Here's an interesting tidbit that might have an impact on the Mac mini reborn story...
The AP is reporting that Intel and TiVo are forming a partnership that would have TiVo work with Intel's Viiv (stuff on your TiVo box could easily be transferred to and from a Viiv PC).
[It has been reported that talks between Apple and TiVo had broken down.]
[According to Intel's official announcement, Viiv is oriented only towards Windows Media Center PCs.]
What does this new partnership mean for Apple and the Mac mini?
Perhaps ThinkSecret's DVR rumor might have a basis in truth. Apple might feel the need to put forward their own DVR solution. Or... It could mean nothing whatsoever! After all, Viiv is dependent on Windows Media Center PC actually being a product that people wish to own!!!
I could see subscription based TV Guide as part of .Mac working; plus it would give me another justification (as opposed to just paying for a mac.com email address - which is really my only reason at the moment!)
All in all this has got us here really excited - A Mac Mini media center was the first thing that went through everyone's mind when we saw Front Row. Especially if it's widened a little to accommodate a 3.5 drive.
I swear Apple designed that Front Row startup sound to give you a twitchy credit card finger when you imagine it coming out your home cinema speakers. With the possibility of a FR Mac Mini I think the wait was justified.
Could be it isn't (necessarily) "Mac mini"...Apple might just be using that as the basic form-factor, hardware platform, etc. Could be they would introduce a stand-alone, embedded, appliance product that just happens to use technologies they use in other products (if you get my meaning). Front row (and all of its underlying applications) sure...but perhaps a stripped down OS X...no other applications. Not sold as a computer at all. Just an iPod "super dock" (which would also be consistent with other old rumors of such a thing).
Apple likes "sealed box 'appliances'". Original Mac, iMac, Mac mini, iPod, etc.
I would agree that we will not see an Apple branded DVR, whether it is based on a MacMini or not. I think that Apple will enter the market with a solution to stream content to the TV, and have Disney on hand with movies and TV shows to provide content at the launch. Apple's buisness model is going to be to sell content via download, and to get the studios and networks onboard they are going to have to try to stick to this as model.
The big problem for Apple then is going to be the content available at launch and soon after launch. If there is not enough then the hardware will fail in the market place. One potential way around this would be to have a way to "RIP" DVD content that you own onto the Mac to stream to the TV. The studio's will not like this becouse there is a large rental market available for consumers could "RIP" content rather than buy it. There could be ways that Apple and the studio's could combat this like prices competative with rentals or added features to the downloads that are not available via disk. Apple could also add support for "Downloadable" rentals with their own format as well, but to be prudent thay would also need to fully support at leat one of the existing formats, like DIVIX or WMP, that have these features and have content already available online. One thing for sure Content is key to the success of any entry into the video market, and without it the device with fail. Apple will have to carefully ballance the consumers needs/desires with their own and the studios and networks, and this will not be an easy task.
Back to DVR's, this would allow Apple to lessen or eleminate the need for a large catalog of content. Apple has the technology and talent and experience to bring such a device to market that could eclips the competition. I think that Apple will resist this for the above reasons though, and leave it to third party companies to come up with a solution. However, just like the CD burners that Apple was late to adopt, the market will probably force them to add this capabilities into their "digital lifestyle" in the future. After all, how many TV shows can the average household afford to buy at $2.00 a week?
I really think people are missing the boat when it comes to Apple and a DVR. You don't have a media center unless you can record TV. Period. Downloadable content will NOT suffice in the place of a DVR. They're two different paradigms.
Downloadable content is for people who want a particular show. They may not invest in a Broadband connection. They prefer the a la cart approach because they like to keep their entertainment expenses low.
DVR users generally have a decent cable package. They have access to hundreds of channels yet not enough time to manage these channels effectively. DVR allow them to abdicate guide and recording control to the DVR. Want the DVR to automatically record Invasion every week...done. Want to have your TV suggest shows you might be interested in? Simply turn on a feature.
Apple's not going to convince anyone with a brain that their downloadable content for video is going to be even a tenth of what's available through their local Cable Op. In fact what was it CBS and NBC have already cut Apple out of the equation.
