Apple readying iTunes Store for Apple TV?
After seeing some screenshots of YouTube officially supported by the Apple TV, I think Apple may be readying the iTunes Store for the Apple TV. According to Apple’s press release, you will also be able to search for specific videos and you can even log-in to your YouTube accounts. Apple has put together a method to navigate something like a website with millions of media files on an Apple TV by using a tiny Apple Remote.
This setup seems easily adaptable to the iTunes Store. Essentially, the iTunes Store is nothing more than a fancy web site that runs in the iTunes software. As I previously mentioned, a search and log-in feature is included with the new YouTube support. How much work would be involved to create a similar interface for iTunes? It would not be hard to imagine a situation where you could eventually log-in to your iTunes account and navigate using the slick Apple TV interface.
Additionally, the Apple TV has a new built-to-order option of a 160GB hard drive. This looks to be another move aimed at turning the Apple TV from a headless iPod to a digital hub. To some degree this also reminds me of the original XBox. The original XBox was hacked dozens of times and eventually many of the hacks were officially adopted by Microsoft in XBox 360. Now, Apple is adopting hacks such as a larger hard drive and a YouTube plugin in a new version of the Apple TV.
Steve Jobs had mentioned recently at the All Things Digital conference that the Apple TV is a “hobby.” It appears that Apple will be tinkering with the Apple TV until they figure out how to properly position the Apple TV as a business.
Neven Mrgan on May 31st, 2007 at 9:04 am
Apple often dips their toe to test the water before they go in. I think you’ve got something there with the YouTube addition being a test-drive to see how easy it is do browse/search a website using the Apple Remote.
MacVortex on May 31st, 2007 at 1:11 pm
I think it is great Apple listening to their customers. My concern is the quality. If Apple will allow other video formats I might go and buy an AppleTV after all.
Justin on May 31st, 2007 at 2:24 pm
My question is…why have they bothered releasing – and marketing – the Apple TV in Australia at all, when it has virtually no use here without hacking it?
The Aussie iTunes store sells music…and that’s it. No nice collection of movies…no anime…no TV series…oh wait, we do have that neat collection of Pixar shorts.
I mean, I’m sure this has to do with US IP laws – most of the TV series, etc haven’t actually been released in Australia yet. The whole segmented market thing is another argument entirely (ech), which I won’t delve into here.
But why spend money running Apple TV ads on Australian television, when all you can do with it at the moment is essentially use it to watch video podcasts on your television…erm…neat, but not $600AU worth of neat.
I s’pose I could use it to watch music videos (but that’s what Rage is already for)…or to rip and aggregate my own DVDs (again, is $600 really worth eliminating the tiny effort of getting up and putting a DVD into the player?), or watch YouTube…$600?
(It feels really odd that I’m saying that the best justification for $600 is the opportunity to spend more money on media…but still…)
Matt Linder on May 31st, 2007 at 2:45 pm
I think your answer lies at about 2:30 in this video…
http://video.allthingsd.com/?bcpid=716692140&bclid=756513564&bctid=958522225
GJD on June 1st, 2007 at 2:17 am
Now that the iPhone is almost out of the door, Apple obviously has a few more engineers to spare for work on the AppleTV. The YouTube thing could be transferred to the iTMS, but there would need to be some way of ‘reverse-syncing’ your AppleTV to get content onto your Mac/iPod.
I’m with Justin on the content thing, I’m in the UK and we have next to no videos for purchase. I can’t help but feel that the network/studio distribution deals outside the US are just too delicate for Apple to tread on just now, but I don’t doubt they’re negotiating full time to get content for other territories.
I think the YouTube addition is a response to the lack of available content in mnay territories. And don’t forget that we’re seeing more and more HD-quality podcasts making their way onto iTMS. iTMS/RSS is a great distribution method, and would be even better if podcasts could be setup to download direct to the AppleTV.
Randy on June 17th, 2007 at 7:43 am
I recently purchased the Apple TV 160 gb system….and am expecting it to be delivered in the next few day. I am seriously considering sending it back..unopened. The poor quality video supported resolutions are the reasons for that. I wrongly assumed that when Apple TV grabbed my iTune purchased data, audio and video, that viewing and listening to those items would be in HD quality. After doing some research, that is not the case. Apple seriously needs to address this issue. Why in the world would anyone purchase a system for a HD TV that doesn’t provide high-quality video resolution Wake up Apple!