Comments on: Apple DVR: Will it ever happen?

By: moon cake

moon cake — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 07:04:06 +0000

DVR is cool. DRM is not.

By: Travis Vocino

Travis Vocino — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:04:51 +0000

For the record, I’d buy one too. The dual-tuner TiVo isn’t bad though — I’d just love to have an Apple interface constantly.

By: Matt Radel

Matt Radel — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 21:02:05 +0000

I’d buy an Apple DVR. Doubtful it’ll happen, but a guy can hope, right?

By: axel

axel — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:45:38 +0000

But then they would have to release a whole line of DVR:s for the different standards DVB-T, DVB-C and DVB-S

I would definitely buy one, but for now I think we will have to settle with mac minis and elgato tuners.

btw it would be cool if they released an external tuner that you could plug in to the aTV:s USB port.

By: Jon

Jon — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 16:34:36 +0000

Put an ATI or nVidia graphics chip in a Mac Mini with a SuperDrive, shave a little bit more off the price and market it as a games console that will do everything. EA have just started making games for Mac. Xbox would get blind-sided. PS3 would not even get a look in. And Windows would have to start getting better to compete.

By: Galley

Galley — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 13:08:54 +0000

1. Apple TV needs IPTV, not DVR capabilities.
2. The PS3 is an amazing piece of technology, well worth $500.

By: Honza

Honza — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 09:57:54 +0000

“Apple hasn’t seemed lost in years. It is the leader in the DAP market and has quickly become a major player in the cell phone market.”

On what basis do you justify this comment? $ sales, amount of units shipped? Cool factor?

Apple is not a major cellphone player YET, for now its single cellphone product is a small fish in a very big pond. Think about this statement again, when iPhone is shipped outside of continental US, and can compete on the world stage directly with the likes of Nokia, Ericsson, et al.

By: » All About Apple TV - Apple DVR: Will it ever happen? - AllAboutAppletv

» All About Apple TV - Apple DVR: Will it ever happen? - AllAboutAppletv — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:30:36 +0000

[...] the iTunes DRM locks the content to Apple products like the iPod or the Apple TV. (more…) … Read More… This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 at 11:00 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. [...]

By: Tedious

Tedious — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:00:28 +0000

Apple consumer electronics products are about shifting the power away from the current middlemen in entertainment (the distributers) and putting the power back into the hands of the artists.

The only way to do that is to bypass them. iPods bypass FM stereo, turning the iTunes store into the new taste-maker.

AppleTV bypasses cable and satellite providers.

The iPhone, with its WiFi capabilities is poised to kill the cellular networks.

The iTunes store is just the first to feed these boxes. YouTube is the second.

Joost and Slingbox are helping bridge the gap.

On Digital Rights Management Code:
DRM, regardless of what store you get it from is a STUDIO decision, not a vendor one. If given the chance ALL music and video stores would go DRM-free tomorrow. It just adds cost and complexity, benefitting neither the store nor the customer, only the seller of the DRM code.

That why Apple wrote their own. Why lose half of the 3 cents per track you’re making to a DRM code vendor royalty, when you employ teams of coders?

DRM is the monkey wrench keeping net-distribution from completely killing traditional distribution models.

It’s a necessary evil, because without it the studios won’t allow their artists to sell their product at those stores.

So its a race between artists dumping studios and studios dumping DRM.

By: Derok

Derok — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:33:44 +0000

DRM may not be cool, but if Apple can offer the selection cable can in an a la carte fashion why not buy your shows, in my case it would come out cheaper, and I watch a decent amount of TV.

The only problem Apple has with their current model is Live TV (breaking news, live sports, etc.)

By: g

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:12:51 +0000

DVR is cool. DRM is not.

By: Neven

Neven — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 20:23:35 +0000

I doubt Apple has any plans to do anything with TV programming other than sell it through the iTS.

I follow three TV shows, and luckily for me, all three are available in the iTS. Buying them there gives me the convenience, speed, organization, and price DVR simply can’t match - all that without the added distraction of dumb TV programs. I could choose not to watch those if I had cable, but few people’s will powers can resist it.

Between those shows and podcasts, I watch about an hour of TV per day. It costs me less than $15/mo. Maybe I’m not a typical consumer, but I’m a happy one.

By: Geminicricket

Geminicricket — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:29:19 +0000

Just a thought, take a pole of the mac users to see how many have a dvr. I suspect that most mac users have one even though Apple doesn’t offer one in their line up. Apple seems to think that they can move the consumer rather than the other way around. Don’t get me wrong I like apple products and am a stock holder. However, they nor any other company will be able to persuade me, and I suspect a large number of dvr owners that anything but a dvr will suffice for the way I/we view television. This is especially true when you figure the extra costs in the way Apple wants you to buy content. I think if they are to tap into what the consumer wants they better get on the dvr bandwagon or risk losing and alienating many customers.

By: Travis Vocino

Travis Vocino — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:02:58 +0000

Iyaz,

Why would Apple bother negotiating with television and movie studios for content [...]

I question whether the television industry has come close to embracing DVR systems. They fought the VCR back in the day with the same apathy and nonsense.

As far as the industry is concerned, they prefer the current AppleTV purchasing structure far more than DVR functionality (obviously). If anything, adding DVR would only hurt Apple’s current deals with networks that monetize their programming on iTunes.

The ancillary markets are a huge new revenue stream for standard television content producers — I can’t see the major players not voicing their opinions on the subject to Apple.