I think they got the hardware right but not the software. 1 x power, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Ethernet/Wireless = great.
But the software! I was so excited to hear Steve say "People don't want a computer in their living room." But then the demo starts, and there's this whole row of menus with submenus, and I straight away knew this would remain a hobby.
The software should have been as simple as the hardware. You plug it in and it straight away shows a Coverflow of all the movies available for rent. And that's the whole interface.
But why so simple? Because when will people understand, the TV is for blobbing out! It's the one place in this hectic world that you don't have to think. And here come these tech companies, trying to add multi-layer menus to the only blob-out place we have left.
Well, I don't have a DVR or even cable for that matter... so, if you had an open mind or an imagination you could see how this device would be useful to some people.
Also at $0.99 I could rent the two weekly tv shows I'd like to watch for $8 a month and not have to pay for 100+ channels of crap I wouldn't ever watch.
It's only like your DVR only if you religiously record every episode that you (or your friends) might someday want to watch and your DVR storage is unlimited. AppleTV gives you instant access to shows that you may not be interested in today, but might be next year, even if the show is no longer on the air.
I really don't like the direction things are moving in......used to be able to actually buy CD's which had better quality sound.....now you download them and hope your drive doesn't crash or they change the DRM requirements bricking your library overnight.
Used to be able to go to a store and buy a DVD.....now you rent them and forever lose the benefit of actually owning the item. If all we could do is rent you'd never be able to see the unaltered versions of Stars Wars or see ET before Spielberg changed the guns to lollypops.....any film considered controversial or subversive might not be available at all or would be edited etc.
I'll probably get it because of the new $99 price and that I use handbrake to import my DVDs to my Mac, but it does nothing to get me away from physical media. If don't have you DVDs ripped to your hard drive or already buy from iTunes, I see no reason to but this at all. There are much better options out there.
1) Red Box good. No Hulu integration bad. Apple contract service would be better, but not while jobs is alive since he seems to be deathly allergic to them.
2) Apple seems oblivious to the fact that the kiosks are the competition in the rental space, no high priced video on demand. I'm not lazy enough were I'd pay $5 to rent from Apple when I take a five minute trip to Walgreens to rent the Blu-Ray for $1.50 from Red Box. There seems to be a disconnect when it comes to the video space that wasn't there with music. Then again, with Steve's comments a couple months back I don't know if they fully understand the reasons that digital music took off.
My first thought was that I might actually be interested at $99. Then, I thought again. It's a $99 wireless hub and that's all. I don't care about renting TV shows or movies through iTunes. I have Netflix on my PS3, giving me Bluray+streaming+gaming. I also have a multi-room DVR. I can rent movies if I choose through FiOs.
I think Apple is really going the wrong way here. Introduce an Apple TV with bluray, multi-DVR and physical media storage of 1-2TB. Charge $599 + $99 for satellite (other room) boxes like the current (new) Apple TV. Goodbye $40 a month charge for three boxes. I'm sold.
I already have a SlimDevices Squeezebox that cost me $250. But for $100 the aTV can do a whole lot more. And I often use my Wii to show slideshows straight off SD cards after taking pictures. aTV can display anything in my iPhoto library.
I think the aTV is going on my Christmas list - and maybe on the gift list for some relatives.
I'd love to see the hardware specs on the aTV and eagerly await what the jailbreakers can do with it.
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.
True, but since it streams from mac you can still buy episodes in iTunes, use a tivo device in a mac or PC, or any other way that is available to download the episode. And streaming netflix is huge, although I'd love to see more streaming options like ABC, hulu, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ortal
I was gonna say, isnt this just a glorified DVR? and on those you can keep the episode indefinetly, no?
Can you get a dvr that includes streaming for $99?
My first thought was that I might actually be interested at $99. Then, I thought again. It's a $99 wireless hub and that's all. I don't care about renting TV shows or movies through iTunes. I have Netflix on my PS3, giving me Bluray+streaming+gaming. I also have a multi-room DVR. I can rent movies if I choose through FiOs.
I think Apple is really going the wrong way here. Introduce an Apple TV with bluray, multi-DVR and physical media storage of 1-2TB. Charge $599 + $99 for satellite (other room) boxes like the current (new) Apple TV. Goodbye $40 a month charge for three boxes. I'm sold.
what content can be streamed from other iOS devices?
can the Netflix app stream to the AppleTV? Does your iPhone become the remote + apps for the AppleTV?
I really don't like the direction things are moving in......used to be able to actually buy CD's which had better quality sound.....now you download them and hope your drive doesn't crash or they change the DRM requirements bricking your library overnight.
Used to be able to go to a store and buy a DVD.....now you rent them and forever lose the benefit of actually owning the item. If all we could do is rent you'd never be able to see the unaltered versions of Stars Wars or see ET before Spielberg changed the guns to lollypops.....any film considered controversial or subversive might not be available at all or would be edited etc.
We are slowly giving away our rights.
There is no DRM on iTunes songs. That was like 2007. And you can still buy CDs. Go to Best Buy. They have tons of them. Still have DVDs too. And a bunch of other options for video besides Apple. Do you get out much?
Damn they could have atleast thrown a DVD player in it, for people with a DVD player and Roku to go down to 1 device. Theres just absolutely no reason to buy this thing.
I think they got the hardware right but not the software. 1 x power, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Ethernet/Wireless = great.
But the software! I was so excited to hear Steve say "People don't want a computer in their living room." But then the demo starts, and there's this whole row of menus with submenus, and I straight away knew this would remain a hobby.
I have the old one and imo the interface is pretty brain dead simple. Sync where a bit more complex but they are gone so its even more simple.
