Comments on: Can Apple save Hollywood?

By: Shelby, Biloxi, MS

Shelby, Biloxi, MS — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 16:33:27 +0000

I love my AppleTV's but I think Apple needs to allow you to purchase HD movies on the device or through iTunes, currently you can only rent HD movies as well as buy HD television episodes.

Also moving to a Netflix style subscription for the AppleTV with a tiered limit of movies in a week period (6 in a 7 day period for example) would allow for more adoption of the device and more monthly revenue for the company.

I don't care about a TV Tuner/DVR and Apple wouldn't do that as it takes away from the revenue generating aspect of the device (why buy it when you can record it and save it.)

I think the AppleTV has been the sleeper in Apple's portfolio since it's inception and slowly but surely, Apple will find a way to market and sell it eventually, after all the iPod didn't hit the floor running either.

By: Brian, Irvine, CA

Brian, Irvine, CA — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:12:19 +0000

It will be fun watching the Apple TV evolve. When Apple launched the iTunes Store, who among us thought it would blossom to become what it has today? No longer is the iTunes Store just music. Increasingly, we shop for TV shows and movies to rent or buy; download apps and books for our iPhones; listen to and watch podcasts; take college courses; and more.

My hunch is that given the explosive growth of game apps for the iPhone, that it's a matter of time before we see the iPhone, iPod touch, and future iPods adding the capability to control the Apple TV via WiFi. When that happens, we can expect to see the iPhone/iPod become the new TV controller. Look for an explosion of games for TV served by the Apple TV.

Of course, I could be wrong. But I like to think that if I'm imagining it, then it must be in late beta in Cupertino.

Right or wrong, I have a hunch the future could be a lot of fun.

By: Micah, Fort Collins CO

Micah, Fort Collins CO — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:31:20 +0000

I have already modified my Apple TV. I added it to my vehicle to when I pull in my driveway, I can "sync" my truck. This eliminates the need to connect my iPod to my truck and also eliminates the need to bring DVD's for my son. We just use the dvd player's screen to pick the music or playlist and for DVD movies also. Works great. My point here is that Apple teamed up with BMW and others to have vehicles iPod ready, sure would make sense with all the SUV's with DVDs and MP3s out there to team up and make vehicles "sync" ready.

By: Asher Pat, London

Asher Pat, London — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:12:34 +0000

@Stuart. Sydney.

Apple is not an underdog, this was irony. But it likes to portrait itself as stylish underdog fighting elegantly against the big bad guys(eg Microsoft, and btw, I have nothing to do with Microsoft).

And scores of people still like to believe that Apple's survival is still questionalbe and that is why they have to support it by buying its products, etc.

Apple is not evil, it just uses naive people's perceptions (and its products look good, i agree with that).

By: Stuart. Sydney. NSW. Australia.

Stuart. Sydney. NSW. Australia. — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:01:54 +0000

@Asher Pat

Your intense loathing of Apple seems to cloud your ability to parse the logic.

If you stand back a bit, draw in some fresh oxygen and start thinking about the topic again … but with a phlegmatic and nonpartisan attitude, this topic might not seem so distressing.

Where on earth did you get the crazy notion that Apple is an underdog or a small company?

By: Gilmoure, Albuquerque, NM

Gilmoure, Albuquerque, NM — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:55:07 +0000

I have an Apple TV and wish it was a bit more of a home server. I currently have a Mac Mini sitting next to it, with an external drive hanging off the mini. The mini is our home web server, file server and backup machine, as well as holding the ripped movies the Apple TV puts on the screen. A single box for all this would be appreciated. Also, a better non-media file browser/server, similar to iPhoto would be nice. Some way to corral a bunch of text/pdf/office docs, shared out to clients around the house is what I'm thinking of.

By: Grammarchecker, Sunnyvale, CA

Grammarchecker, Sunnyvale, CA — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:32:16 +0000

"insuring that millions of rabbit-ear TVs won’t go dark for at least another four months"

They're not *insuring* anything. They may be ENSURING something.

ex ped: Right you are. Thanks.

By: jason, New York NY

jason, New York NY — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:47:21 +0000

Combining DVR and Tivo in the same group is silly, they are two different things.

It is the lack of DVR that keeps me from buying an Apple TV.

And why buy Tivo's crappy interface and functions when you can write your own and most likely better?

Yes buying tivo is a stupid idea but incorporating its functions is not.

By: keith, tucson,az

keith, tucson,az — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:45:45 +0000

I watch hulu on my apple tv, with a hack. Works great.

By: j belkin, danville, ca

j belkin, danville, ca — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:37:46 +0000

For the read who seems confused by the role of Apple in CREATING a digital music marketplace for CONSUMERS (unless of course, that guys works as a music industry executive) – without Apple, there would no FUNCTIONING digital music marketplace outside of ILLEGAL Mp3 downloading. Apple has sold some 5 billion tracks or some $4 BILLION+ delivered to the music industry – prior to Apple. a couple hundred million? Yea, that's worthy of criticism only if you work for MS. The video is much more complicated but not by much. It comes down to the same – work with Apple (& othes) to deliver video content to the home or END up like the music industry – afraid to SELL to the pubic and where do you end up? Like the reader above, the brain hiding in a cave, afraid, unwilling or unbale to comprehend a sea change of everything new.