Sure, they are not user-installed apps - but with AirPlay from iOS devices, what makes more sense? Stuffing apps and an awkward control scheme in the AppleTV, or extending the screen from the iOS device to your TV?
The latter makes more sense to me. Brilliant side-stepping of the "how do you control it" debate.
Theres just absolutely no reason to buy this thing.
You're so wrong.
Maybe "absolutely no reason" for the cognoscenti already loaded down with all kinds of devices named in this thread, but just watch the sales take off for this thing.
Solves six problems for me out the gate and I won't be buying much if any media.
you know this reminds me very much of the first iPhone 2G. it had a few essential on-board apps. but otherwise Apple said 'use web apps'. that was ok (revolutionary for the times), but the iPhone didn't really take off sales-wise until the 3G came out with the app store and native apps a year later.
the ATV2 strikes me the same way. it's a great media extender for the iTunes ecosystem, which makes it ok. but it is not going to take off sales-wise either until it puts apps on your TV screen somehow. and just like the iPhone, games will lead the way.
maybe next year. iPad2 would be a place to start. with a more powerful processor - the A5? - it could mirror iPad apps/games running on its screen on your TV screen too via ATV2. AirPlay now does half of this job already.
Comments
Some of you are missing the potential of this. I got rid of my cable 6 months ago and I've been watching netflix streaming on my iMac since. Ive been buying DVDs of shows I like, such as "Curb" (HBO). After watching them, I sell the DVDs on ebay. I have ZERO interest in cable subscriptions. I have ZERO interest in "owning" physical or virtual content. I have ZERO interest in "owning" a show or movie. I want to watch what I want, when I want, all for a reasonable price, via an awesome interface. And if I can use my ipad for a remote, I'm doing headstands. This is the real promise of on demand...not some crap comcast wants to serve me over their craptacular hardware after they've collected $100/mo for a crap subscription. Can you tell I hate the cable companies?
Point is, there are more and more people thinking like me, and more to come in the future. BTW, I'm an old geezer at 52 so the future looks great for apple tv in my view. All the young kids are going to love this in due time. As soon as I upgrade my ancient TV, I will be all over this box. In fact, I finally have a good excuse for a new tv.
That only makes sense, if all you did with your cable, was watch movies or the occasional TV show in the first place.
This new ATV isn't much different than the previous; still just an iPod for the TV, but adds Netflix and YT streaming (what doesn't do streaming Netflix and YT anymore?).
Until the day comes along, that I can stream anything on-demand (all networks, not just those that agree to sign distribution deals), including sports, this is still just a hobby device. It's only advantage is that it's $99 and can stream Netflix too, but both my computer and 360 can already do that, and they're both connected to my HDTV.
If Blu-ray is so ideal then is there is more media consumed via the internet than on Blu-ray? Why is Netflix streaming growing so quickly?
Are you comparing someone watching a dog laying a turd on youtube to sales of Blu-ray movies?
And you seem to forget, over 95% of the worlds population, can't, or don't want netflix.
Why pay $99 for this when you can get a blu-ray player this Christmas that also streams netflix and plays your DVDs?
because physical media is dead, bluray won the battle for hd format but streaming netflix and apple are winning the war
it does so many other things and at $99 its a steal,
i would buy a bluray just for the use of netflix and pandora, but now with apple TV i don't need to
tv's this Christmas season will all be wifi and internet connected, so now you have a convergence item
bluray....what's bluray.....just another dust collector
and i can take this with me to hotels etc and vacation and still stream from my iphone,
use my iphone as a remote , app store---- OMFG
i think i'm getting a tingle up my leg......oooooooooaaaawwww
No one is addressing what to me continues to pose the biggest limitation on the Apple TV: the Internet! I pay for the fastest speed available in my town, but even so I haven't been able to stream even a two-minute QuickTime movie trailer in less than five minutes. Even then half the time some glitch or other mars the viewing experience. Isn't all this talk about 1080p streaming a little premature considering Internet 2 is still not even on the horizon?
You're spot on.
Some of the posts here are just wishful blather.
And I agree with you. But Apple and Steve Jobs don't agree with us. If they did, Blu-Ray would be an option in Macs, if not the Apple TV. They truly believe the physical disc will die at the hand of expensive, limited selection, limited use pay-per-view. Steve Jobs has more or less said so himself, and the Apple TV eliminating the ability to buy content at all backs it up.
I would bet anything that Steve Jobs agrees with you. I bet he has more than one Blu-ray player in his home. What I bet he won?t agree with is that Apple should support all technologies that others support. Sometimes the best play is to not play at all and I see no way that Apple could compete with a $99 Blu-ray appliance that some folks here say work flawlessly, and when Apple only supports 9.5mm ODDs in all their Macs, sans the Mac Pro, which would mean a very, very very costly piece of HW to be up to what I?d expect from an Apple product: as small as humanly possible while also being fast for that size.
