I don't know about Munster, but I can play any game in the app store on my Apple TV
That is my biggest beef with the amazon comparison chart. They list Games as NONE. They should list it as NATIVE games. Additionally, said comparison chart lists HBOgo as the only no for FireTV. I assume that is coming. Interestingly enough (/s) they don't mention iTunes content....
Content is really king. Even though there are over a thousand channels on Roku, most people use it for Netflix, Hulu Plus, and music (which that interface sucks). Even if Apple can't get live broadcast, it would be a giant step forward for them to get internet rebroadcast on Apple TV, and without having to pay cable for it. If/when that happens, the cable station will have to come along. Why pay $100 a month for cable when I can purchase subscriptions to the TV shows I want to see and ignore the other 700 channels they say they provide.
Until they have more content, which the best way to get content is to allow revenue sharing from ads, which gets you in the door, that is going to be hard to convince providers to cooperate. And with that pile of dough Apple has, they could use the same incentives that Amazon and Netflix do, which is to purchase the shows and create their own channel.
In the mean time, the cards have not been played nor the hands been dealt. We will see.
Gene Munster historically has been one of the most clueless analysts going, with few (if any) accurate insights about Apple's direction. Apple obviously has known about Amazon Prime Video, Amazon's history of Kindle Fire devices and the age of the current Apple TV. Apple has most certainly been working for some time on something to update/replace the Apple TV, and I doubt they are very surprised about the introduction of the Amazon Fire TV. Although the Apple TV is beyond Apple's typical product refresh time, a new version could potentially require coordination with a number of partners (e.g., content owners, content distributors--like Comcast, and developers) and Apple will only release it once the necessary arrangements are in place. The introduction of the Amazon Fire TV is nothing more than an interesting event, while Apple pursues their long-term plan for TV-related products.
Nice job by Amazon raising the bar on streaming set tops.
Need to retire my old, slow Apple TV to upstairs duty & get a new, better, faster Apple TV, hopefully coming soon, would hate to have to defect to Amazon.
As for a full-fledged Apple television, rumors around such a product have quieted down as speculation has generally suggested it's a market the company would not be interested.
Content is king. The intuitiveness of the interface and the feature list length doesn't amount to squat without something to play. The whole reason why 90% of U.S. households put up with cable/satellite set-top boxes is because it plays what they actually want to view.
And we have a winner. Oh and btw there are other countries out there beside the US. Just sayin'.
I still maintain the one thing holding back Apple from releasing the TV Jony has in his lab is the lack of a 2-year all-you-can-eat content/contract deal Apple has been unable to cut with the powers that be. If Apple had a deal in place where people could sign a contract with them and buy a TV from them for a subsidised price for around $499 to $999 depending on the model I'd bet they'd move millions of these things. And they continue to sell the standalone Apple TV box for those who are happy with their current TV or are not ready to upgrade yet. But rest assured if Apple was selling that amazing piece of TV engineering alongside that box when folks are due an upgrade that Apple display would be awfully tempting. Not to mention that one friend who gets one and every guest to their house gets the demo treatment. That alone would start to move these things. The first smart TV worth buying? Likely.
It's not a secret that the Apple TV is ripe for a significant refresh in order to support 4K movies and an App Store with productivity, lifestyle, and game apps. To do that, Apple may be expected to make numerous incremental updates to hardware components:
A5 -> A6 or A7 CPU 512MB -> 1GB of DRAM 8GB -> 16GB or 32GB of flash storage 100Mbit -> 1Gbit Ethernet 802.11n -> 802.11ac Wifi HDMI 1.2 -> HDMI 1.4
Am I the only one that finds it odd that a brand new device aimed at streaming video doesn't include 802.11ac... I won't buy anything that doesn't have it.
Content is really king. Even though there are over a thousand channels on Roku, most people use it for Netflix, Hulu Plus, and music (which that interface sucks). Even if Apple can't get live broadcast, it would be a giant step forward for them to get internet rebroadcast on Apple TV, and without having to pay cable for it. If/when that happens, the cable station will have to come along. Why pay $100 a month for cable when I can purchase subscriptions to the TV shows I want to see and ignore the other 700 channels they say they provide.
Until they have more content, which the best way to get content is to allow revenue sharing from ads, which gets you in the door, that is going to be hard to convince providers to cooperate. And with that pile of dough Apple has, they could use the same incentives that Amazon and Netflix do, which is to purchase the shows and create their own channel.
