iTV Arrives

Apple's iTV announcement pretty much exactly followed the script that I'd described a few weeks ago in Slate: it's not a mechanism for putting your whole computer on your TV; it's just a way to get the relevant media from your computer onto your TV. As in this quote:

“Putting your computer next to your entertainment system is not the way to go,” Apple’s Joswiak said. “We try to match the behavior that people already know — if you want to play a DVD, you need a DVD player; if you want to play iTunes content, you need an iTunes player. It’s simple for users.”

The boldest thing about this is that it really signals that Apple isn't going to bother competing with TiVo and Media Center and all the other DVRs -- it's basically going to bet that the whole programming grid is over, and people are just going to download the shows they want to watch directly. They're going to do to TV programming what the iTunes store did to CD packaging. As long as they can figure out how to get HD-quality video into the store, I'm ready to switch today...

Comments

[Chris M.]

For $300 I'll set my laptop next to the TV.

[Rikard Linde]

Elgato's latest Tivo thing uses the Front Row interface and the Apple Remote for watching TV

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/swedenstore.woa/6894046/wo/pH7crKGaU4FN3pJ2TKN1aeF9hTA/1.0.0.21.1.0.8.9.4.9.0.1.9.3.0.9

I guess the next version of Front Row will have a somewhat similar interface, putting different tool makers in the same interface.
This separation of devices and functionality from interfaces could create a market where companies don't compete by controlling the interface. That might destroy Apple's Reign of Interface which has produced some of the best stuff I've ever used so it might not be a good thing (at least not in the short run).

[James Governor]

really sorry to post a comment "off topic" but i figured this couldnt go without an "Everything Bad is Good" response. Some UK talking heads have gone mad. how digital living is poisoning childhood.

"A group of more than 100 leading U.K. teachers, psychologists, and writers, including popular author Philip Pullman, published an open letter in today's Daily Telegraph warning that our technology-saturated culture is poisoning childhood: "Since children’s brains are still developing, they cannot adjust – as full-grown adults can – to the effects of ever more rapid technological and cultural change. They still need what developing human beings have always needed, including real food (as opposed to processed 'junk'), real play (as opposed to sedentary, screen-based entertainment), first-hand experience of the world they live in and regular interaction with the real-life significant adults in their lives." In an accompanying article, Britain's former "children's laureate" Michael Morpurgo "condemned the 'virtual play' represented by electronic games and internet surfing."

from Nick Carr roughsort blog
http://www.roughtype.com/roughsort/archives/2006/09/september_12_20.php

[Rikard Linde]

Hmm, just read this in Wired

http://www.wired.com/news/columns/0,71774-0.html?tw=rss.index

So I guess Apple will continue to control the market. Not by controlling the interface but by making it soo much better than the rest of us. That might be a good thing, short and long term:-)

[pwb]

I will not switch until Apple offers pay-per-view or rentals. I don't care to "own" my downloaded video content. Just like I don't need to store my programs on Tivo for more than a week or two. Apple screwed up royaly with a purchase-only service.

[Dave]

I don't think well be seeing any HD content from Apple any time soon, the problem is the size, the 2:30 trailer for The Departed is 180 megs at 1080p. A two hour movie rolls in at roughly 8 gigs, and I don't think the trailers have any Dolby Digital or the new standard for HD-DVD/Blu-Ray Dolby Digital Plus. We'll probably see some 720p content from major tv shows (24, Lost, etc)and maybe some blockbuster movies, but I don't think we'll ever get any content past that.

Plus the pricing on the Movies isn't very good, 9.99 for hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, or 13.99 (From Amazon) for the dvd in the same quality that isn't trapped on my computer, not to mention all the extra features. I think if the pricing was more like 5.99 for any movie that'd be much more appealing. Also are the iTunes Movies in Dolby Digital/DTS? I can't find anything that tells me, it doesn't say anything about it on the iTunes page.

[Alex]

As a loyal Tivo user, which by the way is getting harder to continue ($800 bucks for the Series 3 are you pulling my lariat), it'll be a hard sell to my wife to start paying for TV shows HD or not. I think we have a good couple of years ahead of us where the iTV and Tivos of the world cohabitate in my living room. Which in the end is probably a good thing, interfaces/devices that try to be all things to all people end up Jack of all, Ace of none.

[Oyvind Solstad]

I would download lots of movies and series from iTunes if the qulaity is good enough. The biggest problem for Apple's plans to own the living room is the movie companies. People WANT to buy their movies, pay for it (as opposed to finding it on torrent sites), but can't. All iTunes stores except the US have no movies, and even if Americans could buy tv series at iTunes for quite some time, none of them are available in other iTunes stores.

Movie companies need to start thinking about the whole world as one market, and let the ones that wants to pay for their products buy them.

[ajoy]

I think the one thing you kinda missed is that its infinetly more time consuming to download movies.

I watch TV to relax.So i plonk on the couch whenever i want to and switch it on.I want it NOW.

This is one major usage of the TV that this new system does not meet.Its not ready here and NOW.I think.

There are others like the TiVo and other related usage which can be done.But it has not reached there yet.

[alex rainert]

My question is why would anyone who follows more than 1 or 2 shows ever go with Apple's Pay Per Episode model when they can continue to pay their monthly cable subscription and have access to ALL shows. I would think that the $1.99 per episode model has to change. Assuming 22 episodes in a season of 24, for example. It doesn't take long to match the monthly cost of digital (HD even) cable.

One could imagine the Rhapsody subscription model would be more viable because it more closely mimics the cable model but allows you to just focus on what you want to see, etc...

I've been thinking about grabbing the new EyeTV for our second TV but I hate the fact that they haven't jumped on the IR blaster train (a la TiVo) and the Elgato device can't control the cable box (hence no recording stuff/changing channels when you're not there). I am trying to find folks that have tried this setup with Time Warner Cable.

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