CarmB

Here in Canada it’s $5.99 a month which is reasonable for two devices and a 1080p feed. Even 720p looked watchable on a set with decent upconversion. Going further to 4K is just not that noticeable an upgrade, all things considered. For $6 a month, it’s a good deal, if what you want is inexpensive access to lots of good content with usable video quality.  

Clearly the reference to the $10,000 was intended to illustrate a point, not to put forward a literal scenario. He was just trying to accentuate that Apple’s products are well-positioned relative to the alternatives. Apple pays attention to detail in developing product on a level that places it a cut above. Over the years there is one thing that I have not experienced much of when purchasing an Apple product, namely regret.

I should qualify that. Back many years ago when I paid serious money for an Apple desktop, had I known how this would play out, I would have spent the $6K on Apple stock instead. Would have had enough money to buy a house, even with today’s prices. Do I wish I had traded a computer for a decent house years later . . .  

While I agree that 4K should be included in every tier, the truth is that even at 720p the picture looks decent on a good 4k TV. The set upconverts and as long as it’s a good quality set, that upconversion yields very good results. At least that’s my experience on my Sony 4k sets. The ads are not really all that much of a pain, either. As long as one is fine with a single feed, the ad-supported tier is a great deal. 

The $3,000 price point is utterly unworkable. That alone should have caused Apple to simply not release this device. When Apple launched the iPad, the genius of that product, the one element that launched widespread interest in tablets was an excellent price. There were tablets before the iPad but none that delivered a decent, useful product at the right price point. 

Simply put, $3,000 is not the right price point for any personal media consumption device. This thing is dead on arrival. 

720p looks fine on a set with decent upconversion. The matter of some content not being available is a contractual matter. Netflix itself would rather not limit the content offered and is likely to work towards adding as much as it can. As for the Apple TV app not being compatible at launch, Netflix has got to be the easiest service to access in a good many ways. Gaming consoles, Smart TVs, bluray players, and on and on feature a Netflix app. Surely most of us can find one that will work amongst all our toys. 

For anyone who doesn’t need more than a single feed, the ad-supported app looks like a really good deal, especially here in Canada where it will be only $5.99 a month.