Steve Jobs told biographer he 'cracked' the secret to a simple HDTV

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  • Reply 121 of 197
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    For example, Apple expects 35 billion in revenue this quarter, without an HDTV. If they were to release an HDTV this quarter, I figure they'd wind up with at MOST 34 billion.



    For that to work, Apple would have to sell $1 B less iPods, iPads, iPhones, and Macs if they release an Apple HDTV. How does that work? A million people are going to say "Apple released an HDTV, so I'm not going to buy an iPad"?



    Actually, it's even worse than that. That assumes zero HDTV sales. So if they sell $100 M in HDTVs, then for your 'estimate' to come true, they would have to sell $1.1 B less iPods, iPads, etc.



    I'd be very interested in how you think that could possibly be true.
  • Reply 122 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by freckledbruh View Post


    "Made for iPod" means that there is a periphery for a whole widget called an iPod. That is waaay different than letting another company make the tv (widget) and apple just does the software (periphery).



    Never. Said. That.



    Apple would make an external box, the software, and either specify or provide hardware components (proprietary chips, boards, whatever) needed inside the TV (if any are in fact needed). The TV maker just makes the TV, same as ever, but the TV is branded as compatible for the new Apple TV unit.



    These TV manufacturers already have a foothold in all the places TVs are now sold. Now, get your head around this: When Apple began selling phones, they sold them through AT&T. They didn't set up shop entirely outside the channels where phones were sold. And today, with the phone a success, they STILL sell most of their phones via established vendors (Verizon et al). That hasn't changed. Apple wants to buck the system, sure, but they're not insane about it. More important, consumer habits are hard to break.



    The average consumer looking to buy a TV is not going to go to Sears, Best Buy, WalMart or wherever to compare those TVs and THEN go to an Apple store to look at only ONE model. That's not ever going to happen. And Apple's going to find it very difficult to fight for floor space in Sears, etc., against all the existing brands.



    The solution is a third-party TV with a "Made for AppleTV" symbol on it. It gives the makers an edge in the stores where TVs are purchased.



    It's also possible that Apple does this AND offers an upscale Apple brand which they sell in their stores. That's possible, and it would appeal to the Apple aficionado, as well as create excitement for a 'Made for AppleTV' brand. But for mass acceptance, they need to work with existing manufacturers. Otherwise, this AppleTV will be deemed a failure in comparison with Apple's other products - just as their previous attempts at an AppleTV (remember this? or this bomb? or this one, which was never produced?) were failures.



    In fact, Apple has probably hit the ceiling in terms of what it can sell by way of an AppleTV product (of ANY kind) without reaching out and striking up a partnership with Samsung or Sony or someone like that. They've struck out on their own more than once, and have always - well, struck out. Even TiVo, which makes the best overall DVR product out there (yes, this is not a DVR I am just citing an example) but has gone it alone, has been relegated to a niche market (and is struggling).



    Whether or not the fanboy types learn, I'd like to think Apple does. I bet Steve knew exactly how he wanted to implement this idea, too, and when the product is unveiled we'll get just what he had in mind.



    I also think Apple really does not want to get bogged down with a lot of awkward TV inventory. Cook in particular would be very sensitive to that. And I suspect that the real strategy, especially in the cutthroat TV industry, is NOT to make a big profit on AppleTVs. Instead, the strategy would be to sell AppleTVs as cheaply and broadly as possible, because they would be controlled by (profitable) iPhones and iPads running an AppleTV controller app, and/or Siri. The AppleTV is therefore a means of outreach to a consumer who has (so far) resisted these products, and a means of locking-in existing iPhone/iPad owners.
  • Reply 123 of 197
    rtm135rtm135 Posts: 310member
    Apple needs to get into the Carputer business because this is the best we've got right now...



    http://www.syncmyride.com



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Siri would be great in a car, too, but I don't see Apple getting into that business. I at least hope Apple works with manufactures to allow access Siri from the steering wheel.



  • Reply 124 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Siri would be great in a car, too, but I don't see Apple getting into that business.



    Exactly! What Apple wants to do is make its products integral to cars and TVs, not MAKE cars and TVs.
  • Reply 125 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mister Snitch View Post


    Exactly! What Apple wants to do is make its products integral to cars and TVs, not MAKE cars and TVs.



