“Apple is fond of talking about its four platforms: iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. But not all four get equal attention,” Dan Moren writes for Macworld. “At the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Tim Cook and friends said relatively little about the next version of tvOS—in fact, pretty much the only relevant announcement was that Amazon would be bringing its Prime Video app to the platform at some undisclosed time in the future.”
“Those interested in the Apple TV have thus resorted to pulling meager information from the company’s tvOS 11 beta. And even what changes have been uncovered there have been pretty meager,” Moren writes. “As the fourth-generation Apple TV approaches the two-year mark, perhaps it’s time for Apple to take another look at its set-top box.”
“I’m skeptical we’ll see any major changes to the Apple TV line this fall, but what I’m hoping for is this: a return to a lower cost Apple TV, somewhere in the $70-$99 range, with a modicum of storage, and perhaps a traditional remote with buttons,” Moren writes. “Instead of building Siri functionality into the remote, the Apple TV should have built-in mics that support ‘Hey Siri’ (or, if you prefer to avoid collisions, ‘Hey Apple TV’).”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s confusion with Apple TV is plain for all the world to see.
As we wrote two days ago: “Apple obviously needs compelling original exclusive content, a totally new Siri Remote designed by someone who has actually used a TV remote, 4K capability, and aggressive hardware pricing (that will be more than offset via recurring subscriptions and purchases on the back end).”
SEE ALSO:
CustomPlay sues Apple over Apple TV ‘What did he say?’ feature – July 28, 2017
Apple TV falls behind competition as Internet-connected TV continues to grow – July 26, 2017
Apple’s so-called TV ‘strategy’ continues to be an embarrassing joke – June 30, 2017
7 ways Apple TV can get better – May 31, 2017
Apple TV trails Roku, Amazon FireTV and Google Chromecast with 5% of all U.S. households with WiFi – April 3, 2017
Apple hires Amazon’s Fire TV head to run Apple TV business – February 8, 2017
‘The Grand Tour’ smashes Amazon streaming record – November 22, 2016
Jeremy Clarkson confirms new post-Top Gear Amazon Prime show will be in 4K – November 20, 2015
Apple TV and the 4K Ultra HD conundrum – October 8, 2015
Amazon unveils $100 Fire TV box 4K video support, Alexa voice control – September 17, 2015
Apple made ‘audacious bid’ for Top Gear trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May, but lost out to Bezos’ Amazon – September 1, 2015
Apple’s move into content creation could devastate Netflix and Amazon
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Why would Apple want to make their own movies and TV shows? – September 1, 2015
Apple exploring entry into original entertainment production – August 31, 2015
Top Gear’s Clarkson, Hammond and May sign with Amazon Prime for new show to debut in 2016 – July 30, 2015—
YouTube TV launches in select U.S. markets – April 5, 2017
Record live TV without a cable subscription – March 23, 2017
Making sense of myriad cord-cutting options – March 17, 2017
The ultimate cable television cord cutting solution for Apple TV owners – February 17, 2017
Sony releases PlayStation Vue app for Apple TV – November 17, 2016
But the remote is beautiful.
PITA to use, but it looks so cool.
Won’t happen, but if Apple wants to be in the game, then flood the market with a competive ATV and create exclusive original content worth watching and getting excited about and frantic followers create endless podcast and YouTube videos about every scene and plot twist.
That remote costs as much as a Roku
Apple TV should integrate echo/ Siri like functionality, and lower price as a gateway hub for HomeKit and iOS functionality? That and a good content deal would be nice.
I got that cool neoprene cover for all my new remotes. It allows you to easily distinguish which end is which, as opposed to checking for long volume button every time. Don’t remember name but it was on this site as an annoying ad.
Annoying ad? Sounds like it was useful to me.
The word cheap destroys the article for me. I like the best so if it was $500 I’d have it.
Sounds more like a Mac Mini. Come to think of it, a number of people have used Mac Minis as HTPCs. Well, before Apple discontinued Front Row. Kodi is a good substitute for Front Row, but not for iTunes videos.
“… in fact, pretty much the only relevant announcement was that Amazon would be bringing its Prime Video app to the platform at some undisclosed time in the future.”
Actually I just viewed Prime Video through my Apple TV last night, but it required using the Prime Video app on my iPad, streaming it via AirPlay to my Apple TV 3rd gen. Never mind the 4th gen unit, which I feel no urge to buy. If I can have FX or HBO through my current unit, it shouldn’t be hard to add Prime Video.
With h.265 being finally supported, I would assume we will see a 4k version sooner or later. Think there was also a rumor a month or two ago about iTunes and 4k as well. So, it might all come together in that sense.
Apple needs to build a better Apple TV, not a cheaper one.
Why not both? Certainly Apple is going to come out with 4K HDR and start releasing HEVC content in that format.
However, if you look at the success of the Chromecast, it may make a lot of sense for Apple to come out with a stick version of the Apple TV.
I’d want one for traveling, while my TVs would all have the full version.
No, Apple needs to get out of the business of Apple TV altogether. They have pissed off their user base and run them to the competition. It would take too many resources to try to get them back. They had them and didn’t care about them. Write them and that business off. Stick to what they are good at – phones. That’s it. And that’s why Wall Street bases their value on the value of the next iPhone. Nobody should moan and groan about the Street’s treatment of Apple when you look at how Apple values their customers in any arena other than iPhone.
Interesting…..supposedly if you chat with Adorama and ask about the 32GB AppleTV you can get it for $99. See slickdeals. Getting rid of inventory?
Forget the original content, just get the content that everyone else seems to get but Apple.
Where is a movie/TV show subscription service like Netflix or Amazon? This should have happened YEARS ago! Apple should have THE BEST subscription service bar none. But they have ZIP.
How about an ESPN option? Note that Disney owns ABC which owns ESPN. Aren’t Apple and Disney pretty tight?
This is coming out too…..https://www.macrumors.com/2017/07/28/apple-listing-select-itunes-movies-as-4k-hdr/
For those of us who appreciate the AppleTV and the Siri remote for what they do, it’s price is a non-issue. Lowering the price will not cause anyone who doesn’t like it to purchase one.
So it should become a HomePod like device that many of us expected this new iteration was going to be 2 years ago when it launched. Mind you, hardly the cheap option he otherwise talks of if that were the case. Whatever I hope they finally become clear about what direction these two intertwined platforms intend to take in the future because the overlap will only become stronger over time, especially as ATV hasn’t be one the media powerhouse as yet they originally planned.
Here’s the thing that annoys me. I have ripped Stargate shows (from the DVDs we bought) that reside in my iTunes library.
If I use the voice control on the AppleTV 4G to search for Stargate, it will never bring up the content I have. Only what is available on Itunes (or Netflix). How hard is it to find content that is named the same and offer it as an option to select.
On the pricing issue, please remember that Apple do not sell products as a loss leader.