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I want an AppleTV box, but have been holding off until two things were fixed: The ability to directly download content from the iTMS and the availability of HD-equivalent movies and TV. If Apple could address those two issues, I think AppleTV would really take off.

One other nice-to-have enhancement would be the ability to use an AppleTV box as a hub, like an Airport Express.

Dec 18, 07 - 04:27 pm Comment from: Spark

"... and most are speculating that it's an 18-month trial product..."

That's a leap. Who has speculated that? And besides, what is speculation but someone's guess. The industry is strewn with the bodies of pundits trying to outguess Steve Jobs.

Dec 18, 07 - 04:27 pm Comment from: Tergenev

I've been thinking about renewing my NetFlicks account, but if this happens, I might just get an iTV (Oh, excuse me, an AppleTV) instead.

Dec 18, 07 - 04:27 pm Comment from: Luke Skywalker

I love my ATV. Only things that are missing are HD video and Dolby Digital or DTS audio.

I'm waiting on movie rentals. As soon as they allow me to rent HD movies from iTunes, I'm buying one.

Comcast's HD OnDemand is great - provided they have a movie you actually want to watch. I'd much rather rent from iTunes than haul it to Blockbuster. I'd much prefer to rent via iTunes - even if it's not instantaneous - than watch some crappy direct-to-tv Comcast HD movie too.

It's a complete ballbuster that the movie people haven't figured out that downloadable movies is where it's at.

C'mon people!

Dec 18, 07 - 04:36 pm Comment from: Ampar

"Rental-content," "source-rental-info," and "supportsRentals" is buried in the iTunes 7.5 code.

If HD movie rentals become available from iTunes then this could essentially end the Blu Ray and HD DVD war. There would essentially be no need for either. Microsoft and Sony would hate that. I bet the studios signed on for HD DVD and Sony Pictures would not make their movies available for rent, or if they did they wouldn't be HD. Then we'd end up with 3 formats and the consumer would end up being confused and frustrated and would stick with their good ole DVDs until the stupid content providers get their acts together.

Also, the controls (FF, RW) need to be improved to behave more like Tivo. Right now it is very cumbersome to to stop and review a particular scene.
Otherwise, I love both my ATVs

What was the length of time from when the iTunes software application was released until the iPod?

What was the length of time from the iPod until the iTunes Music Store?

I gotta be honest here - the sitcom length attention span of the world these days is pathetic. Watch the blocks being methodically assembled!

Jobs attacks markets in a state of flux where there is no dominant player and those remaining are financially weak compared to Apple.

The only consumer service hated more than cellular is cable, and that industry is leveraged to the hilt.

$190 a share is gonna seem cheap. And there is nobody who can stop them. Nobody.

I agree that DVD players eventually go away. If my cable company can rent me movies on-line no reason not to expect it from Itunes. I have not gotten an ATV simply because I am waiting for the next release. I don't want to be the last guy to get the old model

Dec 18, 07 - 04:57 pm Comment from: Macromancer

I dont personally see DRM as the problem, the problem is not giving individual users enough usage rights. iTunes music's DRm has never been a problem for me personally because the rights are so liberal. Lock it to the device, so what, especially if it's a rental, but at least allow us to watch it when we are ready and as many times as we want before returning it.

If it becomes a Netflix style service, with the same terms, then im all for it, provided it's in HD.

Love my AppleTV! I've ripped about 130 of my Movies (Handbrake!), that's right, I own the DVD's. I have all of my HD content from my Sony HDV Camcorder, edited in Final Cut Express, my 40GB of music, my 60GB of Photo's, and All of my favorite Podcasts (many in HD!) available from my living room chair. They look amazing on my 50" Plasma and they stream flawlessy (24" Aluminum iMac\Apple Extreme Router (802.11n)\500GB WD External USB2 HD). This is a great product that works exactly as advertised and will really go over the top when rentals become available! Can't Wait!!!

