Sorry- poor content available was not was was promised but what is actually being delivered and that is being kind to the content available. It is not the product of the future as Jobs said. And there is no high def content available yet and it's 2008 in 3 1/2 weeks!!
My satellite provider can't even deliver HD that's not so compressed it looks horrible, what makes anyone think that Apple will be able to do so over the internet?
I know there are a few satellite channels that the provider ups the bandwidth on and lowers the compression (ESPN HD and a few others) but even then it's still compressed HD.
Apple used the music industry to help drive the iPod to where it is today yet keep calling the music industry greedy in the process- LOL.
Actually before the iTunes Music Store people were just sharing music off of Napster/Limewire/XShare... so Apple could have done nothing and the iPod would still be as popular... And anyone who's read any quotes from a music exec in the last 3 years and doesn't think they're greedy is blind.
I think the public bitching being done by these exec's (like Cory Shields and other Universal bone-heads) shows a desperate attempt to try and rally a revolution against Apple. They don't give a damn about the end user - they simply want to squeeze as much out of their crappy content as possible. I think Apple was right to stick to their guns and certainly NBC is free to stick to theirs.
It is not the product of the future as Jobs said. And there is no high def content available yet and it's 2008 in 3 1/2 weeks!!
The product of the FUTURE is exactly what it is. It is NOT the product of the present, except for a small group of people.
You were an early adopter in an area that is taking off slowly (and would take off even more slowly without Apple). You should not have been an early adopter. I sympathize with your mistake in that. You should wait until things ARE the way you want them, and not spend money hoping they will suddenly become that way overnight.
Nobody should buy AppleTV for anything but the content available NOW. Why buy just for future content you hope for? If Apple TV does nothing for you now, why not wait until the content you wish for exists and THEN buy it?
For geeks the issue is all of the above, those that know know. For those that don't know, ie techno retarded, it's a concept thing, just signing up for movies by mail like netflix is a revelation as opposed to going to a video rental store. Then there is the price, $300 is too much. To sway the masses you need to have this set up for movie rentals that are price comparatively to brick-and-mortars, but have a better set up, ie rent for a week or two, and reduce the price of the unit. Apple should plan on just recovering production cost of the unit and plan on making this profitable via movie rentals. Apple should then start to market to movies-by-mail subscribers and create a base, then move to compete against the remaining b&ms. If you think about it from a shoppers perspective, why should I buy an AppleTV when I already have a DVD player and can order movies by mail, go to my local rental store, or just outright buy a movie at walmart with tons of extras. While the idea of convenience has potential, it needs to be sellable to be successful. AppleTV is a completely different model then the iPod+iTunes. I think Apple actually knows this and is why Apple is compromising with other movie studios to allow movie sales to break it's current movie pricing scheme.
Yeah, I'm surprised that Apple hasn't already upgraded this thing. Maybe we'll see something at Macworld.
Apple is too stuck on what it wants everyone to do, rather than seeing what everyone wants to do. Trying to force everyone to iTunes is not working for video. If they can't see that, they are in trouble.
What 'everyone wants' is for the media monopolies to no longer be able to rip off the consumer. Features come and go on hardware... hard-ass Steve IS the feature everyone needs.
Sorry- Wrong! If you buy a song from iTunes you are locked into buying iPods unless you convert it into another format and then rip it again to your hard drive.
Then your beef is with the music industry execs who mandate that DRM be in the music in the first place....
While, I feel the present AppleTV has some great features with respect to photos, YouTube, and iTunes, I think that the dynamics of movie viewing are different. That and the success of the iPhone have delayed Apple?s focus on the AppleTV. As hayesk said in his post, music is played over-and-over many times, however, movies purchased are not generally not watched with the same frequency. Also iPhone had so much momentum, that I am sure Apple focused its energy there.
With the iPhone doing so well, Apple will now be able to focus more attention to AppleTV and how it fits into the iPod family. There are three features that would greatly affect AppleTV popularity? I am sure that the first generation AppleTV is only the beginning.
Internet browsing:
Look at the iPhone & iTouch. Web browsing is a key feature. I believe this will come to AppleTV. It may even be something as easy as a software upgrade. This single feature would bee a boon for families everywhere. Johnny can surf the net on the Mac/PC in his bedroom while Dad surfs on the big screen flat panel in the den simultaneously.
MediaCentre movie based subscription service:
People do not want to buy and store movies on hard drives? it gets too expensive and the frequency of watching is not high enough to warrant storing the catalogues of movies in the same way as music? at least not on local drives. Also, ripping DVD?s has ethical/legal issues with the RIAA.