    *slow clap*



    It's much more profitable to pop out a new Apple TV every three years than a new HDTV every three.



    And it's more profitable to sell a new iDevice with Siri that can be wire(d)lessly connected to a car than a new car.
  • Reply 126 of 197
    This is interesting news giving the discussion of some here regarding apple basically pushing out the cable box and replacing it with itunes.



    Google as we all know recently purchased motorola and will soon own nearly 90 percent of the set top market. take a look at your cable or satellite box, chances are great that it is made by moto..soon to be google, not in name but does that matter.



    Google will undoubtedly try to use this to their advantage and place android into the motorolla boxes, this would give them a totally overwhelming advantage over say atv and would in my opinion pretty much rap up the smart top market for a long time.
  • Reply 127 of 197
    realisticrealistic Posts: 1,154member
    First, I don't see Apple releasing an HDTV which according to rumors will be an actual screen not just a box.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dave K. View Post


    Its relevant because it is another interface for the TV that won't change with Apple's potential offering. In fact, devices like the XBOX and PS3 would actually dilute the Apple experience... And that is the point of this discussion. If Apple can't control everything aspect of a device (both UI and hardware) there offering simply can't compete.



    I disagree because what MS or anyone else releases that attaches to a TV would NOT be relevant to an actual Apple television which is a screen not a box.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dave K. View Post


    Nobody should care about the box itself only the content displayed on it (interface, shows, movies, games, etc.) . Your HDTV is like your computer monitor attached to your Mac Mini... A necessary accessory. But that is it.



    We agree on this





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dave K. View Post


    Why would anyone want an integrated AppleTV with an HDTV is beyond me. Do you really think Apple will support an integrated AppleTV accessory for the life of the TV?



    You are talking about a box not a screen. IMO Apple won't do a screen based television and if they do a box based solution ,possible, yes they would and will support it;





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dave K. View Post


    Nobody should care about the box itself only the content displayed on it (interface, shows, movies, games, etc.

    IMO, the cable companies, television studios, and movie studios have no use for Apple. There is no reason why they would threaten their monopolies in dealing with Apple.



    If there is money in it for them then they would be interested. Apple would never release a TV product of any sort, to start with, without having content viewable on it.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dave K. View Post


    The video linked previously sums it up.. The cable companies business model has to change. Once it does, then Apple could introduced some really awesome technology on the scene, but not until the cable companies change....



    Mostly agree, unless Apple were to somehow come up with a truly revolutionary method or product.
  • Reply 128 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mister Snitch View Post


    Never. Said. That.



    Apple would make an external box, the software, and either specify or provide hardware components (proprietary chips, boards, whatever) needed inside the TV (if any are in fact needed). The TV maker just makes the TV, same as ever, but the TV is branded as compatible for the new Apple TV unit.



    These TV manufacturers already have a foothold in all the places TVs are now sold. Now, get your head around this: When Apple began selling phones, they sold them through AT&T. They didn't set up shop entirely outside the channels where phones were sold. And today, with the phone a success, they STILL sell most of their phones via established vendors (Verizon et al). That hasn't changed. Apple wants to buck the system, sure, but they're not insane about it. More important, consumer habits are hard to break.



    The average consumer looking to buy a TV is not going to go to Sears, Best Buy, WalMart or wherever to compare those TVs and THEN go to an Apple store to look at only ONE model. That's not ever going to happen. And Apple's going to find it very difficult to fight for floor space in Sears, etc., against all the existing brands.



    The solution is a third-party TV with a "Made for AppleTV" symbol on it. It gives the makers an edge in the stores where TVs are purchased.



    It's also possible that Apple does this AND offers an upscale Apple brand which they sell in their stores. That's possible, and it would appeal to the Apple aficionado, as well as create excitement for a 'Made for AppleTV' brand. But for mass acceptance, they need to work with existing manufacturers. Otherwise, this AppleTV will be deemed a failure in comparison with Apple's other products - just as their previous attempts at an AppleTV (remember this? or this bomb? or this one, which was never produced?) were failures.



