Apple should really improve Siri before even thinking of this. I never use Siri on our ATV's or any of our iDevices. Can't stand the voice quality and recognition is not ideal. On the other hand Alexa is just great. Don't have to speak differently and she is incredibly accurate. Apple should consider moving in that direction. Slowly but surely Amazon's Echo is getting us to move away from some Apple services ( like music as Spotify works great with the Amazon Echo).
Like Google, Apple has bcome so large that it is no longer exciting. Reliable, very good but what happened to the wow factor?
I do agree that a small speaker with Siri built in would be preferable to going the ATV route. Now if they can only fix her voice.
Depends; the article completely ignores a simple fact.
if Apple opens the SDK to where OEM's can make their own speakers(like they did with Airplay) and hook into the ATV similarly like one with AirPlay.. We could see Siri Enabled Speakers from many manufacturers that sends any Siri related requests to the ATV.
From this standpoint, that makes complete sense.. I mean.. Why develop your own speakers, with a CPU/APU, when you can allow OEM's to make various kinds and you just facilitate from an existing platform, the Apple TV.
This does a few things:
it add's value to the Apple TV giving them another leverage point in the Streaming TV arena.
It lowers cost to get into the market by using existing platform.
It gives OEM's a bone when it comes to making money from another accessory.
Pretty good idea. This would make Siri even more ubiquitous. Cortana and the others already look like the knockoffs it would be nice if we had "Siri everywhere".
And so what, you put the ATV in the center of your house? Most people put theirs in equipment racks/entertainment centers, which aren't ideal for voice reception or speaker output.
If that's the case, then your TV would be on (speakers) and you would use the Siri remote (microphone)
Instead of making my 4th gen ATV obsolete so soon (calm down, I know it still fuctions completely fine), why not just have a small bluetooth mic device you can locate anywhere (charged using the same Applewatch wireless charger) that connects to the ATV4 which does the heavy lifting. Far simpler solution and gets the mic away from the home theatre.
I've said this for a number of years and it still holds true more so then ever. Apple just needs a Kinect type device, not at fancy that has a Mic array and a camera. You can plug it into the back of the Apple TV in the USB-C port. Now you have FaceTime support along with Siri support and HomeKit support. This way it's a add on option for those that want it!!!. You have more flexibility where to place it.
Maybe Apple can have aux ones you can place around the house so it can pick you up anywhere if you want. There's a lot that can be done.
Can't they just either make a new Siri Remote that has an always on mic like an iPhone. Or just... Ya know.... Enable the iPhone's mic to work the Apple TV as well? It would be close to the user at all times and you could still use the current Apple TV as a home hub.
Or or the Apple Watch with the raise to speak function? Both of these options would only require software updates with current products.
I was pleased they went with the mike in the remote. Yapping across the room works if you live in your parents basement. With other folks in the room, politely diminished speech a few inches away is reasonable.
Instead of making my 4th gen ATV obsolete so soon (calm down, I know it still fuctions completely fine), why not just have a small bluetooth mic device you can locate anywhere (charged using the same Applewatch wireless charger) that connects to the ATV4 which does the heavy lifting. Far simpler solution and gets the mic away from the home theatre.
I've said this for a number of years and it still holds true more so then ever. Apple just needs a Kinect type device, not at fancy that has a Mic array and a camera. You can plug it into the back of the Apple TV in the USB-C port. Now you have FaceTime support along with Siri support and HomeKit support. This way it's a add on option for those that want it!!!. You have more flexibility where to place it.
Maybe Apple can have aux ones you can place around the house so it can pick you up anywhere if you want. There's a lot that can be done.
Great thought! And with primesense not only will gestures be a possibility, but also face tracking and autorfocus for the camera. Also, if combined with a microphone array it could localize voices, which would improve communication with the hub in an environment with multiple people, or with background TV noise, etc. This could be supplemented by using your watch or phone to interact with the home hub when out of earshot, or possibly also API enabled 3rd party speakers as has been mentioned.