So why not develop a subscription based model that is part Netflix, part DVDpedia (a cataloging software program) and have a monthly fee for movies that gives total access to Movie collections from all the major studios, but in a slick interface like a media centre. I believe this is coming? Already there are movie rental clues on the iPhone & iTouch that have been uncovered. I know there are bandwidth issues to overcome, but perhaps one could choose their movies ahead of time and have the downloaded while at work etc.
The movies could stay on your local drive for a month, two months, or longer... and iPod versions of those Disney flicks could be synced for that road trip to Florida. Also, Canadians, or any other countries would likely have less hurdles because rental or subscription based models do not have the same restrictions? TV shows may be another issue, however? but perhaps not those already released on DVD could be available (in Canada).
Game Console link to networked Mac/PC:
I am not sure how they could pull this off, but wouldn?t it be great to be able to play your Mac or PC version of Age of Empires, Need for speed, World of Warcraft, etc. through AppleTV on your large screen TV in 720/1080p? even while someone else is using the same game on a Mac/PC elsewhere in the house.
I am sure the first two are on the way. The third item would be a bonus? perhaps rental of games on the subscription model could work? and be tied in to the MediaCentre.
AppleTV is just beginning, but I am not sure the name will remain the same. I think it will be so much more.
The AppleTV is too early for it's time. Nobody can tell me that in 10-15 years we're all going to have shelves and shelves of blu-ray or HD DVD movies that we have to put into a machine to read. Do you know how long it's been since I touched an audio CD? Eventually video will get to the same stage as audio currently is, with a rental model thrown in. As soon as iTunes gets HD content, I wouldn't be surprised if it kills Bluray and HD-DVD. Or severely hurts them anyway.
Oh, I don't know about that. The HD content would take up quite a bit of space so I would have to burn a copy to DVD. I could store them on an external HD but that and the wires look geeky and cluttered so I hide away my external HD. A 40GB Playstation 3 goes for $399, does HD, has wi-fi, comes with Spider-Man 3 plus 5 more HD movies. Now that is sweet even though I really don't do games.
I think you mean the iTunes store content is missing HDTV. The aTV does output 720p.
There are some major dealbreakers with the aTV. Only supporting HDTVs (yet only 720 and not 1080) but only selling SD content. Surround sound is a HUGE one, that will kill it for most people right off the bat. No streaming internet radio?? Even the airport does that for cheaper. Why can't you buy content from the TV?
Price is too high for what it does. If an iPod can play video for $149, they should be able to leverage that same hardware, just add a small hard drive and wifi.
I don't think it needs a DVD player (especially with DVD on the way out and two competing HD formats with no clear winner) or DVR, I'd much rather see them just drop the price and keep those out. Especially when handbrake and eyeTV are easy to use and well integrated with aTV.
And while apple would hate to support it, they'd sell way more of these boxes if they could play streaming video from other sources, such as the NBC and other network programming with ads. Those will get more and more traffic, but a way to play them on a TV instead of a computer screen would help the networks and aTV sales.
A rental plan similar in price and functionality to Netflix could give a huge boost to aTV sales as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kresh
Why does AI keep posting this Apple Bashing tripe from a known Apple Bashing hate group?
While I think there are quite a few pointless mac bashing stories that are worth ignoring, I have to agree with this one. Does anyone really dispute that aTV hasn't sold well and so far has been a missed opportunity for apple?
I think right now the only thing working in apple's favor is that nobody else has really shipped a box that's a better alternative for watching internet video on a TV screen. Is there anything else out there that is selling better than aTV?
Quote:
Originally Posted by kresh
I've ripped about 200 movies from DVD's using 720x4xx settings and it's absolutely amazing on my 46" LCD TV.
So have you figured out a solution to ripping DVDs with 5.1 surround and playing that back on your aTV? Or are you just watching your movies on a big HD screen but only stereo (or Pro Logic, which is just decoded from stereo and not discrete surround)?
Well, I've seen, what, about 6 of you posting about how bad it is, and none of you own one.
I do own an AppleTV, the small 40GB one. I don't store anything on it, as I stream everything from a Mac Mini to it.
I've ripped about 200 movies from DVD's using 720x4xx settings and it's absolutely amazing on my 46" LCD TV. (Not to mention about 7 HD Podcasts, all my other video and audio podcasts) It's so good in fact that 3 others in my family have purchased one, as well as 6 or 7 friends of mine.