The music industry was too stupid to take control of their own digital distribution so Apple helped them. Now they want more money. The MPAA knows the burgeoning power of online distribution and they realize that as the content owners they have the power. I don't expect a duplication of iTune's success with music. It's not going to happen. IPTV is well underway, Cable Ops have VoD features that rock and a fast connection right to your STB. Apple's best bet is to eschew trying to cram some download mentality a la music to it's consumer and seek to find the perfect blend of DVR, Music, Video and Photo playback. Anything less will simply become an also ran in the CE market.
Tivo has some big things coming at CES 2006 (likely Generation 3) now is not the time for Apple to be flat footed.
...Apple's not going to convince anyone with a brain that their downloadable content for video is going to be even a tenth of what's available through their local Cable Op. In fact what was it CBS and NBC have already cut Apple out of the equation....
Downloaded content will be for anyone who wants a collection of their favorite shows or movies, comercial free for their own personal video library. The studios and Networks will prefer an on-demand model for this so they are paid everytime someone watches the content. People who watch the show once will prefer a DVR or on-demand solution. There will be some people who will want to buy select shows for their own video library, and the Networks are making more and more money from this solution with DVD sales today than they have been in the past.
I agree that the market (ie consumers) want DVR's, and right now the distribution (Cable/Satelite) companies are leaning heavily on DVR, with an ever increasing move to support more on-demand content. I may just be pessamistic, but I think that Apple will try to go another way with this.
I also believe that the "Hub" and "Digital Lifestyle" models that Apple started with mean that the media device that recieves the stream should not be a Mac, which is the Hub which devices connect to. I also think that the Mac, not the "Set-Top-Box" should have the tuners and software for DVR support and library archiving rather than the "Set-Top-Box" to keep the price of the "Box" down to a minimum to better compete against DVD and HD-DVD devices and distribution. Tuners could easily be a device or card that is added to the Mac for DVR capability and additional content could be imported from a DVD that you already own into your Library, thus eleminating the need for a DVD and a Tuner from the cost of the Media Box.
If the Mac Mini doesnt do DVR, point of having it in living room = Zilch
I dont see why becuase Apple's uh, Apple, they cant do what microsoft does, just better.
Caesar was right when he pointed out that Apple still has the same five shows. The only shows they have, are as the Keynote pointed out, those owned, ultimatly by Disney. Maybe apple was just dabbling there fingers to see hw succesful such a thing was. It sucked, so know they r bailing and going all out DVR. Doesnt make new ipods that do video obselete at all, just means in transfer process, it has to shrink HD down to 240xsomething.
Second, whoever sourced that picture of the breight yellow ugly as all hell VIIV Intel PC, was making a point, - its a fully functional (if somewhat ugly and loking like a life saving device) PC that streams Video and music. Spray paint it white or the new white, Black, stick OSX86 on it and away we go. Theres your Mac Mini.
iTunes 7: DVR inbuilt - record and play as much as u like free to air HD (which people have been able to do ever since the bad old days of the VCR, pay through store, and subscribe for paid for media channels and shows - increases Foxtel's and optus's (I live in Australia) profits, so everyone is happy. Or, alternativly, Foxtel has just brought out (or at least started advertising) a DVR box - sign partnership deals with them and stream from it, but for the people without a paid for cable connection, can buy individual high def songs through itunes, it tells u when to tune in, or altenrativly, automatically records the show. No bandwith costs either.
Oh yeah, ipod gets flashed with remote software, or new ipods have WUSB or plain old bluetooth for syncing, and being remote controls.
Mac Mini Hardware configuration
1.5ghz Pentium M (not dual core, not to start with this would compete too much with the Powermacs)
nVidia geForce 6150, nforce 430 equivelent for intel, not AMD
512mb DDR2 RAM
DUAL, DIgital TV Tuners
Airport Express
Bluetooth 1.2
Gigabit Eternet
HDMI, S-Vidio and DVI, just to cover bases
Superduper Drive
Dock for iPod/iPod Nano
Thats just a wish list, and I KNOW the nforce 430 are AMD chipsets, but I am assuming that the same thing can be donefor a socket 479 CPU
EDIT: Oh yeah, can preview one full show for free, after that you pay for whole series, so u get it whether u want it or not - more cash for apple, still reasonable fees, considering they dont have to pay bandwith costs
heh. i saw some hideous MS Windows Media Center + ViiV machines today at the "PC Fair".... apple will show em how to do it right
except during my brief glances of some of the salespeople do some techdemos, the MS Media Center interface didn't look too bad, seemed quite alright, really.
