In a report last week, McQuivey warned executives of the Cupertino-based company that it was in their best interest to "win NBC back" as an iTunes partner if they had any hopes of replicating their success in music with digital video.
"Don't let the Macgeeks posting angry blogs against NBC fool you," McQuivey wrote in a report last Monday following the television network's pull-out from iTunes. "The loser here is Apple, which relies on NBC Universal to deliver 30 (percent) of video download sales. Any supposed backlash against NBC will not materialize because NBC has made its content available, for free, on NBC.com and six other major portals sites."
Everyone has made excellent points with regards to the aTV and it's shortcomings.
McQuivey however needs to define "Macgeeks". I like my Apple products. I praise them when things "just works", as much as I curse them when they don't. But regarding relying on NBC/Universal, in my own circumstances, I have no interest in their shows. I'm not saying they are not good or that I couldn't become hooked on them. It's just my viewing time is limited and I am already committed to my favorites. I also ususally try and avoid NBC due to the political leanings going on in the background at the executive level.
I mean, just on Friday NBC said they would not air a paid advertisement to say "Thank You" to the troops and NBC's reason for not airing it, was that it went against their standard for partisan/political endorsements when the advert, at the end, showed a website address - www.freedomswatch.org and while it is a website with Conservative leanings, if one went to it they could sign a "digital thank you card" for the troops, as well as see provided links that supports the troops, not the war, but the troops and how many times have we heard, we don't support the war but we support the troops - apparently not NBC, although they now have backed down, but the absurdity of it all in the first place.
Here are the links found on the website that one can link to in case they want to, in some way, support the troops:
The heresy of it all! This is why I have never made a purchase of a NBC/Universal product on iTunes anyway. So I'm not missing it and I'm not looking for it at any of the other various portal locations, be it six or sixty. NBC have you no shame!
What everyone wants is to view their content in peace.
jobs should let them try it their way. If it then fails, then fine, they tried, and it didn't work.
But, if somehow it did work, then Jobs would be wrong. The consumer will have spoken either way.
Either way, Apple wins.
Mel, oh Mel, oh Mel, oh Mel
You've been a fan long enough to realise Apple will only do that over Steve's cold corpse!
The birthday present isn't 'GREAT' if you picked it before, that suprise romantic weekend away isn't 'AMAZING' if you planned it in advance & the iPod Touch wouldn't be the coolest gizmo ever if we'd spec'd it out.
Practically all the other tech manufacturers/developers play this game (partly because they haven't got a clue and partly for user buy-in) and the results are invariably underwhelming. Thank the maker Apple isn't one of these.
That said they are starting to use the old - lock it to generate controversy, concede and open it a bit to generate popularity trick (i.e. iPhone SDK) so maybe they realise Steve won't be there forever.
I've been viewing 3Mbps 720p content in AppleTV for a while now and as soon as it's available on iTunes - bye bye SkyTV
The lack of success of the AppleTV has nothing to do with its hardware, it has to do with the iTunes store videos. The selection is relatively poor, there are no rentals, and the resolution isn't good enough for big-screen TV viewing. Change those things, but don't change the AppleTV hardware or functionality, and you've got a hit with AppleTV.
I agree, the ATV hardware itself has all the needed features for the masses, its the iTNS that is not read yet.
What Apple needs to succeed with ATV:
* rental for video
* HD content (720p is enough)
* WIFI video store in ATV (a sw upgrade that waits for the right release date, maybe when a new ATV model will be released)
I tend to agree with folks that wanted a DVD slot in ATV for convenience. On the other hand, I disagree with a need for DVR capability in ATV. No company is making $$$ from selling DVRs, even Tivo has never made a profit from it. The iTunes model is a much more successful model that's appealing to millions. If ATV had a solid video service behind it with rent and HD then a DVR wouldn't be needed for the ATV to succeed. Many would buy it without a DVR.
The lack of success of the AppleTV has nothing to do with its hardware, it has to do with the iTunes store videos. The selection is relatively poor, there are no rentals, and the resolution isn't good enough for big-screen TV viewing. Change those things, but don't change the AppleTV hardware or functionality, and you've got a hit with AppleTV.
I agree, the ATV hardware itself has all the needed features for the masses, its the iTNS that is not ready yet.
