The AppleTV is 100% about content. Yes, apps are content. Like I said, if there are interactive (not merely navigational) apps, then the higher price would be warranted.
But if the only difference is being able to click (or voice) to the latest episode of Mr. Robot a few seconds faster, it's not worth the premium for me.
I really hope the app store has a Plex app. Plex is literally on every platform out there...except Apple TV. I love Plex, and I love Apple TV, but right now I have to have two devices which stinks. Plex really isn't an iTunes competitor, you have to run your own server (or know someone who is) and you have to bring your own media - there is no store. I love it because it cleared up the clutter of all my DVDs, and all it took was a lot of time I didn't have to repurchase content, which also sucks. Plex + Apple TV = my personal entertainment heaven
You are right. There really is no need to have local stored DVR.
But I'd like to store movies, music, photos, and videos locally on the AppleTV. Sort of like a home server for tech dummies.
Hopefully they sell different memory sizes
$149 - 16GB
$249 - 64GB
$349 - 256GB
No. There is no reason for media storage on AppleTV. None.
There may be storage options, but that will be for Apps only. There will not be any local storing of video content. None. None beyond the caching techniques that they use, which are far more useful and effective anyway.
The other thing that could sell people on it (not me, living in a tiny Hong Kong flat) would be if it's an always-on SIRI-able hub for all your HomeKit devices.
So many services have universal search. I know this will be new to iOS with 9 and is a harbinger for this functionality but this will not be new to streaming TV services so the "wow" factor I'm not seeing. If this is what Steve "cracked" then they took far to long to implement it. Obviously these are rumors so we'll see on announcement day. I'm eager to see what's in store.
The other thing that could sell people on it (not me, living in a tiny Hong Kong flat) would be if it's an always-on SIRI-able hub for all your HomeKit devices.
Isn't the existing ATV3 supposed to get the HomeKit iCloud support in the software update? Not for the mic, obviously, but it's required to make HomeKit devices controllable from outside the home.
Thinking about this more this is brilliant. This is the ultimate Trojan horse for Apple.
Apple's usual plan is to make money on hardware and give software/services at discounted prices. This is the EXACT opposite. And its brilliant.
For $149 this is an awesome piece of hardware:
A8X - ability to play console level games and advanced Apps
Siri/Touchscreen controller
Full blown App store
16-32 GB storage
IMO, Apple isn't making much profits selling this hardware. But they will make a TON on the services side:
1. Sell a ton of Apps
2. Sell a ton of Games
3. Sell a ton of Cloud storage - for DVR TV shows
4. Sell a ton of Movies, TV shows, and 'cable subscriptions'
Nope, nope, nope. "Console level games" has nothing to do with graphics, as many here continue to think. (The A8 is woefully behind anyway, matching 2005 hardware isn't impressive on a home box). The top end AAA titles these days have budgets of $100 million or more. No one is going to spend that on an app to go in a store where people complain about paying $3 for DLC which is as large as the original game. And I'm throughly unconvinced Apple would produce a controller that's even remotely comfortable to use.
No. There is no reason for media storage on AppleTV. None.
There may be storage options, but that will be for Apps only. There will not be any local storing of video content. None. None beyond the caching techniques that they use, which are far more useful and effective anyway.
Agree. About the only thing I can see wanting in the new box is an option to connect to some sort of stand alone external drive for people with a shitty connection and no other mac. My ATV connects nicely to other macs in the house, and I can play any content on those other machines with my ATV. I think there are third party "cloud servers" with terabytes of storage for not very much money. If the new ATV will connect to those on a local network, it should satisfy the complainers.
Agree. About the only thing I can see wanting in the new box is an option to connect to some sort of stand alone external drive for people with a shitty connection and no other mac. My ATV connects nicely to other macs in the house, and I can play any content on those other machines with my ATV. I think there are third party "cloud servers" with terabytes of storage for not very much money. If the new ATV will connect to those on a local network, it should satisfy the complainers.
The price is right for what Apple is likely to be offering in return. And $149 new probably means that in a few months refurbs will be selling for $99. That should set Amazon to worrying.
My chief objection here is my ongoing objection to what Silicon Valley in general and Apple in particular are doing. Snobbish, elitist and cut off from most of the country, they are devoting their efforts to turning us into a nation of couch potatoes who are work-shy and addicted to entertainment. Short term, that makes the Valley's billionaires still richer. Long term, it means that our economy will slide downward. We won't be able to afford their expensive gadgets any more.
Apple, which targets its products to the middle and upper-middle class, is particularly vulnerable to the woes the middle class in this country are facing. Its policy of creating a relatively few domestic jobs in but a few locations will backfire.
A better business model is GE in the 1950s when it manufactured, warehoused and serviced appliances in hundreds of locations scattered across the U.S. GE created domestic jobs for people who could then afford its products. In contrast, Apple hordes money and creates very few domestic jobs. Overseas it and the rest of Silicon Valley are responsible a steadily moving wasteland. They create factories where labor is the cheapest and then abandon them when labor costs are cheaper elsewhere.
