Comments on: Is the Apple TV officially a flop? (Or: How to fix Apple TV)

Forbes magazine calls the Apple TV an "iFlop," and details why the product will never measure up to the success of the iPod.

[KHScnet]

Why not just get a Mac Mini...does a lot more

for just a few hundred bucks more:
virtually unlimited data files formats, wireless keyboard & mouse, internet radio, video downloads, pictures, iTunes you name it, it plays it....

[Balto55]

Biggest Problem with Apple TV....

[Balto55]

Biggest Problem with Apple TV....

Is the name...I own two, have never used either for television or video content.
Instead it is a great way to unlock the digital content most of us use - pictures
and music - from the clutches of the PC or Mac and effortlessly move it to the
home entertainment center. With all due respect to an earlier poster, moving a
low cost PC over the home TV is not going to work for the vast majority of
people. In addition, the interface is absolutely gorgeous and drop dead easy to
use. Apple should rename this thing - it is a stunning piece of equipment.

[amchristmann]

totally agree...

Simply the best way to get photos and music from the PC to the living room. We
have it going all the time with photos and music from my library... For the price
of the ipod and a 5 minute setup, it cannot be beat.

[JonTitor]

competition

I hope the Archos TV+ will have some of these "fixes"
Especially the rental service like their 605 has

[torontotvmusic]

"very good" review based on imaginary updates???

Let me get this straight. You gave the unit a "very good" review based on its very limited present day use, and firmware upgrades that you imagined would come along one day. Do you review every product this way? Or just stuff from Apple? Do you think you're doing your readers any favors by doing this? What school did you go to?

[pjmaley]

Let it record and pause live TV...make it a Tivo!

Seems simple. I don't want another DVR. When it can pause and record live TV my wallet opens. OK, maybe I'll wait for the better video quality. Another poster asks "why not buy a mac-mini?". Good idea. Hook it up to your flat screen TV, get a wireless keyboard and you're off. You can check fantasy stats, pay bills, IM, listen to your iTunes Library, Skype and watch your TV shows. If they don't overhaul this thing in 30 days that's the route I am going.

[utazdevl]

Love my Apple TV

I bought mine about 2 months ago, and it is my favorite gadget in the house
(better than the Dual Tuner Tivo, Slingbox, various iPods and iPhone). First off,
It is the best way to get the contents of your computer (Music, TV Shows, Movies
and Pictures) onto a viewable screen. The issue of file compatibilty is bogus,
since you can pretty much convert any file format into something iTunes can
play. I'd love to see an iTunes store with HD movie rentals though. That would
be gravvy on an already tasty steak.

[beeyds]

Great potentia!

The one thing that could save the Apple TV is if Apple began selling Karaoke
video files that you could stream to the TV. They would need to sell USB Mic
that you would plug into the TV. I can picture the bouncing apple logo now!

[snag535]

the apple i phone

why cant they come with a universal jack port for scan disk drives and cd and dvd players how hard is that?

[cysound]

Not for the mainstream

I think the biggest mistake Apple made with Apple TV is the lack of composite video capability, or at least an adapter for the unit. If you don't have a new TV, you can't connect it, and as the content is SD (standard def), why do you need (mainly) an HD (hi-def) TV for it? This was the biggest mistake, among the others discussed. Most people do not have all of the "latest-greatest" technology, we just patch together some mish-mash of stuff so it works!

[mkoehne]

Wouldn't that make it an iFlop???

Wouldn't that make it an iFlop???

[Mosephus]

Superfluous.

The fact is that the Apple TV is a superfluous device for anyone with an iPod. For hundreds of dollars less, you can connect your iPod to your TV with any of the multitude of available docks. While it's true that you may be limited to a S-Video output instead of the Apple TV's component outputs, the video quality level is such that it really doesn't make that much of a difference.

[c.Lake]

I loved my Apple TV, however America is NOT ready

After 20 - 25 years of recording this and that from cable, the over all concept
of "downloading" TV shows from the internet, had several of my friends
scratching their heads. No matter how many times we would explain what
the ATV actually does -- people just didn't get it?

They all thought AppleTV was really cool, but didn't understand how I
"magically" got videos and photos on to the device. All I did was mention
"buying a larger external hard drive and using your computer as a media
center", from that point on I got NOTHING but a bunch of blank stairs -- That
was the end of that conversation. They don't get it. It's going to take time,
just like the iPod. If you remember the first iPods weren't a hit. Now, 5 - 6
years later, they're walking out the door. Apple has another hit on there
hands -- they just don't now it yet.

Sue happy Hollywood, the Cable Company, and Satellite Service, these 3
morons are handing costumers to Steve Jobs on a plate -- At this rate, I'll say
another 2 years before Internet TV and Video downloads hit mainstream. And
maybe another 5 for "mama and papa kettle" to jump-in, once the price is
right.

Apple is charging too much -- $400, but that's to be expected -- it's Apple.
You already know that going it. But that doesn't make the ATV any less cool,
or the best on the block. (Go buy a Mivx 760-HD -- and you'll know what I'm
talking about. I own one, and I hate it.)

[Pixelstuff]

If online purchase is added - also iPod sync too

I think if they ever incorporate online music purchase and movie rentals, they should allow it to sync with the iPod an any authorized computers around the network. But I kind of doubt such will happen since they have positioned it like an iPod as just another leg off the iTunes hub.

I think one addition to the Apple TV would be plugin of an iPod to interface to the entertainment system. It would make it easier for friends to bring a movie over, or their own music for a party and wouldn't require an extra dock.

