 Six Reasons Why the Apple TV Missed the Mark
Okay, before we get accused of being haters let us first say there were a lot of cool things introduced at the Sept 1st event in San Francisco like high dynamic range photographs, Ping which will add a nice social dimension to iTunes, and the new slimmer, iPod Touch with all the features of an iPhone 4 (minus the phone) looks good. You can see our coverage of the announcements here.
The new Apple TV on the other hand, which we hoped to be so much more, unfortunately, delivered so much less. We admit it's a cute gadget and for $99 might be fun to have to connect your TV to the Internet as well as put content from your computer on your TV screen but there are probably better options for connecting your TV. Here's our list of complaints:
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No Apps on Apple TV
 In the battle for the living room where apps, that are so popular on iPhones and iPads, might be scaled up to run on a big screen, Apple appears to be uninterested, at the moment in porting apps to a TV OS at the moment. This leaves the field open to Google TV and manufacturers like Samsung and LG to create TV OS environments of their own. With so many different TV OS' there could be interoperability challenges for consumers. |
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No Cool New User Interface
Steve Jobs showed a nice looking remote for the Apple TV but where was the iPhone or iPad app? Here was an opportunity for Apple to do what it does best and that is make something fun and easy to use. Yes, we know there’s a 2 year old, 31/2 star app from Apple called Remote that has been updated to work on Apple TV but we were hoping to see some advancement in the 10 foot interface. |
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 No 1080p on Apple TV
We were warned about this shortcoming in advance so it came as no surprise and some might argue that most content you'll watch is 1080i or 720p anyway, but Full HD means 1080p, that's what most TVs are capable of these days and it would be nice if Apple TV supported that too. |
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There are Better
Options than Apple TV
 Okay, we'll concede Apple and its ability to sign up studios and networks to provide first run movies and shows could be a good argument for buying an Apple TV, but for less than $100 more you can get a connected Blu-ray player that includes WiFi connectivity and streaming content from Pandora, Netflix and others. In fact a Netflix account for $8.99 will not only get you a Blu-ray movie in the mail but you can watch all the movies you want for one monthly fee. |
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 Who Needs Another
Set Top Box?
Not only is the size of the Apple TV peculiar (why does it need to be so small) but who needs another box that you have to plug into your power strip and locate close to the TV? Why not build connectivity into the TV, Blu-ray player, game console or receiver? Where’s the real Apple TV? |
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Why Not Use the
DLNA Standard?
 Maybe Apple had a good reason to shun the open standard from DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance)that has been adopted by manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Philips, and Sony that already lets you move content from your laptop or smartphone to your TV. Apple has chosen to offer their own proprietary standard called AirPlay. Consumers always come up with the short end of the stick when you have many proprietary standards that won't work with one another. |
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It's Up to Google
 At their recent developer's conference, Google brought out some industry chiefs to endorse Google TV. If we are going to see a wide selection of apps on our living room HDTV sets, it looks like it will have to come from Google unless Apple changes course. Samsung is developing their own TV app platform but we don't see how they could come close to the number of Android apps that would show up on Google TV-equipped sets. |
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Comments
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Apple?
I have been in the IT and A/V industries for over 25 years. I sold, supported and fixed computers dating back to 1981, when the CoCo and Tandy were part of the big 3. I have yet to own anything Apple that has not broken and either been un-repairable or too costly to repair (1 McIngosh, 2 G series, several Ipods, Apple IPod dock (what a joke))
I also developed interfaces (personality based) for the PowerPC chips before Apple started using them. The only brand that had trouble interfacing multi layer personalty? Apple. I had MS Office, running on Windows NT, running as a personality of OS/2 Warp, running as a windowed personality of AIX, running on top of standard Unix on a first Gen PPC. Plug in an Apple OS - it turned into a MAC only. Mac-Borg assimilation.
Those who choose to own Apple products need to re-affirm their before and after IQ scores - the 'ease of use' is prone to making one computer illiterate. Hit Chooser then what does I do, what does I do! The average 40 year old PC user can sense if there is an issue with their system versus someone with a CrapBook blankly staring at it when it doesnt work.
The bottom line is not that PC's and Windows dont have issues - they do. They just don't make us into morons.
