Seriously. Meunster is out to lunch again. If Apple updates the aTV it will be to add app store functionality and not DVR. Then the aTV becomes a baby console.
The comment by Ireland isn’t correct by a long shot. There is remote disc, any USB optical drive or external flash or harddrive, or even a partition on the internal drive to install Snow Leopard.
True you can partition, but that can get messy. I'm one of those people who like to stay away from that.
As for Remote Disk, I couldn't get it to work until just now, I've never used it before and just noticed the DVD or CD sharing preference. Check box, done.
The reason why (when remote disk didn't show up when I tried it and had the SL disk installed) I didn't try and figure out what was wrong, was I thought it wasn't meant to show up, considering the Apple documentation I followed.
I misread it: To install Windows software on a MacBook Air, you need an external optical drive such as a MacBook Air SuperDrive.
I searched the manual PDF, and the only time it appeared in the whole manual was here. Where is says "Windows software" I read "Snow Leopard". Don't ask me how the heck that happened, brain fart. Thanks for pointing out my dorkiness.
Netflix sure looks solid right now. I just looked up the stock history since 2003 and it's been steadily going up since then with a major crest between '03 and '04. it's continuing to go up and will probably due so until this recession (depression) levels out. People are going to be renting way more than buying in this economy. BD/DVD manufacturers and STB makers alike are making deals and adapting to Netflix on demand. You never know though, it could tank in a year but i see it leveling off for a while before it goes away, and that could be years away. Where else can you get obscure titles and TV shows from a collection as extensive as Netflix? I really dare you to find me an alternative company that has the 10k titles and more. They'll adapt, the same way they adapted to iTunes threat by offering demand streaming view.
I don't disagree with anything you've said.
It just isn't responding to what I said.
I said that I thought the Netflix model wasn't good for the STUDIOS - it's great for Netflix. Perhaps things have changed and/or they now have a different agreement (which would be good news).
I believe Netflix has a fixed cost model, meaning once the DVD is in stock it doesn't cost them per rental (just postage fees and wear-and-tear of course). Offering users lots of rentals doesn't cost Netflix more unless they have to buy more DVDs to satisfy demand. This is a good way for Netflix to make money. Offering users multiple simultaneous rentals and returns is great for users who make quick and effective use of it, Netflix probably doesn't make much money on those customers... but they know most users don't watch immediately, keep their DVDs for longer periods before returning - and this is a good way for Netflix to make money (ie: people are paying for something they don't use even 50%).
Of course, maybe Netflix has a different model now - happy to be corrected! - but the deals Netflix offer and the complaints about Netflix seem to fit that model. It's definitely how VHS rental worked & DVD rental for years here but I know it has been modified too.
The short of it...
If Netflix was paying a fee per rental to the studios, then they'd be able to offer EVERY movie as option to download OR mail out DVD. They're taking advantage of a different model which doesn't allow that.
I hope it's updated software, i don't want to have to buy again.
I also hope that whatever new features for subscriptions, better interface, album "cocktails", etc is available for the older (current) AppleTV.
However, if Apple has an ARM based AppleTV up their sleeve with those features PLUS 1080p support, AppleTV-AppStore, DVR etc.... then those features won't be able to be replicated in software only.
So I'm hoping for both. New hardware with new software as the main release, while new software for the current AppleTV is released with more limited functionality where the older hardware isn't up to scratch.
I said that I thought the Netflix model wasn't good for the STUDIOS - it's great for Netflix. Perhaps things have changed and/or they now have a different agreement (which would be good news).
I believe Netflix has a fixed cost model, meaning once the DVD is in stock it doesn't cost them per rental (just postage fees and wear-and-tear of course). Offering users lots of rentals doesn't cost Netflix more unless they have to buy more DVDs to satisfy demand. This is a good way for Netflix to make money. Offering users multiple simultaneous rentals and returns is great for users who make quick and effective use of it, Netflix probably doesn't make much money on those customers... but they know most users don't watch immediately, keep their DVDs for longer periods before returning - and this is a good way for Netflix to make money (ie: people are paying for something they don't use even 50%).