there was a mac mini total blatant ripoff on display by "FTec" computers... taiwanese or singaporean company, i think... yes, the REAL mac mini would look just gorgeous next to the TV.
my wishes are cheaper, better, faster MacMini, pentiumM driven, for the iHome / iMediaCenter /etc........!!
The more I look at how much technology Apple would have to cram into a Mac mini to make it able to record every analog and digital TV signal in the world, the more I think that a DVR solution isn't going to happen. I hope I'm wrong, but do people honestly expect Apple to ship a Mac mini that won't work (as a DVR) in many situations?
Interestingly, they suggest that it purchased media will go to your iDisk rather than your harddrive.
Here's the link for the most recent ThinkSecret article.
I don't know... In the US, broadband has captured a little over half the market; and most of that consists of relatively narrow pipes. An iDisk-streamed solution doesn't seem very practical at this time. It seems to me that if you buy content (audio or video) it simply has to reside on your own computer. The infrastructure isn't in place for any other solution - and it won't be for years.
my curiosity is definitely up; like to see how they pull this one off (that is, of course, if it's true, could be purpose leaked mis-information ) (is anyone counting the days yet? )
I hope I'm wrong, but do people honestly expect Apple to ship a Mac mini that won't work (as a DVR) in many situations?
I don't expect them to using Apple software. Remember that Elgato makes EyeTV, a very good and popular program. Apple knows this and I think they're going to let Elgato do its thing.
Why? Because an Apple DVR out of the box would murder iTMS video sales. A lot of people here don't seem to get it, so I'll make it very clear: If Apple is trying to court content creators to sell video on iTMS, why would Apple want to create software that allows people to record them off of air/cable/satellite for free?
With Elgato, those who want a DVR feature in their Mac will have to seek it out, pay for the software and hardware, and set it up themselves. A third-party DVR won't hurt iTMS sales too negatively. An Apple DVR would.
Is Elgato public? I might be interested in buying their stock right now.
The TS article seems to decsribe a rental/subscription model to me. Call it "purchasing" if they like...but if I never get possession (or can get it)...it ain't "bought" it is rented/leased. Which is fine with me...but let's call it that.
That said, I do think the remote server storage and streaming is a good technological approach given the (relatively) limited size of consumer disk space (yeah...I know...I have a 250GB drive in my new iMac...but most people don't and disk space is likely to get filled much more quickly with video content than audio content ever did). Actually it is quite brilliant...because they only have to store a show they have sold a million times...once...not a million times.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
I have TiVO and I (generally) love it.
One of the "issues" with TiVO is program conflicts (two programs overlapping in time, that I wish to watch/record). It struck me a long time ago that this is only a problem because of the content delivery mechanism (time-scheduled TV broadcasts). If TiVO (on the back end) was just accessing a database of shows this problem goes away.
Second issue...commercials. I mostly just fast forward through them. ( I almost get "hives" if I have to watch a TV program without my TiVO remote to fast forward. )
Third issue...edited for TV (movies).
Now...if Apple offers a model where I get to watch (whenever I want) the programs (and even movies) I desire and solves those three problems (and perhaps a couple more), what is it worth to me?
Well, I currently pay like $13/month for TiVO, plus I pay about $15/month for cable. If Apple had enough content available (i.e., ALL of the programs I desire), and I could cancel these other two...then $28-$30/month. I suppose a wee bit more if I just get nice "clean" (no commercial, no editing) shows.
If it is "a la carte"...perhaps even better. Some months I might pay $30...some $20...some $40...some $0.
The more I think about it. Apple may just be on the verge of "re-inventing" TV.
Wouldn't that piss off Microsoft!
BTW...I actually think the TV networks (or at least content producers) WANT this. Because if they can go "off air" with their content...they can have more latitude wrt FCC oversite.
