CBS and Disney – two television networks with strong ties to Apple – are considering a plan by the Cupertino, Calif. company to revamp how Americans receive TV programming, according to one report. Apple would like to expand its iTunes service to offer consumers major television content via the Internet.
The proposal would “offer access to some TV shows from a selection of major U.S. television networks for a monthly fee,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Is this Steve Jobs driving a tank in a classic Apple TV spot from the late 1990s? That was the rumor at the time: Jobs was making cameos in Apple commercials.
Ken Segall, the TBWA ad man responsible for naming the iMac and Think Different, reveals the truth after the jump. He also shares some rare behind-the-scenes photos he took during the filming of this commercial and another from the same era.
As anticipated, Apple has updated the Apple TV software to 3.0, which brings a new interface and home screen with quick access to favorite content. Instead of drilling down to get to a recently-rented movie, it’s now accessible right off the home screen, as are favorite TV Shows, podcasts and YouTube movies.
The update also adds support for iTunes LPs and iTunes Extras, as well as Genius Mixes and internet radio.
The update likely breaks Boxee, the unsanctioned internet media player that actually makes the Apple TV useful, but internet radio is a welcome addition.
To support the new Apple TV software, Apple has also updated iTunes to 9.0.2. As well as being compatible with the Apple TV 3.0 software, the update adds a new “dark” viewing option in Grid View. The iTunes update also once again breaks Palm Pre syncing.
Apple TV owners may soon have access to the latest iTunes Store content. Multiple reports suggest an Apple update includes support for iTunes LP and iTunes Extras. The reports are based on changes in the iTunes terms and conditions, stating: “iTunes LP and iTunes Extras Products are usable only on computers with iTunes 9 or higher and Apple TV with software version 3.0 or higher.”
For some time, Apple has viewed Apple TV as a ‘hobby,’ causing some enthusiasts to turn to open-source software Boxee for additional features. In September, Apple unveiled iTunes LP as a way for digital albums to include photos, video and other material previously available within physical CDs. iTunes Extras attempts to do for digital movies what iTunes LP does for digital LPs – delivering content for digital purchases once available only through physical DVDs.
The updated terms may lend credence to previous reports the software used for both iTunes LP and iTunes Extras is tailored for Apple TV. Others expect Apple to upgrade the Apple TV hardware to support both iTunes TV subscriptions, as well as adding DVR-like ability to the device.
Apple TV’s software was last upgraded in June. The 2.4 upgrade included support for Apple’s new remote and searching photos on Flickr. In September, Apple quietly eliminated the 40GB unit while dropping the price of a 160GB unit to $229 from $329.
[Via AppleInsider, MacRumors]
A major update of the Apple TV may be in the works.
Apple has slashed the price of the 160GB Apple TV to $229 (from $329) and discontinued the 40GB model. Meanwhile, it looks like Apple’s new iTunes LP — a new format for multimedia music bundles — is designed for high-resolution output on the AppleTV.
The iTunes LP content is output at 1,280-by-720, the native resolution of an Apple TV when hooked to a high-definition TV. Apple’s new iTunes Extras (bonus movie material usually included on bonus DVDs and now available for download on iTunes) is also designed to be output at the same high resolution. While this is natural for movie content, it’s a curious choice for music content, albeit multimedia music content, which might naturally be formatted for playing on computers and laptops.
Which all points to a major update for the Apple TV in the near future. The AppleTV hardware has remained essentially unchanged since its introduction, although it has received a couple of software upgrades.
The 160GB model is the only configuration of the Apple TV now on offer. The 40GB Apple TV was previously priced at $229.
Steve Jobs usually refers to the AppleTV as a “hobby,” and not a real business. The choice of movies for the device on the iTunes store remains relatively limited.
Boxee software and data remains intact on Apple TVs, despite the appearance of having been wiped from the media center device by Apple TV’s latest software update.
“Boxee does run on the updated 2.3.1 software,” Andrew Kippen, Boxee media relations spokesman told Cult of Mac. “Each firmware update from Apple will normally erase non-Apple menu items from AppleTV,” he explained. “Boxee users simply need to re-apply the patchstick to add the menu item back.”
After the patchstick has been re-applied, user logins, media sources, preferences, etc. will be just as they were before the upgrade.
Another Apple TV update has disabled the popular free media-streaming Boxee software. The side-effect of the Apple TV 2.3.1 update was reportedly unintentional on Apple’s part.
Although the specific conflict is yet unknown, Apple sent the update last night to all Apple TV owners. One potential solution is to disable automatic updates.
This isn’t the first time an update of Apple’s increasingly-popular device which streams video and photos from your computer to your TV has caused problems for Boxee fans.
Amid a plethora of suggestions how Apple can make better use of its Apple TV box, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has turned to its users for possible directions.
As part of an online survey, Apple is asking how owners use their Apple TV boxes, including the preferred source for content and their hardware configuration.
The survey’s purpose is seen as a way to determine the company’s next step in turning what initially was viewed as a “hobby” device into the third leg of Apple’s sales strategy.
If Apple TV supported cable television, as well as iTunes, the move could generate $1 billion for the media box long considered a “hobby” by Cupertino, one analyst recently suggested.
Providing cable box support could also boost Apple TV ownership six times over, potentially creating 6.5 million sales of the media unit, according to Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi.
Sacconaghi suggested Apple TV could become an alternative to the cable DVR or TiVo with the help of additional software. Firms, such as Tru2Way allows cable customers to avoid renting a box in order to receive pay-per-view or other services.
Apple is being sued for patent infringement after a company alleges Cupertino used confidential data to launch Apple TV and other products.
EZ4Media is asking an Illinois court to grant an injunction and fine Apple for infringing on four patents on technology to stream video from a device to a television.
The company claims three employees with “confidential and proprietary information” about the patents were hired by Apple months before the computer-maker launched Apple TV, a product that streams video to home television screens.