Of course, maybe Netflix has a different model now - happy to be corrected! - but the deals Netflix offer and the complaints about Netflix seem to fit that model. It's definitely how VHS rental worked & DVD rental for years here but I know it has been modified too.
The short of it...
If Netflix was paying a fee per rental to the studios, then they'd be able to offer EVERY movie as option to download OR mail out DVD. They're taking advantage of a different model which doesn't allow that.
I get what you're saying...but there is a lot of speculation behind your argument. I'd like to see some info on how Netflix's deal with the movie industry works before agreeing or not.
Yes, Netflix's model works well for them basically because it works similarly to how credit card companies make money. They make all their money off the people who only make the minimum monthly payment and get rich off the financing(which the customers almost never pay off). However, I can safely say that whenever we get Netflix, it's pretty much mailed back within 2 days, sometimes sooner. But, what's great about Netflix is that they allow you to instantly (online) change your plan at a moment's notice. Credit card companies don't allow you to change your finance rate ever.
I get what you're saying...but there is a lot of speculation behind your argument. I'd like to see some info on how Netflix's deal with the movie industry works before agreeing or not.
Yes too much speculation for sure. And I like to make that clear when I post exactly how sure I am (I get annoyed at people who say "THIS IS THE WAY IT WORKS" when it's just what their friend told them).
I can guarantee that's the way VHS and early DVD rental worked in Australia. A video store would pay say $100 for a DVD with rights to rent it - and rent it until it was broken or lost. They used to only buy 3 or 4 new releases so that they would all be rented for the next 2 months. They could then be put on cheap rotation once they'd paid themselves off. The rules changed at some stage so that they could get 100 new releases, and IIRC they had to return the majority of those after a month.
Who knows what Netflix's deal is... and it could be different to standard video rental due to their scale.
BTW, a similar thing has happened with iTunes TV shows. Apple can sell them under the same rights as Target selling TV series DVDs. This then in no way overlaps with the rights given to the networks or cable channels, which can not sell them. Rental of TV shows is in a blurry area.
These antiquated tiered rights systems break down in the internet world - and need a fix. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's $1 rentals are an effort to test (and show the studios) if they make more money from a $1 rental than a $3 rental.
Well, that's not it.. it's not a great place to constantly backup your data because of the limited hard drive space compared to Time Capsule and it's simply not that efficient, since your computer would have to send that backup data to the router and then to the Apple TV. Besides Apple would love to have you buying Time Capsule.. it certainly makes them much more money than Apple TV. Maybe something like being a media streaming server for all the electronics in the house is more realistic. Serving up your purchased iTunes content to your iPhone, Macs, iPod touches without taking up space on those respective devices.
I think you missed the point. We were talking about a new device. An upgrade to the current AppleTV that merged it with a Time Capsule. Router, back up drive and AppleTV all in one. Of course with a device like this you'd need a much larger HD. 2TB would be nice. 1TB set aside for Time Capsule and 1TB for your AppleTV media. Maybe I'm alone, but I'd jump on this in a second.
Your idea of making it a media server is interesting. I don't know a lot about how servers work, but don't they require a lot of power? I wonder how quick Apple could make the response time when selecting a video or music file. I wonder if the public would accept waiting for stuff to download or be buffered in when we've had years of being used to instant start ups.
It would be nice to search my own music files directly in its GUI- not just music to buy from iTunes. Also iTunes video selection is very limited. Apple refuses to open ATV up, as so with everything else Apple, but in this case it hurts it. Most of its films offered are crappola. I would also like to browse the internet in my living room on my 42 inch HDTV- is that such a difficult request ? To add Safari to it? And it def needs games and recording capabilites.
As long as AppleTV remains basically a consumer iTunes digital jukebox with an emphasis on buying and renting from iTunes it will never catch on with the public. It's not a great device like an iPod- hot as hell- it doesn't even have an on/off switch???? I've owned one for over 2 years. Airtunes on my Airport express worked basically just as well for what I use it for - listening to my music.
And where's its Visualizer?
