Comments on: Prediction: AppleTV will NEVER be a DVR

By: ohcyt

ohcyt — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 21:07:01 +0000

I think Terrin makes a good point when he says that if Apple TV would feature DVR, it would be so that the recorded content is stored on the PC (ehrm… Mac). That way, the Mac would be the hub of the digital household and the user gets DVR.
I wish this was true, but it doesn’t make sense fo Apple to allow users to record stuff for free that they could also buy from iTunes.

By: Apple Gazette Daily Episode 12 is Live! by Apple Gazette

Apple Gazette Daily Episode 12 is Live! by Apple Gazette — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:49:27 +0000

[...] AppleTV will NEVER be a DVR (Apple Gazette) [...]

By: Terrin

Terrin — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:23:54 +0000

People miss the whole point of Apple TV. Apple wants your computer, not some remote box, to be the hub of your digital life. Apple TV is merely a means to remotely control the content on your household computers so that you can view it remotely on your television. It does the same thing for video as Airport Express does for music.

As soon as Apple starts adding features, like DVR, the computer becomes less of the digital hub. Apple would prefer you use a product like the DVR provided by El Gato to record the content onto your computer, and then access it using Apple TV.

I agree that Apple respond to customer wishes, but only in cases where it makes business sense. I think Apple would add a DVR to Apple TV if it made business sense and customers really wanted it. Here, however, it goes counter to its long terms goal of making the computer the digital hub. It also would further piss off Hollywood companies, which already do not really like Apple, and in turn could pull music, video, and movie content from iTunes. Regardless, of customer wishes, I just do not see it making business sense.

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 13:08:12 +0000

DBL -

I don’t think that comparison holds water due to the differences in the times in which the devices were released. When the iPod came out there was no system in place for people to purchase content online and download it. MP3s were a necessary part of the iPod to make it successful, and to help create an ecosystem for online purchases.

And we may be Apple’s customers, but we’ve been demanding lots of the thing often and loudly (non DRMed tracks in iTunes for example) and I’m pretty damn sure we don’t have that. Why? Because the studios won’t allow it.

Apple may get us a better deal than most other online stores, and Jobs and Co. may be able to throw around some weight because of iTunes success, but as long as the studio system exists, and they are the ones producing the content, they will ultimately have more weight in the development of these products than we do…why?

Because if they leave…we stop buying. Until that changes, and there is enough Independent content out there to make an AppleTV a viable purchase for the average users, the studios will be able to put their foot down on certain issues. I feel that DVR is one of those.

By: DBL

DBL — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 08:03:32 +0000

By that logic, Apple would never have allowed iTunes or iPods to play MP3s. After all, every MP3 installed on an iPod is a possible lost sales from the iTunes Music Store.

In other words, your argument has already been proven wrong in other areas. What makes you think it applies in this area?

Apple’s customers are us, not Hollywood. If we demand DVR on the Apple TV often enough and loudly enough, you can be damn sure we will have it.

Also … have you ever seen how *heavily* most DVRs compress TV content? Trust me it’s about 10 times more compressed than a typical DVD or HD-DVD/Blu-ray stream. 30GB isn’t a lot but it isn’t as little as you’re saying, either.