Relative to audio/video interoperability - all manufacturers are missing the mark, but Apple is once again snatching money from the mouths of their user base - I can visualize a Yoga setting where Apple TV fanatics are holding the device in their hands up to the sun-god-Jobs waiting for divine enlightenment. And capability. And apps. And performance. And compatibility. and HD.
"Please insert another $99 please. Thank you, MacMorons. Snow Leopard Bunny Lizzard Otter PeePee out"
Apple can't even make an IPod dock that lets you control their product (functionally) on a TV or from a car stereo. How can anyone think they make a TV computing appliance.
Peace out, MacHappies.
Apple's game
Come on Retrevo -- surely you guys know Apple will eventually implement these features... on future, more costly models. That's their game. Give you a taste of something good, structure the product models in such a way that the cheapest, entry-level version which costs next to nothing also have next to no functionality, and once you've bought something you aren't happy with, 6-8 mos down the line, a new, more expensive, but more functional version will come out. Most readers probably don't realize this article was written to further ensnare you in Apple's nefarious hipster games. Form has overtaken functionality and it's scaring the rest of us how zealous the Apple bunch are.
WTF
I don't know who pissed in your wheaties this morning but you have a huge chip on your shoulder...I can take constructive criticism but you take the cake...
first of all...FULL HD...1080i...are you nuts...98% of the world doesn’t have a broadband company that in their right mind would allow you to download or stream that kind of data usage even if it could handle it...there is no way in hell Comcast or ATT would be able to (comcast won't allow it, and DSL sucks for normal stuff)
and as far as most TV's are 1080i...I call bullshit...I work at Best Buy and most TV's are only 720...unless you are buying a 50" HDTV you are not going to get or even be able to even tell the difference between...and most consumers don't have the money to buy a 55" or 60" TV...it's just a fact...not to mention all the people that still have CRT TV's that can't do anything but 420
REMOTE...there is no simpler remote interface on the planet then the Apple Remote...and it cost $19 by itself...so therefore the TV is only $80 cost...most people can't figure out their remotes as it is...I know I have to help my mother all the time...it's annoying...and as far as the Remote.app for iOS devices...it is plenty capable of doing a great job...yes it could use an update but it's not necessary at this moment...it's amazing for typing instead of using the remote and it's great multitouch interface...besides it doubles as a remote for the mac as well
DLNA standard...why would Apple drop what they already use in all of their products to support a standard that is buggy at best for most consumers...AirPlay is going to be even better than AirTunes which is amazing as it is...built on the Bonjour standard and going to be part of the iOS 4.2 update and allow for sharing photos, movies, music and more on your TV where ever you want...at anyones house that has an TV...and you can't even give it props...you are insane
NO APPS?...did he say that there would not be any apps for the TV? NO he didn’t...it just wasn’t brought up at this time...trust me with the TV having the A4 chip I'm sure it is running a version of iOS and therefore will have apps eventually...they will prob be apps installed on your other iOS devices and be able to stream to the TV...that is all in due time...hey up until recently the TV was solely a hobby...chill a minute why don't you?
Who needs another set top box...what did you expect a 50" TV HDTV that would prob cost 2-3 grand...who can afford that crap...if most people can't afford a TV that does true 1080i content the what makes you think they could afford a television from Apple...I know I can't...
Better options? oh no you didn’t! The TV Netflix interface is the best there is on the market of any other interface...hands down...and BluRay...hahahahahahaha...physical media is well on it's way like the floppy drive...obsolete in a few years...at Best Buy we see the Music and Movies departments becoming smaller and smaller every day...sure there will be some people that will want to buy physical media but those days are slowly coming to pass...besides the licensing costs of BluRay are astronomical...barely any PCs are carrying them at this point...over priced for something that will eventually be useless...and Pandora etc can be streamed using AirTunes now with a simple app by Rogue Amoeba called AirFoil...so just open it on your computer and stream it to the TV...very simple...and the TV has a crap load of Internet radio stations to choose from as it is...not to mention MobileMe and Flickr
and the piece de resistance...GOOGLE...are you kidding me...lmfao
they have no clue what they are doing...they are too busy putting the hands in so many directions half the time they don't know which way is up...GoogleTV isn't going to be a smash hit...it's running Android...and we all know how pathetic that is...every handset now runs a different version that looks and acts differently and it is way too open to be safe for your information...virus' etc are bound to be running crazy and in some cases already are...lets let google figure out how to do one thing besides search the right way before we put any eggs in their basket...and from what understand they are having to answer to a bunch of different law suits because of how they do business in their bread and butter tech...too big for their britches...enough said on that point
my point is...you are so quick to judge something that isn't even at market yet...and as far as I'm concerned the original TV is amazing and I could not live without...and as Jobs said in the keynote...people that have TV's LOVE THEM...and yes we do...think about it...they are currently running a version of Tiger 10.4 and have a Pentium M processor and only 1Gb of Ram...my TV's are a godsend for me...and I will be getting the new one pronto and gifting my current two to my family that have been beside themselves since I moved out and took them with me
Alex comment
Yo, Alex....get a life. Your point of view is lost with your holier than thou arrogant attitude that you know so much while the rest of us are idiots....that may be, but you are a........