However, regarding the dependency on iTunes, what they really need is a Mac Home Server similar to the Windows Home Server that doesn't need a keyboard/display attached and can still stream all the music, tv, and movies around to various iTunes computers, Apple TVs, and other stand-alone devices on the network. It could even offer WiFi sync with an iPhone and iPod Touch if those device had been authorized with the account from which the content was purchased.

[CouchGuy]

Love the Apple TV... and want more!

I purchased my Apple TV at launch, and my wife and I love it! It doesn;t need to be a TiVo clone -- there are plenty of DVRs for Mac and Windows already that can be used with it. (I feed mine from both a Windows XP Media Center and an EyeTV device hooked to my new iMac...) I would love to see HD movie rentals through it, especially since I own an HDTV but don't have digital cable, HD satellite or an HD-capable DVD player. But the person who mentioned the need for a Mac-based iTunes server hit the nail on the head. I need more organizational options and MORE SPACE! A server version of iTunes that would support multiple drives and a lot of automated backup options would be a godsend, running on an older Mac, a headless Mac Mini, one of the upcoming Mac Nano systems, or -- best of all -- a dedicated headless server device managed over the network from your Mac, Windows or Apple TV system. Such a server should be fast, capable of using a wide variety of inexpensive drives to allow for continued expansion, versatile, updatable and inexpensive. It should feature gigabit Ethernet and 802.11n wireless connectivity, and be as bulletproof in operation as the Apple TV itself (which I have found to be an exceedingly easy to use and reliable device).
iFlop? Heck, no! The Apple TV is an iHit if there ever was one. It is just that the mainstream hasn't discovered all it can do, and Apple is not finished with it yet by a long shot.
Guy (CouchGuy) McLimore
http://www.couchapple.tv

[rsarchtct]

Apple TV with Handrake makes it IFantastic

Though ripping my DVD's with Handbrake is time consuming and takes some
HD space, once done, my Apple TV shines. It's easily the most convenient and
easiest way to view all of my media, including home movies and podcasts. A
direct connection to ITunes with rentals and movie purchases would definitely
be plus.

[CyberBob859]

Lowest priority product this year

I think the Apple TV suffered from being the lowest priority project at Apple
this year. With the iPhone launch, Leopard development, new iPods, and
upcoming new Mac introductions, this was the last thing to work on with
available resources.

Even Steve Jobs referred to the Apple TV as a "hobby" right now.

I think there is more to come for this product line, and these first units are
just a "technology preview". Apple is saying that they're not going to
concede the living room market to Microsoft, TiVo, and others. But, they're
not ready to fully compete just yet.

In my opinion, what will make the Apple TV succeed has more to do with
alliances with media creation and distribution companies than anything else.
Apple losing NBC Universal in iTunes was huge, because Apple TV needs
compelling content to thrive. Nobody is going to spend this much money for
a device to watch YouTube, movie trailers, and their own videos on a new TV.

Just as Amazon and TiVo partnered together, I think Apple should partner
with either Netflix or Blockbuster to allow digital movie rentals via the Apple
TV. We should be able to get these movies either through the Netflix or
Blockbuster website, directly from the Apple TV, or through iTunes. (Throw
in iPhone or iPod Touch WiFi access, and you have something unique.)

I also think there needs to be a "one click" way to get a user's DVD collection
over to iTunes that looks good on an Apple TV.

If Apple can pull these things off, I will be an Apple TV customer.

[BeatleMegaFan]

Think about it.

Apple was Apple Computer for most of its life. Then it entered the music
business with the iPod and is making billions off of it. Then, once people
realized how great Mac OS X is, they started buying those too. Then they
entered the cell phone business and arguably have one of the best phones on
the market, even if it's just one type of phone. The Apple TV isn't really a
dud, but it just hasn't been given the spotlight yet. I remember when it came
out. I wasn't impressed because my Video can just plug into my TV with a
cable and do the same thing.

If Apple can dominate all the other areas of the market, who's to say that they
may never look back at the Apple TV? Who knows? Maybe at Macworld,
they'll do something innovative with this and the Mac Mini, which may
become the Mac Nano (though I doubt the name). iTunes make it big until
after a while, so this may be the same case. Apple is great, and if they can
keep the creativity going, a new Apple TV idea would be great.

It's not a "flop". It's more like a "we'll get back to you once everyone else is
ready". Maybe it's that time.

-BMF

[BeatleMegaFan]

I meant iTunes didn't make it big until

after awhile. Sorry. Typo.

[cdtphilpot]

Typical Apple Bashing

I have an Apple TV and love every second of it. I have it hooked up via hdmi to my 37 inch lcd tv and an optical cable to my surround sound. I haven't had a single issue. I rip my DVD's using Handbrake and I also have season passes to Mythbusters and The Colbert Report and both play equally well on my iPhone and through Apple TV. I have my 360 if I want to rent a movie, but I usually know what I like so I haven't rented in a long time. Honestly I'm a diehard PC convert, but when my HP with Vista crashed for the 5th time in 7 months I switched to a Macbook. Shortly after I bought my iPhone then last month I bought Apple TV the 40 gb version. Apple truly is on the cutting edge, it's a shame Cnet is too anti-Apple to see that.

[techhawkfez]

Think About What You're Paying For

The Apple TV really isn't a TV at all. It's not a television. It's a basic computer with wifi and cables out. The idea of HD is good so long as the source is HD, not offered by the iTunes store.
Apple's put a lot of thought and effort into their software with this one, but the input is flawed. A 5-way just doesn't cut it anymore, especially with the brilliant interfaces on the iPod and the iPhone.
I can't help but think this was just the wrong product at the wrong time.