The point of a "box" is that it is cheap and can be upgraded every 2 or 3 years, whilst a TV should last 10+ years. Build it all-in-one and you lose that significant upgrade advantage.
yes, this is a very important point. of course the software can be updated, but not the chip. of course price is part of this equation too.
i used to get a new $2000+ TV every 4 years to keep up with the all-important improvements in PQ, but those days are over now that 1080p is the general standard that won't change for a long time. so my 4 year old XBR is still a great TV. it really might last 10 years. the OEM"s are trying to sell us 3D HDTV's now for $2000+, but it's still a gimmick and wearing glasses to watch is silly. once they have 3D without glasses, maybe.
and once all HDTV's are very cheap, as they soon will be, why would Apple want to be in that low-margain commodity business anyway - except to sell you a TV that is a key anchor for you entire home Apple ecosystem.
whereas, when the Apple TV 3 "box" comes out with an A5 chip that can do a lot more than the ATV2, i'll just replace my ATV2 to take advantage of that because it's only $100. that will always be true.
maybe the Apple HDTV will incorporate its equivalent ATV box that does all the smart digital stuff as a modular plug in unit that you can replace to update easily without buying a whole new TV. that would be smart.
sure, we can all imagine the "perfect" ATV we'd want - somewhat different of course for each of us. i think they'd all add several HDMI inputs to the "box" to connect all our other A/V components and enable you to run apps on an iOS device to control those components (like you can now with TiVo, Xfinity, and others). so the ATV screen would always be your start screen, with PIP's showing what is happening on each component along with all the other ATV services/apps you could use like now, including AirPlay/Screen Mirroring. it would be seamless, with no more cumbersome input switching and no more multiple remote controls.
this is what Google intends to do with Google TV i'm sure, and i think Apple is crazy to refuse to do this. but Jobs could be so stubborn. hope the new leadership isn't.
Everytime i stack up all the problems like this, and content, and bandwidth, i just don't see how an Apple HDTV really makes sense yet. Apple will need to pull some rabbits out of some hats, or it will be just another "hobby."
Geez, today must have been AppleTV day or something. Well, we'll see. Still think this will be an Apple box that attaches to 3rd-party 'Apple-blessed' TVs.
If Robbin is currently the lead software designer for iTunes, he's made some unfortunate decisions lately. iTunes 10 is full of bad design decisions, from the three buttons becoming vertical, the changed icon, the removal of color, the maximum artwork size being smaller, etc. Not to mention the madatory 'Ping" button in the iTunes 9 sidebar (later modified to be removable).
It's time to bring in someone fresh to iTunes design, someone who hopefully will split off music from the rest of it. When searching for music, why do I get a list of software, TV shows, etc.?
I think that facial recognition and an 8 mp camera, in combination with auto digital zoom to the face (like the auto-cropping Apple now uses for video stabilization) could work to address that problem. There is an interface issue for sure, so that the camera isn't zooming on the portrait on your wall, or to allow group FaceTimes, but that should be manageable.
I think people will really want this. Imagine group FaceTime for family holidays....
Except for the 8 MP camera, you just exactly described the Kinect. But good luck finding a monitor with which to display, and internet bandwidth with which to broadcast, an 8 MP picture.
and btw everyone, it can't be "iTV" unless Apple buys the rights from the British network that owns an uses the name. which i don't expect. maybe "iHD" - i don't see anyone else using that now.
there's a small "iVid" company. Apple could probably buy that name easily. "iTube" is in use too by some small outfit. also "iScreen." and "iVideo." and "iView." iHD is the only one i can think of not in use yet.
maybe the Apple HDTV will incorporate its equivalent ATV box that does all the smart digital stuff as a modular plug in unit that you can replace to update easily without buying a whole new TV. that would be smart.
sure, we can all imagine the "perfect" ATV we'd want - somewhat different of course for each of us. i think they'd all add several HDMI inputs to the "box" to connect all our other A/V components and enable you to run apps on an iOS device to control those components (like you can now with TiVo, Xfinity, and others). so the ATV screen would always be your start screen, with PIP's showing what is happening on each component along with all the other ATV services/apps you could use like now, including AirPlay/Screen Mirroring. it would be seamless, with no more cumbersome input switching and no more multiple remote controls.
I think you are getting closer to what it Apple could be releasing.
Wrangling the multiple inputs and remote controls is key. If the box can get the ID codes from each device and present you with a home screen like you described, then you have integrated the Apple ecosystem without building the actual TV. Your home screen would simplify all the devices much like a custom programed remote does.
Just went through this awful scenario recently where we practically had to give a class to enable a guest to use our living room setup without our presence. Many phone calls later, finally got the TV, cablebox, DVD mavhine, sound system, Mini, Netflix, and movie HD running. UGH. I don't want to go through it myself anymore. We have a basket of 6 remotes!
but it's still a "box." which is directly opposite the whole point of the concept of not needing a "box" anymore.
yes, most "boxes" of all brands do mostly the same things nowadays, including Apple TV (does Mango have its version of wireless AirPlay/Screen Mirroring via XBox like iOS 5 does with ATV? oh, needs a USB cable? ... so sad).
and XBox/WP 7 is also a totally closed and proprietary MS "walled garden" as much or more than iTunes/iOS ever was. got that Gold XBox Live account?
If Apple calls their phone "iPhone" they'll call their TV "iTV".
You could argue in a court that a TV channel which only broadcast in the UK & Ireland can be easily distinguished from a physical TV device, because I think it can, and I think Apple will.
