“Rather, look for CEO Steve Jobs to focus on the ability for customers to watch their favorite TV shows and movies on their iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches, says a person familiar with the plan,” Burrows reports. “The company will announce that customers can rent many TV shows for 99 cents—the same low-enough price that convinced millions of people to buy iPods to play songs purchased from iTunes (Also, thousands of 99-cent iPhone apps helped make the iPhone a hit, by making it popular for mobile gaming and other things). And Jobs will also show off a new iPod Touch that features a high-resolution screen like the one in the iPhone 4. That’s important, because the company can now say that all of its products are capable of near-HD quality video. Rent a TV show once, and you’d be able to enjoy it on your iPhone during the morning commute, on your PC during a lunchbreak, or on your iPad after dinner.”
Burrows reports, “Making Apple TV the tail on Apple’s video strategy makes sense. Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu estimates that Apple has sold fewer than three million Apple TVs since the product was introduced three years ago. Even with the refresh, Jobs isn’t convinced the new version will be a mainstream hit, says the person familiar with Apple’s plans. Most consumers aren’t ready to cut the cord to their cable company, or put up with the tech-nastics required to stream content from the iTunes collection on their PC to their living room big-screen TV. In other words, it’s a product that at best will delight some of the “hobbyists” that have always been interested in the product.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If the thing runs iOS and is compatible with the App Store, either with iPhone and/or iPad apps or apps designed expressly for Apple TV, then it will be a success regardless of the TV show price(s) or service(s). Right now, it sounds like whatever the content owners finally allow Apple to do will simply be a footnote.
Mr. Jobs need not be unsure. Name the thing properly (for a change), price it right, and market it as “Apps on your TV” and “Boom!” it’ll be a hit product.
(Obviously, you’ll need an iPod touch or an iPhone or, best option, an iPad to get the most out of your new Apple TV or iTV or whatever they call it.)