The ThinkSecret article makes no sense. What's the difference between being on an iDisk and being on Apple's servers? The price of .Mac, that's the only difference.
Why? Because an Apple DVR out of the box would murder iTMS video sales. A lot of people here don't seem to get it, so I'll make it very clear: If Apple is trying to court content creators to sell video on iTMS, why would Apple want to create software that allows people to record them off of air/cable/satellite for free?
Nay it is you all that don't seem to get it. You think that people can be led buy a "bull ring" in their nose to downloaded a la carte video? That's folly. When people purchase cable packages they are buying so that they can get a bevvy of channels for one low "all you can eat price"
With Cable Ops producing their own DVR the value of the packages increases greatly. Just last night my roomy and I were viewing last weeks Seahawks vs NY Giants game highlights on Video on Demand and I thought "now this is cool"
We watched another HD show about this crazy snake chasin' Kiwi who got bit. I missed the snakebite at first and having never lived with a DVR thought "well that's that" until my buddy grabbed the remote and rewound the the video and played it back...in HD without a hitch.
I can't put in any more succincly. There is NOTHING that Apple can create in iTMS that's going to beat the efficacy of watching content with a DVR attached. Most of the people yammering about downloads vs DVR probably don't have a DVR at home.
I'd like to see Apple be smart about it. Media Centers imply the use of Tuners and DVR IMO. You cannot be the center of my Digital Lifestyle by failing to manage my content.
I think the issue that people are having is this. They assume that the market for downloadable video is static and that everyone applies. This is false.
People with Dish or Cable are different than those who don't want/have cable and would rather choose the a la carte method for show delivery. This is not an either or situation though people keep trying to make it that way.
I remember when iTMS was Mac only and some people thought that Apple should keep it Mac only to increase Mac sales. That's called "not seeing the forrest through the trees". Believing that Apple can thrive without a DVR is the same myopic view.
I'm not sure I'm totally understanding the Think Secret report. It almost sounds as if Apple's creating a replacement for your cable box, not an addition, essentially making them a television service provider (albiet limited at first). Honestly if that's the case, it makes more sense than loading a Mac Mini up with every analog and digital video and audio connector known to man and making the thing record content on the fly.
I imagine the preferred method for accessing ones purchased/subscribed content will be through the Front Row interface. The iDisk will just act as a means of accessing the content in the Finder, as an alternative to the Front Row interface. Since the content isn't really on your Hard Drive, the iDisk makes sense as it's already a virtual space accessible from the Finder.
I think the big picture here is that Apple would use the internet as a means of television and film distribution, essentially eliminating Comcast, TIme Warner, Dish, Direct TV, and the other cable and dish providers from the equation.
I think the big picture here is that Apple would use the internet as a means of television and film distribution, essentially eliminating Comcast, TIme Warner, Dish, Direct TV, and the other cable and dish providers from the equation.
From the sounds of the current rumor, this seems exactly right.
Comments
The AP is reporting that Intel and TiVo are forming a partnership that would have TiVo work with Intel's Viiv (stuff on your TiVo box could easily be transferred to and from a Viiv PC).
[It has been reported that talks between Apple and TiVo had broken down.]
[According to Intel's official announcement, Viiv is oriented only towards Windows Media Center PCs.]
What does this new partnership mean for Apple and the Mac mini?
Perhaps ThinkSecret's DVR rumor might have a basis in truth. Apple might feel the need to put forward their own DVR solution. Or... It could mean nothing whatsoever! After all, Viiv is dependent on Windows Media Center PC actually being a product that people wish to own!!!
All in all this has got us here really excited - A Mac Mini media center was the first thing that went through everyone's mind when we saw Front Row. Especially if it's widened a little to accommodate a 3.5 drive.
I swear Apple designed that Front Row startup sound to give you a twitchy credit card finger when you imagine it coming out your home cinema speakers.
McBear
Could be it isn't (necessarily) "Mac mini"...Apple might just be using that as the basic form-factor, hardware platform, etc. Could be they would introduce a stand-alone, embedded, appliance product that just happens to use technologies they use in other products (if you get my meaning). Front row (and all of its underlying applications) sure...but perhaps a stripped down OS X...no other applications. Not sold as a computer at all. Just an iPod "super dock" (which would also be consistent with other old rumors of such a thing).
