Apple TV makes worst of 2007 list, deserves it
Like a media extender but worse, the Apple TV has been highly criticized several times this year. Recently, rumors have been spreading regarding the discontinuation of Apple’s media center in a box. And what a better time for Yahoo to include the product on their tech “Worst of 2007” list. What, you may ask, caused Yahoo to place this device on their list? Actually, Yahoo gave a few decent reasons. Videos aren’t purchasable over the box, Apple has failed to provide ample software updates, and the video selection is slim.
Yahoo is surprisingly right. I’ve never desired to own one, and for a couple of hundred bucks more, I can go out and purchase a full featured Mac Mini, with Front Row running on it for the same interface. Microsoft seems to have made their way to the living room quicker than Apple did. Their Media Center and Media Center Extenders are nearly full featured, with DVR functions included. Apple’s first-gen living room product seems to have failed to make it, and may not be seen ever again if discontinued.
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I disagree. The Apple TV does exactly what it says it does. It is an iPod for your television. With Fox producing DVDs with iTunes compatible versions on the disks and rentals coming in Jan I fear you may be just a little premature in your schadenfreude.
The ONLY issue with the Apple TV in practical terms is the studios reluctance to get involved. They didn’t want Apple to do to their precious video content what they did with their music content and so wasted all their time and effort working with other players to try and bring it down.
I wonder how much money Microsoft had spent getting all that exclusive content on the XBOX 360? I mean they paid 150 million to get all those movies pulled from Blu Ray and switched to HD exclusives I wonder what else they are doing with their stockpiles of cash?
And don’t get me started on the TV studios - they think that they can pull down iTunes by starting their own using Microsoft’s all encompassing DRM? Hulu is a waste of time and probably won’t last the year.
What is it with these companies? Apple have built an infrastructure that delivers and costs the content providers nothing to get involved and yet they think they can do it themselves? Outrageous!
on December 29, 2007 at 01:40 PM - LINKPersonally, I love my Apple TV. I use it as an ipod for my HDTV, sending music to my home theater system, showing photos and personally produced home video. My kids love watching YouTube on it. Frankly, I don’t buy movies to watch because the quality isn’t there yet and I find Netflix a much better option. It is pretty handy to preview movie trailers as however. They download quickly and are usually high quality. Knowing Apple however, I am sure they could make it better, but whether it is profitable for them to do it is something else.
on December 30, 2007 at 11:43 PM - LINKI love this website and I follow it all the time but when it comes to the Apple TV I feel that no helpful comments are being made, it feels like who ever posts these articles is not being objective, you can even tell the author show a very strong personal preference. I don’t think the Apple TV will be discontinued, it will be improved and that’s how technology moves. Perseverance is what Apple has been really good at, and that’s why we get to enjoy of great products today but not many people thought so 10 years ago when Apple products were not very good, I am really expecting the Apple TV to expand it’s features, I own one and love it even though I know it needs to be improved.
on December 31, 2007 at 01:58 AM - LINKI own two Apple TV’s and being a hardcore techie I have to say it is probably one of the coolest things I have ever purchased. I was able to rip my entire DVD collection and import it into iTunes, fire up the Apple TV and now watch my entire collection instantly. It would be a very big upset to me if Apple were to discontinue this great product. Everyone I have showed the system to loves it and is planning on buying one of their own.
on January 12, 2008 at 04:58 AM - LINK