What Apple needs to succeed with ATV:
* rental for video
* HD content (720p is enough)
* WIFI video store in ATV (a sw upgrade that waits for the right release date, maybe when a new ATV model will be released)
I tend to agree with folks that wanted a DVD slot in ATV for convenience. On the other hand, I disagree with a need for DVR capability in ATV. No company is making $$$ from selling DVRs, even Tivo has never made a profit from it. The iTunes model is a much more successful model that's appealing to millions. If ATV had a solid video service behind it with rent and HD then a DVR wouldn't be needed for the ATV to succeed. Many would buy it without a DVR.
There is one solution: Apple TV and Mac mini become one machine.
Boom.
Bust!
If I want a computer attached to my TV I'll buy the Mini. If I want a simple "TV" solution I'll buy the AppleTV - we already have this choice so why do people keep posting comments like this. The two devices work totally differently with the Mini being the 'geek' option & the AppleTV being the consumer option.
They are not moving away from hardware at all. They are just embracing more ways of receiving content. They are currently working on the OCAP-based Series 4 which works with SDV without the external adapter module as well as interactive features such as On Demand using a "compatability mode" where it defaults into the cable company's ugly interface for such features.
I can't quote the entire article, but the essence is that they are moving into other areas, including interactive banner ads, second by second viewership data (in a deal with, guess who-NBC Universal), and software loaded into other manufacturers DVR's.
This is from an interview with Tom Rogers.
That last, as from the article, will allow people to have:
"...access to TiVo's interface without requiring them to buy any more equipment."
They also:
"..(on Nov. 28) announced a partnership with a German company, Nero, which would would develop a way for the TiVo software to be downloaded to personal computers."
Also:
"These deals underscored TiVo's new emphasis on subscriptions and media services rather than hardware."
Long term, TiVo will get out of the hardware market where they are losing money hand over fist.
They don't need the hardware, as all of the functions of a TiVo are from the software.
While I expect them to say that they will remain in hardware, they will have to say that until their new plans are all in operation lest they kill their hardware sales now.
You've been a fan long enough to realise Apple will only do that over Steve's cold corpse!
The birthday present isn't 'GREAT' if you picked it before, that suprise romantic weekend away isn't 'AMAZING' if you planned it in advance & the iPod Touch wouldn't be the coolest gizmo ever if we'd spec'd it out.
Practically all the other tech manufacturers/developers play this game (partly because they haven't got a clue and partly for user buy-in) and the results are invariably underwhelming. Thank the maker Apple isn't one of these.
That said they are starting to use the old - lock it to generate controversy, concede and open it a bit to generate popularity trick (i.e. iPhone SDK) so maybe they realise Steve won't be there forever.
I've been viewing 3Mbps 720p content in AppleTV for a while now and as soon as it's available on iTunes - bye bye SkyTV
McD
Well yeah, you're right of course, I do know it, but I just had to say it.
I agree, the ATV hardware itself has all the needed features for the masses, its the iTNS that is not read yet.
What Apple needs to succeed with ATV:
* rental for video
* HD content (720p is enough)
* WIFI video store in ATV (a sw upgrade that waits for the right release date, maybe when a new ATV model will be released)
I tend to agree with folks that wanted a DVD slot in ATV for convenience. On the other hand, I disagree with a need for DVR capability in ATV. No company is making $$$ from selling DVRs, even Tivo has never made a profit from it. The iTunes model is a much more successful model that's appealing to millions. If ATV had a solid video service behind it with rent and HD then a DVR wouldn't be needed for the ATV to succeed. Many would buy it without a DVR.
After reading it I am sure you could see the potential success that the ATV.
You're saying that Scientific Atlanta, Pioneer, and others aren't making money making, and selling them to the cable companies, who then rent them?
I don't believe that.
Tivo loses money from them because they allowed too easy a method to skip commercials. Replay died because their commercial skipping tech was even better.
The other DVR companies work with the cable companies, not against them.
If I want a computer attached to my TV I'll buy the Mini. If I want a simple "TV" solution I'll buy the AppleTV - we already have this choice so why do people keep posting comments like this. The two devices work totally differently with the Mini being the 'geek' option & the AppleTV being the consumer option.
McD
I don't know about that. The ATv is basically just a poor Mac with special software. I can't see it as being impossible to add that software to a regular Mac instead. It would cost nothing to do.
The internet provider doesn't need to provide the bandwidth for it to everyone, at least not at first. It's a niche thing and it will take years for the adoption to build up. But I'm sure they're probably providing that kind of bandwidth to some users already. Especially considering that people are already pirating HD movies in full 1080p format.