I listen to my music, watch my movies and TV shows and enjoy my podcasts on AppleTV all the time. That's what's designed to do. You are in no way forced to buy all your content from iTunes. AppleTV just makes it convenient.
I agree that it would be nice to have the same GUI for my content as there is for the iTunes Store content. Hopefully that will come along soon. I don't see it's absence though as reason not to get an AppleTV.
I don't see why AppleTV needs games to be a viable media hub, but I can certainly see how it would help. Though I don't hold much hope of such an add on displacing Wii, Xbox or PS3 anytime soon. Perhaps giving the AppleTV an App Store of its own is the best way to go. I doubt Apple want's to directly enter the gaming industry right now. Seeing how successful games have been on iPhone though, this could be an avenue Apple is exploring. But I must ask, is the absence of games on the AppleTV reason enough not to get one? I'm curious why this would be the tipping point for you (or others).
You don't like iTunes library of movies, fine. But when a service has most all the newest releases on or near their DVD debut, I think it unfair to call the selection "crappola." I fully acknowledge Apple needs to get a larger library of titles, but isn't that true of every digital distribution service these days? Apple is hardly alone in this problem
Adding Safari to AppleTV could be a good thing too, but I suspect it wouldn't be used by a large segment of the users. It seems to me that most people prefer to sit at a computer to do computer things and sit in front of a TV for audio/visual entertainment. Adding Safari might be neat, but I doubt it would ever be a high selling point. For example, I can browse the internet through my Wii, but I've only done it twice in the three years I've owned the system.
We were talking about a new device. An upgrade to the current AppleTV that merged it with a Time Capsule. Router, back up drive and AppleTV all in one. Of course with a device like this you'd need a much larger HD. 2TB would be nice. 1TB set aside for Time Capsule and 1TB for your AppleTV media. Maybe I'm alone, but I'd jump on this in a second.
The biggest issue with something like this is that many people don't have network connectivity at their TV, otherwise, I think it's worth considering... though I'm not sure 1 device would be much cheaper than 2 separate devices. (given that the TimeCapsule doesn't need a GPU or other output, and the AppleTV doesn't need a hub and router built in etc).
I would like to "backup" my entire media library to the AppleTV though.
Actually, I would like to have my entire media library stored on the AppleTV as my master copy, and then just sync a subset to my laptop and/or iPhone.
May be I will buy a TV after all. I sold my TV 5 years ago because of the state of TV programming. My kids were mad at first but now we all got used to not having a TV in the house. Our iMac and 23" Cinema Display and a Macbook Pro, are the only video screens in our house. And they all look beautiful.
How beautiful it will be if there is an Apple TV in the house, with iTunes built-in. And best of all, a remote control I don't have to read a 200-page manual to operate. I will love that.
The strongpoint of the atv is that its interface is the most used device in the household - the TV. everyone in the family can and do use the tv frequently - unlike a computer. Its a serious strongpoint. Here are some (maybe farout) suggestions of what an atv device could be used for.
Calendaring. My family use iCal and MobileMe calendars but since it recide on the Mac and my iPhone its not used as much as it could. If my wife could bring up the calendar on the tv with a click on the remote then it would truly be used.
Sticky notes: Leave sticky notes on the tv - it will not be left unseen
Server: Most families ha multiple computers but sharing is still a bitch even now. And the atv is an always on device unlike the desktops and laptops of the family.
Games/apps: Small games could easily be played on the machine. Develop a remote that also can work like the nintendo chop sticks. Developers will love this opportunity.
Physical world intercation: build in a x10 or similar interface and use it to control and monitor your house.
Remote access: Let the atv be your personal iDisk.
Instant messaging: Why not use the atv for im? it would make im more powerfull since you would be available not only when sitting with a computer.
I have not mentioned the media aspects because they are obvious.
A little information from abroad: In Denmark some ISPs and mobile operators are offering unlimited download of music from their music stores. Unfortunately it only works with windows media player and drm makes sure that it only works as long as you subscribe to their internet or mobile service.
