NYT: Redesigned Apple TV interface, possible new hardware in the works

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  • Reply 61 of 74
    trajectorytrajectory Posts: 647member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by antkm1 View Post


    that's exactly it, Apple was following a natural progression of technology, they just happend to skip steps 4-9 on a 10-point process. Some call that a re-invention, other call it an evolution. I am the later.



    No. Apple did not simply follow a natural progression of technology (whatever that means). They advanced the progression of technology with their inventions and re-inventions. Big difference.
  • Reply 62 of 74
    zab the fabzab the fab Posts: 303member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Trajectory View Post


    No. Apple did not simply follow a natural progression of technology (whatever that means). They advanced the progression of technology with their inventions and re-inventions. Big difference.



    Some get a satisfaction from taking incredible things in our world and reducing them to something simple they can better deal with. There is no room for amazement in this world view.



    There is in mine and I recognize it when I see it.
  • Reply 63 of 74
    spiffy1spiffy1 Posts: 35member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GQB View Post


    Well put.

    Monitors (or as the pundits seem to be implying, 'TVs') are a commodity item. Low margins, high warehousing costs. In addition, they are not 'one size fits all', the way peripherals are. Where is Apple going to display the variety of monitors necessary to serve the wide variety of needs out there? Scrap and rebuild ALL of the Apple Stores?



    Come one... this is what Best Buy is for.





    You people are short-sighted. An HDMI port is only good for one thing... hooking up to a TV. Thus including an HDMI port on the Mini is an indicator that Apple is heading more directly into the home theater arena. What form that may take will be revealed shortly... stay tuned for further exciting developments.

  • Reply 64 of 74
    spiffy1spiffy1 Posts: 35member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by herbapou View Post


    The device could also be control by a magic mouse since its wireless and multi-touch. But I am more than curious on what controller will be used out of the box. At 99 its probably gonna be the cheap apple remote. But I hope for a revolutionary small multi-touch pad that would be very low cost.



    Duhh. It will be an iPhone or iPod Touch.

    I control my laptop and iTunes when hooked up to my big screen tv via my iPod Touch. This is an amazing set-up really and the way of the future.
  • Reply 65 of 74
    gugygugy Posts: 794member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    I only registered 4 years ago, but yes, it feels like 6 years.



    yeah, it does indeed.
  • Reply 66 of 74
    hezetationhezetation Posts: 674member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post


    I've been a big fan of AppleTV and have owned one for years now. Just having the internet radio for music and playing all my photos in a slide show with the Ken Burns effect on my 50" flat screen TV is worth the price of admission.



    It is really impressive when friends come over.



    To me it has revolutionized how I view my photos and listen to music. Not to mention getting rid of all my stereo components and the attendant wires, pwr bricks and clutter!



    I used to order movies on AppleTV, but now have a redbox across the street and a free 6mo movie channels and a cox cable DVR (free) so I just record movies and shows.



    Mostly have cable for TigerGolf and Formula One. Cannot watch TV with stupid, inane commercials anymore! Agghhhhh



    Best



    I got the ATV so that I could dump all our videos into one place and keep our original DVDs safely locked away where they won't scratch or crack. Since doing so I discovered it opens up more than just being able to play movies without putting in a disc each time.



    For our Kids I have special playlists setup so that their shows will play through to the next automatically. I know what you are thinking, we do regulate how much TV they can watch, it is just an extra plus that my wife now can put on some videos while she does some baking and doesn't have to stop every 15min or so to change out a disc.



    The Internet Radios is awesome, and YouTube surfing from the couch is a big plus. I also love that I can get HD movies for similar cost as a regular DVD, though I'm disappointed at how many movies the studios have refused to allow Apple to cary in HD for purchase. Studios loss really, as we usually skip getting those movies and instead buy another one we like that is carried in HD. Disney is getting most of our movie fund right now.