Even if nobody could see the difference, I think lacking 1080p playback capability will matter to people who spent the money on a 1080p screen. Many people do buy on specs, which means that there will be plenty of people who won't buy a box unless it has the highest available numbers.
And 5.1 content IS an issue with the box at this point. It's possible that a firmware update could enable 5.1 surround via the digital out, but I don't think anyone has figured out 5.1 playback regardless of the content.
I know that. My point is that the aTV can't output content encoded in 1080i or p. With both disc formats supporting p already and many tv's supporting at least i, not supporting content at that resolution puts it behind the curve.
Even if it did support 1080p this wouldn't affect me because, like the vast majority of people with compatible HDTVs, I have a 1366x768 panel in my TV so I'll never see the benefit. I will, however, feel the pinch from my ISP as 720p is vastly more downloadable under our current ISP plans and managing video on my Mac is far better.
All-in-all the lack of 1080p is only a perceived issue not a real deal-breaker for most people.
I'd be more keen to see an option for iTunes to automatically create iPod/iPhone/stereo tracks during download from the 720p/5.1 content
I don't know about that. The ATv is basically just a poor Mac with special software. I can't see it as being impossible to add that software to a regular Mac instead. It would cost nothing to do.
I thought Leopard even gave the Mini Front Row2 but as products the two are positioned very differently. The idea of doing all the media management/computer stuff on the main TV is definitely a no-go with the wife. Been there, tried that.
I thought Leopard even gave the Mini Front Row2 but as products the two are positioned very differently. The idea of doing all the media management/computer stuff on the main TV is definitely a no-go with the wife. Been there, tried that.
The products are positioned differently, as you said, but that doesn't mean that they can't do it. Many households have more than one computer these days. I've always thought that the Mini was the perfect computer for the living room. The wireless aluminum keyboard is perfect for that.
Even if it did support 1080p this wouldn't affect me because, like the vast majority of people with compatible HDTVs, I have a 1366x768 panel in my TV so I'll never see the benefit. I will, however, feel the pinch from my ISP as 720p is vastly more downloadable under our current ISP plans and managing video on my Mac is far better.
All-in-all the lack of 1080p is only a perceived issue not a real deal-breaker for most people.
I'd be more keen to see an option for iTunes to automatically create iPod/iPhone/stereo tracks during download from the 720p/5.1 content
McD
More and more people are getting 1080p Tv's though, as the price has been coming down so quickly. I'm willing to bet that a year from now there will be few Tv's without it. Just the cheapest, and smallest.
Have a DVD-DL drive to insert DVD or DIVX movie disk. The Apple TV should ask if you wish to add this to your library just like iTunes does when you insert a CD. It should then copy and encode the entire movie to the Apple TV High Quality format and insert Chapter Breaks just like the original movie contained.
Movies should be able to uploaded to the Apple TV from any networked iTunes computer and they should remain on the Apple TV without requiring any particular computer to retain a copy of that movie.
There are too many codecs for home users to want to be troubled by. It must be able to handle AVI, DIVX, MPEG, WMV, DV or whatever the source and create an Apple TV file from it.
Encoded movies stored on the Apple TV should be able to be copied to a local computer and backed up.
Any Movies purchased on iTunes should be able to be burned to a standard DVD and playable on a regular DVD player. We are approaching the point where convenience of purchase is more important that the likelihood of someone making additional copies of it.
Apple TV should have a selectable SKIP or jump ahead distance to avoid the need to encode MPEG or AVI files to include chapters. Being able to press 2 Mins - 5 Mins jump would make that unnecessary.
Apple TV should be able to be remote control sync-able with other RF / IR remote controls.
The Apple TV should come with a 500 Gig hard drive - no reason to explain this if you intend to use it you need storage!
The Apple TV should still be capable of syncing subscribed podcasts to the Apple TV.
Everyone I have discussed the Apple TV with said it's ok but too limiting to get content into Apple TV. I for one don't want it to be a DVR. I prefer a DVD optical drive that would put the encoding burden on the Apple TV. I do not want to waste my computer's time encoding my movies into Apple TV format.
As others have pointed out, Apple TV failed because it did not target home theater enthusiasts. When it comes to home theater, it is these enthusiasts that drive the majority adoption. HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray format war has opened up huge opportunity for Apple. Sadly, Apple ignored home theater enthusiasts by omitting HD contents, 1080p capability, built-in multi-channel audio, subtitles, video rental, and support for additional codecs. While 400,000 Apple fanboys are not insignificant, Apple TV could've been huge.