The Macmini and Apple TV are gonna merge and add HD and Tivo...not only are you gonna have movies, etc...you also are gonna have your computer in your living room...the only major issue is zoomable iSight for videoconferencing. Soon all of Apple is going to be from the comfort of your couch.

Dec 18, 07 - 05:07 pm Comment from: Macromancer

"And there is nobody who can stop them. Nobody."

I the movie studios don't license that could be an issue and if internet providers are able to start charging tiered rates for higher bandwidth usage that could be an issue as well.

Otherwise I think you are right.

AAPL at 300 this time next year...no problem

I didn't see the method to the Apple TV's madness until I read Daniel Eran Dilger's article on iTunes rentals.

Should Apple bring a bunch of new studios and movies on board along with the rental service, Apple TV will become a serious consideration instead of laughable. Hell, it would be pretty much guaranteed that I'd buy one.

Another thing thats needs to be fixed is content management. There is no way to organise your movies and TV shows into any order, its all just one big long list. Why can't we organise into categories like, horror, drama, comedy etc.
Create playlists like you can with music, I don't know why this wasn't there in the beginning, if you like your music organised wouldn't you think Apple would realise that we like our video that way as well.

Dec 18, 07 - 05:35 pm Comment from: Madmax

As long as its not an 18 month lock-in trial !!

I'm with you, Rayzor. I have to avert my eyes from the siezure-inducing blur as the titles whip by at fast speed. A little organization in the next update would be greatly appreciated.

Dec 18, 07 - 06:13 pm Comment from: deepdish

Give me a MacMini with the ports and OS of AppleTV.

It will fail. Like all things Apple, it will fail.

Wow, what a load of bunk. Another high priced, under performing Apple trash. Like the iPhone, iTouch, i-whatever...

Junk.

Dec 18, 07 - 07:08 pm Comment from: deepdish

I find jealous pc trolls funny.

In a way, I feel sorry for them. Such sad boring lives.

All they care about is the cheapest price. No sense of style or class.

I want to do it all right from the couch in my living room!

I want my computer to use my 32" HDTV for its display.

I want to surf the web and have full access to my iTunes Library and the iTunes Music Store right there in my living room where the HDTV and Surround Sound system are already integrated.

I've put off purchasing an Apple TV only because it seems a Mac Mini may be what i really need.

Any suggestions?

I love my AppleTV and use it quite often but only because it's been totally hacked and it can do all kinds of stuff that a stock box won't do. If you have an ATV, you owe it to yourself to check out awkwardtv.org and download the nitotv frappliance. If Apple officially incorporated only half of the features of nitotv, the ATV would be a blow-out hit.

I've said it before, HD file sizes will be to impractical for downloading. Thats why we have physical disks for the HD 'source' content. Nobody seems concerned with downloading 128kbps mp3s, why do movies have to be such great quality.
Unless it's something visualy spectacular (Star Wars, LOTR, Matrix etc.. you know, special effects type movies), but if it's just actors talking to eachother in a more 'normal' 'earthly' setting, why does it have to be HD.

Peter,
Do you own any of the items you have called junk? Are thy junk because you are unable to afford them? Is Opus One tasteless because you can only afford MD 20/20? Is a Mercedes a waste of money because you drive a Pinto? Is Gisele fugly because you're dating the girl voted most likely to never date? Try something before you comment on it's quality. I bought an iPod Touch. It is even more amazing than I expected. It is absolutely not junk. It is a toy but not junk. By the way are you old enough to drink or drive?

@Realist

"It will fail. Like all things Apple, it will fail."

Yeah. Fail to the tune of 15 Billion in cold hard cash in the bank. Right. Moron.

All you guys who wanna 'play' with your mac in the lounge room, that's fine. But some of us actually work on our macs.
I just sometimes wish Apple would try and infiltrate the business world a bit and concentrate a bit less on the entertainment side of things. iTunes,iPhone,ATV (in Australia so havn't actually used one but i can imagine it's great) the iPod etc... - all wonderfull Apple products. But they need an Office suite of some kind. People don't equate Keynote to PowerPoint, the message isn't getting through. Hopefully the iPhone will help smash down a few walls.

