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Rogers, BCE Early Partners for Apple TV
Truly Revolutionary or More Walled Garden Junk?
According to a report in the Globe and Mail, Canadian providers Rogers and BCE will be among the first ISPs to partner with Apple on their upcoming television sets. Apple's new televisions have been rumored for some time, and are expected to integrated the Siri voice command functionality found in the iPhone 4S. Like Microsoft's XBox Live video offerings, it sounds like Apple is signing on numerous partners for content. However as we've noted a lot lately, Apple doesn't have a magical formula to bypass the entertainment industry's restrictive licensing, which has been responsible for keeping numerous companies (Google, Apple, Microsoft) from truly revolutionizing Internet video.
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stevennb
Ok, But, Thats The Last Straw.
Premium Member
join:2001-05-08
Wayne, NJ

stevennb

Premium Member

where there's a will , there's a pay.

Oh but Apple does have a "magical" formula, it's called tons of $. The entertainment industry loves cash.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

What kind of hardware will be needed for this new Apple iTV? Will it be a standalone TV set, or an add-on box(like the existing Apple TV) using an HDMI connection, or could it be both?

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

Reports I've seen point to an actual television set....
stufried
Premium Member
join:2003-10-13

stufried

Premium Member

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

I'm sure that older Apple TV users will get some of functionality, but that there will be a carrot dangled in front of our face to move to the Apple TV. We might be able to sign up for the service, but if we want Siri (for example) then we need to buy this new gadget.

I suspect that Apple will build the cable box, dvr, and Apple TV into the set with a Siri style programming tool through your iPhone, iPod, or remote. I wouldn't be surprised to see them build in the ability to schedule things off site. I don't think we will get Slingbox style functionality. The industry fights that too much.

That is my prediction. Then again, I predicted that we would have "President Al Gore" back in 2000.
25139889 (banned)
join:2011-10-25
Toledo, OH

25139889 (banned)

Member

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

of course you're going to need to upgrade to the new product. You don't think Apple would give you any other option would you?

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5 to Karl Bode

Premium Member

to Karl Bode
said by Karl Bode:

Reports I've seen point to an actual television set....

If that is their only offering - a separate TV, then that could significantly slow down the # of users for their new iTV service. It is one thing to spend $100 to $200 for another HDMI connected box, but another to spend up to $1000 to $2000 for a new TV.

Mike
Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA

1 recommendation

Mike to Karl Bode

Mod

to Karl Bode
hey apple is going to reinvent the TV with a samsung 1080i panel.

yawn
bklass
Premium Member
join:2012-02-06
Canada

bklass

Premium Member

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

Hear, Hear. Rogers, BCE and Apple together? Revolutionary but in the wrong direction - the more people buy into closed, paywalled ecosystems like these the more people forget about the benefits of general computing.

In Canada, Jailbreaking is about to become illegal, thanks to the digital lock restrictions found in Bill C-11. That means that this TV will be an expensive box that lets you pay Apple, Rogers or Bell for service. I can't wait to give those companies even more of my money for products that aren't worth 1/10th of the price.

Mike
Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA

Mike

Mod

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

Yeah I feel bad for the internet users up north. It'll be down south soon enough.

I wonder if there will be a cap on the Apple Internet iCloud TV thing itself? That would be extra cute to flip channels with Siri and get a $3,500 TV bill.
stufried
Premium Member
join:2003-10-13

stufried to bklass

Premium Member

to bklass
As a former Robbers (a/k/a Rogers) customer, I was shocked at all the new charges they could invent. I was used to the US phone service charges and expected the same thing. Silly me. "Long distance" on a cell phone to call 50 miles away; on network "roaming" within the same area code; extra monthly fees for voicemail and caller-id; and more.

I love Canadians, but my experience living North of the Border with Canadian utilities definitely left me feel robbed and cheated. The worst part is that I don't think that they hosed me because I was a Yank. I think I was given exactly the same treatment as a Canadian.

TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB

TOPDAWG

Premium Member

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

cdns get hosed on the prices of forking everything.

Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA

Thaler

Premium Member

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

Even maple syrup & hockey?
bklass
Premium Member
join:2012-02-06
Canada

bklass to stufried

Premium Member

to stufried
Yeah, they definitely don't discriminate when it comes to discriminating.
AndrewW
join:2009-03-07
Toronto, ON

AndrewW to Karl Bode

Member

to Karl Bode
said by Karl Bode:

Reports I've seen point to an actual television set....

Apple was trying to get Sharp's IGZO panels for their iTV but production problems, resulting in poor yields at Sharp's plant have delayed things.

Mike
Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA

Mike to FFH5

Mod

to FFH5
Apple isn't going to change shit with a 1080 panel.

2K or 4K min or it's going to flop.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

said by Mike:

Apple isn't going to change shit with a 1080 panel.

2K or 4K min or it's going to flop.

and 2K isn't going to stream reliably under Net Neutrality.

That's why Apple is courting the ISPs.
Their product will have to be locally served.

Mike
Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA

Mike

Mod

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

Apple doesn't care about quality of service outside of their hardware.

Good god man they did a 2 year exclusive with ATT for the iPhone.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

said by Mike:

Apple doesn't care about quality of service outside of their hardware.

Good god man they did a 2 year exclusive with ATT for the iPhone.

They won't make that mistake again.

Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA

Thaler

Premium Member

Re: A TV set or a box attached thru HDMI or both?

said by elray:

They won't make that mistake again.

They'll make brand new mistakes!

TOPDAWG
Premium Member
join:2005-04-27
Calgary, AB

TOPDAWG to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
TV seems to be nothing more then a normal HDTV with an apple TV built in. If it has the huge ass premium price of other apple products it will fail. Apply should just make some software that can go onto smart TV's and sell it to TV markers.
jfmezei
Premium Member
join:2007-01-03
Pointe-Claire, QC

jfmezei

Premium Member

Content vs delivery

In Canada, it is Bell and Shaw which control the most US TV shows. Interesting that Apple might have done a deal with Rogers. Wonder how quicklly Shaw will come to the talble.

Note that none of those players have played ball with Apple, forcing Apple to charge $5.00 per TV episode while in the USA, the same shows go for $0.99

The big question is whether such deals will just be for rights, with itunes distributing the shows, opr whether Bell and Rogers will build their "Netflix" style service that will be available on the AppleTV.
stufried
Premium Member
join:2003-10-13

stufried

Premium Member

Re: Content vs delivery

We don't pay $0.99 an episode anymore. The rental deal is gone. We can buy standard def at $1.99 or high def at $2.99. It is not as bad as $5, but I thought I should clarify it.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

Didn't they learn anything

From the google tv debacle?
Goggles
join:2003-01-26
Nottawa, ON

Goggles

Member

Im putting a tower back up

Im looking at putting a tv tower back up with a digital antenna