AppleTV hasn't succeeded yet because of iTunes.
It should have done a lot better but a load of technobabblists convinced consumers that they needed a lot more of all the wrong/irrelevant 'features' that fitted their idea of a workable product (even though other systems have these and have still failed). Nothing new here as similar 'experts' have been doing this to Macs for years - most own neither a Mac nor an AppleTV.
For the codec-complainers (you've already admitted you're pirates) to make an AppleTV work try these;
For HiDef/H.264:-
Download PS3 or XBOX compatible 720p .mp4 content with Xtorrentp2p (this will drop straight into iTunes when complete) > adjust the Info in iTunes > Sync AppleTV and enjoy crystal clear TV
For other video (avi, mkv):-
Download anything with XTorrent or similar > export from QT Pro as a reference .mov > add to iTunes > right-click the file and "convert for AppleTV" > adjust the Info in iTunes > Sync AppleTV and enjoy
There's less to grumble about these days as the pirate world has finally caught on to H.264 (MPEG-4/AVC) over the old XviD/DivX .avi (MPEG-4/ASP) meaning native content is out there. Unfortunately much of the x.264 stuff uses a different profile and needs to be converted as with step 2.
More and more people are getting 1080p Tv's though, as the price has been coming down so quickly. I'm willing to bet that a year from now there will be few Tv's without it. Just the cheapest, and smallest.
Plan for the future, not the present.
My next TV is probably not going to be a 1080P but a 720P / 1080i Pioneer Plasma (PDP-5080 HD). Why?
Because it's got the best picture going and most of the content I watch is 720p / 1080i.
Content providers (cable / telco / satellite) are going to need a ton of bandwidth to offer 1080p content online, and the BluRay / HDDVD wars will still be going on.
Right now for my streaming video box I use XBMC. It plays everything I throw at it except for the h.264 1080 stuff; cpu is too weak. If Apple can copy XBMC and have enough horsepower to do HD content (edit: High bitrate) without dropping frames, it might have a winner on it's hands.
And BTW, you can get uncompressed HD signals; Over-the-Air Local HD channels in your area.
More and more people are getting 1080p Tv's though, as the price has been coming down so quickly. I'm willing to bet that a year from now there will be few Tv's without it. Just the cheapest, and smallest.
Plan for the future, not the present.
I must confess I'm holding out for a 1080p set next but prices here are still too steep. A main critiscism of AppleTV has been the connection and with 720p/1080i sets selling like crazy this is definitely the main target market.
& what's with you? You're being far too agreeable! Where's the snarling, argumentative, techno-facist we've all come to know & 'respect' (cough!). Has Paula Abdul hijacked your login? Or have you found an old stash?
For AppleTV to become successful it definitely needs more umph. HD video would be a start, but the "killer app" is either DVR, or Video Rentals in HD. Or maybe both...
Unfortunately You Tube have been sucking up 1/4 of ALL THE INTERNET TRAFFIC for the past year, and companies like ATT and Sprint are not keen on others using their network to play videos and sell spot advertising. They figure that Google has plenty of money to pay for bandwidth. Net result (sorry for the unintended pun) is that Apple will not be able to make HD Rental a profitable idea anytime soon. Sure we all want $1.99 downloadable video rentals, but the bandwidth alone would cost a lot. If Apple were smart they would come out with a new DVR/Rental Apple TV in January and just take the loss on the HD rentals for a few years until the price comes down. Hey they have $15 BILLION in cash reserves. They can afford a slight loss for an iTunes type monopoly on the HD video rental business. After all consumers are still gun shy over the whole VHS/Beta HDDVD/Blueray thing and no one wants to spend several hundred dollars on the wrong format, AGAIN.
Comments
In a report last week, McQuivey warned executives of the Cupertino-based company that it was in their best interest to "win NBC back" as an iTunes partner if they had any hopes of replicating their success in music with digital video.
"Don't let the Macgeeks posting angry blogs against NBC fool you," McQuivey wrote in a report last Monday following the television network's pull-out from iTunes. "The loser here is Apple, which relies on NBC Universal to deliver 30 (percent) of video download sales. Any supposed backlash against NBC will not materialize because NBC has made its content available, for free, on NBC.com and six other major portals sites."
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
Everyone has made excellent points with regards to the aTV and it's shortcomings.