and I have two words for you and your opinion.............. .............. (and they aren't lets dance)
I see
Ifans love limits! We clearly have some people that demand more, however some feel apple give us just enough and they love it (until the next generation of that item). I have seen it with every iphone, every ipod and now with the ipad.
When the iphone had no camera, ifans were like "For god sakes, its a phone. Who needs to take pictures with a phone" and then came the justification "Camera phone photos are not print worthy anyway, if i want photos I will buy a digital camera" The iphone just works!
Then the iphone got a camera like the other phones "ifans were like, This is great, it is the best! So what if i can't record video like all other smartphones" It just works!
Then the iphone gets video recording. Ifans are like "this is so cool, Apple is the best, so what if I can't multi-task, or video chat . It just works!
Then Theres Iphone 4, Now I have a retina display,multi task, and video chat over wifi
so what if I can't over 3g cell companies can't handle... bandwith... video quality blah, blah more excuses...blah. It just works.
Can you predict Iphone 5 features? Ifans are followers at best.
Apple Tv fans follow the same pattern, I am sorry you don't see it.
Side note: "If your P.C. took more than 5 minutes to shut down, I don't blame you for going to Macs. I am a windows user and I have never had that experience, even while updating.
Excellent Post...
Perfectly true, it's funny to watch the anti-tech crowd hate on Apple.
Wow...
Are you from 2005? Cause the following statement is:
"and as far as most TV's are 1080i...I call bullshit...I work at Best Buy and most TV's are only 720...unless you are buying a 50" HDTV you are not going to get or even be able to even tell the difference between...and most consumers don't have the money to buy a 55" or 60" TV...it's just a fact...not to mention all the people that still have CRT TV's that can't do anything but 420"
When I worked at the BBY in question in 2003 that was basically the attitude. However I'd hate to go to your BBY currently if all you have is 720p screens, and primarily push those, then good God do you have one heck of a bad inventory... my local Target has 2 720p TV's.
But you are wrong also, in the fact you claim:
"I work at Best Buy and most TV's are only 720"
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcat17080&type=page&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1~~cabcat0100000%23%234%23%23wu~~cabcat0101000%23%237%23%236d~~cabcat0101001%23%230%23%233j~~nf312||4c434420466c61742d50616e656c&list=y&nrp=15&sc=TVVideoSP&sp=-bestsellingsort+skuid&usc=abcat0100000
MOST are 1080p on the site - 38 are 720p, 66 are 1080p - 2 are 1080i and there is 1 480. The site has NO CRT.
Guessing your best buy must be stuck with a lot of old stock or they're trying to clear out those 720's since they don't sell too well... Good sales pitch though, very good on getting those crappier products out the door.
The vast difference in HD quality between my fathers 720p and my 1080p (even when it's running 1080i from my cable company) is so visible it's not even funny. 37" 720p to a 47" 1080p (running 1080i) - Blu-Ray is insane on that TV, and it looks like an upconverted DVD on the 720p... it's a clear difference when you look at them.
Now... when the manager in my Bestbuy (stop me if I'm telling too much of the truth here...) Forces the source of the video he's playing to go to a MAX of 720p to make the "clearance items" look better, rather then setting it to 1080p and letting the TV's downscale like they're supposed to, then yes... it's very hard to tell the difference... because they're all running the same res at that point.
Do me a favor - hook up two different (key word) Blu-Ray players to a 720p TV and a 1080p TV respectively - make sure you use those crappy "Dynex" HDMI cables and play the same Blu-Ray. After you're done worshiping the near flawless picture that beams from the screen into your eyes tell me that the 720p is just as good... The problem is there's no reason to NOT support 1080p - other then to ensure that WHEN 1080p is offered in the iTunes store, you'll need to buy another Apple TV. Apple always tries to make sure you need to buy another one when the new one comes out.