In the mean time, the cards have not been played nor the hands been dealt. We will see.
I still think we haven't seen an update from Apple because they've been working on a big content play. This Amazon STB is fine but not really a game changer. XBox and play station are better for games (and have streaming media options) and Apple TV and Roku have basically all the content Amazon does, if not more.
Apple isn't doomed, and certainly not because Amazon released 'fireTV' Too many players in TV, and all users really want is the content- they just want the 'interface' to get out of the way.
TV isn't going to be the 'next big thing' for anyone- Google, Apple, nor Amazon. They can all make a decent buck at it, but not on the scale of iPhone profits. iTV will do very well, especially with people already in the Apple ecosystem. The rest will avoid it.
The only way one of them could make big bucks at it isn't with the interface, it's if they could coral all the prime content to exclusivity and not allow competitors to offer the same content at a lower price, or come up with a scheme to get preferred delivery from the cable companies which denies competitors the same. Not likely to happen in TV.
Apple TV definitely needs some improvements just to make it easier to use. i've been using two for several years.
first the Remote app still inexplicably requires old style clumsy swipe navigation to control the ATV home screen and all the other menus. i have no idea why. all the icons and lists on ATV could easily be on screen buttons and pull downs in the Remote app too. that should have been fixed years ago.
second, an HDMI pass thru with auto input selection would greatly simplify home wiring and operation. i have to use an HDMI switch now in one case, and fuss with TV input selection on the other. both are a daily pain.
as to gaming via AirPlay, the problem for action games is the split second AirPlay latency between your iPad and ATV. that can only be solved by loading apps on the ATV itself.
other bells and whistles, like Siri control, might be useful sometimes but don't really matter that much i think.
so yes it is time for a good ATV update. Apple can't stand pat on UI improvements.
second, an HDMI pass thru with auto input selection would greatly simplify home wiring and operation. i have to use an HDMI switch now in one case, and fuss with TV input selection on the other. both are a daily pain.
Never happening. Apple TV is supposed to be the end of the TV’s line, not the middle of it.
Whoop de do. Adding channels is the “regular update” for the Apple TV. The big thing we’re after is a la carte Channel channels with no need for cable/satellite. Just about everything else can stay the same.
Not Really? Guess I'm not allowed to have an opinion. Thought this was an opinion forum, my opinion has been stated.
So, according to your reasoning the MacBook Pro, iMac, iPad and iPhone are not due any regular hardware updates as long as Apple adds a few new default apps or new version of iWork or simply offer OS upgrades. Updating the hardware every year or two is a waste of time, it's 2014 and the 2010 iPhone 4 should be all that Apple offers. Just put some new apps, updated browser and a new OS on it, and that's good enough. Who needs an iP4S, 5, 5s and eventual 6? "Everything else can stay the same" (as the 4). Hope you still have the 4 to support your own reasoning.
Comments
I don't know about Munster, but I can play any game in the app store on my Apple TV
That is my biggest beef with the amazon comparison chart. They list Games as NONE. They should list it as NATIVE games. Additionally, said comparison chart lists HBOgo as the only no for FireTV. I assume that is coming. Interestingly enough (/s) they don't mention iTunes content....
But I don't think a Eddy Cue & Co. have been sitting there twiddling their thumbs...
No, I'm sure he's busy working on Ferrari issues.
Missed opportunity. Best they can do is follow AMZN now.
Until they have more content, which the best way to get content is to allow revenue sharing from ads, which gets you in the door, that is going to be hard to convince providers to cooperate. And with that pile of dough Apple has, they could use the same incentives that Amazon and Netflix do, which is to purchase the shows and create their own channel.
In the mean time, the cards have not been played nor the hands been dealt. We will see.
Gene Munster historically has been one of the most clueless analysts going, with few (if any) accurate insights about Apple's direction. Apple obviously has known about Amazon Prime Video, Amazon's history of Kindle Fire devices and the age of the current Apple TV. Apple has most certainly been working for some time on something to update/replace the Apple TV, and I doubt they are very surprised about the introduction of the Amazon Fire TV. Although the Apple TV is beyond Apple's typical product refresh time, a new version could potentially require coordination with a number of partners (e.g., content owners, content distributors--like Comcast, and developers) and Apple will only release it once the necessary arrangements are in place. The introduction of the Amazon Fire TV is nothing more than an interesting event, while Apple pursues their long-term plan for TV-related products.