Comments
The point of a "box" is that it is cheap and can be upgraded every 2 or 3 years, whilst a TV should last 10+ years. Build it all-in-one and you lose that significant upgrade advantage.
yes, this is a very important point. of course the software can be updated, but not the chip. of course price is part of this equation too.
i used to get a new $2000+ TV every 4 years to keep up with the all-important improvements in PQ, but those days are over now that 1080p is the general standard that won't change for a long time. so my 4 year old XBR is still a great TV. it really might last 10 years. the OEM"s are trying to sell us 3D HDTV's now for $2000+, but it's still a gimmick and wearing glasses to watch is silly. once they have 3D without glasses, maybe.
and once all HDTV's are very cheap, as they soon will be, why would Apple want to be in that low-margain commodity business anyway - except to sell you a TV that is a key anchor for you entire home Apple ecosystem.
whereas, when the Apple TV 3 "box" comes out with an A5 chip that can do a lot more than the ATV2, i'll just replace my ATV2 to take advantage of that because it's only $100. that will always be true.
maybe the Apple HDTV will incorporate its equivalent ATV box that does all the smart digital stuff as a modular plug in unit that you can replace to update easily without buying a whole new TV. that would be smart.
sure, we can all imagine the "perfect" ATV we'd want - somewhat different of course for each of us. i think they'd all add several HDMI inputs to the "box" to connect all our other A/V components and enable you to run apps on an iOS device to control those components (like you can now with TiVo, Xfinity, and others). so the ATV screen would always be your start screen, with PIP's showing what is happening on each component along with all the other ATV services/apps you could use like now, including AirPlay/Screen Mirroring. it would be seamless, with no more cumbersome input switching and no more multiple remote controls.
this is what Google intends to do with Google TV i'm sure, and i think Apple is crazy to refuse to do this. but Jobs could be so stubborn. hope the new leadership isn't.
Everytime i stack up all the problems like this, and content, and bandwidth, i just don't see how an Apple HDTV really makes sense yet. Apple will need to pull some rabbits out of some hats, or it will be just another "hobby."
Geez, today must have been AppleTV day or something. Well, we'll see. Still think this will be an Apple box that attaches to 3rd-party 'Apple-blessed' TVs.
Nah. Just a blog trying to make a buck.
It's time to bring in someone fresh to iTunes design, someone who hopefully will split off music from the rest of it. When searching for music, why do I get a list of software, TV shows, etc.?
I think that facial recognition and an 8 mp camera, in combination with auto digital zoom to the face (like the auto-cropping Apple now uses for video stabilization) could work to address that problem. There is an interface issue for sure, so that the camera isn't zooming on the portrait on your wall, or to allow group FaceTimes, but that should be manageable.
I think people will really want this. Imagine group FaceTime for family holidays....
Except for the 8 MP camera, you just exactly described the Kinect. But good luck finding a monitor with which to display, and internet bandwidth with which to broadcast, an 8 MP picture.
.
and btw everyone, it can't be "iTV" unless Apple buys the rights from the British network that owns an uses the name. which i don't expect. maybe "iHD" - i don't see anyone else using that now.
Jony Ive will design it the iTelly.
Jony Ive will design it the iTelly.
i like that!
there's a small "iVid" company. Apple could probably buy that name easily. "iTube" is in use too by some small outfit. also "iScreen." and "iVideo." and "iView." iHD is the only one i can think of not in use yet.
maybe the Apple HDTV will incorporate its equivalent ATV box that does all the smart digital stuff as a modular plug in unit that you can replace to update easily without buying a whole new TV. that would be smart.
sure, we can all imagine the "perfect" ATV we'd want - somewhat different of course for each of us. i think they'd all add several HDMI inputs to the "box" to connect all our other A/V components and enable you to run apps on an iOS device to control those components (like you can now with TiVo, Xfinity, and others). so the ATV screen would always be your start screen, with PIP's showing what is happening on each component along with all the other ATV services/apps you could use like now, including AirPlay/Screen Mirroring. it would be seamless, with no more cumbersome input switching and no more multiple remote controls.
I think you are getting closer to what it Apple could be releasing.
Wrangling the multiple inputs and remote controls is key. If the box can get the ID codes from each device and present you with a home screen like you described, then you have integrated the Apple ecosystem without building the actual TV. Your home screen would simplify all the devices much like a custom programed remote does.
Just went through this awful scenario recently where we practically had to give a class to enable a guest to use our living room setup without our presence. Many phone calls later, finally got the TV, cablebox, DVD mavhine, sound system, Mini, Netflix, and movie HD running. UGH. I don't want to go through it myself anymore. We have a basket of 6 remotes!
but it's still a "box." which is directly opposite the whole point of the concept of not needing a "box" anymore.
yes, most "boxes" of all brands do mostly the same things nowadays, including Apple TV (does Mango have its version of wireless AirPlay/Screen Mirroring via XBox like iOS 5 does with ATV? oh, needs a USB cable? ... so sad).
and XBox/WP 7 is also a totally closed and proprietary MS "walled garden" as much or more than iTunes/iOS ever was. got that Gold XBox Live account?
Yaaawn http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817...id=EdxqOWVo-wv
Jony Ive will design it the iTelly.
If Apple calls their phone "iPhone" they'll call their TV "iTV".
You could argue in a court that a TV channel which only broadcast in the UK & Ireland can be easily distinguished from a physical TV device, because I think it can, and I think Apple will.