I think this best sums up the "Apple" Experience: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple
WHO ARE YOU...and
can you read...I never said that we don't have a bunch of 1080p HDTV's...I said we don't sell more of them than the 720p HDTV's...don't you remember we are still in a recession
so all of your rhetoric is lost because you don't read
I can read
"and as far as most TV's are 1080i...I call bullshit...I work at Best Buy and most TV's are only 720...unless you are buying a 50" HDTV you are not going to get or even be able to even tell the difference between...and most consumers don't have the money to buy a 55" or 60" TV...it's just a fact...not to mention all the people that still have CRT TV's that can't do anything but 420"
Seems cut and dried to me.
BBY 1080P
Your town must be dark ages. There are only a couple of 720 sets at our Best Buy and they just sit there. Who would spend just a little less to have a lot less? Our town has been almost all 1080 p for a couple of years.
Okay, my turn
Alexis, very impressive comment, obviously you know something about TVs, I may have had Wheaties for breakfast but it sounds like you had Apple Kool-aid :) ) As far as 1080p vs 720p goes, I admit that you can't notice much difference below a 37-inch set and most programming comes in below 1080p but why not expect 1080p maybe with some upscaling thrown in. Steve Jobs is famous for dismissing features it can't provide at the moment. If they made cars and couldn't make air conditioners he would tell you that nobody wants an air conditioner in their car. As far as the UI goes, I was expecting more out of Apple than a one button mouse equivalent.
DLNA admittiedly hasn't taken off but at least it has the potential to work work with other gear. I love the idea of sending music from a phone to a speaker dock, I just don't want the experience to be owned by Apple.
I know the world is going streaming and Blu-ray will eventually be a dinosaur but in the meantime it offers the best quality video and audio and you can get a disc sent to you from Netflix that is probably not even available to stream. I'll take the connected Blu-ray player for now.
I still believe apps on the TV is a desireable feature and if Apple doesn't get it together Google and its partners could grab that market.
Don't get me wrong, I respect your opinions and apprecite you taking the time to express them here. Have fun with your Apple TV. Send me your impressions at andrew at retrevo dot com
thank you
you are a true gentleman...too bad other commenters are not here...anyway...
I will admit I am a fanboy...I love Apple products...but the reason I love them is because they are great...they last forever...they are built using amazing materials and they just WORK!
and isn't that what all of us want from the things we buy...I don't know how many phones I had before I finally was able to afford an iPhone...but there were a bunch...they all sucked or broke or just didn’t work well...
I went years using PC's...knew the ins and outs of them...how to take them apart and how to fix them because they were always breaking...then I got my first Mac at a Pawn Shop...that was 5 years ago and the damn thing is still working and it was 4 or so years old when I got it...and I was hooked...no waiting for the computer to shut down for 10 or more minutes...it just shut down...no worrying about how many programs I was using because they just worked...and I could go on and on
the fact is...I was not jumping up and down when I first saw the keynote talking about the new TV...because I was wanting all those stupid rumors to come true...and you know what...most of those rumors were horse shit...
because Apple only gives us what we really need and what they can truly support and make work at the time they release it...and as they get better they give us better...and most of the time it comes to us in an update...you don't always have to buy a new Apple product when it comes out to replace the previous generation...but a lot of us just love these products so much that we want that new generation...it may not be healthy and not smart...but who cares...if it makes us as consumers happy then so be it...and hell it has made Apple the number 1 Tech company in the USA...number 2 company in the USA...and I support that because Apple isn't out there trying to control the world...they are just doing what a business is suppose to do...create products that are worthy of purchasing and create products that people want to have and create products that add value to the people that buy them and create products that add to the value of the company
we can all bitch and moan and groan about Apple should have done this or Apple should have put this in this product...but the fact is they didn’t and they are not going to until they decide it is the correct time to do so...not before then but just when it is the right time
people all think they know best and that they know what they should have done and they know what people want and what people need...horse shit...if they know so damn much why don't they have a company half as successful as Apple is...they don't and I doubt they ever will...I'm exhausted with this...but I'm sure I have more to discuss with a different commenter
again thank you for your time...and I feel I have to apologize for being a bitch before...I do get defensive when it comes to Apple because I have based a lot of my life around their products...oh well...I can't wait to get the new TV...will I love it?...I don't know...from my past experience I think I'm going to like it a hell of a lot...peace
I see
Ifans love limits! We clearly have some people that demand more, however some feel apple give us just enough and they love it (until the next generation of that item). I have seen it with every iphone, every ipod and now with the ipad.
