People said the same thing when Apple entered the phone market. It is also worth noting the PC market as a whole is on a race to the bottom. Dell and HP are killing each other cutting margins and lowering cost. Apple meanwhile is maintaining healthy margins and growing share.
I have little faith in this rumor. However, I think Apple will enter the market. Companies like Samsung are very aggressively building Smart TV's with built in access to applications. This could effect Apple's other markets eventually. I don't expect Apple to take a wait and see approach.
Apple would likely launch such a TV the same way it did the Apple TV. It will come preloaded with a select few applications it and third party developers put together quietly.
Further, I honestly don't see an Apple HDTV reaching the price points the Bose TV reaches. You can buy a nice 42 inch Sharp LED HDTV on sale for under $700.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jetlaw
This rumor makes no sense to me at all. Why would Apple want to involve itself in an industry that is in a perpetual race to the bottom with little no profit margin. I fail to see how this would benefit the Apple ecosystem. It is only slightly more relevant than an "iBlender."
People said the same thing when Apple entered the phone market.
That was not the consensus. Prior to the iPhone's unveiling there were a plethora of mockups and a clear argument as to why Apple should move the iPod into a phone as the phone market was a clear future and the PMP market had neared it's apex. The big surprise that day in January 2007 wasn't that Apple made the iPhone but what they did to make the iPhone.
I don't think it will be based on pixel density. Having apple TV built in would mean airplay and air gaming right out of the box. If it let you do hulu and netflix, rent from iTunes and watch regular TV it would be really awesome.
That would be the only good thing this tv will be able to do. As is other televisions do much of the same things as that. The only thing they will be offering new is itunes and airplay. Are you willing to pay that much for itunes and airplay. I myself use a dumb hdtv and I have my ps3 connected to it and I stream music and movies over my home network system. Plus I get better game play then an airplay enabled apple tv.
Sony is bleeding because it is a horribly run company. The quality of its sets aren't what they used to be. You can buy a good Sony set, but you have to pay a lot for the decent ones Sony makes. The low end ones are junk. Like Sony, Samsung is overrated as well. Both Sony and Samsung generally don't make their own panels unless it is a high end model. Within the same model TV, both companies outsource from various companies resulting in varying degrees of quality.
Go into a store that carries Sharp, Samsung and Sony (like Sears). Sharp makes its own panels, and adds a fourth color to the pixel mix. Many Sharp's lower end LED TVs use full array back lighting, as opposed to the less quality edge lightening method used by Samsung and Sony on the same priced TVs. The Sharp picture stands out.
I also disagree with you about Apple going into the field. If it can offer a decent product at a comparative cost, Apple will sell the sets. It has hundreds of stores to show case the product. Further, Apple is all about leveraging technology it already has to enter new markets. It would cost Apple very little in terms of research to offer a decent product. An Apple HDTV could essentially be an enlarged iPad.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Constable Odo
It doesn't make sense for Apple to go into the TV business. Sony is bleeding money like crazy with their TV division. Apple might be able to make more money than Sony, but it sure does seem risky to me. I wouldn't mind having a 27" iMac with HDTV capabilities but even a low end model that size would probably cost close to $2000. One can buy a pretty decent 1080P HDTV from LG, Vizio or Samsung for under $1000. I honestly don't see Apple going into this field. I could understand Apple building a high-end set-top box, but integrating it into a TV doesn't seem like a good idea at all. I keep my TVs for at least 5 years so I can't see paying a lot of money for an Apple TV and then having the internet programming part of the TV be out of date in just a couple of years. I think Apple should stay away from HDTVs unless their economies of scale can make the business profitable. I want to see Apple build a firmware upgradeable, iOS running set-top box with PVR capabilities but I don't see that happening either.
If they are basing the models exactly like that pictured Bose system, I'm going to throw up. That's not designed, not been engineered. Mind, I never like how Bose or Leowe TVs look. Plain ugly, they are...
I'm skeptical too if I may add. The price will be astronomical rendering them niche and if tied to iTunes, they are going to defy one of the purpose of iTunes which is to attract general consumers and not only for the riches.