It's the non-owning, paper spec queens, that keep saying it's a failure.
You don't know which of us own one, unless it was stated. I do have one, but don't use it much.
The problem is that Apple always wants to do things its way. sometimes that doesn't work out so well.
If it's so great that so many people you know bought one, then more people overall should have bought one, from word of mouth. That clearly hasn't happened.
Apple needs more content. And, by the way, ripping DVD's isn't legal. If that's why you think it's so great, then you can understand why most people, who, by the way do NOT rip DVD's, don't think so.
Different markets, making them not very direct competition. The way it's shaping up, it looks like the HD DVD and Blu-Ray formats are about getting the best A/V quality possible, basically LD part II.
I don't really think a hypothetical iTunes HD offering would compete against that, nor can they right now or in the next few years. iTunes HD would be competing against cable/FIOS/DSL video on demand services as well as HD satellite. All those services compromise the A/V quality, sometimes quite a bit, which is fine for their market anyway. iTunes HD would probably be just 720p at a bitrate that's a fifth that of HD DVD and Blu-Ray.
touche. But I know that for myself. If iTunes gets 720p content at MacWorld, I'll be far less likely to plop any money down on a BluRay or HD-DVD player.
Yeah I understand, thus my "Paper Spec Queen" comment
edit: What I mean by that is because all the complaints are based on trying to shoehorn the AppleTV into something it's not. Kind of like buying a houseboat and expecting to set the world's record for speed on water. Some of us just want a house boat
Apple needs more content. And, by the way, ripping DVD's isn't legal. If that's why you think it's so great, then you can understand why most people, who, by the way do NOT rip DVD's, don't think so.
It's illegal to eat chicken with a fork in Gainesville, GA ( Link ), that doesn't mean it can be enforced.
RIAA is not breaking down doors of people who use handbrake; P2P - now that's a different story
Yes, Apple does need more content. but that does not make AppleTV a failure.
My late two cents. Mimicking most other post here.
TV Needs
HD content from iTunes!!
DVD Drive. (option)
DVR capability (two tuner)
Ability to stand on its own. (DL content)
If it has the ability to play YouTube, then it should be able to play any internet content.
Apple, its not that hard! And from all these post, it appears we are willing to pay for it.
Agreed it needs HD and stand alone store. But it absolutely does not need a DVD drive, that's old school thinking. That's not the way forward. And it doesn't need a DVR either, nor will it ever have one.
I think it could benefit from a click wheel remote though!
Comments
Sorry- poor content available was not was was promised but what is actually being delivered and that is being kind to the content available. It is not the product of the future as Jobs said. And there is no high def content available yet and it's 2008 in 3 1/2 weeks!!
My satellite provider can't even deliver HD that's not so compressed it looks horrible, what makes anyone think that Apple will be able to do so over the internet?
I know there are a few satellite channels that the provider ups the bandwidth on and lowers the compression (ESPN HD and a few others) but even then it's still compressed HD.
Apple used the music industry to help drive the iPod to where it is today yet keep calling the music industry greedy in the process- LOL.
Actually before the iTunes Music Store people were just sharing music off of Napster/Limewire/XShare... so Apple could have done nothing and the iPod would still be as popular... And anyone who's read any quotes from a music exec in the last 3 years and doesn't think they're greedy is blind.
I think the public bitching being done by these exec's (like Cory Shields and other Universal bone-heads) shows a desperate attempt to try and rally a revolution against Apple. They don't give a damn about the end user - they simply want to squeeze as much out of their crappy content as possible. I think Apple was right to stick to their guns and certainly NBC is free to stick to theirs.
It is not the product of the future as Jobs said. And there is no high def content available yet and it's 2008 in 3 1/2 weeks!!
The product of the FUTURE is exactly what it is. It is NOT the product of the present, except for a small group of people.
You were an early adopter in an area that is taking off slowly (and would take off even more slowly without Apple). You should not have been an early adopter. I sympathize with your mistake in that. You should wait until things ARE the way you want them, and not spend money hoping they will suddenly become that way overnight.
Nobody should buy AppleTV for anything but the content available NOW. Why buy just for future content you hope for? If Apple TV does nothing for you now, why not wait until the content you wish for exists and THEN buy it?
There is one solution: Apple TV and Mac mini become one machine.
Boom.
If they look to be making a success of it, Apple might see more follow their example.
Biiiigg 'if'.
If the NBC offering is any indications, Apple has nothing to worry about in the long run.
un-skippable commercials, content blow-up. Yeah, they get it.
