Apple will introduce a TV with streaming deals from the studios and a GUI similar to aTV along with Siri remote. And in addition they will sell an Apple branded outdoor HD antenna shaped like a giant Apple logo in order to watch live and local content. Optionally the antenna will also be a high powered 4G cellphone amplifier and wifi data transceiver with bargain, no contract, plans from the carriers for Internet connectivity. Soon you will really be able to cut the cord. Bye-bye cable.
Why does the mic have to be (only) on the TV? How about a remote with one 'Siri' button and a mic? Or control through the iPhone/iPad 'Remote' app (together with AirPlay)
Steve is getting rid of the remote. The Apple IV is voice driven, Siri's built in mic will work just fine,
I would love to see how the TV gets reinvented. We all know that Steve was a genius in this area. I can't wait till this is released. On the other hand the shipping for such a large product is gonna be interesting to see. These TV's will take up a large footprint in the Apple facilities.
I'm fairly technical, and I had a bugger of a time getting the aspect ratio fixed on my neighbor's TV, as that can be controlled by whatever box is plugged into it. You really think remotes for TVs don't need fixing? They are a disaster and far too complex for most people to access anything but the simplest functions. Licensing software doesn't fix either of these issues. I would like to see, however, how Steve "cracked" the problem with cable boxes and the go to market strategy.
Siri will be the new tech, after all she is a task completion manager. ex. Siri, connect my Apple TV to Comcast services...
Siri can access all the specs, Siri can configure the interfaces, SMP as we say. (simply a matter of programming)
When Steve said he solved the interface issues, he meant that Siri will solve the interface issues for you. All you do is plug in the cables and turn it on, Siri does the rest.
I'm in the market for a flat screen. I'll wait for apple!
Unfortunately, if the rumors are true, it will be an LCD. Hopefully for those of us that actually care what the image on the screen looks like, a separate box will be available so it can be attached to a plasma TV.
How many times does Apple need to prove that they are the ones to watch? Could they fail? Possibly... but I'm not going to be the fool that bets against them any time soon.
Sure, and they'll do it by changing the game somehow. But it's not just about the TV hardware that will make it successful but the game changing thing.
So to make this a success they need to disrupt the TV industry. Mkay. How did they disrupt the music industry? It wasn't just the clickwheel on the iPod. How did they disrupt the ebook industry? It wasn't the iBooks software. In both they fundamentally altered the underlying business model. And boy, was amazon pissed they had to adopt the agency model. The music industry was none too pleased either.
So I think the current crop of predictions regarding the TV hardware aren't all that relevant. If you can figure out the business disruption then you can likely figure out the hardware and software to make that happen.
Just adding Siri or embedding a better aTV into a TV set isn't disruptive to the business model.
What is it that Apple is going to do to either circumvent or co-opt Comcast? If you can figure that out, everything else falls into place. The problem is that it's a lot harder to make a substantive prediction on that score. Imagining cool new hardware is easier and more fun.
Maybe you can assume that they'll partner with someone large that needs help against Comcast. Someone in the same boat that AT&T was before the iPhone and willing to make whatever compromises required to Apple to get this off the ground. Maybe someone like Verizon or AT&T that faces stiff cable competition.
Or a sat company facing marginalization without the last mile internet pipes.
Or Clearwire without really much of a future once LTE hits.
Who can they partner with to disrupt the underlying TV business model that generates $32B a year in affiliate fees from cable,sat and verizon to content producers?
As dumb media is talking about modern TVs being 'connected to the Internet' the SIMPLE solution is to lock Internet out from HDTVs. By removing all HDMI ports they'd lock out YouTube (Google), XBox, PlayStation and save costs by avoiding complicated scalers, ease up settings, leaving just room for one remote.
Such a move would hurt
- all STB vendors (Motorola Mobility/Google?)
- all game console makers (MS, Sony)
- Bluray (as the only left physical media distribution)
- all internet movie rentals
Such a move would only hurt the Morons who introduced it.
Anyone who thinks it is a good idea to take a TV and strip out tuner/connections and essentially turn it into a a big integrated screen Apple TV, is clueless, and I shouldn't even have to explain why.
