You all know Apple is up to something with the price cut and Apple is not losing money on this, The COGS is in the area of $20 and do let anyone kid you on that. They have been making lots of money on this product for years. They just up the game and gave people a reason not to buy into the fire stick or fire tv or google TV. HBO is going to be the first in a line of content owners signing on to provideing apple user a subscription without need of cable company. Ala carte tv is on it way and you will be able to buy only the channel you are interested in. Once Apple does a deal with Discovery Network I am dropping Directv after being with them since 1997.
Well, I seem to be the only person who is happy with this update. I don't really watch TV and have never owned an Apple TV, however at $69 I may as well buy one just for fun.
The fact HBO is exclusive on iOS is huge. More exclusives will follow suite.
It's too early to announce the new tv platform. Net neutrality is not fully in place yet and the deals with the content providers are probably not completed.
This a early special deal for HBO and a probe for the tv platform. Apple needs to test the network first. Packages like this HBO Now may be bundled in future offerings.
We may get the full new tv platform by WWDC. But may have to wait until the fall for new hardware.
The fact HBO is exclusive on iOS is huge.
More exclusives will follow suite.
It's too early to announce the new tv platform. Net neutrality is not fully in place yet and the deals with the content providers are probably not completed.
This a early special deal for HBO and a probe for the tv platform.
Apple needs to test the network first.
Packages like this HBO Now may be bundled in future offerings.
We may get the full new tv platform by WWDC. But may have to wait until the fall for new hardware.
You're not going to see a "new" AppleTV, until they have something significantly different to offer.
They could have done that easily. The A class processors could handle 4K but more importantly, would be a gaming console that would kill the Vita, the Wii and take a big chuck of cash from the main 2 contenders.
Well, I seem to be the only person who is happy with this update. I don't really watch TV and have never owned an Apple TV, however at $69 I may as well buy one just for fun.
The refurbs dropped in price as well. I bought one today at $59. Same one-year warranty as one in a retail box.
Apart from PBS and sports, I don't watch much TV myself, but the AirPlay features are appealing.
Hopefully sports coverage will continue to improve on Apple TV. I sure the heck am not paying $70/month for cable.
My thoughts exactly. I bet at WWDC we will see an ?TV update with an SDK and possibly a 4K model.
Correct me if I'm mistaken, but didn't Tim say twice.... ' and this is just the beginning' ... Or words to that effect. Rather seldom does apple drop the price... 30%, without something more expensive / new to replace it.
You all know Apple is up to something with the price cut and Apple is not losing money on this, The COGS is in the area of $20 and do let anyone kid you on that. They have been making lots of money on this product for years. They just up the game and gave people a reason not to buy into the fire stick or fire tv or google TV. HBO is going to be the first in a line of content owners signing on to provideing apple user a subscription without need of cable company. Ala carte tv is on it way and you will be able to buy only the channel you are interested in. Once Apple does a deal with Discovery Network I am dropping Directv after being with them since 1997.
You are spot on. The way I look at it I need about 4-6 of these providers like HBO (Discovery for sure and others) and I am able to move on from DirecTV. I was hoping for something closer to $10 but even at $15 my math works...and I am sure HBO knows this.
Really thought there would be an update. They may be waiting for 4K/HEVC to become more mainstream or available before committing to an updated model.
This will put some price pressure on Roku and will likely mean their excellent Roku3 will be priced similarly. They may be able to justify say $10 more if they release it with a remote that has a qwerty keyboard on the back for example, but $69 is now the official pricepoint of higher-end streaming boxes.
Personally not really tempted because there's no way to view your own content. I have all my DVDs ripped so i don't need to change discs while watching a season of a show for example, so for me the ATV is not very useful.
You're not going to see a "new" AppleTV, until they have something significantly different to offer, which includes improved content deals. Until then the current model will continue to get minor revisions, speed bumps, and reductions in price. I'm not surprised by the price cut, as the competition went from being significantly cheaper to just slightly cheaper. Maybe HBO is the first step in getting some different "thinking" on how to offer content on the AppleTV, which will lead to a more significant upgrade down the road.
Agree. Apple tends to do that with many products - they hold out on significant changes until they can make a splash with new category/services/use-cases (for example, they didn't put "retina" onto the existing Airs, but waited to have a re-imagined Macbook concept). In this case, the current AppleTV is quite good at its job of serving up content. While those of us that follow technology always want something "new" in there, reality is that for 1080P content it isn't necessary. Better UI would help of course, and they could do a lot better with iOS apps to search and control the devices.
For those looking to 4K content, that is still very niche though. Very few 4K TV's sold overall, very large files, bleeding edge decoders required, etc. Companies like Netflix and Amazon that promote it only do so for marketing reasons - only a very small minority of Netflix's ~40M global subscribers would have both TV and bandwidth to stream 4K. Apple historically hasn't been that eager to jump into the bleeding edge too early "just cause".
