Eddy Cue suggests Apple television unlikely without content deals

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  • Reply 21 of 87
    gwmacgwmac Posts: 1,807member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    What exactly is the issue with the user interface again? I have DirecTV and I have no issues with my user interface. It's not confusing and the guide works just fine for me. I can easily search for programs or shows that are on DVR. This whole notion of Apple cracking the user interface (as if it's that bad to begin with) seems like hyperbole to me. What would Apple do that is so revolutionary? Siri? I'm sorry but I don't want or need to talk to my TV.


    I agree. I have DirecTV with a DVR and find the interface extremely easy to use. Exactly what problem would Apple be looking to fix? Even finding shows for VOD (video on demand) is very straightforward. Just type in a few letters and the show appears and then you can watch a VOD episode. It found Breaking Bad for example just after typing "BRE". 


     


    I don't see how a new Apple TV could ever compete with cable or satellite when in comes to live TV broadcasts like sports or news for example. How would it deliver live content without partnering with the dumb pipe companies like cable internet. A new Apple TV that simply adds a fuller iOS experience makes a lot more sense. Then you could control your 65" iPad like TV with a an iPhone, iPod, or iPad as your remote and possibly even another method like the Xbox Kinect or something completely new.  

  • Reply 22 of 87


    I have been saying this forever. 

  • Reply 23 of 87
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    jkichline wrote: »
    Why couldn't Apple just do an endgame run around the cable providers and start their own network? They have more cash than the top five media companies combined. It seems like Amazon and Netflix are doing this already and if Apple could create just a few channels of live coverage, I think the cable companies are going to start to sweat that their little kingdoms would crumble.
    Tim Cook specifically said Apple isn't looking to make much money off content. What channels would Apple create and what content would they put on them? Sorry I just don't see Apple getting into the content creation business.
  • Reply 24 of 87
    antkm1antkm1 Posts: 1,441member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post





    Good. Can we finally put these Apple television rumors to bed?


    Or is Cue taking a "queue" from Jobs and stating one thing while secretly doing the opposite?

  • Reply 25 of 87
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member


    The solution to this is easy: "a la carte" bundles.   We already have this is Quebec, Canada.  How it works is you still bundle channels, but instead of theme bundles, you pick up the channels you want. So the bundle are per number of channels. For example, 10$ for 10 channels, 15$ for 20 channels, ...


     


    It may not be perfect, but this at least has a chance of making the content providers bend.


     


    Another thing they are doing is combine channels and count them as a single choice.  For example, inside a 10 channels bundle, you could have a choice that combines 2 or 3 channels and count as only 1 channel choice. To see what it looks like go to the following link and select QC province.


    http://fibetv.bell.ca/en/programming/

  • Reply 26 of 87
    gwmacgwmac Posts: 1,807member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by herbapou View Post


    The solution to this is easy: "a la carte" bundles.   We already have this is Quebec, Canada.  How it works is you still bundle channels, but instead of theme bundles, you pick up the channels you want. So the bundle are per number of channels. For example, 10$ for 10 channels, 15$ for 20 channels, ...


     


    It may not be perfect, but this at least has a chance of making the content providers bend.



    Yes, this would be a great idea if it were possible. But companies like Viacom won't allow you to just but Comedy Central and not also pay for all their other channels you may not want to watch. They sell it as an all or nothing deal. DirecTV, Comcast, Cox, etc..would love to be able to offer a la carte bundles and allow the end customer to only buy the channels they want to watch. It is the media conglomerates like Viacom and others that won't ever allow this to happen. 

  • Reply 27 of 87
    jetlawjetlaw Posts: 156member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dysamoria View Post



    Proofread before submitting stories, AI. For crying out loud.


    Dont you mean "fro" crying out loud!?

  • Reply 28 of 87
    allenbfallenbf Posts: 993member


    Pardon if this has been said already:


     


    To crack this, couldn't Apple simply become a provider, much like Direct TV? Then those who purchase an Apple TV could buy unbundled channels.  I've seen the wholesale fees charged, some of them are .25 per viewer, etc, for the channels with fewer viewers.  Those like ESPN charge Direct TV like $3.99 per viewer if memory serves me right.


     


    Seems to me that if Apple wanted to, they could absorb some of those lower costs and allow subscribers to then choose the channels they want to see.  


     


    I could be missing something, i'm just spitballing here.

  • Reply 29 of 87
    antkm1antkm1 Posts: 1,441member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    What exactly is the issue with the user interface again? I have DirecTV and I have no issues with my user interface. It's not confusing and the guide works just fine for me. I can easily search for programs or shows that are on DVR. This whole notion of Apple cracking the user interface (as if it's that bad to begin with) seems like hyperbole to me. What would Apple do that is so revolutionary? Siri? I'm sorry but I don't want or need to talk to my TV.


