AppleTV: How Apple can save it.
December 10, 2007
AppleTV's launch is approaching the 1 year mark. The time when analysts, can start to determine if a device was a hit or a dud. When introduced at last years MacWorld along the side of the iPhone, most analysts loved the media hub concept from Apple. The initial response was very positive. Hundreds of Apple and technology enthusiasts purchased over 400,000 of them in the Spring. Another 400,000 is expected to be purchased over the holiday season. But these numbers are below expectation, and its probably due to AppleTV content.
We feel that the AppleTV is failing due to one important reason. Content.
Apple has done a great job of building a strong iTunes library of Movies, Music, Podcasts and TV Shows, but none of this is accessible through AppleTV. You first have to purchase the content on your computer and sync the libraries. What is puzzeling is the AppleTV connects to the internet to display YouTube Videos and Software Updates. Why couldn't they build in an iTunes Store interface. I mean the iPhone got one!
So lets say you purchase a movie from iTunes, and then sync it with your AppleTV. The quality of the videos is not the brilliant resolution we would expect to see. 640x480 video look bad on a 43in Plasma. There's no doubt about it. The resolution for the video available needs a boost, or Apple will continue to see video sales decline to those companies that provide real dvd quality. This quality level doesn't even begin to consider HD quality, that the AppleTV can display.
But really users of the AppleTV need fresh quality content. For this we offer a few solutions:
- Apple could hookup with VuuDuu, or Netflix and provide downloadable rentals. Users could select from a wide assortment of DVD titles to rent and stream the content directly to the AppleTV for a nominal fee of course. This is already being done by other media hubs, why restrict Apple?
- Online Video Channels: Take a good look at Microsoft MCE, and the one feature that really shines is the almost unlimited content available through their Media Channels. Hackers were able to get Joost running, on an AppleTV. Include it as a plug in, and access all of this content.
- What about allowing iTunes to rip DVD's like it does for music. I'm sure people would love to have their DVD collection on their AppleTV and skip the searching for the scratched DVD disc which might not play. This would also be good for travelers who want to drop their favorite flick on the laptop, ipod or iphone.
- Adding YouTube was a great idea, but allowing the AppleTV to directly download podcasts would be better. This would stop AppleTV from having to sync with itunes, and provide immediate daily content. Hundreds of podcasts are updated daily, and a lot of them are now appearing in an HD quality level.
- Another solution could lie with the 'service' usb port on the back. What if you could hook up an EyeTV device and capture video, making the AppleTV a DVR.
- AppleTV Plug-Ins: As we have covered here, a lot of plugins have been developed and written for the AppleTV. They range from RSS feeders to Internet Video Feeds. Select and install plug ins from iTunes, and have live, user selected, content available.
AppleTV is a great product. But for $299.00 the initial excitement of the device wares off after a few weeks of use. This is not because the device is bad; its because the content is bad. Apple needs to improve the quality of their content and take in some of the supplied user feedback, and make a device that sells as hot as the iPod.
In an interview, Steve said they had 3 sides of the business and a pet-project, AppleTV. It is becoming very apparent that AppleTV will remain to be treated like a pet project, unless Apple puts some passion into it.
Labels: AppleTV
Apple has updated their developer notes to include some detailed information regarding AppleTV Export found in QuickTime 7.1.5 last week.
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