I think it?s safe to say that the optical drive is just an obsolescing placeholder for when they can feasibly regain that ¼ of the 13? MBP?s internal space.
Cool device overall, but it's a bit nonsensical to expect users to 'rent' TV episodes for US .99 (at only 720p) when it's so easy to simply use a DVR/Tivo type device.
We'll See...
Not if you don't have cable (like me). I've gone without cable for about 6-7 years now and have been using the internet for news/info and AppleTV (for about 3 years now) for TV/Movies. Can't stand all the waste and trash that's on cable. AppleTV allows us to pick only what we want. Bravo Apple for this update. Keep it up! Add more networks, Apps and GameCenter one day and this'll kill every other competitor!
You're spot on.
Some of the posts here are just wishful blather.
Remember, it's STREAMING... Two minute QuickTime in 5 minutes???? I have a 1Gb, $24.95/mo, internet connection and can start watching TV shows in about that timeframe (5 min). Full length movies take about 15-20 minutes to be able to start watching but still, for a 1Gb internet connection, that's pretty good.
Now of course, I'm NOT talking about HD, but 5 minutes to start watching a 2 minute QT movie? You must have dial-up or at best, ISDN. ;-)
because physical media is dead, bluray won the battle for hd format but streaming netflix and apple are winning the war
Maybe you should look at how many titles there are available on physical media vs Netflix or Apple before declaring victory (heh, heh).
PS3 and Wii have it; why can't other devices, especially this new Apple TV?
if the Hulu works on this puppy, i'm going to seriously consider it.
I'm more interested in studios letting netflix have next day episodes of tv. $9 a month and ad free is better than hulu plus
I do have an issue with itunes/netflix and movies. the special features. I want to see them. this itunes Extras hasn't yet taken off and when you rent you can't see them. I wouldn't mind paying another $1-2 dollars to see them also. I enjoy them. sometimes more than the movies.
I was gonna say, isnt this just a glorified DVR?
No, this is better. No skipping of commercials and no dancing with networks and cable co's screwing with start/stop times in lame attempts to screw up DVR recordings.
And finally, I can kill my cable subscription!
and on those you can keep the episode indefinetly, no?
Sure, until you run out of space. Unless you transfer the show off - if you can. But my Tivo S3's are basically useless since the majority of content I am interested in is flagged as no copy. I might as well stream it from Netflix, and rent from Apple what Netflix doesn't have.
I've owned Tivo's since 2001, and helped friends and family install over 40 - but I won't miss Tivo. I never wanted a DVR, I wanted to watch the shows I want, when I want, without commercials. The gap has finally closed enough were my Tivo's are now redundant. I won't be renewing any of my subs, that's for sure!
It seems like Apple TV is still just "iTunes for TV" and for watching past episodes.
Not for long. Streaming from iOS apps is the next logical progression (heck, it may be in 4.2).
MLB at Bat on a TV screen? Kills the final sticking point for most users who would like to ditch cable - sports!
Cable is dead - long live cable!
Pretty surprised about no Apps. There are clearly complications but I thought there would be some kind of intro to Apps.
Netflix isn't an app? Hulu couldn't eventually be an app on it?
Sure, they are not user-installed apps - but with AirPlay from iOS devices, what makes more sense? Stuffing apps and an awkward control scheme in the AppleTV, or extending the screen from the iOS device to your TV?
The latter makes more sense to me. Brilliant side-stepping of the "how do you control it" debate.
MLB at Bat on a TV screen? Kills the final sticking point for most users who would like to ditch cable - sports!
Cable is dead - long live cable!
Netflix isn't an app? Hulu couldn't eventually be an app on it?
I predict this product is going to be a BLOCKBUSTER.
@TV will finally take off.
You're way right.
Theres just absolutely no reason to buy this thing.
You're so wrong.
Maybe "absolutely no reason" for the cognoscenti already loaded down with all kinds of devices named in this thread, but just watch the sales take off for this thing.
Solves six problems for me out the gate and I won't be buying much if any media.
the ATV2 strikes me the same way. it's a great media extender for the iTunes ecosystem, which makes it ok. but it is not going to take off sales-wise either until it puts apps on your TV screen somehow. and just like the iPhone, games will lead the way.
maybe next year. iPad2 would be a place to start. with a more powerful processor - the A5? - it could mirror iPad apps/games running on its screen on your TV screen too via ATV2. AirPlay now does half of this job already.