McQuivey however needs to define "Macgeeks". I like my Apple products. I praise them when things "just works", as much as I curse them when they don't. But regarding relying on NBC/Universal, in my own circumstances, I have no interest in their shows. I'm not saying they are not good or that I couldn't become hooked on them. It's just my viewing time is limited and I am already committed to my favorites. I also ususally try and avoid NBC due to the political leanings going on in the background at the executive level.
I mean, just on Friday NBC said they would not air a paid advertisement to say "Thank You" to the troops and NBC's reason for not airing it, was that it went against their standard for partisan/political endorsements when the advert, at the end, showed a website address - www.freedomswatch.org and while it is a website with Conservative leanings, if one went to it they could sign a "digital thank you card" for the troops, as well as see provided links that supports the troops, not the war, but the troops and how many times have we heard, we don't support the war but we support the troops - apparently not NBC, although they now have backed down, but the absurdity of it all in the first place.
Here are the links found on the website that one can link to in case they want to, in some way, support the troops:
http://www.adoptaplatoon.org
http://www.anysoldier.com
http://www.booksforsoldiers.com/
http://give2thetroops.org
http://www.moveamericaforward.org
http://www.operationhomefront.net
http://www.operationcareandcomfort.org
http://www.operationcarepackages.org
http://www.operationtroopaid.org
http://www.opgratitude.com
http://www.soldiersangels.org
http://www.usocares.org
The heresy of it all! This is why I have never made a purchase of a NBC/Universal product on iTunes anyway. So I'm not missing it and I'm not looking for it at any of the other various portal locations, be it six or sixty. NBC have you no shame!
What everyone wants is to view their content in peace.
jobs should let them try it their way. If it then fails, then fine, they tried, and it didn't work.
But, if somehow it did work, then Jobs would be wrong. The consumer will have spoken either way.
Either way, Apple wins.
Mel, oh Mel, oh Mel, oh Mel
You've been a fan long enough to realise Apple will only do that over Steve's cold corpse!
The birthday present isn't 'GREAT' if you picked it before, that suprise romantic weekend away isn't 'AMAZING' if you planned it in advance & the iPod Touch wouldn't be the coolest gizmo ever if we'd spec'd it out.
Practically all the other tech manufacturers/developers play this game (partly because they haven't got a clue and partly for user buy-in) and the results are invariably underwhelming. Thank the maker Apple isn't one of these.
That said they are starting to use the old - lock it to generate controversy, concede and open it a bit to generate popularity trick (i.e. iPhone SDK) so maybe they realise Steve won't be there forever.
I've been viewing 3Mbps 720p content in AppleTV for a while now and as soon as it's available on iTunes - bye bye SkyTV
McD
The lack of success of the AppleTV has nothing to do with its hardware, it has to do with the iTunes store videos. The selection is relatively poor, there are no rentals, and the resolution isn't good enough for big-screen TV viewing. Change those things, but don't change the AppleTV hardware or functionality, and you've got a hit with AppleTV.
I agree, the ATV hardware itself has all the needed features for the masses, its the iTNS that is not read yet.
What Apple needs to succeed with ATV:
* rental for video
* HD content (720p is enough)
* WIFI video store in ATV (a sw upgrade that waits for the right release date, maybe when a new ATV model will be released)
I tend to agree with folks that wanted a DVD slot in ATV for convenience. On the other hand, I disagree with a need for DVR capability in ATV. No company is making $$$ from selling DVRs, even Tivo has never made a profit from it. The iTunes model is a much more successful model that's appealing to millions. If ATV had a solid video service behind it with rent and HD then a DVR wouldn't be needed for the ATV to succeed. Many would buy it without a DVR.
Relating to video rental here's an article I just read from Daniel Eran Dilger (I love reading his articles, btw): http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/1...tunes-rentals/
After reading it I am sure you could see the potential success that the ATV.
The lack of success of the AppleTV has nothing to do with its hardware, it has to do with the iTunes store videos. The selection is relatively poor, there are no rentals, and the resolution isn't good enough for big-screen TV viewing. Change those things, but don't change the AppleTV hardware or functionality, and you've got a hit with AppleTV.
I agree, the ATV hardware itself has all the needed features for the masses, its the iTNS that is not ready yet.
What Apple needs to succeed with ATV:
* rental for video
* HD content (720p is enough)
* WIFI video store in ATV (a sw upgrade that waits for the right release date, maybe when a new ATV model will be released)
I tend to agree with folks that wanted a DVD slot in ATV for convenience. On the other hand, I disagree with a need for DVR capability in ATV. No company is making $$$ from selling DVRs, even Tivo has never made a profit from it. The iTunes model is a much more successful model that's appealing to millions. If ATV had a solid video service behind it with rent and HD then a DVR wouldn't be needed for the ATV to succeed. Many would buy it without a DVR.