It would be nice to search my own music files directly in its GUI- not just music to buy from iTunes. Also iTunes video selection is very limited. Apple refuses to open ATV up, as so with everything else Apple, but in this case it hurts it. Most of its films offered are crappola. I would also like to browse the internet in my living room on my 42 inch HDTV- is that such a difficult request ? To add Safari to it? And it def needs games and recording capabilites.
As long as AppleTV remains basically a consumer iTunes digital jukebox with an emphasis on buying and renting from iTunes it will never catch on with the public. It's not a great device like an iPod- hot as hell- it doesn't even have an on/off switch???? I've owned one for over 2 years. Airtunes on my Airport express worked basically just as well for what I use it for - listening to my music. And where's its Visualizer?
I also own an ATV, and have to agree with most of your points. I also have a DVR from my cable company, and use that 80% of the time, and ATV 20%, mostly for streaming music to play through my sound system. The selection on iTunes isn't great, and for TV shows, it's too expensive. $60 to watch one season of Battlestar Galactica in HD?? I just watch it in HD through my cable provider, as I'm already paying them a monthly fee for the content. To watch all the shows I currently watch per month via iTunes/ATV would cost me 8X more than I pay for my cable service.
I own a lot of Apple products, but, the ATV seems like the step-child, and is the most disappointing Apple product I've owned. The interface sucks, and the device overheats all the time which causes it to shut down or reboot on it's own. The ATV is a great concept, but, the execution is flawed and not very Apple-like.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ecking
I hope it's updated software, i don't want to have to buy again.
Same here! I will not be happy if I have to buy another one, I just got this thing less than a year ago.
I bought it for two main purposes - to rent HD movies, and to buy/watch TV shows.
For the movies I'm a happy enough customer. The quality is watchable, and for most films good enough. It's a million miles away from blu-ray, so I do still buy plenty of BDs, but as I watch a lot of films the Apple TV gets used a lot.
For TV content I think the experience is pretty poor. I live in the UK and the selection of HD TV shows is weak, and the pricing is just laughable. When I can buy a blu-ray box set for less, and a DVD box set for a LOT less, then something is amiss. But I have plenty of TV content (fansubbed anime mostly) which I have converted myself and I like the way it keeps everything in sync between iTunes, the Apple TV, and my iPhone.
As for the hardware, I believe it needs an upgrade, but only to add a more powerful CPU and GPU, and a larger hard drive. Adding a BD drive wouldn't make any sense, nor would adding a DVR, as the whole point of the Apple TV is that the future is all downloaded content. With a more powerful Apple TV though, they could offer 1080p downloads at a much higher bitrate (40mbits+) and true HD or DTS Master sound. It's selfish I know, but the file size is irrelevant to me on my connection. (50mbit uncapped cable)
It would be nice to see Apple finally updating the Apple TV software again though, giving it a nicer interface (the one it has now is so incredibly dull) and adding support for streaming sites like (in the UK) BBC iPlayer. And would it hurt them to add shoutcast support? The Apple TV seems needlessly limited in it's current feature set.
I think most of all though, Apple just needs to lower the price of the hardware, and actually promote the thing. Most people aren't even aware it exists, and yet if you mention the iPhone to them their eyes light up.
May be I will buy a TV after all. I sold my TV 5 years ago because of the state of TV programming. My kids were mad at first but now we all got used to not having a TV in the house. Our iMac and 23" Cinema Display and a Macbook Pro, are the only video screens in our house. And they all look beautiful.
How beautiful it will be if there is an Apple TV in the house, with iTunes built-in. And best of all, a remote control I don't have to read a 200-page manual to operate. I will love that.
Save Us Apple! Again!
That's really rather tragic, you are missing out on so much. I have a 50" Pioneer KURO plasma and watching movies on it (with 5.1 True HD/DTS Master surround) is an awesome experience. So much better than any cinema.
As for the state of TV programming, there is plenty of good stuff out there if you look. Have you seen Mad Men? If anyone can watch that and say TV programming is in a sorry state they are frankly beyond help.
Comments
HULU ??
Apple should buy EA
Seriously. Meunster is out to lunch again. If Apple updates the aTV it will be to add app store functionality and not DVR. Then the aTV becomes a baby console.