    The AppleTV really is a great start but if it went iOS4 it would really be amazing. If they do go this route I really hope they don't leave out us early adopters.
  • Reply 67 of 74
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hezetation View Post


    I got the ATV so that I could dump all our videos into one place and keep our original DVDs safely locked away where they won't scratch or crack. Since doing so I discovered it opens up more than just being able to play movies without putting in a disc each time.



    For our Kids I have special playlists setup so that their shows will play through to the next automatically. I know what you are thinking, we do regulate how much TV they can watch, it is just an extra plus that my wife now can put on some videos while she does some baking and doesn't have to stop every 15min or so to change out a disc.



    The Internet Radios is awesome, and YouTube surfing from the couch is a big plus. I also love that I can get HD movies for similar cost as a regular DVD, though I'm disappointed at how many movies the studios have refused to allow Apple to cary in HD for purchase. Studios loss really, as we usually skip getting those movies and instead buy another one we like that is carried in HD. Disney is getting most of our movie fund right now.



    The AppleTV really is a great start but if it went iOS4 it would really be amazing. If they do go this route I really hope they don't leave out us early adopters.



    It's the only interface my dad can figure out, so it's a pretty good one



    It's still using 10.4 Tiger and 1GHz Pentium M CPU with 256MB RAM and nVidia G72M GPU with 64MB RAM. With a 1GHz A4 ARM CPU with 512MB RAM and an Imagination POWERVR SGX GPU and VXD decoder for 1080p it can do a lot more using less power and a lower cost. iOS 4.0 would be gravy making it a very efficient machine. I'd wager the interface would get even more responsive.
  • Reply 68 of 74
    wijgwijg Posts: 99member
    As great a device as the apple TV (in its current conception) might be, it's not selling well. This is the main reason I could see Apple making an HDTV.



    Let me explain:



    I don't own an aTV and I don't want one. Furthermore, I've never used an aTV. It seems like its only purpose is to sell iTunes content; it's not clear to me why I would want to buy such a device--especially when there are so many other content options besides iTunes out there (like Netflix). I would however, love to have a small computer (namely, the new mini) hooked-up to a nice HDTV.



    I think lots of people are in the same boat as me on this.



    So, what is one supposed to think about the mini's inclusion of HDMI? I think it's rather odd that Apple would be positioning one of its computers so closely with its aTV.



    The only way to broaden the appeal of an aTV is to include it in something else, like a BluRay player or game console. I'll state it as an axiom that Apple will not support BluRay (on the mini or aTV); nor will Apple make a game console any time soon.



    Accordingly, one could surmise that an Apple HDTV is around the corner because it is the only other way to bundle the aTV (and iTunes TV/movie service) with an existing appliance that people actually want (and which Apple will let them have).



    An Apple HDTV would be a big hit with people like me who actually want to hook a small computer up to their TV for entertainment content. I think this desire is becoming a mainstream thing. Even if it's not a ubiquitous inclination, it's at least a large and growing niche. (Did I mention that my primary TV is a 19" CRT and that I'm just waiting for the right TV to come along before I plunk down ~$3,000 on a flatscreen?)



    All those people (like me) who think they don't need an aTV buy the HDTV to hook it up to the mini. It's at least a double win for Apple and the consumer, triple if the consumer finds value in the now relevant iTunes TV service.



    Apple could be banking on this last prospect more than anything. Once I have an Apple HDTV, whoa, I'll suddenly care about the marvelous interface of the aTV; its phenomenal usability will then compel me to buy iTunes content for my TV. --Me, and lots of other folks (even if they never had any desire to hook-up a computer to their TV).



    Apple is a hardware company becoming a service company. That is why Apple could conceivably get into the low-margin TV business. It's the only way they can sell aTVs and related iTunes content without undermining the very idea of iTunes TV content.



    On its face, the idea of Apple making TVs may seem pretty stupid. As mentioned, they're low-margin; also, individuals don't buy them very often. But, computers are generally low-margin too and Apple does its thing there. And the fact that individuals don't buy TVs very often also offers potential for an Apple HDTV since CRT users are still out there, just waiting to upgrade; just by virtue of this reality Apple is already missing out on a huge market that its existing aTV can't serve (a modern flat-screen is required for aTV).