When the iphone had no camera, ifans were like "For god sakes, its a phone. Who needs to take pictures with a phone" and then came the justification "Camera phone photos are not print worthy anyway, if i want photos I will buy a digital camera" The iphone just works!
Then the iphone got a camera like the other phones "ifans were like, This is great, it is the best! So what if i can't record video like all other smartphones" It just works!
Then the iphone gets video recording. Ifans are like "this is so cool, Apple is the best, so what if I can't multi-task, or video chat . It just works!
Then Theres Iphone 4, Now I have a retina display,multi task, and video chat over wifi
so what if I can't over 3g cell companies can't handle... bandwith... video quality blah, blah more excuses...blah. It just works.
Can you predict Iphone 5 features? Ifans are followers at best.
Apple Tv fans follow the same pattern, I am sorry you don't see it.
Side note: "If your P.C. took more than 5 minutes to shut down, I don't blame you for going to Macs. I am a windows user and I have never had that experience, even while updating.
now I know you’re a liar
I have never seen a PC shut down with any sort of speed...and not to mention that that gets longer and longer the older the PC gets...it's fact...you are a liar
Really? This again?
After reading your obviously uneducated comment i clocked how long it takes my laptop to shutdown it is running windows 7 ultimate and its NOT a fresh install. its 2.7 seconds. Then i emailed one of my good friends who LOVES macs and he did a shutdown on his mac book it took 3.2 seconds and its new he just got it about 2 weeks ago so for some reason my " slow" PC managed to surpass his "fast" mac book. now im not saying macs are bad computers and im not saying PCs are good computers what im saying is dont talk such obvious bullsh!t. All fans of whatever the product may be are all the same xbox fans hate ps3 and ps3 fans hate the xbox and wii fans hate both of them so STOP! being such an idiot.
@ Korndog
Agreed! Does anybody's pc take longer than 5 minutes to shut down even while updating, because, aparently our windows pcs are faster than average and Alexis Ifan thinks I am lying.
This simple makes me more proud of my p.c. and clearly show how immature she is for spouting a mouthful of nonsense. She appears to be very talkative for no reason. I would really hate to be in her presence. (Seems very angry and bitter, not sure why her opinion is the only one that matters.)
Wow Alexis
I guess you know my p.c.s personal attacks don't change facts. I don't think that anybody's p.c. takes more than 5 minutes to shut down, and if yours took ten minutes, then you truly ruined your p.c.
I simply was stating my experience, and somehow you think I have some reason to lie to you.
I don't know you. You don't know me. Which means I have nothing against you. Therefore I cannot say you are a liar because your p.c. takes ten minutes to shut down. I just know mine never has.
Is that the only thing you are disputing, or was my depiction of ifans accurate?
Enjoying the discussion
Thanks for the nice note. I agree with you about the caliber of Apple products but you have to admit they do invite some of the criticism with a certain amount of shall we say arrogance (not that it isn't justified in some cases) but when you set the bar high it's easy to disappoint from time to time. I think some of us were exepcting something insanely great for their TV product. I still think it makes sense for them to market their own TV (just a larger monitor with some added circuitry). I was also looking for more from them in the TV dept just because TVs are where the action is whether it's connected TVs, 3DTV or just HDTV. Anyway, have fun selling gear to all those celebs in South Beach.
Obviously a Fanboy
Okay, you obviously swing from Jobs' nutsack, so I'm not even going to bother with most of your statements (though false). However, you seem to have contradicted yourself. First, you assert that full HD (and it's 1080p, not 1080i) isn't achievable through current broadband providers. That's actually false, as I stream full 1080p through Comcast all the time (and by "all the time", I don't mean daily; just when I find something to watch), so don't say that Comcast won't allow it. They just have a 250 gig monthly bandwidth limit that keeps you from doing it too often.
However, that isn't the contradiction. You then go on to state that blu-ray will be obsolete in a few years. If you are convinced that full HD isn't available over a broadband connection, then how can you "guarantee" the demise of the one product, currently on the market, that actually GUARANTEES you full HD? Until there is a broadband network in place that will allow for constant, on demand streaming of FULL HD content, then blu-ray isn't going anywhere.