Same goes for the "Apple did it to smartphones, they will do it to TV" crowd. Smartphones are small, high margin, devices in an exploding market, and they were high margin before Apple entered the market. TVs are physically large, low margin in a stagnating market.
There are too many divergent inputs that must stay (Tuner, cable box, Game console, Blu Ray, DVD) for Apple to clean it all up and make any significant difference.
Apple needs to do something because they are losing the battle for the living room. But building actual TVs is not it.
Already most TV's on sale likely have DLNA, which means most non Apple tablets will be able to move video to TV's, putting Apple further behind in the living Room. Google TV will be build into more and more TV's, XBox will be over 60 Million sold.
Apple is just about nowhere with it's hobby Apple TV. What they need to do, is license Airplay Video to any TV maker that wants it. They need a new A5 Apple TV with support for Apps, and they should likely look for partners to build Apple TV into their TVs. That way the partners take the risks, and losses on TV sales, not Apple.
Apple is just about nowhere with it's hobby Apple TV. What they need to do, is license Airplay Video to any TV maker that wants it.
Yep, that was one my conclusions in another thread. But is it game changing enough? I dunno but it would be somewhat disruptive since it would be widespread AND leverages the iOS ecosystem is a huge way.
That gives them instant consoles and TV "channels" anywhere a current iOS device exists (iPad 2, iPhone 4S) with one of these TVs. And they can demand UI concessions from licensees.
Quote:
Apple needs to do something because they are losing the battle for the living room.
I don't think Apple is losing the battle for the living room because you can't really point to anyone and claim they're winning.
Sony? Nope. Not even with the PS3 with Blu-ray, netflix, game console, yada yada yada.
MS? Nope. Not even between the 360, home server and the AT&T Uverse boxes.
It will be a TV with Apple TV capabilities and what else?
Siri?
So either Apple is going to entirely scrap the Apple TV, give the Apple TV the same capabilities as the "iTV", or simply continue to support the Apple TV ... but tell the folks who bought the Apple TV that they won't get the same capabilities.
Does that mean I will end up with an orphan product that will will be eventually swept aside?
I hope that this is just a silly rumor because all of these features people are talking about (full iOS capabilities, Siri support, etc) could just be added to the current or next gen Apple TV.
Why pay $1000+ for these features, forcing a person to buy a new TV, instead of just selling a box that provides the features for $100? The TV market is a very low profit business. Would Apple really want to get involved with something like that?
1) As pointed out in the article scrambling today to not get caught flatfooted is hopeless. If Apple is releasing a TV in 2012 these guys are already flatfooted because Apple spends years to figure out that disruption AND refine the hell out of the solution. Being only 6 months to a year behind is being optimistic for most of these players.
2) Sony is likely one of these flatfooted guys again. Pretty much every disruption that Apple has made has been in an area where Sony should have been the one to do it and they already had all the pieces in place. iPod. Tell me the maker of the walkman should have been caught flatfooted there. iPhone. They had the Clie PDA, SE phones and walkman in 2007. And now TV. Where the PS3 should be the pinnacle of STB integration for the TV it's not. If Apple disrupts the TV the odds are that Sony has, right now, all the pieces necessary to have done it first.
3) Samsung is going to be the big winner. Of all the companies it seems only Samsung has figured out that you don't need to outrun the bear. You just have to be able to outrun all these other yahoos. Likewise you don't need to out-innovate Apple. You just have to be huge AND nimble enough to be the 2nd to market with volume AND quality and you'll crush Sony, LG and the others.
They aren't scrambling. They are patiently waiting, like Apple once accused MS, with their copiers ready. Samsung will hit the market with a well executed similar TV several months after apple but several months before everyone else. Their strategy has been to be able to quickly design and execute very well on new trends. In other words, they've been concentrating on learning to turn and skate really really fast as opposed to learning how to skate where the puck is going.
Someone else will figure out where the puck is going. Samsung is going to make sure they mob that guy with 3-4 really fast skaters.