Relating to video rental here's an article I just read from Daniel Eran Dilger (I love reading his articles, btw): http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/1...tunes-rentals/
After reading it I am sure you could see the potential success that the ATV.
There is one solution: Apple TV and Mac mini become one machine.
Boom.
Bust!
If I want a computer attached to my TV I'll buy the Mini. If I want a simple "TV" solution I'll buy the AppleTV - we already have this choice so why do people keep posting comments like this. The two devices work totally differently with the Mini being the 'geek' option & the AppleTV being the consumer option.
McD
They are not moving away from hardware at all. They are just embracing more ways of receiving content. They are currently working on the OCAP-based Series 4 which works with SDV without the external adapter module as well as interactive features such as On Demand using a "compatability mode" where it defaults into the cable company's ugly interface for such features.
I can't quote the entire article, but the essence is that they are moving into other areas, including interactive banner ads, second by second viewership data (in a deal with, guess who-NBC Universal), and software loaded into other manufacturers DVR's.
This is from an interview with Tom Rogers.
That last, as from the article, will allow people to have:
"...access to TiVo's interface without requiring them to buy any more equipment."
They also:
"..(on Nov. 28) announced a partnership with a German company, Nero, which would would develop a way for the TiVo software to be downloaded to personal computers."
Also:
"These deals underscored TiVo's new emphasis on subscriptions and media services rather than hardware."
Long term, TiVo will get out of the hardware market where they are losing money hand over fist.
They don't need the hardware, as all of the functions of a TiVo are from the software.
While I expect them to say that they will remain in hardware, they will have to say that until their new plans are all in operation lest they kill their hardware sales now.
Which makes a point against DRM, not Apple.
Again... what was Apple supposed to do? Offer no content?
And if you say 'license their DRM', you're just delusional about how capitalism works.
Hey, I just pointed out a fact. I didn't say anything else.
Again- Does anyone know what the USB port on the back of AppleTV is for?
Apple can you hear me?
Jobs said that once you bought your ATv, you could do anything you wanted with it. There are those who have hacked it.
You can attach a keyboard, or a HDD, maybe both at the same time. Possibly, by now, more can be done.
Mel, oh Mel, oh Mel, oh Mel
You've been a fan long enough to realise Apple will only do that over Steve's cold corpse!
The birthday present isn't 'GREAT' if you picked it before, that suprise romantic weekend away isn't 'AMAZING' if you planned it in advance & the iPod Touch wouldn't be the coolest gizmo ever if we'd spec'd it out.
Practically all the other tech manufacturers/developers play this game (partly because they haven't got a clue and partly for user buy-in) and the results are invariably underwhelming. Thank the maker Apple isn't one of these.
That said they are starting to use the old - lock it to generate controversy, concede and open it a bit to generate popularity trick (i.e. iPhone SDK) so maybe they realise Steve won't be there forever.
I've been viewing 3Mbps 720p content in AppleTV for a while now and as soon as it's available on iTunes - bye bye SkyTV
McD
Well yeah, you're right of course, I do know it, but I just had to say it.
I agree, the ATV hardware itself has all the needed features for the masses, its the iTNS that is not read yet.
What Apple needs to succeed with ATV:
* rental for video
* HD content (720p is enough)
* WIFI video store in ATV (a sw upgrade that waits for the right release date, maybe when a new ATV model will be released)
I tend to agree with folks that wanted a DVD slot in ATV for convenience. On the other hand, I disagree with a need for DVR capability in ATV. No company is making $$$ from selling DVRs, even Tivo has never made a profit from it. The iTunes model is a much more successful model that's appealing to millions. If ATV had a solid video service behind it with rent and HD then a DVR wouldn't be needed for the ATV to succeed. Many would buy it without a DVR.
Relating to video rental here's an article I just read from Daniel Eran Dilger (I love reading his articles, btw): http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/1...tunes-rentals/
After reading it I am sure you could see the potential success that the ATV.
You're saying that Scientific Atlanta, Pioneer, and others aren't making money making, and selling them to the cable companies, who then rent them?
I don't believe that.
Tivo loses money from them because they allowed too easy a method to skip commercials. Replay died because their commercial skipping tech was even better.
The other DVR companies work with the cable companies, not against them.