In short, not all of us like 720p, 32" econosets from Wal Mart. We want full HD, on the biggest sets, with the deepest blacks (and Best Buy is actually a pretty good source for these, or didn't you know that?). We also don't think we should have to live with a certain limitation to our viewing habits, simply because the almighty Apple can't find a way to do it properly, or worse yet, doesn't think we should have it.
ok...in rebuttal
yes I did get the "i" and "p" backwards and I am so sorry for that...I was kinda worked up by the Apple Hating I had just read...
but I was not wrong in what I said...you took it to mean what you felt it meant and I will now say what I meant
as far as Comcast...streaming is when you use your Internet connection to stream content from the servers at a particular site to your computer or computerized box connected to your TV...and downloading is downloading it from your Internet connection from a particular site...when Full HD content is in the double digit GIGS in size...you can NOT get that type of content on any type of regular basis from Comcast because you will get cut off and no longer have Internet for your house period and that is just from watching your TV...and I know people that Comcast has cut off for data usage
as far as what you said about streaming from Comcast...you are not streaming from Comcast thru your Internet connection...you are watching content from your Cable thru the Coaxial Cable and a Set top Cable box...that is not what this discussion was about...I have HD cable also and I know what I was talking about...and it wasn’t using OnDemand or your cable subscription or even PayPerView
now on to the TV's...yes I know what TV's we carry at Best Buy...and YES we have a ton of different HDTV's that are 1080p (my bad again for using 'i' before) but people don't buy them all that often...it's a fact...they are very expensive...the majority of HDTV's that go out the door are under 50" and are only 720p...and we are in a very affluent area...South Beach in Miami Beach, FL...less than 1 mile from where Don Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Lenny Kravitz, Will Smith, Gloria Estefan, Rosie O'Donnell, Thalía, Madonna, Alex Rodriguez, P.Diddy, and Sylvester Stallone have owned property on Star Island and Fisher Island which contains mansions, a hotel, several apartment buildings, an observatory, and a private marina. Boris Becker, Oprah Winfrey, and Mel Brooks are among the celebrities with homes on the island and that is not half of the sort of people that are in this area...so my point is...even with the high class of clientele we have in the area most TV's that are sold are not 1080p HDTV's they are 720p...imagine what the sales trends are in the rest of the real world where there is not the income bracket that we have?
and as far as BluRay is concerned...yes it may be around for a while longer...but as most people in the world are using TV's that can only really play 720p content, the need for them to purchase these disks that get scratched and lost and gather dusk is going to slim down...and then once the broadband speeds and download caps are a thing of the past...who will really be bothered with maintaining the disks and buying them and OMG storing them...because by then hopefully 1080p HDTV's will become less expensive to purchase and more people will be able to have them and with no more data caps (I hope) then 1080p content will be able to be accessed by Internet connected TV's
so the fact is Apple isn't saying you can't have these things...but as Apple ALWAYS does they want to create products that will give a great and consistent experience for everyone...and creating something that really can't be done right now with the broadband providers that are currently available or with the more mainstream HDTV's in the homes of the world...isn't good business and isn't good for the consumer
OK so say they create this TV that you want...you buy it (which would cost a lot more) and you get it home and you get it connected and you have your amazing 1080p HDTV and you go to town with the renting of movies and TV shows that are in FULL HD 1080p and then you have to wait for 30 mins for your pathetic Comcast broadband to cache enough of the download/stream so you can start viewing it...and because of the current ability of some cable providers you start getting stuttering and choppiness...and once you get to see your program and the next one and the next one...all of sudden your cable is shut off because of overusing the data (because we all know that with cable you share the signal with the rest of your block and what if they are doing the same thing)
this is the facts...not fanboy nut-sucking/swinging...very creative of you I should say
hey I love Apple...yes I do...and sure I am somewhat of a fanboy...and I call bullshit with some of the things they do when they make a mistake....but from years of being with Apple I always have to remember..."When have they really steered me wrong?" "When have they sold me something that just didn’t work?" "When was the last time I bought something from Apple and was like OMFG this sucks and returned it?" you know what I can't remember one single time that any of those have happened to me...NOT ONCE
if you don't know by now...Apple has some idea of what the hell they are doing...they would not have gone from a company in the throws of bankruptcy in the 90's to now being the number one tech company in the US if they didn’t know what they were doing and didn’t have the end users best interests at heart...