I don't think Apple is losing the battle for the living room because you can't really point to anyone and claim they're winning.
There is a race, and while no clear winner is emerging, Apple is somewhere off the back of the pack.
DLNA is clearly a winning technology that puts all non Apple products at advantage. Android/Microsoft tablet/devices can move video to Living room screens.
Xbox is is turning into a full fledged entertainment delivering games, movies, streaming services, internet to near 60 Million living rooms.
PS3 is similar to Xbox, but with weaker execution as Sony is messed up trying not to step onto the toes of it's media business.
Google is floundering around this, but they may get it right eventually and they will license to everyone cheap (or free). Third party apps are a go and they will fill gaps.
Apple has it's little Apple TV streamer with miniscule market share and limited capabilities.
I am also part of the HTPC crowd and Apple is way behind on this as well. WMC is decent DVR and you have a wide array of Windows HTPCs you can buy or build. Apple really doesn't have a credible HTPC and AFAIK they have no equivalent to Media Center software.
If Apples answer is a TV, they have lost it IMO. That is low margin and will be low volume, they will be dead in the living room.
What you're talking with HTPCs, game consoles, DVRs, media extenders et al. aren't a single market. It's like lumping all iPhone accessories into the same market simply because they use the 30-pin dock connector.
Comments
Why does the mic have to be (only) on the TV? How about a remote with one 'Siri' button and a mic? Or control through the iPhone/iPad 'Remote' app (together with AirPlay)
Steve is getting rid of the remote. The Apple IV is voice driven, Siri's built in mic will work just fine,
New TV with built in iPad/iPhone Tech. Simplified user interface with options to use included remote or voice via Siri.
New section in iTunes for TV Apps. Also compatible with the Apple TV.
PC Free, hang it and turn it on.
Built in FaceTime etc
Could even use visual along with audio commands.
That sort of stuff.
You got it.
I'm fairly technical, and I had a bugger of a time getting the aspect ratio fixed on my neighbor's TV, as that can be controlled by whatever box is plugged into it. You really think remotes for TVs don't need fixing? They are a disaster and far too complex for most people to access anything but the simplest functions. Licensing software doesn't fix either of these issues. I would like to see, however, how Steve "cracked" the problem with cable boxes and the go to market strategy.
Siri will be the new tech, after all she is a task completion manager. ex. Siri, connect my Apple TV to Comcast services...
Siri can access all the specs, Siri can configure the interfaces, SMP as we say. (simply a matter of programming)
When Steve said he solved the interface issues, he meant that Siri will solve the interface issues for you. All you do is plug in the cables and turn it on, Siri does the rest.
I'm in the market for a flat screen. I'll wait for apple!
Unfortunately, if the rumors are true, it will be an LCD. Hopefully for those of us that actually care what the image on the screen looks like, a separate box will be available so it can be attached to a plasma TV.
-kpluck
Geez!
How many times does Apple need to prove that they are the ones to watch? Could they fail? Possibly... but I'm not going to be the fool that bets against them any time soon.
Sure, and they'll do it by changing the game somehow. But it's not just about the TV hardware that will make it successful but the game changing thing.
So to make this a success they need to disrupt the TV industry. Mkay. How did they disrupt the music industry? It wasn't just the clickwheel on the iPod. How did they disrupt the ebook industry? It wasn't the iBooks software. In both they fundamentally altered the underlying business model. And boy, was amazon pissed they had to adopt the agency model. The music industry was none too pleased either.
So I think the current crop of predictions regarding the TV hardware aren't all that relevant. If you can figure out the business disruption then you can likely figure out the hardware and software to make that happen.
Just adding Siri or embedding a better aTV into a TV set isn't disruptive to the business model.
What is it that Apple is going to do to either circumvent or co-opt Comcast? If you can figure that out, everything else falls into place. The problem is that it's a lot harder to make a substantive prediction on that score. Imagining cool new hardware is easier and more fun.
Maybe you can assume that they'll partner with someone large that needs help against Comcast. Someone in the same boat that AT&T was before the iPhone and willing to make whatever compromises required to Apple to get this off the ground. Maybe someone like Verizon or AT&T that faces stiff cable competition.