    I wish i could find the quote, but Jobs mentioned how "broken" the process of operating a Home entertainment center was.  Basically, you have all these components, about 20 remotes, and none of them really talk to each other...not to mention a spaghetti of cables behind the devices.  Universal remotes and HDMI cords only get you so far, mainly because of the learning curve involved with the remotes and a single HDMI is great if you can route them all through a single source.  And No, I don't think Siri is the answer, despite what everyone on these forums seem to think.  I think what Jobs claimed to have "Cracked" was a way to get all these things in sync, either by eliminating some components, or creating innovation that allows for some of these things to converge into a single device/interface.  Think about it.  Most people have a TV, a cable box or now some over-air digital converter, then some will have an optical video disc player, a surround sound system and possibly a smart device like the Slingbox or the ATV.


     


    I have all of these things in my system, and i don't think i'm a minority.  For me to watch a movie I have 3 choices: Watch on Netflix or iTunes via ATV, put in a BD or chime into a cable channel.  And that requires at least 3 remotes to accomplish.  I think what Jobs was dissatisfied with that.  Why not have all these operations accomplished by a single device, and/or a single user interface?

  • Reply 30 of 87
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by gwmac View Post


    Yes, this would be a great idea if it were possible. But companies like Viacom won't allow you to just but Comedy Central and not also pay for all their other channels you may not want to watch. They sell it as an all or nothing deal. DirecTV, Comcast, Cox, etc..would love to be able to offer a la carte bundles and allow the end customer to only buy the channels they want to watch. It is the media conglomerates like Viacom and others that won't ever allow this to happen. 



     


    indeed. But they did go live with this in Quebec and we had the same restrictions here.  One way to go around this is to make small bundles inside the channel choices. It works. Note that Quebec is the only province with that kind of packages.


     


    The "a la carte" bundles in Quebec were introduced 10 years ago by Quebec Cable company Videotron. The reason BCE is offering them in Quebec is they know they have zero chances to take away Videotron customers to Fibe IPTV without "a la carte". Its also the reason Quebec is the only province with that kind of bundle in North America.  More than 80% of videotron customers have "a la carte" bundles.

  • Reply 31 of 87


    Apple announces they have purchased eztv.it and are including built-in torrent searching, downloading and streaming with IP blocking in iOS 6.


    24 hours later, all content providers agree to work with Apple.

  • Reply 32 of 87
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    antkm1 wrote: »
    I wish i could find the quote, but Jobs mentioned how "broken" the process of operating a Home entertainment center was.  Basically, you have all these components, about 20 remotes, and none of them really talk to each other...not to mention a spaghetti of cables behind the devices.  Universal remotes and HDMI cords only get you so far, mainly because of the learning curve involved with the remotes and a single HDMI is great if you can route them all through a single source.  And No, I don't think Siri is the answer, despite what everyone on these forums seem to think.  I think what Jobs claimed to have "Cracked" was a way to get all these things in sync, either by eliminating some components, or creating innovation that allows for some of these things to converge into a single device/interface.  Think about it.  Most people have a TV, a cable box or now some over-air digital converter, then some will have an optical video disc player, a surround sound system and possibly a smart device like the Slingbox or the ATV.

    I have all of these things in my system, and i don't think i'm a minority.  For me to watch a movie I have 3 choices: Watch on Netflix or iTunes via ATV, put in a BD or chime into a cable channel.  And that requires at least 3 remotes to accomplish.  I think what Jobs was dissatisfied with that.  Why not have all these operations accomplished by a single device, and/or a single user interface?
    If Apple could find a way to get rid of all the cords behind my TV I'd buy whatever they were selling in an instance. But to me that seems like more than UI.
  • Reply 33 of 87
    antkm1antkm1 Posts: 1,441member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by johnnyb0731 View Post


     


    Perhaps the Justice Department should look into this rather than ebook price fixing...



    Oh, I'm pretty positive they know about the Big 5 Media giants that own everything.  Just the same way they knew well enough about how bad the banking industry was in prior to 2008.  Turning a blind eye.

  • Reply 34 of 87

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by antkm1 View Post


    I wish i could find the quote, but Jobs mentioned how "broken" the process of operating a Home entertainment center was.  Basically, you have all these components, about 20 remotes, and none of them really talk to each other...not to mention a spaghetti of cables behind the devices.  Universal remotes and HDMI cords only get you so far, mainly because of the learning curve involved with the remotes and a single HDMI is great if you can route them all through a single source.  And No, I don't think Siri is the answer, despite what everyone on these forums seem to think.  I think what Jobs claimed to have "Cracked" was a way to get all these things in sync, either by eliminating some components, or creating innovation that allows for some of these things to converge into a single device/interface.  Think about it.  Most people have a TV, a cable box or now some over-air digital converter, then some will have an optical video disc player, a surround sound system and possibly a smart device like the Slingbox or the ATV.