When Tim said (twice) it was the first of many, I interpret that as content deals. If that is the case (which would be great in general), it wouldn't necessarily mean a new device with a higher price point.
There are a few things which might prompt a more capable device from Apple, but we aren't hearing any real "buzz / rumours" yet (big step into gaming, living room video chat, "home kit" server,...). Always hoping though.
Really thought there would be an update. They may be waiting for 4K/HEVC to become more mainstream or available before committing to an updated model.
This will put some price pressure on Roku and will likely mean their excellent Roku3 will be priced similarly. They may be able to justify say $10 more if they release it with a remote that has a qwerty keyboard on the back for example, but $69 is now the official pricepoint of higher-end streaming boxes.
Personally not really tempted because there's no way to view your own content. I have all my DVDs ripped so i don't need to change discs while watching a season of a show for example, so for me the ATV is not very useful.
Actually it's quite usefull. I use AppleTV to watch all of my movies on my big screen TV with AirPlay from my Mac
Personally not really tempted because there's no way to view your own content. I have all my DVDs ripped so i don't need to change discs while watching a season of a show for example, so for me the ATV is not very useful.
Not sure why you think your DVD rips can't be used. I have DVD rips on my parents computer and can watch them on their AppleTV's thorughout the house. You just need them as an MP4 file that the AppleTV can play, and then add them to your iTunes library. The good thing about that is then those same movies are available to put on your iPhone/iPad also. There are plenty of programs to help do this depending on what kind of computer you have.
I do wish there was a better way to navigate them on the AppleTV though. It would be nice if I could get a MyMovies app on the AppleTV to go along with the software on our computer.
Actually it's quite usefull. I use AppleTV to watch all of my movies on my big screen TV with AirPlay from my Mac
Yes airplay is pretty cool but I'll be honest, once you've experienced Plex or XBMC, launching movies manually through finder loses a lot of its appeal.
I bought my folks a Roku 3 for Netflix and Amazon prime since you can search for a title and it tells you which service it's available on.
Personally I use a Mac Mini hooked up to a surround receiver. Wireless keyboard and trackpad hooked up to a "magic wand" or whatever it's called for web browsing. For everything else, I use a harmony remote since XBMC has a great 10-foot interface.
Something I've been wanting Apple to create is an Apple TV with a built-in DVR. I never had a "cord" to cut (no cable), so I've been waiting for something I can use to watch Internet-delivered content in addition to being able to record over-the-air programming. Existing products available are crap.
Not sure why you think your DVD rips can't be used. I have DVD rips on my parents computer and can watch them on their AppleTV's thorughout the house. You just need them as an MP4 file that the AppleTV can play, and then add them to your iTunes library. The good thing about that is then those same movies are available to put on your iPhone/iPad also. There are plenty of programs to help do this depending on what kind of computer you have.
I do wish there was a better way to navigate them on the AppleTV though. It would be nice if I could get a MyMovies app on the AppleTV to go along with the software on our computer.
That's the problem. Movies are stored on a network storage drive, which means itunes not running. The current setup (mac mini) accesses the files direct via AFP, and doesn't care about which format the files are in. Early rips were done in AVI, later ones are standard MKV since the subtitles can be included in a single file.
Comments
Really disappointed that they lead off with the AppleTV, but didn't update the hardware at all. What a tease.
The price cut is nice, but I'm still not sure if I will bother picking up any more until there is a hardware update.
I was annoyed as well. Tim did hint that this is just the beginning so hopefully major update this year.
I understand negotiations with cable companies is beyond their control, but why has Apple sat idly on bringing apps to the TV.
More exclusives will follow suite.
It's too early to announce the new tv platform. Net neutrality is not fully in place yet and the deals with the content providers are probably not completed.
This a early special deal for HBO and a probe for the tv platform.
Apple needs to test the network first.
Packages like this HBO Now may be bundled in future offerings.
We may get the full new tv platform by WWDC. But may have to wait until the fall for new hardware.
Don't expect that to last long.
You're not going to see a "new" AppleTV, until they have something significantly different to offer.
They could have done that easily. The A class processors could handle 4K but more importantly, would be a gaming console that would kill the Vita, the Wii and take a big chuck of cash from the main 2 contenders.
Well, I seem to be the only person who is happy with this update. I don't really watch TV and have never owned an Apple TV, however at $69 I may as well buy one just for fun.
The refurbs dropped in price as well. I bought one today at $59. Same one-year warranty as one in a retail box.
Apart from PBS and sports, I don't watch much TV myself, but the AirPlay features are appealing.
Hopefully sports coverage will continue to improve on Apple TV. I sure the heck am not paying $70/month for cable.
Correct me if I'm mistaken, but didn't Tim say twice.... ' and this is just the beginning' ... Or words to that effect. Rather seldom does apple drop the price... 30%, without something more expensive / new to replace it.
Yup, I caught that too. So far press has not picked it up that I can tell.