The comment by Ireland isn’t correct by a long shot. There is remote disc, any USB optical drive or external flash or harddrive, or even a partition on the internal drive to install Snow Leopard.
True you can partition, but that can get messy. I'm one of those people who like to stay away from that.
As for Remote Disk, I couldn't get it to work until just now, I've never used it before and just noticed the DVD or CD sharing preference. Check box, done.
The reason why (when remote disk didn't show up when I tried it and had the SL disk installed) I didn't try and figure out what was wrong, was I thought it wasn't meant to show up, considering the Apple documentation I followed.
I misread it: To install Windows software on a MacBook Air, you need an external optical drive such as a MacBook Air SuperDrive.
I searched the manual PDF, and the only time it appeared in the whole manual was here. Where is says "Windows software" I read "Snow Leopard". Don't ask me how the heck that happened, brain fart. Thanks for pointing out my dorkiness.
Netflix sure looks solid right now. I just looked up the stock history since 2003 and it's been steadily going up since then with a major crest between '03 and '04. it's continuing to go up and will probably due so until this recession (depression) levels out. People are going to be renting way more than buying in this economy. BD/DVD manufacturers and STB makers alike are making deals and adapting to Netflix on demand. You never know though, it could tank in a year but i see it leveling off for a while before it goes away, and that could be years away. Where else can you get obscure titles and TV shows from a collection as extensive as Netflix? I really dare you to find me an alternative company that has the 10k titles and more. They'll adapt, the same way they adapted to iTunes threat by offering demand streaming view.
I don't disagree with anything you've said.
It just isn't responding to what I said.
I said that I thought the Netflix model wasn't good for the STUDIOS - it's great for Netflix. Perhaps things have changed and/or they now have a different agreement (which would be good news).
I believe Netflix has a fixed cost model, meaning once the DVD is in stock it doesn't cost them per rental (just postage fees and wear-and-tear of course). Offering users lots of rentals doesn't cost Netflix more unless they have to buy more DVDs to satisfy demand. This is a good way for Netflix to make money. Offering users multiple simultaneous rentals and returns is great for users who make quick and effective use of it, Netflix probably doesn't make much money on those customers... but they know most users don't watch immediately, keep their DVDs for longer periods before returning - and this is a good way for Netflix to make money (ie: people are paying for something they don't use even 50%).
Of course, maybe Netflix has a different model now - happy to be corrected! - but the deals Netflix offer and the complaints about Netflix seem to fit that model. It's definitely how VHS rental worked & DVD rental for years here but I know it has been modified too.
The short of it...
If Netflix was paying a fee per rental to the studios, then they'd be able to offer EVERY movie as option to download OR mail out DVD. They're taking advantage of a different model which doesn't allow that.
LCD TV is an non profitable business.
Therfore AppleTV will stay as it is, a STB.
Therfore AppleTV will stay as it is, a STB.
Pretty big jump in logic!
I hope it's updated software, i don't want to have to buy again.
Agreed.
I hope it's updated software, i don't want to have to buy again.
I also hope that whatever new features for subscriptions, better interface, album "cocktails", etc is available for the older (current) AppleTV.
However, if Apple has an ARM based AppleTV up their sleeve with those features PLUS 1080p support, AppleTV-AppStore, DVR etc.... then those features won't be able to be replicated in software only.
So I'm hoping for both. New hardware with new software as the main release, while new software for the current AppleTV is released with more limited functionality where the older hardware isn't up to scratch.
I don't disagree with anything you've said.
It just isn't responding to what I said.
I said that I thought the Netflix model wasn't good for the STUDIOS - it's great for Netflix. Perhaps things have changed and/or they now have a different agreement (which would be good news).
I believe Netflix has a fixed cost model, meaning once the DVD is in stock it doesn't cost them per rental (just postage fees and wear-and-tear of course). Offering users lots of rentals doesn't cost Netflix more unless they have to buy more DVDs to satisfy demand. This is a good way for Netflix to make money. Offering users multiple simultaneous rentals and returns is great for users who make quick and effective use of it, Netflix probably doesn't make much money on those customers... but they know most users don't watch immediately, keep their DVDs for longer periods before returning - and this is a good way for Netflix to make money (ie: people are paying for something they don't use even 50%).
