If I was Steve Jobs: AppleTV would be a real TV
Next week, a corporate neighbor of mine will be trekking up 45 miles to San Francisco to make some pretty big announcements. That neighbor is Apple; the announcement is Macworld 2008, which starts in a little over a week.
It is rumored that CEO Steve jobs will announcing some new laptop computers - and possibly a re-vamp and upgrade of his company’s AppleTV product line.
- The product will have a built-in Blu-Ray high definition disc player. (New York Times)
- People will be able to not only purchase, but to “rent” high-def movies by download from the iTunes store directly to the AppleTV from their HDTV set. No more need to return movies to Netflix - or worry your DVD is scratched when it arrives. (BusinessWeek)
How I would change AppleTV:
I would make AppleTV a real TV. Look, Apple already makes some nice big monitors. And Apple already is expert at making all-in-one computer-in-monitor combos. Is it really much of a stretch for Apple to produce a big screen HDTV - and pack in the components of the Apple TV into the case? Think of it: a TV that you plug into the wall and viola - instant wireless access to your iTunes videos. No plug-in box needed.
- Yes, add that Blu-Ray player. I’d also make it be a CD/DVD burner that allowed you to store those purchased downloads for later retrieval. And I would use Apple’s DRM so you would be able to take that burned DVD to a friend’s AppleTV or Internet-connected Blu-Ray player (like a Sony PS3) and play it at their house - after entering your iTunes user name and password.
- AppleTV should have a CableCARD slot to allow you to use it as your primary cable or satellite TV decoder - to allow you to eliminate one more box from your entertainment center.
- Finally, the cable/satellite-controller AppleTV should be a full-fledged DVR with a bigger hard drive. Already, there are more AppleTVs in people’s homes than TiVos. It would make sense to take this step and make the AppleTV a fully-functional part of the entertainment center.
Then again, I usually ask for way more than I’ll ever get.
Tags: Apple, Blu-Ray, Features, Internet, Movies, PS3, Rumors, San Francisco, Technology, TV
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