There are few things more foolish that a narrow policy of rational efficiency that neglects human values and broader responsibilities to society in the pursuit of immediate profit. That's Apple. That's the Silicon Valley.
--Michael W. Perry, author and editor at Inkling Books
Nope, nope, nope. "Console level games" has nothing to do with graphics, as many here continue to think. (The A8 is woefully behind anyway, matching 2005 hardware isn't impressive on a home box). The top end AAA titles these days have budgets of $100 million or more. No one is going to spend that on an app to go in a store where people complain about paying $3 for DLC which is as large as the original game. And I'm throughly unconvinced Apple would produce a controller that's even remotely comfortable to use.
Anyone spending $100 million to produce a game should be thrown in jail for misappropriation of funds.
If you really believe it costs 100 million dollars to produce the next minor evolution of Madden 7000, or the next clone of some clone of some other FPS, you're kidding yourself.
The price is right for what Apple is likely to be offering in return. And $149 new probably means that in a few months refurbs will be selling for $99. That should set Amazon to worrying.
My chief objection here is my ongoing objection to what Silicon Valley in general and Apple in particular are doing. Snobbish, elitist and cut off from most of the country, they are devoting their efforts to turning us into a nation of couch potatoes who are work-shy and addicted to entertainment. Short term, that makes the Valley's billionaires still richer. Long term, it means that our economy will slide downward. We won't be able to afford their expensive gadgets any more.
Apple, which targets its products to the middle and upper-middle class, is particularly vulnerable to the woes the middle class in this country are facing. Its policy of creating a relatively few domestic jobs in but a few locations will backfire.
A better business model is GE in the 1950s when it manufactured, warehoused and serviced appliances in hundreds of locations scattered across the U.S. GE created domestic jobs for people who could then afford its products. In contrast, Apple hordes money and creates very few domestic jobs. Overseas it and the rest of Silicon Valley are responsible a steadily moving wasteland. They create factories where labor is the cheapest and then abandon them when labor costs are cheaper elsewhere.
There are few things more foolish that a narrow policy of rational efficiency that neglects human values and broader responsibilities to society in the pursuit of immediate profit. That's Apple. That's the Silicon Valley.
--Michael W. Perry, author and editor at Inkling Books
Interesting and insightful. But I feel like I just got a book ad.
I'm curious as to what DVR function were you expecting? As long as iTunes is around I see no cable tuner or DVR functionality ever coming to the AppleTV.
Let's say cable or satellite tuners like Elgato's Netstream products which already run DVR on iOS. ATV4 with Netstream in the App Store would allow live TV to be streamed anywhere with a wifi signal, easily and without using Airplay, as currently required.
More memory allows for more live shows to be recorded or for streamed shows to be downloaded in case of slow internet connection.
Comments
It sounds disappointing.
But if the only difference is being able to click (or voice) to the latest episode of Mr. Robot a few seconds faster, it's not worth the premium for me.
And 3 years of me posting billboards about how AppleTV needs Global Search can finally come to an end.
I really hope the app store has a Plex app. Plex is literally on every platform out there...except Apple TV. I love Plex, and I love Apple TV, but right now I have to have two devices which stinks. Plex really isn't an iTunes competitor, you have to run your own server (or know someone who is) and you have to bring your own media - there is no store. I love it because it cleared up the clutter of all my DVDs, and all it took was a lot of time I didn't have to repurchase content, which also sucks. Plex + Apple TV = my personal entertainment heaven
You are right. There really is no need to have local stored DVR.
But I'd like to store movies, music, photos, and videos locally on the AppleTV. Sort of like a home server for tech dummies.
Hopefully they sell different memory sizes
$149 - 16GB
$249 - 64GB
$349 - 256GB
No. There is no reason for media storage on AppleTV. None.
There may be storage options, but that will be for Apps only. There will not be any local storing of video content. None. None beyond the caching techniques that they use, which are far more useful and effective anyway.
The other thing that could sell people on it (not me, living in a tiny Hong Kong flat) would be if it's an always-on SIRI-able hub for all your HomeKit devices.
Isn't the existing ATV3 supposed to get the HomeKit iCloud support in the software update? Not for the mic, obviously, but it's required to make HomeKit devices controllable from outside the home.
Nope, nope, nope. "Console level games" has nothing to do with graphics, as many here continue to think. (The A8 is woefully behind anyway, matching 2005 hardware isn't impressive on a home box). The top end AAA titles these days have budgets of $100 million or more. No one is going to spend that on an app to go in a store where people complain about paying $3 for DLC which is as large as the original game. And I'm throughly unconvinced Apple would produce a controller that's even remotely comfortable to use.
It is going to have an AppStore. And all the rumors suggest Apple is working on a bundle but still haggling over price.
Buzzfeed is a joke, but this reporter has a good track record.
No. There is no reason for media storage on AppleTV. None.