Of course, maybe Netflix has a different model now - happy to be corrected! - but the deals Netflix offer and the complaints about Netflix seem to fit that model. It's definitely how VHS rental worked & DVD rental for years here but I know it has been modified too.
The short of it...
If Netflix was paying a fee per rental to the studios, then they'd be able to offer EVERY movie as option to download OR mail out DVD. They're taking advantage of a different model which doesn't allow that.
I get what you're saying...but there is a lot of speculation behind your argument. I'd like to see some info on how Netflix's deal with the movie industry works before agreeing or not.
Yes, Netflix's model works well for them basically because it works similarly to how credit card companies make money. They make all their money off the people who only make the minimum monthly payment and get rich off the financing(which the customers almost never pay off). However, I can safely say that whenever we get Netflix, it's pretty much mailed back within 2 days, sometimes sooner. But, what's great about Netflix is that they allow you to instantly (online) change your plan at a moment's notice. Credit card companies don't allow you to change your finance rate ever.
I was kind of mis-reading your post.
I get what you're saying...but there is a lot of speculation behind your argument. I'd like to see some info on how Netflix's deal with the movie industry works before agreeing or not.
Yes too much speculation for sure. And I like to make that clear when I post exactly how sure I am (I get annoyed at people who say "THIS IS THE WAY IT WORKS" when it's just what their friend told them).
I can guarantee that's the way VHS and early DVD rental worked in Australia. A video store would pay say $100 for a DVD with rights to rent it - and rent it until it was broken or lost. They used to only buy 3 or 4 new releases so that they would all be rented for the next 2 months. They could then be put on cheap rotation once they'd paid themselves off. The rules changed at some stage so that they could get 100 new releases, and IIRC they had to return the majority of those after a month.
Who knows what Netflix's deal is... and it could be different to standard video rental due to their scale.
BTW, a similar thing has happened with iTunes TV shows. Apple can sell them under the same rights as Target selling TV series DVDs. This then in no way overlaps with the rights given to the networks or cable channels, which can not sell them. Rental of TV shows is in a blurry area.
These antiquated tiered rights systems break down in the internet world - and need a fix. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple's $1 rentals are an effort to test (and show the studios) if they make more money from a $1 rental than a $3 rental.
Well, that's not it.. it's not a great place to constantly backup your data because of the limited hard drive space compared to Time Capsule and it's simply not that efficient, since your computer would have to send that backup data to the router and then to the Apple TV. Besides Apple would love to have you buying Time Capsule.. it certainly makes them much more money than Apple TV. Maybe something like being a media streaming server for all the electronics in the house is more realistic. Serving up your purchased iTunes content to your iPhone, Macs, iPod touches without taking up space on those respective devices.
I think you missed the point. We were talking about a new device. An upgrade to the current AppleTV that merged it with a Time Capsule. Router, back up drive and AppleTV all in one. Of course with a device like this you'd need a much larger HD. 2TB would be nice. 1TB set aside for Time Capsule and 1TB for your AppleTV media. Maybe I'm alone, but I'd jump on this in a second.
Your idea of making it a media server is interesting. I don't know a lot about how servers work, but don't they require a lot of power? I wonder how quick Apple could make the response time when selecting a video or music file. I wonder if the public would accept waiting for stuff to download or be buffered in when we've had years of being used to instant start ups.
It would be nice to search my own music files directly in its GUI- not just music to buy from iTunes. Also iTunes video selection is very limited. Apple refuses to open ATV up, as so with everything else Apple, but in this case it hurts it. Most of its films offered are crappola. I would also like to browse the internet in my living room on my 42 inch HDTV- is that such a difficult request ? To add Safari to it? And it def needs games and recording capabilites.
As long as AppleTV remains basically a consumer iTunes digital jukebox with an emphasis on buying and renting from iTunes it will never catch on with the public. It's not a great device like an iPod- hot as hell- it doesn't even have an on/off switch???? I've owned one for over 2 years. Airtunes on my Airport express worked basically just as well for what I use it for - listening to my music.