Or a sat company facing marginalization without the last mile internet pipes.
Or Clearwire without really much of a future once LTE hits.
Who can they partner with to disrupt the underlying TV business model that generates $32B a year in affiliate fees from cable,sat and verizon to content producers?
As dumb media is talking about modern TVs being 'connected to the Internet' the SIMPLE solution is to lock Internet out from HDTVs. By removing all HDMI ports they'd lock out YouTube (Google), XBox, PlayStation and save costs by avoiding complicated scalers, ease up settings, leaving just room for one remote.
Such a move would hurt
- all STB vendors (Motorola Mobility/Google?)
- all game console makers (MS, Sony)
- Bluray (as the only left physical media distribution)
- all internet movie rentals
Such a move would only hurt the Morons who introduced it.
Anyone who thinks it is a good idea to take a TV and strip out tuner/connections and essentially turn it into a a big integrated screen Apple TV, is clueless, and I shouldn't even have to explain why.
Same goes for the "Apple did it to smartphones, they will do it to TV" crowd. Smartphones are small, high margin, devices in an exploding market, and they were high margin before Apple entered the market. TVs are physically large, low margin in a stagnating market.
There are too many divergent inputs that must stay (Tuner, cable box, Game console, Blu Ray, DVD) for Apple to clean it all up and make any significant difference.
Apple needs to do something because they are losing the battle for the living room. But building actual TVs is not it.
Already most TV's on sale likely have DLNA, which means most non Apple tablets will be able to move video to TV's, putting Apple further behind in the living Room. Google TV will be build into more and more TV's, XBox will be over 60 Million sold.
Apple is just about nowhere with it's hobby Apple TV. What they need to do, is license Airplay Video to any TV maker that wants it. They need a new A5 Apple TV with support for Apps, and they should likely look for partners to build Apple TV into their TVs. That way the partners take the risks, and losses on TV sales, not Apple.
Apple is just about nowhere with it's hobby Apple TV. What they need to do, is license Airplay Video to any TV maker that wants it.
Yep, that was one my conclusions in another thread. But is it game changing enough? I dunno but it would be somewhat disruptive since it would be widespread AND leverages the iOS ecosystem is a huge way.
That gives them instant consoles and TV "channels" anywhere a current iOS device exists (iPad 2, iPhone 4S) with one of these TVs. And they can demand UI concessions from licensees.
Apple needs to do something because they are losing the battle for the living room.
I don't think Apple is losing the battle for the living room because you can't really point to anyone and claim they're winning.
Sony? Nope. Not even with the PS3 with Blu-ray, netflix, game console, yada yada yada.
MS? Nope. Not even between the 360, home server and the AT&T Uverse boxes.
Nintendo? Nope.
SA, Moto and other STB makers? Nope.
Google? Heck no.
Samsung? Nope, despite smart TVs, smart BR players, smart whatevers.
Comcast? Nope, despite total control over certain markets, control over the STB, huge leverage over content producers, etc.
TiVO? Nope, their time has come and gone.
If Apple is losing, who's winning?
Siri?
So either Apple is going to entirely scrap the Apple TV, give the Apple TV the same capabilities as the "iTV", or simply continue to support the Apple TV ... but tell the folks who bought the Apple TV that they won't get the same capabilities.
Does that mean I will end up with an orphan product that will will be eventually swept aside?
I hope that this is just a silly rumor because all of these features people are talking about (full iOS capabilities, Siri support, etc) could just be added to the current or next gen Apple TV.
Why pay $1000+ for these features, forcing a person to buy a new TV, instead of just selling a box that provides the features for $100? The TV market is a very low profit business. Would Apple really want to get involved with something like that?
1) As pointed out in the article scrambling today to not get caught flatfooted is hopeless. If Apple is releasing a TV in 2012 these guys are already flatfooted because Apple spends years to figure out that disruption AND refine the hell out of the solution. Being only 6 months to a year behind is being optimistic for most of these players.
