“Apple appears to be putting its ducks in a row ahead of major Apple TV changes. Alongside last night’s changes to the Apple Online Store to promote Valentine’s Day specials, Apple added an entire Apple TV section,” Mark Gurman reports for 9to5Mac.
“The Apple TV is now promoted as a full product line alongside Macs, iPads, iPods, and iPhones,” Gurman reports. “Previously, the Apple TV did not have its own section, and it was simply tucked away as an accessory in the dwindling iPod department.”
“Not only does the Apple TV now have its own section,” Gurman reports, “but it now has promoted and dedicated accessory, AppleCare, refurbished, and community question/answer sections.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Arline M.” for the heads up.]
I know an update to the Apple TV OS, or at least new channels, is coming prior to February 24th 😉
WWE kinda let the cat out of the bag early.
**Either new channels or ability to run App Store apps..
Either way, Apple TV os update incoming.
Perhaps a 4k capable Apple TV released at the same time Apple releases it’s new 4k cinema displays? What a combo that would be. On top of that an App Store and games and not to mention some form of on demand tv.
This is precursor for a product debut via Superbowl TV commercial. Because of the timing, a product announcement this Sunday could also leverage desire to watch Olympics coverage, and later, US income tax refunds. Sweet!
Brand new supercharged 4k capable Apple TVs coming soon with range of Apple Cinema Displays…Please.
It’s just to get it off the iTunes store shelf with those loser iPods.
And no one know a loser better than another loser.
There will be no Apple branded TV. Anyone who thought that was mentally defective. Apple is not Samsung; Apple does not want a device in every product category just because it exists. While pundits blather about pie in the sky horse crap, Apple continues to deploy its “TV” strategy where by “TV” it’s obvious they only care about offering content thru apps on AppleTV.
Anyone who cannot simply put their ideas out without adding an insult to others who hold a different view or disagree is mentally defective.
Sensible girly man.
Money saving now commence.
It may no longer be called a “hobby” by Apple’s CEO going forward, but nothing else has changed at the moment.
However, the change in its Apple Store status (it used to be in the “iPod” category) may be the precursor to a significant announcement. Here are two possibilities that would make it NOT a “hobby” anymore.
(1) A partnership with cable service providers (one per market) that makes a version of the Apple TV mini-box into the default replacement for the ubiquitous cable box. Cable customers get the same content and services they already have now (plus extra Apple-provided content and services), using elegant Apple hardware and an Apple-designed user interface. Sounds like how iPhone go started, doesn’t it? Goodbye to the archaic and annoying cable box user interface, that looks and works like a bad copy of TiVo from the 1990’s.
This strategy also allows introduction of the long-rumored complete “iTV.” Again, following the iPhone strategy, cable providers can partially subsidize the cost of the full iTV, so that Apple can offer it at an up-front price (to the customer) that matches (or even beats) the cost of competing “dumb” lower-quality HDTVs of equivalent screen size and specs.
The “free with contract” choice is the Apple TV “mini-box” that customers connect to their existing HDTVs. The cable provider can collect back the subsidy cost by replacing the “rental fee” for the cable box. Apple continues to offer the stand-alone Apple TV for $99, providing access to the Apple-provded content and services for the “cut the cord” crowd, and also offer the complete iTV at an unsubsidized price.
(2) Upgrade Apple TV into an integral and engrossing accessory for the HUGE iPhone and iPad (and iPod touch) customer base. Instead of opening a new category for apps that are just for Apple TV, make Apple TV into a “must have” extension of the user experience for the existing ecosystem of apps (including GAMES) for iOS device customers. You can do this now using AirPlay, but it is very limited. Expand that capability, so that customers with an iOS device and an HDTV are compelled to buy an Apple TV for $99, to make their experience complete. If even 10% of all iOS device owners bought an Apple TV, then Apple TV would certainly NOT be a “hobby” anymore.
No need to create and maintain another separate app market just for Apple TV, that may start out with zero users (since existing Apple TV boxes may not be compatible). Developers will immediately support the new “Apple TV mode” in their iOS apps and games, because the customer base already exists and it already HUGE. Apple gets a new tool to distinguish iPhone and iPad from the competition, which will be very difficult to copy.
BOOM
I just bought an inexpensive Vizio 24″ HDTV to replace a dying HP 20″ monitor for the Mac mini over at my Mom’s house. The thing does Netflix, Pandora, Amazon Video, etc out of the box with built-in Wi-Fi and makes a decent monitor with HDMI and was just over $200 including sales tax.
Apple needs to get the ducks in a row and decide what it wants to be when it grows up. Why not an Apple TV with a Cable Card slot to do all the existing stuff plus an Apple front end on the FUGLY cable boxen we are afflicted with? A step up model could add DVR function.
Apple has lost first mover advantage in this market and is doing a me too with any number of devices- some as cheap as $29. Get Amazon Prime and you can stream tons of movies Apple will charge you for all year. Netflix will give you a big collection for what a value meal costs down at the Burp’n Slurp.
Here is what TiVo has. Apple can do better, but will they?
Hey, Darwin, what do YOU want to be when you grow up, eh?
Miss the point a lot?
The fact is that the tech world is marching on and Apple has yet to move the market with a me too device.
Yeah, Tivo is going to set the world on fire… right.
I don’t know if you were trying to be funny (I guess you need to decide if we are laughing at you, or with you)
Yes, who doesn’t love paying $8 a month for Netflix and all the Bflicks you could ever want!? /s
And really no offense if you do, just something I wouldn’t waste my money on but the bottom line is:
AppleTV is not just a streaming box moron.
No, it is just an overpriced, locked in streaming box.
My guess is 64bit processor with better mirroring. 64bit is almost a given. Apple has pushed developers to create game controllers for iOS devices, ATV could be why. If Apple could get rid of the lag with mirroring the ATV would be a gaming device with little effort or cost. I think a simple way to do this would be to temporarily store a game from an iOS device so the ATV is only pulling the motion info from the device. All the games you have on your phone will now be on your TV for free. Something Android, Nintendo, MS, or Sony can,t do.
4K will not happen. It takes 24 hours and a big hard drive to download a movie. There is no advantage to it on a TV unless you have a huge man cave. Shooting in 4K is great for editing HD. You have a lot to work with to crop out what you don’t want. You can make long shots into closeups, increase stability, make pans, better color correction, and hide a lot of sins. 4K is to make better content for a HD ATV.
I agree that 4K probably won’t happen this time, but wouldn’t it be soooo Apple to release a 4K capable set top box? (not necessarily immediate 4K movies, but future proof – for those of use that get the iPhone 6 with 4K video recording, when fibre optic broadband finally reaches my little town…Yes please…. Oh and Youtube allows you to stream and upload 4K videos – so it can’t be too far away? Seems to me that it was strange that Apple would release the new Mac Pro without a new Cinema Display. Perhaps they were waiting for a more opportune moment to unveil the new displays with the new ATV.