And where's its Visualizer?
I listen to my music, watch my movies and TV shows and enjoy my podcasts on AppleTV all the time. That's what's designed to do. You are in no way forced to buy all your content from iTunes. AppleTV just makes it convenient.
I agree that it would be nice to have the same GUI for my content as there is for the iTunes Store content. Hopefully that will come along soon. I don't see it's absence though as reason not to get an AppleTV.
I don't see why AppleTV needs games to be a viable media hub, but I can certainly see how it would help. Though I don't hold much hope of such an add on displacing Wii, Xbox or PS3 anytime soon. Perhaps giving the AppleTV an App Store of its own is the best way to go. I doubt Apple want's to directly enter the gaming industry right now. Seeing how successful games have been on iPhone though, this could be an avenue Apple is exploring. But I must ask, is the absence of games on the AppleTV reason enough not to get one? I'm curious why this would be the tipping point for you (or others).
You don't like iTunes library of movies, fine. But when a service has most all the newest releases on or near their DVD debut, I think it unfair to call the selection "crappola." I fully acknowledge Apple needs to get a larger library of titles, but isn't that true of every digital distribution service these days? Apple is hardly alone in this problem
Adding Safari to AppleTV could be a good thing too, but I suspect it wouldn't be used by a large segment of the users. It seems to me that most people prefer to sit at a computer to do computer things and sit in front of a TV for audio/visual entertainment. Adding Safari might be neat, but I doubt it would ever be a high selling point. For example, I can browse the internet through my Wii, but I've only done it twice in the three years I've owned the system.
We were talking about a new device. An upgrade to the current AppleTV that merged it with a Time Capsule. Router, back up drive and AppleTV all in one. Of course with a device like this you'd need a much larger HD. 2TB would be nice. 1TB set aside for Time Capsule and 1TB for your AppleTV media. Maybe I'm alone, but I'd jump on this in a second.
The biggest issue with something like this is that many people don't have network connectivity at their TV, otherwise, I think it's worth considering... though I'm not sure 1 device would be much cheaper than 2 separate devices. (given that the TimeCapsule doesn't need a GPU or other output, and the AppleTV doesn't need a hub and router built in etc).
I would like to "backup" my entire media library to the AppleTV though.
Actually, I would like to have my entire media library stored on the AppleTV as my master copy, and then just sync a subset to my laptop and/or iPhone.
How beautiful it will be if there is an Apple TV in the house, with iTunes built-in. And best of all, a remote control I don't have to read a 200-page manual to operate. I will love that.
Save Us Apple! Again!
The strongpoint of the atv is that its interface is the most used device in the household - the TV. everyone in the family can and do use the tv frequently - unlike a computer. Its a serious strongpoint. Here are some (maybe farout) suggestions of what an atv device could be used for.
Calendaring. My family use iCal and MobileMe calendars but since it recide on the Mac and my iPhone its not used as much as it could. If my wife could bring up the calendar on the tv with a click on the remote then it would truly be used.
Sticky notes: Leave sticky notes on the tv - it will not be left unseen
Server: Most families ha multiple computers but sharing is still a bitch even now. And the atv is an always on device unlike the desktops and laptops of the family.
Games/apps: Small games could easily be played on the machine. Develop a remote that also can work like the nintendo chop sticks. Developers will love this opportunity.
Physical world intercation: build in a x10 or similar interface and use it to control and monitor your house.
Remote access: Let the atv be your personal iDisk.
Instant messaging: Why not use the atv for im? it would make im more powerfull since you would be available not only when sitting with a computer.
I have not mentioned the media aspects because they are obvious.
A little information from abroad: In Denmark some ISPs and mobile operators are offering unlimited download of music from their music stores. Unfortunately it only works with windows media player and drm makes sure that it only works as long as you subscribe to their internet or mobile service.