There may be storage options, but that will be for Apps only. There will not be any local storing of video content. None. None beyond the caching techniques that they use, which are far more useful and effective anyway.
Agree. About the only thing I can see wanting in the new box is an option to connect to some sort of stand alone external drive for people with a shitty connection and no other mac. My ATV connects nicely to other macs in the house, and I can play any content on those other machines with my ATV. I think there are third party "cloud servers" with terabytes of storage for not very much money. If the new ATV will connect to those on a local network, it should satisfy the complainers.
You might be right.
This means Apple better bring down the iCloud prices because this product is going to take a ton of storage.
Are you talking about using this as a DVR to record standard telly?
Agree. About the only thing I can see wanting in the new box is an option to connect to some sort of stand alone external drive for people with a shitty connection and no other mac. My ATV connects nicely to other macs in the house, and I can play any content on those other machines with my ATV. I think there are third party "cloud servers" with terabytes of storage for not very much money. If the new ATV will connect to those on a local network, it should satisfy the complainers.
Connecting to a Mac is sufficient.
My chief objection here is my ongoing objection to what Silicon Valley in general and Apple in particular are doing. Snobbish, elitist and cut off from most of the country, they are devoting their efforts to turning us into a nation of couch potatoes who are work-shy and addicted to entertainment. Short term, that makes the Valley's billionaires still richer. Long term, it means that our economy will slide downward. We won't be able to afford their expensive gadgets any more.
Apple, which targets its products to the middle and upper-middle class, is particularly vulnerable to the woes the middle class in this country are facing. Its policy of creating a relatively few domestic jobs in but a few locations will backfire.
A better business model is GE in the 1950s when it manufactured, warehoused and serviced appliances in hundreds of locations scattered across the U.S. GE created domestic jobs for people who could then afford its products. In contrast, Apple hordes money and creates very few domestic jobs. Overseas it and the rest of Silicon Valley are responsible a steadily moving wasteland. They create factories where labor is the cheapest and then abandon them when labor costs are cheaper elsewhere.
There are few things more foolish that a narrow policy of rational efficiency that neglects human values and broader responsibilities to society in the pursuit of immediate profit. That's Apple. That's the Silicon Valley.
--Michael W. Perry, author and editor at Inkling Books
doubt it. Apple wants to sell iCloud with this device.
I'm thinking it would be $40 a month with TV package and 200GB of iCloud
You're likely right.
Nope, nope, nope. "Console level games" has nothing to do with graphics, as many here continue to think. (The A8 is woefully behind anyway, matching 2005 hardware isn't impressive on a home box). The top end AAA titles these days have budgets of $100 million or more. No one is going to spend that on an app to go in a store where people complain about paying $3 for DLC which is as large as the original game. And I'm throughly unconvinced Apple would produce a controller that's even remotely comfortable to use.
Anyone spending $100 million to produce a game should be thrown in jail for misappropriation of funds.
If you really believe it costs 100 million dollars to produce the next minor evolution of Madden 7000, or the next clone of some clone of some other FPS, you're kidding yourself.
Connecting to a Mac is sufficient.
If you have one.
The price is right for what Apple is likely to be offering in return. And $149 new probably means that in a few months refurbs will be selling for $99. That should set Amazon to worrying.
My chief objection here is my ongoing objection to what Silicon Valley in general and Apple in particular are doing. Snobbish, elitist and cut off from most of the country, they are devoting their efforts to turning us into a nation of couch potatoes who are work-shy and addicted to entertainment. Short term, that makes the Valley's billionaires still richer. Long term, it means that our economy will slide downward. We won't be able to afford their expensive gadgets any more.
Apple, which targets its products to the middle and upper-middle class, is particularly vulnerable to the woes the middle class in this country are facing. Its policy of creating a relatively few domestic jobs in but a few locations will backfire.
A better business model is GE in the 1950s when it manufactured, warehoused and serviced appliances in hundreds of locations scattered across the U.S. GE created domestic jobs for people who could then afford its products. In contrast, Apple hordes money and creates very few domestic jobs. Overseas it and the rest of Silicon Valley are responsible a steadily moving wasteland. They create factories where labor is the cheapest and then abandon them when labor costs are cheaper elsewhere.
There are few things more foolish that a narrow policy of rational efficiency that neglects human values and broader responsibilities to society in the pursuit of immediate profit. That's Apple. That's the Silicon Valley.
--Michael W. Perry, author and editor at Inkling Books
Interesting and insightful. But I feel like I just got a book ad.
I'm curious as to what DVR function were you expecting? As long as iTunes is around I see no cable tuner or DVR functionality ever coming to the AppleTV.
Let's say cable or satellite tuners like Elgato's Netstream products which already run DVR on iOS. ATV4 with Netstream in the App Store would allow live TV to be streamed anywhere with a wifi signal, easily and without using Airplay, as currently required.
More memory allows for more live shows to be recorded or for streamed shows to be downloaded in case of slow internet connection.