The software should have been as simple as the hardware. You plug it in and it straight away shows a Coverflow of all the movies available for rent. And that's the whole interface.
... don't quit your day job if you're thinking about going into UI design!
Think about it! Why spend $99 for a Roku box when you can get this PLUS iTunes streaming plus rental movies. It makes absolute sense. They are going after the 1Mu+ Roku market.
It seems like Apple TV is still just "iTunes for TV" ...
Bingo! That's all it ever was. I don't understand why people don't get that!? It's really not that difficult of a concept: You have iTunes content on your computer and you want to watch it on your TV in the living room.
Comments
But the software! I was so excited to hear Steve say "People don't want a computer in their living room." But then the demo starts, and there's this whole row of menus with submenus, and I straight away knew this would remain a hobby.
The software should have been as simple as the hardware. You plug it in and it straight away shows a Coverflow of all the movies available for rent. And that's the whole interface.
But why so simple? Because when will people understand, the TV is for blobbing out! It's the one place in this hectic world that you don't have to think. And here come these tech companies, trying to add multi-layer menus to the only blob-out place we have left.
Well, I don't have a DVR or even cable for that matter... so, if you had an open mind or an imagination you could see how this device would be useful to some people.
Also at $0.99 I could rent the two weekly tv shows I'd like to watch for $8 a month and not have to pay for 100+ channels of crap I wouldn't ever watch.
Good For You... Enjoy
Used to be able to go to a store and buy a DVD.....now you rent them and forever lose the benefit of actually owning the item. If all we could do is rent you'd never be able to see the unaltered versions of Stars Wars or see ET before Spielberg changed the guns to lollypops.....any film considered controversial or subversive might not be available at all or would be edited etc.
We are slowly giving away our rights.
1) Red Box good. No Hulu integration bad. Apple contract service would be better, but not while jobs is alive since he seems to be deathly allergic to them.
2) Apple seems oblivious to the fact that the kiosks are the competition in the rental space, no high priced video on demand. I'm not lazy enough were I'd pay $5 to rent from Apple when I take a five minute trip to Walgreens to rent the Blu-Ray for $1.50 from Red Box. There seems to be a disconnect when it comes to the video space that wasn't there with music. Then again, with Steve's comments a couple months back I don't know if they fully understand the reasons that digital music took off.
I think Apple is really going the wrong way here. Introduce an Apple TV with bluray, multi-DVR and physical media storage of 1-2TB. Charge $599 + $99 for satellite (other room) boxes like the current (new) Apple TV. Goodbye $40 a month charge for three boxes. I'm sold.
Since when was the exchange rate $1=£1? I know Apple always screw us over here in the UK, but this is a new low point.
Sounds like glorified hotel room PPV to me...
One that can steam content you have from you computers, but basically yeah.
I think the aTV is going on my Christmas list - and maybe on the gift list for some relatives.
I'd love to see the hardware specs on the aTV and eagerly await what the jailbreakers can do with it.
- Jasen.
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.
True, but since it streams from mac you can still buy episodes in iTunes, use a tivo device in a mac or PC, or any other way that is available to download the episode. And streaming netflix is huge, although I'd love to see more streaming options like ABC, hulu, etc.
I was gonna say, isnt this just a glorified DVR? and on those you can keep the episode indefinetly, no?
Can you get a dvr that includes streaming for $99?
My first thought was that I might actually be interested at $99. Then, I thought again. It's a $99 wireless hub and that's all. I don't care about renting TV shows or movies through iTunes. I have Netflix on my PS3, giving me Bluray+streaming+gaming. I also have a multi-room DVR. I can rent movies if I choose through FiOs.
I think Apple is really going the wrong way here. Introduce an Apple TV with bluray, multi-DVR and physical media storage of 1-2TB. Charge $599 + $99 for satellite (other room) boxes like the current (new) Apple TV. Goodbye $40 a month charge for three boxes. I'm sold.
what content can be streamed from other iOS devices?
can the Netflix app stream to the AppleTV? Does your iPhone become the remote + apps for the AppleTV?
I really don't like the direction things are moving in......used to be able to actually buy CD's which had better quality sound.....now you download them and hope your drive doesn't crash or they change the DRM requirements bricking your library overnight.
Used to be able to go to a store and buy a DVD.....now you rent them and forever lose the benefit of actually owning the item. If all we could do is rent you'd never be able to see the unaltered versions of Stars Wars or see ET before Spielberg changed the guns to lollypops.....any film considered controversial or subversive might not be available at all or would be edited etc.
We are slowly giving away our rights.
There is no DRM on iTunes songs. That was like 2007. And you can still buy CDs. Go to Best Buy. They have tons of them. Still have DVDs too. And a bunch of other options for video besides Apple. Do you get out much?
@TV will finally take off.
Note: I don't think he called it iTV.
I think they got the hardware right but not the software. 1 x power, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Ethernet/Wireless = great.
But the software! I was so excited to hear Steve say "People don't want a computer in their living room." But then the demo starts, and there's this whole row of menus with submenus, and I straight away knew this would remain a hobby.
I have the old one and imo the interface is pretty brain dead simple. Sync where a bit more complex but they are gone so its even more simple.
lack of an open app system is the problem here.
The software should have been as simple as the hardware. You plug it in and it straight away shows a Coverflow of all the movies available for rent. And that's the whole interface.
... don't quit your day job if you're thinking about going into UI design!
It seems like Apple TV is still just "iTunes for TV" ...
Bingo! That's all it ever was. I don't understand why people don't get that!? It's really not that difficult of a concept: You have iTunes content on your computer and you want to watch it on your TV in the living room.
Honestly, what's with all the whining?