This rumor makes sense. The TV is the literal hub of the home, and it makes sense for the AI to be based there (not wherever someone happens to leave the speaker). These type of products should be about a shared experience in the home, it should bring people together (whereas the iPhone functions as your personal hub). This way you don't have people fighting over who gets to have the hub next to them. At a surface level, anchoring the home hub at the TV may seem limiting, but in reality this setup enables better organization and facilitates the connected home, especially if there are multiple people, and especially if some of those people are chronologically challenged.
tl;dr: While iPhone is your personal hub, the Apple TV/siri will be the (shared) hub of the home.
Instead of making my 4th gen ATV obsolete so soon (calm down, I know it still fuctions completely fine), why not just have a small bluetooth mic device you can locate anywhere (charged using the same Applewatch wireless charger) that connects to the ATV4 which does the heavy lifting. Far simpler solution and gets the mic away from the home theatre.
Any mic that's listening all the time for "Hey Siri" has to be plugged in somewhere. You charge your iPhone every day so that doesn't count.
beleive it or not, the killer feature of Echo is that it is AC powered and can be put anywhere in the home. The features on Alexa are actually very limited and practically worthless but it doesn't require charging, your hands or a display to work. That's the reason why people like it.
Instead of making my 4th gen ATV obsolete so soon (calm down, I know it still fuctions completely fine), why not just have a small bluetooth mic device you can locate anywhere (charged using the same Applewatch wireless charger) that connects to the ATV4 which does the heavy lifting. Far simpler solution and gets the mic away from the home theatre.
absolutely. I would actually say for Apple to release a specification that would enable any manufacturer in MFI program to make an HomeKit mic system that would connect to an Apple TV or even an iPhone for Siri.
This would be best way to let uses command Siri from anywhere in home but it will never happen. Imagine Apple, the company that values user privacy and security above everyone else, telling users to place microphones around the home to constantly listen to you. Never going to happen.
Well, this is what I expected before the current model was announced. I'll be kinda frustrated if there is a new major refresh to the Apple TV so soon. This is something that should have been in the major refresh.
Maybe the Microphone array could be an add-on? This could conceivably make it so you could move the microphone array alway from the TV/Speakers
You spent like what $149 and are going to be frustrated? Just slave it and extend it with the new one.
I keep my TV hidden behind the smoked glass doors of a component cabinet along with my TiVo and DVD player. Would hate to have to have it and all its wires sitting on top of my minimalist cabinet. Since they already have a mic in the remote, why not just add a little iPhone speaker in there too? I don't really want to listen to music through it anyway, just get answers to queries.
I think we'll see multiple implementations. 1) existing with ATV. The current Gen might me limited but probably not left out. Maybe we'll see a minor revamp with a built in mic 2) we'll see extenders of some sort. I believe extending functionality to conjoined devices with the ATV serving as the hub would be a solid path for Developement. The box can stay small and hidden while the other appliances can talk to it utilizing the display and speakers if needed. Someone if not apple could probably design a small wifi mic ATV/ Hey Siri compatible mic that could plug directly into an outlet with ease.
I personally think a SS speaker bar with Siri would be a nice addition to the beats brand. I don't believe they have home theater in their lineup, but nothing wrong with that. Other third parties will have their particular form factors for sure.
I also like what some people are saying in terms of camera integration and/ or finally utilizing some of that Prime Sense tech apple bought into all this years ago. A speaker bar seems like a great place to hide the camera etc into one sleek unit. The Apple TV tied into the cloud is a great central server already that could easily extend its capabilities via wifi and Bt addons devices. No need to reinvent the wheel. Just extend its abilities.
Oh and if a new revision comes along some remote and video playback tweaks would be nice. I can't say they nailed it. No slomo. No "chapters" for tv. Accesing chapters in movies takes up half of the screen. No frame by frame. Video progress bar and picture fade when you pause. Terrible. Oh and why no pages for apps when you swipe left or right? Do we really have to scroll forever and ever and not be able to organize our channels but top to bottom? No sorting manually except in ugly folders? Not a huge fan of the ATV UI work. It's way better than others but it's not without its core problems.
Apple should know they aren't making devices for people who can't use them or the lowest common denominator of user experience. There were plenty of DVD and BD players that had these features standard. Sure allot of people didn't use them but allot did especially the younger audience whom I'm sure are techs biggest users.