Have a nice day
WhatApple
It would be nice to search my own music files directly in its GUI- not just music to buy from iTunes. Also iTunes video selection is very limited. Apple refuses to open ATV up, as so with everything else Apple, but in this case it hurts it. Most of its films offered are crappola. I would also like to browse the internet in my living room on my 42 inch HDTV- is that such a difficult request ? To add Safari to it? And it def needs games and recording capabilites.
As long as AppleTV remains basically a consumer iTunes digital jukebox with an emphasis on buying and renting from iTunes it will never catch on with the public. It's not a great device like an iPod- hot as hell- it doesn't even have an on/off switch???? I've owned one for over 2 years. Airtunes on my Airport express worked basically just as well for what I use it for - listening to my music. And where's its Visualizer?
I also own an ATV, and have to agree with most of your points. I also have a DVR from my cable company, and use that 80% of the time, and ATV 20%, mostly for streaming music to play through my sound system. The selection on iTunes isn't great, and for TV shows, it's too expensive. $60 to watch one season of Battlestar Galactica in HD?? I just watch it in HD through my cable provider, as I'm already paying them a monthly fee for the content. To watch all the shows I currently watch per month via iTunes/ATV would cost me 8X more than I pay for my cable service.
I own a lot of Apple products, but, the ATV seems like the step-child, and is the most disappointing Apple product I've owned. The interface sucks, and the device overheats all the time which causes it to shut down or reboot on it's own. The ATV is a great concept, but, the execution is flawed and not very Apple-like.
I hope it's updated software, i don't want to have to buy again.
Same here! I will not be happy if I have to buy another one, I just got this thing less than a year ago.
I bought it for two main purposes - to rent HD movies, and to buy/watch TV shows.
For the movies I'm a happy enough customer. The quality is watchable, and for most films good enough. It's a million miles away from blu-ray, so I do still buy plenty of BDs, but as I watch a lot of films the Apple TV gets used a lot.
For TV content I think the experience is pretty poor. I live in the UK and the selection of HD TV shows is weak, and the pricing is just laughable. When I can buy a blu-ray box set for less, and a DVD box set for a LOT less, then something is amiss. But I have plenty of TV content (fansubbed anime mostly) which I have converted myself and I like the way it keeps everything in sync between iTunes, the Apple TV, and my iPhone.
As for the hardware, I believe it needs an upgrade, but only to add a more powerful CPU and GPU, and a larger hard drive. Adding a BD drive wouldn't make any sense, nor would adding a DVR, as the whole point of the Apple TV is that the future is all downloaded content. With a more powerful Apple TV though, they could offer 1080p downloads at a much higher bitrate (40mbits+) and true HD or DTS Master sound. It's selfish I know, but the file size is irrelevant to me on my connection. (50mbit uncapped cable)
It would be nice to see Apple finally updating the Apple TV software again though, giving it a nicer interface (the one it has now is so incredibly dull) and adding support for streaming sites like (in the UK) BBC iPlayer. And would it hurt them to add shoutcast support? The Apple TV seems needlessly limited in it's current feature set.
I think most of all though, Apple just needs to lower the price of the hardware, and actually promote the thing. Most people aren't even aware it exists, and yet if you mention the iPhone to them their eyes light up.
May be I will buy a TV after all. I sold my TV 5 years ago because of the state of TV programming. My kids were mad at first but now we all got used to not having a TV in the house. Our iMac and 23" Cinema Display and a Macbook Pro, are the only video screens in our house. And they all look beautiful.
How beautiful it will be if there is an Apple TV in the house, with iTunes built-in. And best of all, a remote control I don't have to read a 200-page manual to operate. I will love that.
Save Us Apple! Again!
That's really rather tragic, you are missing out on so much. I have a 50" Pioneer KURO plasma and watching movies on it (with 5.1 True HD/DTS Master surround) is an awesome experience. So much better than any cinema.
As for the state of TV programming, there is plenty of good stuff out there if you look. Have you seen Mad Men? If anyone can watch that and say TV programming is in a sorry state they are frankly beyond help.
Adding Mini DisplayPort would let AppleTV work with the 24" LED Cinema Display for a pretty self-contained Apple TV.
Who's going to buy it though? Its too small and too expensive.