Five Ways to Save Apple TV
Mon Oct 8, 2007 11:43AM EDT
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So, is it time to call Apple TV a flop? That's what Forbes and CNET are saying, and they have the numbers to back them up: fewer than 250,000 boxes sold in six months. Not good. But Apple TV can still be saved: here are five ways to do it.
Here's the thing, though: there are still several ways to substantially improve Apple TV, and none of them require new hardware. Most of these ideas have been bandied about before (and CNET's John Falcone covers some of the same ideas as well), but they're worth repeating: and who knows, maybe Steve Jobs—who seems to have dismissed Apple TV as a "hobby"—just might listen if we yell loud enough.
- Bring the iTunes store to Apple TV: It's such an obvious idea, mentioned many times before (and it's one of Falcone's biggest suggestion)—so obvious, in fact, that I'm baffled that it hasn't already been launched. After all, we have the iTunes store on the iPhone and the iPod Touch, and the experience works perfectly (everything you buy gets transferred to your iTunes library once you sync), so why not on Apple TV? And of coure, the Xbox Video Marketplace and Amazon Unbox over TiVo let you buy videos on your TV.
- HD movies and TV shows: As Falcone points out, picture quality on iTunes videos ranges from barely acceptable to atrocious—and that’s not going to fly when you're charging $14.99 for a movie. Start offering HD movies and TV shows, just as the Xbox Video Marketplace does; after all, HD movie trailers and podcasts are already on iTunes, and they work just fine on Apple TV. And if the iTunes store was accessible on the Apple TV box, the massive HD video files could download overnight—or even better, you could start watching the moment that there's an adequate video buffer.
- Make a deal with NBC: Yeah, I know Steve, those greedy NBC execs made some tough demands and you stood up for lower prices (or at least, that's what your press release said). But I have news for you: without shows like "Heroes," "The Office," "Battlestar Galactica," "My Name is Earl," "30 Rock," and "Scrubs," the iTunes video store (and in turn, Apple TV) is looking a lot less appealing. And the last time I checked, all those shows are on Amazon Unbox for $1.99 an episode, the same sticker price they had before the iTunes blow-up. My advice? Swallow your pride, hike back to Rockefeller Plaza and find a way to get that contract renewed.
- Movie rentals: Again, much discussed, widely rumored, and another good Falcone suggestion. All the other digital video competitors offer $3-to-$5 movie rentals, and let's face it: while I might pay $3 to rent "Mission to Mars," there's no way I'd pay $10 to own it. Also, word is that the big movie studios may be more likely to sign on with iTunes with a rental model, which could help solve another big iTunes/Apple TV problem: the pathetic film selection.
- DRM-free videos: OK, so this one's kind of a stretch, and it's more of a long-term strategy than a quick fix. Still, if Sir Steve were to embrace DRM-free video as he did DRM-free music, he'd grab a boatload of Apple TV headlines and win back some goodwill for Apple in the bargain. As I've discussed before, there's no reason the DRM-free trend couldn’t work with video the same way that it does for music. Put a stake in the ground and declare that DRM-free video is good for the entire industry; if you lead, others may follow, and then make sure Apple TV works with everyone else's DRM-free video offerings.
Any other ideas for saving Apple TV? Or do you think it's dead in the water?
Related:
Is the Apple TV officially a flop? [CNET.com]
The iFlop [Forbes.com]
Comments on Five Ways to Save Apple TV
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2 Posted by somebodys_here on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:32PM EDT Report Abuse
How about making the Apple TV compatable with DivX? That could make things a lot better for them. Just about everyone has a .AVI file on their PC somewhere anyway, and the picture quality is much better than .MP4 could ever be for the file size.
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3 Posted by gspet on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:14PM EDT Report Abuse
I've been a "Mac guy" since '93 and have spent a lot of money on Apple products. However, I have no interest in viewing anything that I have on my computer, on my HD TV. It has little to do with the Apple TV hardware per say, it has everything to do with my viewing habits. When Netflix instant viewing finally works with a Mac I'll hook a Mac Mini up to my TV and hardwire my internet connection (as opposed to wireless) to get the strongest input. Then I'll watch internet supplied video on my TV. In the meantime my computer monitor is more than adequate for the limited video I watch.
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4 Posted by epl_lds on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:55PM EDT Report Abuse
I hope it's not dead in the water. I think it's a great concept, and I hope to be able to have one someday. It will be a while first, because I'd have to get some things in place-like my own apartment, and then a living room television-then we'll be ready for AppleTV. ;-) But it would be sad if it doesn't survive that long.
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5 Posted by kevin999@rogers.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:50PM EDT Report Abuse
Apple TV is a crap. A bad idea in a flooded market. Apple Computers slag behind PC (always have, and always will.), There's always been a limited amount of software for any Apple product (except the Ipod, the only thing they did right.) The TV market is so flooded they would have to come out with a product thats visually better then the rest, with all the options the others have, be compatible with everything out there; Then make it cheaper then the rest of the products already out there. In short, its just not going to happen. For those who are willing to buy a product like this, they most likely already have a Widescreen HD TV at home. Why would they leave there trusted bigscreen to buy an unknown, no matter what the price???? It will never catch on, and it will never work. Sorry boys, this dream is dead.
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6 Posted by fuzzy_76 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:04PM EDT Report Abuse
if you were able to use Joost on it i would get one.
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7 Posted by greggongola on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:12PM EDT Report Abuse
GREAT PRODUCT the target market doesn't know about. Apple TV does exactly what a lot of people want: to be able to see all your photos and hear your music on your TV/home theater system (in high quality) with a simple interface. As with most Apple products, it is fun and simple to use - so much so, that my parents (65 yrs old) use it CONSTANTLY. If technologically-inept people use it and like it, that's good tech. The upcoming movie rental service is exactly what AppleTV needs (let's just hope they add Dolby Digital support). The problem, I think, is with marketing - the target market (technology-indifferent people that want to be able to view their photos, etc easily without going to the computer) don't know about it; and it's a little pricey. Those that do know about AppleTV (technology-savvy folks), as you can see above, simply don't need/want something like this.
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8 Posted by gonnarepeat on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:11PM EDT Report Abuse
the apple tv is a young, great product. give it a little time. remember the ipod was only available to mac users for its first year. i have one and love it. i could not imagine my entertainment system without it. it takes the place of a GIANT cd changer, has a slick interface and streams movies and tv shows exceptionally well from my laptop. if you dont have one, how can you knock it?
1 Posted by taficke on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:54PM EDT Report Abuse
Dead in the water!