You all know Apple is up to something with the price cut and Apple is not losing money on this, The COGS is in the area of $20 and do let anyone kid you on that. They have been making lots of money on this product for years. They just up the game and gave people a reason not to buy into the fire stick or fire tv or google TV. HBO is going to be the first in a line of content owners signing on to provideing apple user a subscription without need of cable company. Ala carte tv is on it way and you will be able to buy only the channel you are interested in. Once Apple does a deal with Discovery Network I am dropping Directv after being with them since 1997.
You are spot on. The way I look at it I need about 4-6 of these providers like HBO (Discovery for sure and others) and I am able to move on from DirecTV. I was hoping for something closer to $10 but even at $15 my math works...and I am sure HBO knows this.
Really thought there would be an update. They may be waiting for 4K/HEVC to become more mainstream or available before committing to an updated model.
This will put some price pressure on Roku and will likely mean their excellent Roku3 will be priced similarly. They may be able to justify say $10 more if they release it with a remote that has a qwerty keyboard on the back for example, but $69 is now the official pricepoint of higher-end streaming boxes.
Personally not really tempted because there's no way to view your own content. I have all my DVDs ripped so i don't need to change discs while watching a season of a show for example, so for me the ATV is not very useful.
You're not going to see a "new" AppleTV, until they have something significantly different to offer, which includes improved content deals. Until then the current model will continue to get minor revisions, speed bumps, and reductions in price. I'm not surprised by the price cut, as the competition went from being significantly cheaper to just slightly cheaper. Maybe HBO is the first step in getting some different "thinking" on how to offer content on the AppleTV, which will lead to a more significant upgrade down the road.
Agree. Apple tends to do that with many products - they hold out on significant changes until they can make a splash with new category/services/use-cases (for example, they didn't put "retina" onto the existing Airs, but waited to have a re-imagined Macbook concept). In this case, the current AppleTV is quite good at its job of serving up content. While those of us that follow technology always want something "new" in there, reality is that for 1080P content it isn't necessary. Better UI would help of course, and they could do a lot better with iOS apps to search and control the devices.
For those looking to 4K content, that is still very niche though. Very few 4K TV's sold overall, very large files, bleeding edge decoders required, etc. Companies like Netflix and Amazon that promote it only do so for marketing reasons - only a very small minority of Netflix's ~40M global subscribers would have both TV and bandwidth to stream 4K. Apple historically hasn't been that eager to jump into the bleeding edge too early "just cause".
When Tim said (twice) it was the first of many, I interpret that as content deals. If that is the case (which would be great in general), it wouldn't necessarily mean a new device with a higher price point.
There are a few things which might prompt a more capable device from Apple, but we aren't hearing any real "buzz / rumours" yet (big step into gaming, living room video chat, "home kit" server,...). Always hoping though.
Actually it's quite usefull. I use AppleTV to watch all of my movies on my big screen TV with AirPlay from my Mac
Personally not really tempted because there's no way to view your own content. I have all my DVDs ripped so i don't need to change discs while watching a season of a show for example, so for me the ATV is not very useful.
Not sure why you think your DVD rips can't be used. I have DVD rips on my parents computer and can watch them on their AppleTV's thorughout the house. You just need them as an MP4 file that the AppleTV can play, and then add them to your iTunes library. The good thing about that is then those same movies are available to put on your iPhone/iPad also. There are plenty of programs to help do this depending on what kind of computer you have.
I do wish there was a better way to navigate them on the AppleTV though. It would be nice if I could get a MyMovies app on the AppleTV to go along with the software on our computer.
Actually it's quite usefull. I use AppleTV to watch all of my movies on my big screen TV with AirPlay from my Mac
Yes airplay is pretty cool but I'll be honest, once you've experienced Plex or XBMC, launching movies manually through finder loses a lot of its appeal.
I bought my folks a Roku 3 for Netflix and Amazon prime since you can search for a title and it tells you which service it's available on.
Personally I use a Mac Mini hooked up to a surround receiver. Wireless keyboard and trackpad hooked up to a "magic wand" or whatever it's called for web browsing. For everything else, I use a harmony remote since XBMC has a great 10-foot interface.
Not sure why you think your DVD rips can't be used. I have DVD rips on my parents computer and can watch them on their AppleTV's thorughout the house. You just need them as an MP4 file that the AppleTV can play, and then add them to your iTunes library. The good thing about that is then those same movies are available to put on your iPhone/iPad also. There are plenty of programs to help do this depending on what kind of computer you have.
I do wish there was a better way to navigate them on the AppleTV though. It would be nice if I could get a MyMovies app on the AppleTV to go along with the software on our computer.
That's the problem. Movies are stored on a network storage drive, which means itunes not running. The current setup (mac mini) accesses the files direct via AFP, and doesn't care about which format the files are in. Early rips were done in AVI, later ones are standard MKV since the subtitles can be included in a single file.
Then said "that's it?"....
When he said "and this is just the beginning." He probably meant the keynote.