Comments on: Apple TV: Can they dominate the living room too?

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By: Michael Markman

Michael Markman — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:41:38 +0000

Apple has been very clear about the benefit of this product: it’s for getting iTunes onto you TV. It’s not a DVR, it’s not or putting internet videos on your TV (except for video podcasts and movie trailers–which come through iTunes). It’s not an open PC to TV device. It’s a window into a walled garden. Apple’s brand, iTunes huge installed base, and the simplicity of set-up and operation will make it a winner.

When I blogged about the incompatibility with older TVs, someone commented that there are enough new TVs to keep Apple very happy.

I’d say the same to geeks who want a more general-purpose PC to TV or Internet to TV solution. Apple TV isn’t or you. You have other choices. But, given the power of the Apple brand, the savvy of their marketing, the size o the iTunes installed base, and the hunger or an easy to install, easy to use solution, there’s enough out there to keep Apple very happy.

By: Jeremy Toeman

Jeremy Toeman — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 06:54:10 +0000

Jessica - good points!

Ryan - can’t dismiss Xbox360 because too many of the target market have it and love it already. Also, the price point isn’t really that far off!

Mujibar - first off, selling 100,000 units of anything ain’t as easy as you think. Second, don’t take everything quite so literally…

By: Mujibur

Mujibur — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 06:03:34 +0000

100k in 2007? They will sell 100k by August easily. Probably outmarket Netgear? Are you out of your gourd?

By: Mark Evans - I Want My, I Want My Apple TV

Mark Evans - I Want My, I Want My Apple TV — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 20:06:47 +0000

[...] For more, check out Live Digitally, who doubts Apple can dominate the living room like they’ve done in the MP3 market, as well as Thomas Hawke, who has a top-10 list on why the Apple TV (he calls it the iDongle) is not for him. [...]

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:58:00 +0000

I think the Xbox 360 is a neat unit, but I’d also dismiss it but for a reason other than price: it’s a game system. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, and yes, in “early adopter land,” that might not seem like a disadvantage… but it wouldn’t have ever occurred to me to look at an Xbox, just like any other game system, even if it does so many other things.

One point Mossberg makes that I agree with is that simplicity will be the Apple TV’s strength. It’s not a TiVo, it’s not a game system, it’s basically a oversized iPod that uses your TV as a screen. It has “TV” in its name, so there’s no need to dig through specs to figure out what it does. And that’s going to be exactly what lots of people want to see in this age of do-everything gadgetry. I’ll bet it passes the “my mom can use it” test (and I’ll let you know next week sometime how that turns out)!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:35:34 +0000

I think this product could take the early lead, then get surpassed by other similar, but ad-supported offerings.

I personally like to see my shows without commercials, and am willing to pay for this privilege. However, I think most people are happy with the free-tv model, and (since this has dominated since the start of TV) it will probably reign in the internet TV era.

I hadn’t considered much about the advertising angle, until I read Shelly Palmer’s media blog — which had an essay on the tv/web-tv inversion. He points out how much money is currently spent on TV, and how that money will need to shift to the web. Logically, it will have to be spent on internet video.

So, there will be a whole lot of money (aka power) pushing for ad-supported TV. Too much for it not to dominate.

- Jessica