Yeah, I'm surprised that Apple hasn't already upgraded this thing. Maybe we'll see something at Macworld.
Apple is too stuck on what it wants everyone to do, rather than seeing what everyone wants to do. Trying to force everyone to iTunes is not working for video. If they can't see that, they are in trouble.
What 'everyone wants' is for the media monopolies to no longer be able to rip off the consumer. Features come and go on hardware... hard-ass Steve IS the feature everyone needs.
Sorry- Wrong! If you buy a song from iTunes you are locked into buying iPods unless you convert it into another format and then rip it again to your hard drive.
Then your beef is with the music industry execs who mandate that DRM be in the music in the first place....
With the iPhone doing so well, Apple will now be able to focus more attention to AppleTV and how it fits into the iPod family. There are three features that would greatly affect AppleTV popularity? I am sure that the first generation AppleTV is only the beginning.
Internet browsing:
Look at the iPhone & iTouch. Web browsing is a key feature. I believe this will come to AppleTV. It may even be something as easy as a software upgrade. This single feature would bee a boon for families everywhere. Johnny can surf the net on the Mac/PC in his bedroom while Dad surfs on the big screen flat panel in the den simultaneously.
MediaCentre movie based subscription service:
People do not want to buy and store movies on hard drives? it gets too expensive and the frequency of watching is not high enough to warrant storing the catalogues of movies in the same way as music? at least not on local drives. Also, ripping DVD?s has ethical/legal issues with the RIAA.
So why not develop a subscription based model that is part Netflix, part DVDpedia (a cataloging software program) and have a monthly fee for movies that gives total access to Movie collections from all the major studios, but in a slick interface like a media centre. I believe this is coming? Already there are movie rental clues on the iPhone & iTouch that have been uncovered. I know there are bandwidth issues to overcome, but perhaps one could choose their movies ahead of time and have the downloaded while at work etc.
The movies could stay on your local drive for a month, two months, or longer... and iPod versions of those Disney flicks could be synced for that road trip to Florida. Also, Canadians, or any other countries would likely have less hurdles because rental or subscription based models do not have the same restrictions? TV shows may be another issue, however? but perhaps not those already released on DVD could be available (in Canada).
Game Console link to networked Mac/PC:
I am not sure how they could pull this off, but wouldn?t it be great to be able to play your Mac or PC version of Age of Empires, Need for speed, World of Warcraft, etc. through AppleTV on your large screen TV in 720/1080p? even while someone else is using the same game on a Mac/PC elsewhere in the house.
I am sure the first two are on the way. The third item would be a bonus? perhaps rental of games on the subscription model could work? and be tied in to the MediaCentre.
AppleTV is just beginning, but I am not sure the name will remain the same. I think it will be so much more.
The AppleTV is too early for it's time. Nobody can tell me that in 10-15 years we're all going to have shelves and shelves of blu-ray or HD DVD movies that we have to put into a machine to read. Do you know how long it's been since I touched an audio CD? Eventually video will get to the same stage as audio currently is, with a rental model thrown in. As soon as iTunes gets HD content, I wouldn't be surprised if it kills Bluray and HD-DVD. Or severely hurts them anyway.
Oh, I don't know about that. The HD content would take up quite a bit of space so I would have to burn a copy to DVD. I could store them on an external HD but that and the wires look geeky and cluttered so I hide away my external HD. A 40GB Playstation 3 goes for $399, does HD, has wi-fi, comes with Spider-Man 3 plus 5 more HD movies. Now that is sweet even though I really don't do games.
What's missing:
...HDTV
I think you mean the iTunes store content is missing HDTV. The aTV does output 720p.
There are some major dealbreakers with the aTV. Only supporting HDTVs (yet only 720 and not 1080) but only selling SD content. Surround sound is a HUGE one, that will kill it for most people right off the bat. No streaming internet radio?? Even the airport does that for cheaper. Why can't you buy content from the TV?
Price is too high for what it does. If an iPod can play video for $149, they should be able to leverage that same hardware, just add a small hard drive and wifi.
I don't think it needs a DVD player (especially with DVD on the way out and two competing HD formats with no clear winner) or DVR, I'd much rather see them just drop the price and keep those out. Especially when handbrake and eyeTV are easy to use and well integrated with aTV.
And while apple would hate to support it, they'd sell way more of these boxes if they could play streaming video from other sources, such as the NBC and other network programming with ads. Those will get more and more traffic, but a way to play them on a TV instead of a computer screen would help the networks and aTV sales.