2) Sony is likely one of these flatfooted guys again. Pretty much every disruption that Apple has made has been in an area where Sony should have been the one to do it and they already had all the pieces in place. iPod. Tell me the maker of the walkman should have been caught flatfooted there. iPhone. They had the Clie PDA, SE phones and walkman in 2007. And now TV. Where the PS3 should be the pinnacle of STB integration for the TV it's not. If Apple disrupts the TV the odds are that Sony has, right now, all the pieces necessary to have done it first.
3) Samsung is going to be the big winner. Of all the companies it seems only Samsung has figured out that you don't need to outrun the bear. You just have to be able to outrun all these other yahoos. Likewise you don't need to out-innovate Apple. You just have to be huge AND nimble enough to be the 2nd to market with volume AND quality and you'll crush Sony, LG and the others.
They aren't scrambling. They are patiently waiting, like Apple once accused MS, with their copiers ready. Samsung will hit the market with a well executed similar TV several months after apple but several months before everyone else. Their strategy has been to be able to quickly design and execute very well on new trends. In other words, they've been concentrating on learning to turn and skate really really fast as opposed to learning how to skate where the puck is going.
Someone else will figure out where the puck is going. Samsung is going to make sure they mob that guy with 3-4 really fast skaters.
"Its just a big iPad"
"Siri on a television! That won't work"
"FaceTime on a TV? We've had that for decades."
"AppleTV cost is too high for most consumers."
"Just another TV, nothing special"
"What about content?"
"AppleTV? That will never compete with PlayStation or XBox. They are too entrenched!"
Headlines in 2013:
"Its just a big iPad, and that is AWESOME!"
"Siri on AppleTV offers a new paradigm of interaction. No more bulky keypads, AMAZING!"
"Amazingly natural to talk to your family and friends. The "home phone" is back in a big way."
"The user experience justifies the investment!"
"Apple's Genius knows what I like. It is truly BRILLIANT. My favorite shows are delivered on my time and new shows are recommended."
"AppleTV captures 17% market share of game consoles within first year. Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony scramble to catchup."
I don't think Apple is losing the battle for the living room because you can't really point to anyone and claim they're winning.
There is a race, and while no clear winner is emerging, Apple is somewhere off the back of the pack.
DLNA is clearly a winning technology that puts all non Apple products at advantage. Android/Microsoft tablet/devices can move video to Living room screens.
Xbox is is turning into a full fledged entertainment delivering games, movies, streaming services, internet to near 60 Million living rooms.
PS3 is similar to Xbox, but with weaker execution as Sony is messed up trying not to step onto the toes of it's media business.
Google is floundering around this, but they may get it right eventually and they will license to everyone cheap (or free). Third party apps are a go and they will fill gaps.
Apple has it's little Apple TV streamer with miniscule market share and limited capabilities.
I am also part of the HTPC crowd and Apple is way behind on this as well. WMC is decent DVR and you have a wide array of Windows HTPCs you can buy or build. Apple really doesn't have a credible HTPC and AFAIK they have no equivalent to Media Center software.
If Apples answer is a TV, they have lost it IMO. That is low margin and will be low volume, they will be dead in the living room.
"An iPad! A television! Are you getting it?"
"These are not three separate devices, this is one device. And we are calling it iTV!"
If Apple is losing, who's winning?
DVD, Blu-Ray, and PayTV
http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/...9677&src=K9677
What is a "television proper"?
One that only gets the BBC.
No, that isn't the case.
And the rest of your argument falls apart because of that.
Just like if Apple is truly going forth with making a stereo, it will sell.
Absolutely. But it doesn't need to be done as a television proper.
I would like to see an Apple / Tesla joint project on a car
One that only gets the BBC.
Apple has it's little Apple TV streamer with miniscule market share and limited capabilities.
Miniscule marketshare? All signs point to Apple have the largest marketshare since they intoduced the AppleTV in 2007.
- http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers...rsr_e_1_4_last
What you're talking with HTPCs, game consoles, DVRs, media extenders et al. aren't a single market. It's like lumping all iPhone accessories into the same market simply because they use the 30-pin dock connector.