    If you figure that Apple could swing a sweet deal with AT&T or Verizon to subsidize the hardware somehow, or that the holy grail of Ã* la carte cable could be achieved, then its a slam dunk. Who knows, maybe Apple could use the iPhone on Verizon as reason for FiOS/Apple HDTV integration and Verizon subsidies of same.



    If Apple were to enter the HDTV market, the set would be gorgeous (of course) and would compel some people to buy it just for that reason. While most people don't buy TVs very often, some people buy them as often as they buy computers...
  • Reply 69 of 74
    kotatsukotatsu Posts: 1,010member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hezetation View Post


    The Internet Radios is awesome, and YouTube surfing from the couch is a big plus. I also love that I can get HD movies for similar cost as a regular DVD, though I'm disappointed at how many movies the studios have refused to allow Apple to cary in HD for purchase. Studios loss really, as we usually skip getting those movies and instead buy another one we like that is carried in HD. Disney is getting most of our movie fund right now.



    Think yourself lucky. Here in Europe (the UK in my case) we have exactly no movies available for purchase in HD. Zero. None. We can rent some in HD (although they are only available for rental for a brief period), but other than that movies are SD all the way here.



    TV content fares even worse, with a tiny selection of HD content available. Big US shows (such as 24) are SD only, and even UK made HD shows are usually SD on iTunes. No idea why, and the situation is actually getting worse. Recently Fox, who used to provide HD movie rentals here have pulled ALL their HD content from iTunes UK.
  • Reply 70 of 74
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kotatsu View Post


    ... No idea why...



    It's all about licensing. The future should be better for the most part as these things are being considered more often now, but it'll always likely be a rocky road.



    Note that it affects every nation, the US is not immune.
  • Reply 71 of 74
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gugy View Post


    yeah, it does indeed.



    same to u
  • Reply 72 of 74
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by WIJG View Post


    As great a device as the apple TV (in its current conception) might be, it's not selling well. This is the main reason I could see Apple making an HDTV.



    Let me explain:



    I don't own an aTV and I don't want one. Furthermore, I've never used an aTV. It seems like its only purpose is to sell iTunes content; it's not clear to me why I would want to buy such a device--especially when there are so many other content options besides iTunes out there (like Netflix). I would however, love to have a small computer (namely, the new mini) hooked-up to a nice HDTV.



    I think lots of people are in the same boat as me on this.



    The only way the Apple Tele would have an asses roar of a chance of being a hit for Apple is when they get a subscription TV Show deal 'of some kind' ironed out for the device. Then it's interesting. Without that it will always be a niche. If they got that though they could make a compelling AIO TV product. And they could continue to sell the box also which would mirror the TV functionally, but wouldn't quite have everything the TV had, the AIO nature being the obvious feature it couldn't imitate.



    Until they have that all-you-can-eat (or best-of-TV) deal the Apple Tele would just be a luxury item, without being of great use to all that buy it. With the deal it could conceivably replace your cable box, and that's when it becomes interesting enough to get some mainstream interest.



    Then even subsidies can come into play.
  • Reply 73 of 74
    I don't need a simple interface for the living room. I want to be able to play all my media. I want to have 1080p iTunes visuals when I play music.



    Those are just a few of the myriad reasons why I'm getting a Mac Mini instead of an Apple TV.
  • Reply 74 of 74
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by tonton View Post


    I don't need a simple interface for the living room. I want to be able to play all my media. I want to have 1080p iTunes visuals when I play music.



    Those are just a few of the myriad reasons why I'm getting a Mac Mini instead of an Apple TV.



    And at the price of that thing you've made Apple happy with your choice too. Subscription TV will be the key to Apple TVs success or failure - irregardless of whether it's a TV or a box or both that are sold concurrently.



    What the TV has going for it is simplicity of use and setup, with space-saving style. The box can remain an add-on to make your existing TV look like an Apple Television.
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