“It’s now widely expected Apple will announce new Apple TV hardware next week, alongside new iPhones and possibly other products too,” Jan Dawson writes for Tech.pinions. “The headline feature for the new hardware are significantly beefed-up specs which, in turn, will enable the creation of a wide variety of third-party applications including games, through an open SDK.”
“I think it’s entirely possible Apple will create a huge new opportunity for itself and developers around the Apple TV, based on gaming alone,” Dawson writes. “However, I think focusing on gaming alone misses a big part of the opportunity Apple will create here.”
“An open Apple TV SDK also unlocks the door to these popular streaming services, some of which Apple has likely kept off the box for competitive reasons. That may be a downside for Apple, but it should actually make the box more attractive, especially in the period before it launches its own video streaming service,” Dawson writes. “But there’s also a very long tail of more specialized content which could never make its way onto the Apple TV under the current model but might well do so under an open model. Two categories in particular are worth noting. One is the Religion category on the Roku which offers some of the most popular channels, suggesting that some users interested in this content are drawn to the Roku because they offer it. But another category – Fitness channels – might be more lucrative, both for developers and for Apple.”
Much more in the full article – recommended – here.
MacDailyNews Take: Yes, fitness apps, the modern day Jane Fonda Workout VHS tapes, have huge potential!
The ultimate endgame is this: Can Apple get Apple TV to be the device on Input 1 instead of 2 or 3? We all have Apple TVs, but for most of us it’s the cable/satellite box that’s on Input 1, not Apple TV. Can Apple TV someday supplant it, giving us universal search across all “channels/networks” and apps – and voice-controlled, no less?
We want to say, “Hey Siri, what’s the weather forecast?” And for our favorite video forecast source(s) – on-demand, ready-togo – to immediately appear along with our favorite weather app(s) for us to choose from. “Hey Siri, who won the game?” And our favorite teams’ scores, highlight videos, condensed games, and apps appear onscreen. “Hey Siri, what’s my day look like?” And boom! Calendar appears. Etc. Mornings would be so much easier!