Apple likes "sealed box 'appliances'". Original Mac, iMac, Mac mini, iPod, etc.
The big problem for Apple then is going to be the content available at launch and soon after launch. If there is not enough then the hardware will fail in the market place. One potential way around this would be to have a way to "RIP" DVD content that you own onto the Mac to stream to the TV. The studio's will not like this becouse there is a large rental market available for consumers could "RIP" content rather than buy it. There could be ways that Apple and the studio's could combat this like prices competative with rentals or added features to the downloads that are not available via disk. Apple could also add support for "Downloadable" rentals with their own format as well, but to be prudent thay would also need to fully support at leat one of the existing formats, like DIVIX or WMP, that have these features and have content already available online. One thing for sure Content is key to the success of any entry into the video market, and without it the device with fail. Apple will have to carefully ballance the consumers needs/desires with their own and the studios and networks, and this will not be an easy task.
Back to DVR's, this would allow Apple to lessen or eleminate the need for a large catalog of content. Apple has the technology and talent and experience to bring such a device to market that could eclips the competition. I think that Apple will resist this for the above reasons though, and leave it to third party companies to come up with a solution. However, just like the CD burners that Apple was late to adopt, the market will probably force them to add this capabilities into their "digital lifestyle" in the future. After all, how many TV shows can the average household afford to buy at $2.00 a week?
Downloadable content is for people who want a particular show. They may not invest in a Broadband connection. They prefer the a la cart approach because they like to keep their entertainment expenses low.
DVR users generally have a decent cable package. They have access to hundreds of channels yet not enough time to manage these channels effectively. DVR allow them to abdicate guide and recording control to the DVR. Want the DVR to automatically record Invasion every week...done. Want to have your TV suggest shows you might be interested in? Simply turn on a feature.
Apple's not going to convince anyone with a brain that their downloadable content for video is going to be even a tenth of what's available through their local Cable Op. In fact what was it CBS and NBC have already cut Apple out of the equation.
The music industry was too stupid to take control of their own digital distribution so Apple helped them. Now they want more money. The MPAA knows the burgeoning power of online distribution and they realize that as the content owners they have the power. I don't expect a duplication of iTune's success with music. It's not going to happen. IPTV is well underway, Cable Ops have VoD features that rock and a fast connection right to your STB. Apple's best bet is to eschew trying to cram some download mentality a la music to it's consumer and seek to find the perfect blend of DVR, Music, Video and Photo playback. Anything less will simply become an also ran in the CE market.
Tivo has some big things coming at CES 2006 (likely Generation 3) now is not the time for Apple to be flat footed.
Originally posted by hmurchison
...Apple's not going to convince anyone with a brain that their downloadable content for video is going to be even a tenth of what's available through their local Cable Op. In fact what was it CBS and NBC have already cut Apple out of the equation....
Downloaded content will be for anyone who wants a collection of their favorite shows or movies, comercial free for their own personal video library. The studios and Networks will prefer an on-demand model for this so they are paid everytime someone watches the content. People who watch the show once will prefer a DVR or on-demand solution. There will be some people who will want to buy select shows for their own video library, and the Networks are making more and more money from this solution with DVD sales today than they have been in the past.
I agree that the market (ie consumers) want DVR's, and right now the distribution (Cable/Satelite) companies are leaning heavily on DVR, with an ever increasing move to support more on-demand content. I may just be pessamistic, but I think that Apple will try to go another way with this.
I also believe that the "Hub" and "Digital Lifestyle" models that Apple started with mean that the media device that recieves the stream should not be a Mac, which is the Hub which devices connect to. I also think that the Mac, not the "Set-Top-Box" should have the tuners and software for DVR support and library archiving rather than the "Set-Top-Box" to keep the price of the "Box" down to a minimum to better compete against DVD and HD-DVD devices and distribution. Tuners could easily be a device or card that is added to the Mac for DVR capability and additional content could be imported from a DVD that you already own into your Library, thus eleminating the need for a DVD and a Tuner from the cost of the Media Box.