    In fact, Apple has probably hit the ceiling in terms of what it can sell by way of an AppleTV product (of ANY kind) without reaching out and striking up a partnership with Samsung or Sony or someone like that. They've struck out on their own more than once, and have always - well, struck out. Even TiVo, which makes the best overall DVR product out there (yes, this is not a DVR I am just citing an example) but has gone it alone, has been relegated to a niche market (and is struggling).



    Whether or not the fanboy types learn, I'd like to think Apple does. I bet Steve knew exactly how he wanted to implement this idea, too, and when the product is unveiled we'll get just what he had in mind.



    I also think Apple really does not want to get bogged down with a lot of awkward TV inventory. Cook in particular would be very sensitive to that. And I suspect that the real strategy, especially in the cutthroat TV industry, is NOT to make a big profit on AppleTVs. Instead, the strategy would be to sell AppleTVs as cheaply and broadly as possible, because they would be controlled by (profitable) iPhones and iPads running an AppleTV controller app, and/or Siri. The AppleTV is therefore a means of outreach to a consumer who has (so far) resisted these products, and a means of locking-in existing iPhone/iPad owners.



    Um, yes you did. I said that Apple is a whole widget company and you replied that there are "made for iPod" products to which I replied that this is totally different (iPod = widget and "made for" = periphery). Apple already makes boxes that can be upgraded via software update and if need be incremental hardware. Are you (and anyone else) telling me that screen tech moves so rapidly that televisions have to be upgraded every few months? I doubt it, BUT I bet Apple could offer free software updates worth customers' wilds like idevices.
  • Reply 129 of 197
    realisticrealistic Posts: 1,154member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 2385amh View Post


    This is interesting news giving the discussion of some here regarding apple basically pushing out the cable box and replacing it with itunes.



    Google as we all know recently purchased motorola and will soon own nearly 90 percent of the set top market. take a look at your cable or satellite box, chances are great that it is made by moto..soon to be google, not in name but does that matter.



    Google will undoubtedly try to use this to their advantage and place android into the motorolla boxes, this would give them a totally overwhelming advantage over say atv and would in my opinion pretty much rap up the smart top market for a long time.



    NO, Google bought Motorola Mobility which is the cellphone part and has nothing to with the rest of Motorola
  • Reply 130 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Realistic View Post


    NO, Google bought Motorola Mobility which is the cellphone part and has nothing to with the rest of Motorola



    um Yes.



    http://techpinions.com/google-set-top-box-king/1723



    the set top portion of the company went to motomobility. And therefor google acquires that as well when the deal is final
  • Reply 131 of 197
    ikolikol Posts: 369member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Siri would be great in a car, too, but I don't see Apple getting into that business. I at least hope Apple works with manufactures to allow access Siri from the steering wheel.



    Nothing like being driven off the topic of the thread.



    I wonder where Apple would get the screens? Samsung? Sony?

    Would they be LCD,LED, OR Plasma?

    Would they have HDMI for BluRay/DVD ? Or Thunderbolt only?
  • Reply 132 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iKol View Post


    Nothing like being driven off the topic of the thread.



    Hey, another car joke! Nice.
  • Reply 133 of 197
    conradjoeconradjoe Posts: 1,887member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Realistic View Post


    NO, Google bought Motorola Mobility which is the cellphone part and has nothing to with the rest of Motorola



    Except that Motorola makes zillions of settop boxes, maybe most of them? Now Google is poised to own the set top box market. Once they run Android, they might be fully integrated into the Android ecosystem. They can be updated automatically from the head end.



    Look up Mototola Mobility. They make a whole lot more than cellphones.
  • Reply 134 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    Siri for TV would / could be useful except you'd be fighting for Siri's ear(s) with the damn TV. But Siri in you iPad / iPhone could integrate nicely using airplay.



    Mind you, its hard to beat the simplicity of the Apple remote.



    "Siri, is there any Baseball on?"



    Siri replies with a display of options and times on the iPad / iPhone.



    "Any particular game you want"... etc





    "Siri: Tell Bill O'Reilly to shut up and let his guest talk"



    Siri: "Sorry, nobody knows how to do that"
  • Reply 135 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    BMW has already expressed an interest in getting Siri into their vehicles.



    ...Yeah, but that was into the back seat...
  • Reply 136 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    The simplest user interface you can imagine? That would be just one action, selecting the show you want to watch and it automatically starts playing. And since the TV is out of reach, pointing with your hand would be the most natural thing.