A rental plan similar in price and functionality to Netflix could give a huge boost to aTV sales as well.
Why does AI keep posting this Apple Bashing tripe from a known Apple Bashing hate group?
While I think there are quite a few pointless mac bashing stories that are worth ignoring, I have to agree with this one. Does anyone really dispute that aTV hasn't sold well and so far has been a missed opportunity for apple?
I think right now the only thing working in apple's favor is that nobody else has really shipped a box that's a better alternative for watching internet video on a TV screen. Is there anything else out there that is selling better than aTV?
I've ripped about 200 movies from DVD's using 720x4xx settings and it's absolutely amazing on my 46" LCD TV.
So have you figured out a solution to ripping DVDs with 5.1 surround and playing that back on your aTV? Or are you just watching your movies on a big HD screen but only stereo (or Pro Logic, which is just decoded from stereo and not discrete surround)?
TV Needs
- HD content from iTunes!!
- DVD Drive. (option)
- DVR capability (two tuner)
- Ability to stand on its own. (DL content)
- If it has the ability to play YouTube, then it should be able to play any internet content.
Apple, its not that hard! And from all these post, it appears we are willing to pay for it.Well, I've seen, what, about 6 of you posting about how bad it is, and none of you own one.
I do own an AppleTV, the small 40GB one. I don't store anything on it, as I stream everything from a Mac Mini to it.
I've ripped about 200 movies from DVD's using 720x4xx settings and it's absolutely amazing on my 46" LCD TV. (Not to mention about 7 HD Podcasts, all my other video and audio podcasts) It's so good in fact that 3 others in my family have purchased one, as well as 6 or 7 friends of mine.
It's the non-owning, paper spec queens, that keep saying it's a failure.
You don't know which of us own one, unless it was stated. I do have one, but don't use it much.
The problem is that Apple always wants to do things its way. sometimes that doesn't work out so well.
If it's so great that so many people you know bought one, then more people overall should have bought one, from word of mouth. That clearly hasn't happened.
Apple needs more content. And, by the way, ripping DVD's isn't legal. If that's why you think it's so great, then you can understand why most people, who, by the way do NOT rip DVD's, don't think so.
Different markets, making them not very direct competition. The way it's shaping up, it looks like the HD DVD and Blu-Ray formats are about getting the best A/V quality possible, basically LD part II.
I don't really think a hypothetical iTunes HD offering would compete against that, nor can they right now or in the next few years. iTunes HD would be competing against cable/FIOS/DSL video on demand services as well as HD satellite. All those services compromise the A/V quality, sometimes quite a bit, which is fine for their market anyway. iTunes HD would probably be just 720p at a bitrate that's a fifth that of HD DVD and Blu-Ray.
touche. But I know that for myself. If iTunes gets 720p content at MacWorld, I'll be far less likely to plop any money down on a BluRay or HD-DVD player.
Yeah I understand, thus my "Paper Spec Queen" comment
edit: What I mean by that is because all the complaints are based on trying to shoehorn the AppleTV into something it's not. Kind of like buying a houseboat and expecting to set the world's record for speed on water. Some of us just want a house boat
We understand what it's not.
What we're saying, is that it should be.
Then your beef is with the music industry execs who mandate that DRM be in the music in the first place....
It's partly a pox on Apple too. While Apple is required to have some form of DRM, it's also Apple that decided to make their own and to license it.
1. Only works on HD TVs, like it or not, there's still a huge majority of people with CRTs.
2. No HD content.
Apple needs more content. And, by the way, ripping DVD's isn't legal. If that's why you think it's so great, then you can understand why most people, who, by the way do NOT rip DVD's, don't think so.
It's illegal to eat chicken with a fork in Gainesville, GA ( Link ), that doesn't mean it can be enforced.
RIAA is not breaking down doors of people who use handbrake; P2P - now that's a different story
Yes, Apple does need more content. but that does not make AppleTV a failure.
My late two cents. Mimicking most other post here.
TV Needs
- HD content from iTunes!!
- DVD Drive. (option)
- DVR capability (two tuner)
- Ability to stand on its own. (DL content)
- If it has the ability to play YouTube, then it should be able to play any internet content.
Apple, its not that hard! And from all these post, it appears we are willing to pay for it.Agreed it needs HD and stand alone store. But it absolutely does not need a DVD drive, that's old school thinking. That's not the way forward. And it doesn't need a DVR either, nor will it ever have one.
I think it could benefit from a click wheel remote though!