If the Mac Mini doesnt do DVR, point of having it in living room = Zilch
I dont see why becuase Apple's uh, Apple, they cant do what microsoft does, just better.
Caesar was right when he pointed out that Apple still has the same five shows. The only shows they have, are as the Keynote pointed out, those owned, ultimatly by Disney. Maybe apple was just dabbling there fingers to see hw succesful such a thing was. It sucked, so know they r bailing and going all out DVR. Doesnt make new ipods that do video obselete at all, just means in transfer process, it has to shrink HD down to 240xsomething.
Second, whoever sourced that picture of the breight yellow ugly as all hell VIIV Intel PC, was making a point, - its a fully functional (if somewhat ugly and loking like a life saving device) PC that streams Video and music. Spray paint it white or the new white, Black, stick OSX86 on it and away we go. Theres your Mac Mini.
iTunes 7: DVR inbuilt - record and play as much as u like free to air HD (which people have been able to do ever since the bad old days of the VCR, pay through store, and subscribe for paid for media channels and shows - increases Foxtel's and optus's (I live in Australia) profits, so everyone is happy. Or, alternativly, Foxtel has just brought out (or at least started advertising) a DVR box - sign partnership deals with them and stream from it, but for the people without a paid for cable connection, can buy individual high def songs through itunes, it tells u when to tune in, or altenrativly, automatically records the show. No bandwith costs either.
Oh yeah, ipod gets flashed with remote software, or new ipods have WUSB or plain old bluetooth for syncing, and being remote controls.
Mac Mini Hardware configuration
1.5ghz Pentium M (not dual core, not to start with this would compete too much with the Powermacs)
nVidia geForce 6150, nforce 430 equivelent for intel, not AMD
512mb DDR2 RAM
DUAL, DIgital TV Tuners
Airport Express
Bluetooth 1.2
Gigabit Eternet
HDMI, S-Vidio and DVI, just to cover bases
Superduper Drive
Dock for iPod/iPod Nano
Thats just a wish list, and I KNOW the nforce 430 are AMD chipsets, but I am assuming that the same thing can be donefor a socket 479 CPU
EDIT: Oh yeah, can preview one full show for free, after that you pay for whole series, so u get it whether u want it or not - more cash for apple, still reasonable fees, considering they dont have to pay bandwith costs
except during my brief glances of some of the salespeople do some techdemos, the MS Media Center interface didn't look too bad, seemed quite alright, really.
there was a mac mini total blatant ripoff on display by "FTec" computers... taiwanese or singaporean company, i think... yes, the REAL mac mini would look just gorgeous next to the TV.
my wishes are cheaper, better, faster MacMini, pentiumM driven, for the iHome / iMediaCenter /etc........!!
Interestingly, they suggest that it purchased media will go to your iDisk rather than your harddrive.
That'll get cracked in 5 minutes.
What's wrong with having the option to download content and restrict it FairPlay style? Oh, that's right, the psychotic studio heads.
Originally posted by david_oc
Think Secret have more chat about it.
Interestingly, they suggest that it purchased media will go to your iDisk rather than your harddrive.
Here's the link for the most recent ThinkSecret article.
I don't know... In the US, broadband has captured a little over half the market; and most of that consists of relatively narrow pipes. An iDisk-streamed solution doesn't seem very practical at this time. It seems to me that if you buy content (audio or video) it simply has to reside on your own computer. The infrastructure isn't in place for any other solution - and it won't be for years.
Originally posted by dws
I hope I'm wrong, but do people honestly expect Apple to ship a Mac mini that won't work (as a DVR) in many situations?
I don't expect them to using Apple software. Remember that Elgato makes EyeTV, a very good and popular program. Apple knows this and I think they're going to let Elgato do its thing.
Why? Because an Apple DVR out of the box would murder iTMS video sales. A lot of people here don't seem to get it, so I'll make it very clear: If Apple is trying to court content creators to sell video on iTMS, why would Apple want to create software that allows people to record them off of air/cable/satellite for free?
With Elgato, those who want a DVR feature in their Mac will have to seek it out, pay for the software and hardware, and set it up themselves. A third-party DVR won't hurt iTMS sales too negatively. An Apple DVR would.
Is Elgato public? I might be interested in buying their stock right now.