I like Echo a lot. It's pretty easy to use, and great for everyone whether it's a family member or a guest. I think that Amazon does a good job to promote Echo with tips in emails, it's like a reinforcement of talking to Alexa. I don't even use Siri that much on my iPhone nowadays, just not very useful. At times, it's frustrating to use Siri. "Hey Siri" works in less than 20% of the time even if my iPhone plugged in my car.
Apple TV is only going to become more appealing to consumers with one thing: content. Series. Movies. Lots of them. Streaming not selling.
i am personally hoping for Apple to announce a new Apple TV and a new purchase ... Like Netflix or Warners... To give us something to watch on said device.
Apple already has an always-on portable microphone for the AppleTV. It's sold under the product name "iPhone" (a larger version is called "iPad".
Siri on the iPhone can listen and relay commands to your AppleTV.
I know it may not seem perfect, but what about a having an update to the ATV4 remote to allow "Hey Siri", etc. But then I guess you would need to always have it plugged in?
And so what, you put the ATV in the center of your house? Most people put theirs in equipment racks/entertainment centers, which aren't ideal for voice reception or speaker output.
OT but ... Oh, that beings back such memories, 'entertainment centers and racks'. Wow, I have pictures of our home like that from a decade or more ago. Now it's all wireless surround sound, Apple TVs and iCloud. I guess the only remnant left is a 60" LCD tv but that has nothing attached to it except an Apple TV. We watch that less and less as I almost prefer an iPad and Netflix for all but a block buster movie.
Comments
Like Google, Apple has bcome so large that it is no longer exciting. Reliable, very good but what happened to the wow factor?
I do agree that a small speaker with Siri built in would be preferable to going the ATV route. Now if they can only fix her voice.
siri does need a revamp though.
Maybe Apple can have aux ones you can place around the house so it can pick you up anywhere if you want. There's a lot that can be done.
Or or the Apple Watch with the raise to speak function? Both of these options would only require software updates with current products.
Great thought! And with primesense not only will gestures be a possibility, but also face tracking and autorfocus for the camera. Also, if combined with a microphone array it could localize voices, which would improve communication with the hub in an environment with multiple people, or with background TV noise, etc. This could be supplemented by using your watch or phone to interact with the home hub when out of earshot, or possibly also API enabled 3rd party speakers as has been mentioned.
This rumor makes sense. The TV is the literal hub of the home, and it makes sense for the AI to be based there (not wherever someone happens to leave the speaker). These type of products should be about a shared experience in the home, it should bring people together (whereas the iPhone functions as your personal hub). This way you don't have people fighting over who gets to have the hub next to them. At a surface level, anchoring the home hub at the TV may seem limiting, but in reality this setup enables better organization and facilitates the connected home, especially if there are multiple people, and especially if some of those people are chronologically challenged.
tl;dr: While iPhone is your personal hub, the Apple TV/siri will be the (shared) hub of the home.
beleive it or not, the killer feature of Echo is that it is AC powered and can be put anywhere in the home. The features on Alexa are actually very limited and practically worthless but it doesn't require charging, your hands or a display to work. That's the reason why people like it.
You spent like what $149 and are going to be frustrated? Just slave it and extend it with the new one.
I personally think a SS speaker bar with Siri would be a nice addition to the beats brand. I don't believe they have home theater in their lineup, but nothing wrong with that. Other third parties will have their particular form factors for sure.
I also like what some people are saying in terms of camera integration and/ or finally utilizing some of that Prime Sense tech apple bought into all this years ago. A speaker bar seems like a great place to hide the camera etc into one sleek unit. The Apple TV tied into the cloud is a great central server already that could easily extend its capabilities via wifi and Bt addons devices. No need to reinvent the wheel. Just extend its abilities.
Apple should know they aren't making devices for people who can't use them or the lowest common denominator of user experience. There were plenty of DVD and BD players that had these features standard. Sure allot of people didn't use them but allot did especially the younger audience whom I'm sure are techs biggest users.
Apple TV is only going to become more appealing to consumers with one thing: content. Series. Movies. Lots of them. Streaming not selling.
i am personally hoping for Apple to announce a new Apple TV and a new purchase ... Like Netflix or Warners... To give us something to watch on said device.