Why would Apple design their own video DSP chip? Even with tech from PS Semi it doesn't make sense. There are numerous companies that make really good video DSP chips and are way ahead of where Apple would be. Marvel has Qdeo second gen chips out and they are excellent. Silicon Image also has been in this business for a long time and have very sophisticated chips. Why would Apple reinvent the wheel here when there would be so little market share for them to capture?
because iOS screen mirroring via ATV already does the job anyway. whatever you can display on your iPad, then boom, it's on your big screen. doesn't matter what brand. any kind of app, and thus any/every kind of content. from any source. the big step is doing this wirelessly in iOS 5, which makes it far more convenient.
sure, apps designed to take advantage of 16:9 screens are important, and certainly most media apps will be updated for that. a few already do, so we know it is totally possible.
so I think iOS 5 screen mirroring IS the "killer app." the future of television isn't jamming all the hardware into one big screen gadget, it's bring a whole new realm of content to that screen, with a new kind of UI that makes it far easier.
so the ATV UI and its Remote app do need to be totally reinvented. get rid of the candy bar remote and primitive, clumsy on-screen LRUD cursor UI totally (it was invented about 30 years ago!), and replace it with a pure iOS style touch interface you hold in your hand. yes you will need to use an iGizmo, big deal. I bet this will be the big change for ATV 3. I would add the HDMI pass thru too, as some suggest here. then you will see the ATV start screen first when you turn on your HDTV, whatever you want to do next from there (TiVo and CableCo apps already let you select channels etc). a few widget apps built into the ATV itself would be nice for that start screen.
Apple is not going to get into the television business and you only have to ask yourself one question to know that it's not going to happen. "How often do people replace their television sets?" The average time used to be 9 years, recently is has dropped to 6 years, but that can be mostly attributed to the recent switch to the digital television standard. I actually expect that the replacement cycle will remain steady or go back up. Apple is NOT getting into a business with a 6 year or better replacement cycle. It would make just as much sense to speculate on them getting into the washer and dryer business or the refrigerator business.
Apple is NOT getting into a business with a 6 year or better replacement cycle. It would make just as much sense to speculate on them getting into the washer and dryer business or the refrigerator business.
Comments
I have little faith in this rumor. However, I think Apple will enter the market. Companies like Samsung are very aggressively building Smart TV's with built in access to applications. This could effect Apple's other markets eventually. I don't expect Apple to take a wait and see approach.
Apple would likely launch such a TV the same way it did the Apple TV. It will come preloaded with a select few applications it and third party developers put together quietly.
Further, I honestly don't see an Apple HDTV reaching the price points the Bose TV reaches. You can buy a nice 42 inch Sharp LED HDTV on sale for under $700.
This rumor makes no sense to me at all. Why would Apple want to involve itself in an industry that is in a perpetual race to the bottom with little no profit margin. I fail to see how this would benefit the Apple ecosystem. It is only slightly more relevant than an "iBlender."
HOWEVER: It MUST support 3D (yes... I really do want it, for a number of reasons).... and it is hard for me to believe that Apple will do that.
If Apple comes out with a 3D fHDTV... I will buy it. Period.
There is a reason Apple has been trying to make smaller devices and smaller packaging.
There is a reason they are getting rid of software packaging.
There's no where to stock it!
Apple will get into the video game console business in the near future.
Apple's App Store model is a natural fit for the AppleTV set top box.
Apple can afford to ship and stock consoles not TVs.
Lion has finally shipped and iOS 5 will ship in the fall.
Once those projects are out the door, Apple will be able to divert resources to update AppleTV.
So I think next spring/summer is a very real possibility.
People said the same thing when Apple entered the phone market.
That was not the consensus. Prior to the iPhone's unveiling there were a plethora of mockups and a clear argument as to why Apple should move the iPod into a phone as the phone market was a clear future and the PMP market had neared it's apex. The big surprise that day in January 2007 wasn't that Apple made the iPhone but what they did to make the iPhone.
I don't think it will be based on pixel density. Having apple TV built in would mean airplay and air gaming right out of the box. If it let you do hulu and netflix, rent from iTunes and watch regular TV it would be really awesome.
That would be the only good thing this tv will be able to do. As is other televisions do much of the same things as that. The only thing they will be offering new is itunes and airplay. Are you willing to pay that much for itunes and airplay. I myself use a dumb hdtv and I have my ps3 connected to it and I stream music and movies over my home network system. Plus I get better game play then an airplay enabled apple tv.