Apple makes great stuff...and why should they start using other people tech when creating their own has always worked for them in the past...hell most of the time they open that tech for the rest of the world to use...FireWire, Bonjour, Mini DisplayPort, FaceTime...etc
anyway...I'm sure you will have a hay day with this reply...go to town...you won't change my mind and millions of other happy Apple customers
Uhhhhh... Have You Tried The DVD UIs?!?!?
They're HORRIBLE! They are slow, clunky and ugly as all hell! The only decent one I've found is Roku's and I'll believe that they're the only ones that will survive the AppleTV. The major electronics manufacturers had their chance to gain a solid foothold in this space and they blew it! You wait for Apple to come into your space and show you how it's done, you beat them to it! Apple embracing NetFlix was a brilliant move and most of the others are dead now. Bye bye!
LG's older variety of
LG's older variety of blu-ray players had a nice menu for netflix and vudu. Then they went to their 5 series and ruined it. However, they are still just fine to use.
And I would presume the AppleTV is as small as it is, so you can hide it behind a slim television and connect it directly to your tv, eliminating the need to have it randomly with the other pile of crap you have under your television.
AppleTV
Andrew.. I think you may have missed the mark. The AppleTV is not for the tech savvy user who knows the difference between720P and 1080i, etc. It's for the average consumer who had who just figured out how to program his VCR when that technology died and now he's busy trying to figure out the remote on his cable's DVR. Apple's original vision for computers was for it to be like a toaster.. you just turn it on and it works. The AppleTV is pretty much exactly that: a single power cord, a single (or wireless) connection to the Internet and a single cable to the HDTV. It may take him a time or two to figure out the Sources button on his remote is how he gets the AppleTV and after that it's a piece of cake...
"The AppleTV is not for the
"The AppleTV is not for the tech savvy user who knows the difference between720P and 1080i, etc" - so Apple is taking advantage of consumers rather than educating them/offering better products?
You're they kind of guy that thinks it's okay for a salesmen to sell a "non-Tech savy" customer a clearance item 720p TV because you use the justification that this device is "Good enough" for them and that they "Won't know the difference." - but they will when they wonder why the picture on their "New" TV isn't as good as the neighbor's HDTV (which is why they are in there buying an HDTV, average users compete with one another.)
The excuse here for them to NOT support 1080p is quite simple: No Company is more in bed with the MPAA/Media Groups more than Apple. I mean this, btw, because Apple will do anything to give these guys a break. Why not 1080p? That will cut into Blu-Ray sales, that's why. More downloaded content means less Blu-rays sold, which means the blu-rays manufactured go down in price and the MPAA looses money.
Regardless of whether or not they can "knows the difference" (That's the most unethical thinking in sales/marketing/anything... btw... Are you a mechanic? He won't tell the difference with those lower quality brakes/tires - until he finds he can't stop as well or gets poorer gas mileage? I mean, he doesn't know any better, he won't be able to KNOW the difference? btw, insert the word "Immediately" after "Know the difference" and that's the true meaning. People learn by being ripped off, or educated, in the "Know the difference" it's ripped off that teaches.) the Apple TV is now an inferior product compared to other offerings - that's the bottom line, it offers inferior HD with inferior quality videos and really isn't worth the cash as there are higher quality devices out there for not much more money.
My computer, for example, can export 1080p right now, by being connected via an HDMI cable to my TV. It does this, being 3 years old, with an old ATI HD3200 graphics card.
Apple's got no reason to not provide 1080p other than to protect current blu-ray sales. It's not a technical issue, it's not a demographic issue, it's a "We don't want to rub our good friends in the media industry the wrong way" issue, and it's (once again) Apple holding back the advancement of the industry.
Downloadable/streaming media is the best "Format" now, and the industry doesn't want it because it's difficult to market.
What did Apple do to you?
Andrew, It seems that Apple or Steve Jobs never gets a good word from you. What's your hang up? Did you buy Zune in bulk and hope to set up a store? I'm not saying that Apple TV is the end all and no I don't own one or plan on buying one.