I would buy and AppleTV If it had somthing like Tivo on it, otherwise im thinking of getting a macmini and TV Tunner for a PVR on the HDTV.

movie rentals
$1.99 a pop
24 hour licence
buy ownership from the movie studio (linked)

Apple and the Studios would clean up BIG time. Massive. I hope it ain't Jobs holding this one up by 'not getting it'.

I just sometimes wish Apple would try and infiltrate the business world a bit and concentrate a bit less on the entertainment side of things.

Why? The business world is all about commodity; Apple shouldn't take on Dell's bottom-feeding market.

I'll argue that the entertainment & consumer side is better for Apple. Look at the automotive market: sure fleets might be good customers, but you're lucky to sell at cost, not to mention it screws your brand and resale value. Seriously, who wants a used Dell??

Apple should aggressively pursue whatever's more profitable (and brand-building) for them. If it's entertainment then so be it.

Dec 18, 07 - 11:54 pm Comment from: MacBill

I doubt that there's anything that would ignite sales of the AppleTV... there's simply no demand for it, even with movie rentals.

My AppleTV has been great -- I use it daily as my living room MP3 player, and the screen saver of recent pix is cool. People are still blown away when they see it.

About once a week my roommates and I watch new movie previews and the Best of YouTube, and occasionally I'll buy a TV show I missed and watch it on the big screen. When I make movies in iMovie, I usually share them on the big screen as well.

DVR is obviously crucial, but I'm not sure if I want it in the ATV. Although the current cable implementation of it is a disaster. Tivo was great, but the interface hasn't grown or changed significantly in years. I want a lightning fast AJAX or flash kind of interface that lets me easily manipulate the TV guide and my recording info.

I'm not sure if movie rentals will make me use that feature, unless they're in HD. I'm also not a huge fan of the ATV interface -- I'm on a computer all day and am used to quickly typing and sorting and dragging information around to manage it. The ATV interface is elegant and simple, but I like the computer as a front end, and iTunes is a good interim step.

Dec 19, 07 - 01:07 am Comment from: Macintosh

"iTunes movie rentals could have a profound impact on Apple TV sales"

And it will have a very profound impact on Netflix and Blockbuster's business. Netflix was a great idea to fill the short time period between going to the store and downloading, but still very "primitive".

And Blockbuster... Good riddance. Can anyone say... Tower Records? Remember that place?

This whole idea of driving to pick up, and / or shipping computer files on discs is about to go bye-bye. Who wants to drive to a store to pick up a computer file? Who wants a computer file mailed to them on a disk?

Not me.

I'm getting cuz I know ATV will get all the goodies it needs via firmware update. Its built with the ability to be upgraded right off the bat.

...or function.

mw: past, as in, my past is nothing, as is my future without c1.

Comcast HD On Demand is a joke. Very few HD movies are available, and those that are online are either old and stale ($3.99 rentals) or recent but pricey ($5.99 rentals). Also, the On Demand interface is an awful reminder of Windows 95 and MS-DOS - it's just a terrible user experience and a tedious nightmare to navigate. Apple should have no trouble pushing these guys aside.

However, like all cable systems, Comcast also has download limits on their Internet service, and if you are a customer, they will cut you off if you start downloading too much content (or maybe they'll just phase in a higher-priced Internet service to allow faster downloads). Whatever, you can expect that Comcast plans to take a cut of the action if third-party providers like Apple try to muscle in on their video services. Comcast will not give up this business without a nasty fight, especially since the company already is falling far behind satellite in HD channel offerings.

Mark my words, whatever movie rental prices Apple comes up with only will be a starting point in the modern entertainment world that is coming. Those with cable-based Internet service had better start checking alternative service providers...

@ Viewer

"Right now it is very cumbersome to to stop and review a particular scene."

you are prolly using too much lotion, or using your wacking hand.

HD content over itunes would be great except for the fact that downloading an HD movie would take many hours.