Go into a store that carries Sharp, Samsung and Sony (like Sears). Sharp makes its own panels, and adds a fourth color to the pixel mix. Many Sharp's lower end LED TVs use full array back lighting, as opposed to the less quality edge lightening method used by Samsung and Sony on the same priced TVs. The Sharp picture stands out.
I also disagree with you about Apple going into the field. If it can offer a decent product at a comparative cost, Apple will sell the sets. It has hundreds of stores to show case the product. Further, Apple is all about leveraging technology it already has to enter new markets. It would cost Apple very little in terms of research to offer a decent product. An Apple HDTV could essentially be an enlarged iPad.
It doesn't make sense for Apple to go into the TV business. Sony is bleeding money like crazy with their TV division. Apple might be able to make more money than Sony, but it sure does seem risky to me. I wouldn't mind having a 27" iMac with HDTV capabilities but even a low end model that size would probably cost close to $2000. One can buy a pretty decent 1080P HDTV from LG, Vizio or Samsung for under $1000. I honestly don't see Apple going into this field. I could understand Apple building a high-end set-top box, but integrating it into a TV doesn't seem like a good idea at all. I keep my TVs for at least 5 years so I can't see paying a lot of money for an Apple TV and then having the internet programming part of the TV be out of date in just a couple of years. I think Apple should stay away from HDTVs unless their economies of scale can make the business profitable. I want to see Apple build a firmware upgradeable, iOS running set-top box with PVR capabilities but I don't see that happening either.
In time most of us will use our iPads more and our TVs less.
The big screen will be primarily for when we want to share something from the ipad with others.
The iPad is the primary interface of the AppleTV.
I'm skeptical too if I may add. The price will be astronomical rendering them niche and if tied to iTunes, they are going to defy one of the purpose of iTunes which is to attract general consumers and not only for the riches.
I call BS on Apple video DSP chips.
Big, reflective TV's are very annoying.
What Apple should do is:
Updated Apple TV
Features 2 HDMI ports, 1 in, 1 out
Powered by the A6 chip
Hook it up between your existing cable/sat box and the Apple TV interface pops up over your TV stations.
Provides apps which can float over your normal TV image or replace it
Takes over when you play videos etc
Makes any tv a 'smart' tv
That is exactly what GoogleTV does. Consumers were not impressed.
As long as it's not glossy it'll be great.
Big, reflective TV's are very annoying.
Yes, thank you!
Not sure if I buy this rumor or not, but if you think a 15" MacMirror is bad, imagine how nasty a glossy 46" reflecto-TV would be!
because iOS screen mirroring via ATV already does the job anyway. whatever you can display on your iPad, then boom, it's on your big screen. doesn't matter what brand. any kind of app, and thus any/every kind of content. from any source. the big step is doing this wirelessly in iOS 5, which makes it far more convenient.
sure, apps designed to take advantage of 16:9 screens are important, and certainly most media apps will be updated for that. a few already do, so we know it is totally possible.
so I think iOS 5 screen mirroring IS the "killer app." the future of television isn't jamming all the hardware into one big screen gadget, it's bring a whole new realm of content to that screen, with a new kind of UI that makes it far easier.
so the ATV UI and its Remote app do need to be totally reinvented. get rid of the candy bar remote and primitive, clumsy on-screen LRUD cursor UI totally (it was invented about 30 years ago!), and replace it with a pure iOS style touch interface you hold in your hand. yes you will need to use an iGizmo, big deal. I bet this will be the big change for ATV 3. I would add the HDMI pass thru too, as some suggest here. then you will see the ATV start screen first when you turn on your HDTV, whatever you want to do next from there (TiVo and CableCo apps already let you select channels etc). a few widget apps built into the ATV itself would be nice for that start screen.
I wish AppleInsider would ban the publishing of unfounded rumors like this one.
You really wish a rumor site would stop publishing rumors?
Apple is NOT getting into a business with a 6 year or better replacement cycle. It would make just as much sense to speculate on them getting into the washer and dryer business or the refrigerator business.
Try not to give the analysts any more ideas...
You really wish a rumor site would stop publishing rumors?
You know exactly what he's talking about. Don't play dumb. AppleInsider should be posting rumors based on sense or proof. Not this abject nonsense.