I like Apple
I know, sometimes it seems like I'm being too hard on Apple but I also try to be fair. With all the press gushing over anything Apple puts in front of them sometimes it's important to hear the contrarian perspective. By the way, I spent many years as lab director for a magazine called MacUser and I do have an appreciation for all the great technology that Apple and Steve Jobs have given consumers and I don't even think the Apple TV is all that bad although, like you I don't think I'll be buying one. I'm happy with my connected Blu-ray player.
Apple TV Shortcomings
If they put all of that in the first release, what would they do for version 1.1, 1.2, etc. I was very disappointed they didn't put a camera in the first iPad, but of course, that will come in another release.
Apple in general
I date way back to the Apple start up and had my own company down the street and sold them diagnostic disks.
In fact I had hired a couple of ex Apple guys, one in marketing.
Jobs does a good job of crafting stuff and being on the front edge of new technologies, despite his failure with NEXT computer after he was booted out of Apple, reasons unknown, he started NEXT and dithered for a considerable period. His restoration at Apple helm was without doubt just what the company needed. All that said, Jobs likes to dominate his market. He has just sued over other companies making accessories for his products. Jobs wants the whole game to himself and gouges to the max for everything Apple. Setting aside technical and market appeal excellence, I have never owned an Apple product and never will.
So, for now Apple is ridiing high, but has left the back door open. The product novelty stage will go, like all fadism and high product prices will ultimately put Apple out of competition. The rest of the world is not stupid and will compete in the very lucrative markets that Apple is now dominating. As far as the TV issue is concerned, we all know that in the end we must have more bandwidth....and so we wait, and I assume that is fiber optic. Once the doors are open for real bandwidth a whole lot of things are going to change. In the mean time don't rush to buy a lot of stuff that very well could be obsolete in a couple of years.
I've got two big flat panels and enhoy using Netflix and with my new LG and Googles Picassa for photos included in the LG software, what else could a person want?
Well, for someone that has
Well, for someone that has known Apple and the fine folks at Apple for all these years, You sure are in the dark!!
First I feel sorry for you, that you have never experienced the Fine Quality of Apple Products. Most poor people can only afford the much cheaper PC, (Piece of Crap) and just settle for the sorry excuse for a OS, known a windoze. You have my sympathy.
I was a PC, (Piece of Crap), fan all my life and never owned anything made by Apple. UNTIL the whole PC world pissed me off with all that trash they dare call a computer and Microsoft Screwed me for the last time on the trash they call Software! I switched to Apple and I have never looked back, nor will I ever. That 1 PC found it's way right into the Dumpster! I have been computing for 4 years on my iMac without 1 problem, I Love Apple so much, that I went to ebay and started collecting Apple computers, One being from 1979 and still works as good as the day it was made. I own 2 Apple Tv's, 1 Apple Time machine, 2 iPod Nanos, 1 iPod Touch, 1 iPhone, 1 1984 Macintosh, (Find out why 1984, won't be like 1984), 2 Blueberry G3 iMacs, 1 G4 iMac and it all works!! I didn't need to do anything to them. So, Jobs "gouges" to the max for everything? Ever hear of the old saying " You get what you pay for"? It is true! I wasted thousands of dollars on the those "PCs" over the years, always wanted the cheapest Piece of Crap I could get. You know what? That is EXACTLY what I got the cheapest pc, (Piece of Crap), I could get. I spent $1,699.99 for this 2006 iMac, 1 time and have had no problems at all! You get what you pay for!!
If you don't know why Steve Jobs was "booted out" of Apple before he attempted the "Next" computer company, I suggest reading "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs". I can't say I knew Steve and Steve when they started Apple, but seems I know more about them than you. I know why Steve Jobs was let go from his position at Apple. I know why Steve Wozniak left Apple. I know what rolls they both played in creating the #1 Tech Company in America. To know the facts about Steve Wozniak read the book "iWoz". I love the company, the Steve's and the products!
Frankly, I love Apple and everything it stands for, and their products, compared to other companies junk on the market, truly are Insanely Great!
P.S. I have been in the Electronics Field for over 33 years now and I have to say, I am truly sorry for the fact that you would waste your money on anything LG. There is a very good reason that those of us in Electronics have given "LG" the nickname "Life's Garbage". If you haven't had problems yet, let me reassure you, You Will!! Good Luck with that! I hate to say it but you will answer your own question..."what else could a person want?" You let me know what your answer is after your LG have been in the shop 200 times and then the dumpster.