Hmm, sneaking in a new department head? Hm.
That said, I do think the remote server storage and streaming is a good technological approach given the (relatively) limited size of consumer disk space (yeah...I know...I have a 250GB drive in my new iMac...but most people don't and disk space is likely to get filled much more quickly with video content than audio content ever did). Actually it is quite brilliant...because they only have to store a show they have sold a million times...once...not a million times.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
I have TiVO and I (generally) love it.
One of the "issues" with TiVO is program conflicts (two programs overlapping in time, that I wish to watch/record). It struck me a long time ago that this is only a problem because of the content delivery mechanism (time-scheduled TV broadcasts). If TiVO (on the back end) was just accessing a database of shows this problem goes away.
Second issue...commercials. I mostly just fast forward through them. ( I almost get "hives" if I have to watch a TV program without my TiVO remote to fast forward.
Third issue...edited for TV (movies).
Now...if Apple offers a model where I get to watch (whenever I want) the programs (and even movies) I desire and solves those three problems (and perhaps a couple more), what is it worth to me?
Well, I currently pay like $13/month for TiVO, plus I pay about $15/month for cable. If Apple had enough content available (i.e., ALL of the programs I desire), and I could cancel these other two...then $28-$30/month. I suppose a wee bit more if I just get nice "clean" (no commercial, no editing) shows.
If it is "a la carte"...perhaps even better. Some months I might pay $30...some $20...some $40...some $0.
The more I think about it. Apple may just be on the verge of "re-inventing" TV.
Wouldn't that piss off Microsoft!
BTW...I actually think the TV networks (or at least content producers) WANT this. Because if they can go "off air" with their content...they can have more latitude wrt FCC oversite.
Why? Because an Apple DVR out of the box would murder iTMS video sales. A lot of people here don't seem to get it, so I'll make it very clear: If Apple is trying to court content creators to sell video on iTMS, why would Apple want to create software that allows people to record them off of air/cable/satellite for free?
Nay it is you all that don't seem to get it. You think that people can be led buy a "bull ring" in their nose to downloaded a la carte video? That's folly. When people purchase cable packages they are buying so that they can get a bevvy of channels for one low "all you can eat price"
With Cable Ops producing their own DVR the value of the packages increases greatly. Just last night my roomy and I were viewing last weeks Seahawks vs NY Giants game highlights on Video on Demand and I thought "now this is cool"
We watched another HD show about this crazy snake chasin' Kiwi who got bit. I missed the snakebite at first and having never lived with a DVR thought "well that's that" until my buddy grabbed the remote and rewound the the video and played it back...in HD without a hitch.
I can't put in any more succincly. There is NOTHING that Apple can create in iTMS that's going to beat the efficacy of watching content with a DVR attached. Most of the people yammering about downloads vs DVR probably don't have a DVR at home.
I'd like to see Apple be smart about it. Media Centers imply the use of Tuners and DVR IMO. You cannot be the center of my Digital Lifestyle by failing to manage my content.
I think the issue that people are having is this. They assume that the market for downloadable video is static and that everyone applies. This is false.
People with Dish or Cable are different than those who don't want/have cable and would rather choose the a la carte method for show delivery. This is not an either or situation though people keep trying to make it that way.
I remember when iTMS was Mac only and some people thought that Apple should keep it Mac only to increase Mac sales. That's called "not seeing the forrest through the trees". Believing that Apple can thrive without a DVR is the same myopic view.
I imagine the preferred method for accessing ones purchased/subscribed content will be through the Front Row interface. The iDisk will just act as a means of accessing the content in the Finder, as an alternative to the Front Row interface. Since the content isn't really on your Hard Drive, the iDisk makes sense as it's already a virtual space accessible from the Finder.
I think the big picture here is that Apple would use the internet as a means of television and film distribution, essentially eliminating Comcast, TIme Warner, Dish, Direct TV, and the other cable and dish providers from the equation.
Originally posted by Cory Bauer
I think the big picture here is that Apple would use the internet as a means of television and film distribution, essentially eliminating Comcast, TIme Warner, Dish, Direct TV, and the other cable and dish providers from the equation.
From the sounds of the current rumor, this seems exactly right.