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Robo
Formerly Roboman, still
awesome
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Portland, OR
 
2019-08-01, 23:37

Quote:
Originally Posted by kscherer View Post
However, there does not need to be a different box. "Regular Apple TV" just needs some processor upgrading and a larger case to deal with the heat.
I think that sounds like a different box to me. Especially if it comes with a controller instead of the Siri Remote.

To be clear, I am talking about something that would basically replace* Apple TV hardware as Apple's future tvOS hardware, not something that would be sold alongside the Apple TV boxes we know and sort-of love, because I don't think those boxes make sense any more.

I think they'll change the name, whatever their future hardware is, for several reasons. The first is just clarity — it's clear that from Apple's perspective "Apple TV" is an app now, and soon to be a streaming service. I don't think it makes sense to keep using that name to refer to hardware that already does much more than run the Apple TV app.

But the other reason is about positioning. If the Apple TV is going to get bigger and more powerful and more expensive to take on the game console market, I think it would be way easier to brand that as something new (GamePod, whatever) than to try and sell people on a $300 "Apple TV." People already have an idea for what Apple TV is, and it's not a high-powered gaming platform that's worth $300. Apple would specifically want to shed the image of their platform as one that only plays "lite" mobile-style games; a huge amount of their messaging is going to be convincing people that they're finally taking gaming seriously.

This messaging isn't just for consumers, but also for developers. If they're indeed taking gaming seriously and want to get all the big console games on board, it's probably easier to signal that with a new name rather than "Apple TV, take 5! It's a real game console now, we promise!"

*) The only other space in the market I can see for tvOS hardware would be a stripped-down cheap "Apple TV stick" for people who have TVs they like that aren't smart TVs, but who want to be able to access streaming services (and who don't already have some other streaming player they like). That market is getting smaller by the day, but Apple could potentially make some moves there, especially if they want to encourage adoption of Apple TV+. The 3rd-gen Apple TV eventually got down to $69, for example. But the $100-200 media player space the Apple TV currently plays in is just completely gone.

and i guess i've known it all along / the truth is, you have to be soft to be strong
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