    So I can imagine just sitting back on the couch and pointing at the screen, and it has a webcam that can read my arm movements, like MS is doing with games. I can't imagine much simpler than that, but Steve probably did!



    How do you get get a list/category of shows from which to select -- right now, this takes several layers of drill-down even on the best interfaces.



    Then how would the TV tell between you giving it a command and you scratching your nose (or whatever).



    Likewise, Siri would have a problem when you or me yell at the TV to put an errant politician/referee/coach/quarterback in his place or answer the Jeopardy questions.
  • Reply 137 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BrooksT View Post


    Yep, that's what I thought too. No concept of channels or networks, just shows and movies. Tell it what you want to watch.



    You: "I want to watch tonight's Mad Men"

    Siri: "Here's tonight's episode of Mad Men"



    You: "Play Monday Night Football"

    Siri: "The game hasn't started yet, should I change to the game once it does?"



    You: "Give me a list of episodes in Community, season 2"

    Siri: "Here's a list of the episodes in season two of Community, would you like to watch one?"



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    ...

    That would be awesome.

    How about: "What baseball games are playing tonight?" or "What sitcoms are playing?"



    However, I could see a couple of problems:



    1. Microphone sensitivity and noise reduction would be an issue. You're telling it what to do from across the room - possibly while the TV is already playing.

    2. How do they filter out fake signals? For example, you're watching "How I Met Your Mother" and Robin says "let's watch 'Friends'". There has to be a way to filter that out.

    3. With a remote, only one person can control it at a time. I could picture that voice activation could turn into a shouting match.



    I suppose it might be possible to deal with #1 and #2 by programming it to automatically ignore any sound coming through the system, but it still sounds like quite a challenging technological problem.



    I've done quite a bit of Siri experimenting with background noise -- 3 grandkids/their iPads, 2 cats fighting, a dog, TV blaring in the background, fans running, etc.



    Siri seems to handle background noise surprisingly well.



    I think it could be done with an inexpensive AppleTV 3 with a Siri remote -- possibly subsidized with some subscription service.





    I still don't think Apple needs/should release its own TV set to revolutionize the industry -- content is king and the content owners/aggregators need to be convinced they can make more money with a better distribution model.





    As to controlling the HEC experience, I do believe that Siri's Siren Song is the key:



    I talk to the treesXXXXX TVs

    But they don't listen to me

    I talk to the stars

    But they never hear me

    The breeze hasn't time

    To stop and hear what I say

    I talk to them all in vain



    But suddenly my words

    Reach someone else's ears

    Touch someone else's heartstrings, too

    I tell you my dreams

    And while you're listening to me

    I suddenly see them come true
  • Reply 138 of 197
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ralphvasco View Post


    Maybe the AppleTv was just waiting for Siri...



    Imagine how beautiful it would be, I am in the mood for some How i met your mother episodes...

    And it will be there!

    It will be legen... wait for it.... dary





    Alright Barney...
  • Reply 139 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Count me in the group that thinks it's uninevitable? evitable? Anyway, I could see Apple licensing "iCloud Connected" HDTVs and other HEC appliances to vendors but I don't see them lining their small stores with big ass TVs.



    Man, I again agree with Solipsism. Got to see a shrink soon
  • Reply 140 of 197
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Count me in the group that thinks it's uninevitable? evitable? Anyway, I could see Apple licensing "iCloud Connected" HDTVs and other HEC appliances to vendors but I don't see them lining their small stores with big ass TVs.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lightknight View Post


    Man, I again agree with Solipsism. Got to see a shrink soon



    Wow!



    I missed (or misread) Sol's original post.



    Thanks for your reply.



    I agree.



    By negotiating deals with the content creators/owners/aggregators, Apple could become a nationwide provider of content.



    By bidding on the broadcast spectrums to be auctioned in the near future, Apple could be a major supplier of distribution bandwidth.



    By developing an Apple-style powerful, intuitive UI (Siri AppleTV 3) solution, Apple could offer a revolutionary broadcast/cable alternative.



    Apple could offer this directly to the consumer and/or license it to existing broadcast/cable providers -- either way Apple delivers content to the living room -- Apple Style -- the way the customers want it!



    Nice!
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