Bust!
If I want a computer attached to my TV I'll buy the Mini. If I want a simple "TV" solution I'll buy the AppleTV - we already have this choice so why do people keep posting comments like this. The two devices work totally differently with the Mini being the 'geek' option & the AppleTV being the consumer option.
McD
I don't know about that. The ATv is basically just a poor Mac with special software. I can't see it as being impossible to add that software to a regular Mac instead. It would cost nothing to do.
The internet provider doesn't need to provide the bandwidth for it to everyone, at least not at first. It's a niche thing and it will take years for the adoption to build up. But I'm sure they're probably providing that kind of bandwidth to some users already. Especially considering that people are already pirating HD movies in full 1080p format.
Even if nobody could see the difference, I think lacking 1080p playback capability will matter to people who spent the money on a 1080p screen. Many people do buy on specs, which means that there will be plenty of people who won't buy a box unless it has the highest available numbers.
And 5.1 content IS an issue with the box at this point. It's possible that a firmware update could enable 5.1 surround via the digital out, but I don't think anyone has figured out 5.1 playback regardless of the content.
I know that. My point is that the aTV can't output content encoded in 1080i or p. With both disc formats supporting p already and many tv's supporting at least i, not supporting content at that resolution puts it behind the curve.
Even if it did support 1080p this wouldn't affect me because, like the vast majority of people with compatible HDTVs, I have a 1366x768 panel in my TV so I'll never see the benefit. I will, however, feel the pinch from my ISP as 720p is vastly more downloadable under our current ISP plans and managing video on my Mac is far better.
All-in-all the lack of 1080p is only a perceived issue not a real deal-breaker for most people.
I'd be more keen to see an option for iTunes to automatically create iPod/iPhone/stereo tracks during download from the 720p/5.1 content
McD
I don't know about that. The ATv is basically just a poor Mac with special software. I can't see it as being impossible to add that software to a regular Mac instead. It would cost nothing to do.
I thought Leopard even gave the Mini Front Row2 but as products the two are positioned very differently. The idea of doing all the media management/computer stuff on the main TV is definitely a no-go with the wife. Been there, tried that.
I thought Leopard even gave the Mini Front Row2 but as products the two are positioned very differently. The idea of doing all the media management/computer stuff on the main TV is definitely a no-go with the wife. Been there, tried that.
The products are positioned differently, as you said, but that doesn't mean that they can't do it. Many households have more than one computer these days. I've always thought that the Mini was the perfect computer for the living room. The wireless aluminum keyboard is perfect for that.
Even if it did support 1080p this wouldn't affect me because, like the vast majority of people with compatible HDTVs, I have a 1366x768 panel in my TV so I'll never see the benefit. I will, however, feel the pinch from my ISP as 720p is vastly more downloadable under our current ISP plans and managing video on my Mac is far better.
All-in-all the lack of 1080p is only a perceived issue not a real deal-breaker for most people.
I'd be more keen to see an option for iTunes to automatically create iPod/iPhone/stereo tracks during download from the 720p/5.1 content
McD
More and more people are getting 1080p Tv's though, as the price has been coming down so quickly. I'm willing to bet that a year from now there will be few Tv's without it. Just the cheapest, and smallest.
Plan for the future, not the present.
Have a DVD-DL drive to insert DVD or DIVX movie disk. The Apple TV should ask if you wish to add this to your library just like iTunes does when you insert a CD. It should then copy and encode the entire movie to the Apple TV High Quality format and insert Chapter Breaks just like the original movie contained.
Movies should be able to uploaded to the Apple TV from any networked iTunes computer and they should remain on the Apple TV without requiring any particular computer to retain a copy of that movie.
There are too many codecs for home users to want to be troubled by. It must be able to handle AVI, DIVX, MPEG, WMV, DV or whatever the source and create an Apple TV file from it.
Encoded movies stored on the Apple TV should be able to be copied to a local computer and backed up.
Any Movies purchased on iTunes should be able to be burned to a standard DVD and playable on a regular DVD player. We are approaching the point where convenience of purchase is more important that the likelihood of someone making additional copies of it.
Apple TV should have a selectable SKIP or jump ahead distance to avoid the need to encode MPEG or AVI files to include chapters. Being able to press 2 Mins - 5 Mins jump would make that unnecessary.
Apple TV should be able to be remote control sync-able with other RF / IR remote controls.
The Apple TV should come with a 500 Gig hard drive - no reason to explain this if you intend to use it you need storage!