     


    I have all of these things in my system, and i don't think i'm a minority.  For me to watch a movie I have 3 choices: Watch on Netflix or iTunes via ATV, put in a BD or chime into a cable channel.  And that requires at least 3 remotes to accomplish.  I think what Jobs was dissatisfied with that.  Why not have all these operations accomplished by a single device, and/or a single user interface?



    I agree. I could search for a movie I want to watch or browse the current popular lists and the movie page pops up. The Apple service searches your local cable company VOD, Apple movies, Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, other services and broadcast television and lists all the services I can watch it from. If it finds the movie is playing on broadcast TV next week, I can set it to automatically record it to iCloud where I can watch it on any iOS device next week. I've cracked it!

  • Reply 35 of 87
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GadgetCanada View Post


    Apple announces they have purchased eztv.it and are including built-in torrent searching, downloading and streaming with IP blocking in iOS 6.


    24 hours later, all content providers agree to work with Apple.



     


    24 hours later Apple lost all its VoD content on itunes and are getting sue to the ground.

  • Reply 36 of 87
    maecvsmaecvs Posts: 129member
    Duh! I've been saying this the entire time. No content, and it's DOA......
  • Reply 37 of 87
    strat09strat09 Posts: 158member
    Why don't they make Content Makers Stream their channels to the Apple TV over the internet? Avoiding the Cable Companies. Microsoft did it for their Xbox. It'll feel like an interactive experience... Like in an example here... When a number is shown to vote for a contestant in American Idol, the user would not have to dial a number, rather just select it on the screen, and the vote would be sent to Fox for Results. And Users should be able to set to Save TV shows for later watch all over their iDevices over Wifi with iTunes Sharing and an Apple TV App that has a guide, and volume/ channel controls, as well as Siri on it to tell it to "change to kids shows" or "Show me the weather forecast" and " "Connect with Augustine" (facetime) or " Play My Music" You could use the App to also control a Note reminder system when a user turns on the tv, if another person in the same wifi network leaves a reminder for another person, the reminder is shown on the tv UI for them to see, as well as their iDevices Reminders App, and when they clear it it will dissappear from the Built in Calendar.
  • Reply 38 of 87

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rogifan View Post



    What exactly is the issue with the user interface again? I have DirecTV and I have no issues with my user interface. It's not confusing and the guide works just fine for me. I can easily search for programs or shows that are on DVR. This whole notion of Apple cracking the user interface (as if it's that bad to begin with) seems like hyperbole to me. What would Apple do that is so revolutionary? Siri? I'm sorry but I don't want or need to talk to my TV.


    The new DirecTV UI is better than it's competitors set-top box UIs, but is only good for the conventional "Live TV" business model.  I will admit that DirecTV has done a pretty good job of updating their hardware and software on fairly regular basis, but most Cable TV providers should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.  While charging premium subscription fees, they still use the POS Motorola and Scientific Atlanta set-top boxes that they have been using for the past ten years, and the UI is simply inexcusable.  To add insult to injury, they charge you between $5 and $10 per month for each one your set-top boxes.


     


    The truth is that we are now an on-demand society and the lame, expensive Live TV business model is no longer desirable which explains why so many people are "cutting the cord".  Apple is in a prime position to dominate this market.  The Cable TV providers need to wake up and get into the 21st Century before they lose all of their customers.  


     


    Apple has already entered the TV market with it's own set-top box solution, and although they refer to it as a hobby, it has been quite successful.  The Apple TV hardware improves with each generation, and it's UI improves with each iOS release.  They regularly add new services and features like the native Hulu Plus App and AirPlay, and it is just a matter of time before they add the App Store.  The Apple TV box is the key to the future, whether or not Apple builds an actual TV display.  

  • Reply 39 of 87
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    Eddy Cue, Apple's chief of Internet Software and Services, has suggested to one analyst that his company would be unlikely to build a full-fledged television set unless it could secure necessary deals for content. ...


     


    This story has already been denied by the original source.  It's not true.  You might want to update the article.  


     


    In short, Eddy Cue said nothing of the kind and it was all an "interpretation" based on some other remarks.  

  • Reply 40 of 87
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    gazoobee wrote: »
    This story has already been denied by the original source.  It's not true.  You might want to update the article.  

    In short, Eddy Cue said nothing of the kind and it was all an "interpretation" based on some other remarks.  

    ROTFLMAO. I guess it's too much to expect good reporting.

    Even so, I think the easiest solution would be for Apple to team with one or more cable companies and replace those humongous Motorola cable boxes with Apple TVs that have been modified to handle cable TV content. Since Apple is able to sell them at retail for $99 at a reasonable profit, I suspect that they could make the price very attractive to the cable companies - as well as offering dramatically better features.

    It wouldn't be that hard to modify them to purchase their content directly from the Cable companies rather than going through iTunes so there's no reason the cable companies should reject it out of hand.
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