“During the Code Conference on Wednesday, Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue revealed Apple sold 20 million Apple TVs to date and raked in more than $1 billion from set-top streamer sales in fiscal 2013. He expects the business to grow even larger in 2014,” AppleInsider reports.
“Talking about the apparent rift between Silicon Valley and Hollywood, Walt Mossberg asked Cue about Apple’s TV business and how the company plans to innovate in the sector,” AppleInsider reports. “Cue said ‘the TV experience sucks,’ adding that modern advances like the DVR are only ‘glorified VCRs.’ He admitted that TV is a ‘complicated landscape’ with simple problems that turn into complex issues due to the number of parties involved.”
“Mossberg asked why Apple hasn’t delivered a TV that ‘doesn’t suck,’ but Cue refused to give up any information on possible future products,” AppleInsider reports. “The impetus to make a change is there, however, as the Apple exec said TV should be much more accessible and user-friendly… While light on specifics, Cue said Apple TV is going to evolve this year as Apple continues to improve content offerings much like last year’s addition of HBO Go and other streaming channels.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
So why didn’t Apple do us all a big favor and buy Comcast and develop a decent cable TV service???
Yes if the parties involved are intractable and in the way due to detrimental self-interest, buy them and eliminate the hurdle in mankind’s best interest. That may be the only way Apple can initiate real change. Cable companies need the same preemptive change the record companies are going through. Old models making way for the new always means casualties, and no one wants to be a casualty regardless of how humanity at large may benefit.
As much as I’d love for that to happen, Comcast has a market cap of $135 Billion plus $47 Billion of debt. While Apple has a lot of cash, a huge chunk of it is foreign cash.
Merging with Comcast while theoretically possible, would radically change the type of company that Apple is, and none of the executive team wants to be that type of company.
The word “innovate” is really getting worn out.
You got that right.
Good job Eddy. In order for Apple to ‘finally crack’ the ‘complicated landscape’ of television, Apple will need to keep absolute secrecy on their product designs.
While I am eagerly looking forward to seeing Apple’s solution to the problem, I don’t want any leaks to cause the Samsungs’ or Googles’ of this world to copy and destroy Apples’ well thought out solution.
I just watched Katy Huberty on CNBC. You can’t be more fundamentally bullish on Apple than that. She is a well-respected analyst.
What a change that is from just a few years ago. I remember her coming in last among all the “professional” and amateur prognosticators.
I don’t remember that. When exactly was that? Did she miss the drop in September 2012? I don’t believe she was amongst the $1000 crowd was she?
Five to ten years ago she was missing Apple EPS by 40% on the low side. She was not so much a perm-bear, just simply clueless.