The Apple TV should still be capable of syncing subscribed podcasts to the Apple TV.
Everyone I have discussed the Apple TV with said it's ok but too limiting to get content into Apple TV. I for one don't want it to be a DVR. I prefer a DVD optical drive that would put the encoding burden on the Apple TV. I do not want to waste my computer's time encoding my movies into Apple TV format.
As others have pointed out, Apple TV failed because it did not target home theater enthusiasts. When it comes to home theater, it is these enthusiasts that drive the majority adoption. HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray format war has opened up huge opportunity for Apple. Sadly, Apple ignored home theater enthusiasts by omitting HD contents, 1080p capability, built-in multi-channel audio, subtitles, video rental, and support for additional codecs. While 400,000 Apple fanboys are not insignificant, Apple TV could've been huge.
AppleTV hasn't succeeded yet because of iTunes.
It should have done a lot better but a load of technobabblists convinced consumers that they needed a lot more of all the wrong/irrelevant 'features' that fitted their idea of a workable product (even though other systems have these and have still failed). Nothing new here as similar 'experts' have been doing this to Macs for years - most own neither a Mac nor an AppleTV.
For the codec-complainers (you've already admitted you're pirates) to make an AppleTV work try these;
For HiDef/H.264:-
Download PS3 or XBOX compatible 720p .mp4 content with Xtorrentp2p (this will drop straight into iTunes when complete) > adjust the Info in iTunes > Sync AppleTV and enjoy crystal clear TV
For other video (avi, mkv):-
Download anything with XTorrent or similar > export from QT Pro as a reference .mov > add to iTunes > right-click the file and "convert for AppleTV" > adjust the Info in iTunes > Sync AppleTV and enjoy
There's less to grumble about these days as the pirate world has finally caught on to H.264 (MPEG-4/AVC) over the old XviD/DivX .avi (MPEG-4/ASP) meaning native content is out there. Unfortunately much of the x.264 stuff uses a different profile and needs to be converted as with step 2.
Roll-on iTunes HD
McD
More and more people are getting 1080p Tv's though, as the price has been coming down so quickly. I'm willing to bet that a year from now there will be few Tv's without it. Just the cheapest, and smallest.
Plan for the future, not the present.
My next TV is probably not going to be a 1080P but a 720P / 1080i Pioneer Plasma (PDP-5080 HD). Why?
Because it's got the best picture going and most of the content I watch is 720p / 1080i.
Content providers (cable / telco / satellite) are going to need a ton of bandwidth to offer 1080p content online, and the BluRay / HDDVD wars will still be going on.
Right now for my streaming video box I use XBMC. It plays everything I throw at it except for the h.264 1080 stuff; cpu is too weak. If Apple can copy XBMC and have enough horsepower to do HD content (edit: High bitrate) without dropping frames, it might have a winner on it's hands.
And BTW, you can get uncompressed HD signals; Over-the-Air Local HD channels in your area.
More and more people are getting 1080p Tv's though, as the price has been coming down so quickly. I'm willing to bet that a year from now there will be few Tv's without it. Just the cheapest, and smallest.
Plan for the future, not the present.
I must confess I'm holding out for a 1080p set next but prices here are still too steep. A main critiscism of AppleTV has been the connection and with 720p/1080i sets selling like crazy this is definitely the main target market.
& what's with you? You're being far too agreeable! Where's the snarling, argumentative, techno-facist we've all come to know & 'respect' (cough!). Has Paula Abdul hijacked your login? Or have you found an old stash?
OK, techno-facist was a bit strong
McD
Unfortunately You Tube have been sucking up 1/4 of ALL THE INTERNET TRAFFIC for the past year, and companies like ATT and Sprint are not keen on others using their network to play videos and sell spot advertising. They figure that Google has plenty of money to pay for bandwidth. Net result (sorry for the unintended pun) is that Apple will not be able to make HD Rental a profitable idea anytime soon. Sure we all want $1.99 downloadable video rentals, but the bandwidth alone would cost a lot. If Apple were smart they would come out with a new DVR/Rental Apple TV in January and just take the loss on the HD rentals for a few years until the price comes down. Hey they have $15 BILLION in cash reserves. They can afford a slight loss for an iTunes type monopoly on the HD video rental business. After all consumers are still gun shy over the whole VHS/Beta HDDVD/Blueray thing and no one wants to spend several hundred dollars on the wrong format, AGAIN.
Look for Apple to make a move soon...