Need to retire my old, slow Apple TV to upstairs duty & get a new, better, faster Apple TV, hopefully coming soon, would hate to have to defect to Amazon.
Unless Apple announces they will produce and release their own original content- they will have lost.
Yukari Iwatani Kane's Haunted Empire is where that info came from. Not so much a report as much as a book of lies.
And we have a winner. Oh and btw there are other countries out there beside the US. Just sayin'.
I still maintain the one thing holding back Apple from releasing the TV Jony has in his lab is the lack of a 2-year all-you-can-eat content/contract deal Apple has been unable to cut with the powers that be. If Apple had a deal in place where people could sign a contract with them and buy a TV from them for a subsidised price for around $499 to $999 depending on the model I'd bet they'd move millions of these things. And they continue to sell the standalone Apple TV box for those who are happy with their current TV or are not ready to upgrade yet. But rest assured if Apple was selling that amazing piece of TV engineering alongside that box when folks are due an upgrade that Apple display would be awfully tempting. Not to mention that one friend who gets one and every guest to their house gets the demo treatment. That alone would start to move these things. The first smart TV worth buying? Likely.
ALL CONTENT DEPENDANT.
Here is what I'd personally love to see in Apple TV or an iTV:
Siri
Games (not just projecting your screen of your iDevice onto your TV)
Live TV
More content such as live TV
iChat and video Skype etc
Home integration
Here is what I personally don't want to see in Apple TV:
Another 2 years without a serious update
A5 -> A6 or A7 CPU
512MB -> 1GB of DRAM
8GB -> 16GB or 32GB of flash storage
100Mbit -> 1Gbit Ethernet
802.11n -> 802.11ac Wifi
HDMI 1.2 -> HDMI 1.4
Why can't I use the Siri on my phone to control my tv?
Apple isn't doomed, and certainly not because Amazon released 'fireTV' Too many players in TV, and all users really want is the content- they just want the 'interface' to get out of the way.
TV isn't going to be the 'next big thing' for anyone- Google, Apple, nor Amazon. They can all make a decent buck at it, but not on the scale of iPhone profits. iTV will do very well, especially with people already in the Apple ecosystem. The rest will avoid it.
The only way one of them could make big bucks at it isn't with the interface, it's if they could coral all the prime content to exclusivity and not allow competitors to offer the same content at a lower price, or come up with a scheme to get preferred delivery from the cable companies which denies competitors the same. Not likely to happen in TV.
Apple TV definitely needs some improvements just to make it easier to use. i've been using two for several years.
first the Remote app still inexplicably requires old style clumsy swipe navigation to control the ATV home screen and all the other menus. i have no idea why. all the icons and lists on ATV could easily be on screen buttons and pull downs in the Remote app too. that should have been fixed years ago.
second, an HDMI pass thru with auto input selection would greatly simplify home wiring and operation. i have to use an HDMI switch now in one case, and fuss with TV input selection on the other. both are a daily pain.
as to gaming via AirPlay, the problem for action games is the split second AirPlay latency between your iPad and ATV. that can only be solved by loading apps on the ATV itself.
other bells and whistles, like Siri control, might be useful sometimes but don't really matter that much i think.
so yes it is time for a good ATV update. Apple can't stand pat on UI improvements.
second, an HDMI pass thru with auto input selection would greatly simplify home wiring and operation. i have to use an HDMI switch now in one case, and fuss with TV input selection on the other. both are a daily pain.
Never happening. Apple TV is supposed to be the end of the TV’s line, not the middle of it.
Not really.
Whoop de do. Adding channels is the “regular update” for the Apple TV. The big thing we’re after is a la carte Channel channels with no need for cable/satellite. Just about everything else can stay the same.
Not Really? Guess I'm not allowed to have an opinion. Thought this was an opinion forum, my opinion has been stated.
So, according to your reasoning the MacBook Pro, iMac, iPad and iPhone are not due any regular hardware updates as long as Apple adds a few new default apps or new version of iWork or simply offer OS upgrades. Updating the hardware every year or two is a waste of time, it's 2014 and the 2010 iPhone 4 should be all that Apple offers. Just put some new apps, updated browser and a new OS on it, and that's good enough. Who needs an iP4S, 5, 5s and eventual 6? "Everything else can stay the same" (as the 4). Hope you still have the 4 to support your own reasoning.