One of the things Apple was supposed to announce at WWDC in June was a new version of the Apple TV, the company's now more than three-year-old set-top box. Days before the keynote, though, the New York Times reported that those plans had been postponed at the last minute because "the product was not ready." Today, a report from Buzzfeed, the same outlet that originally reported on the WWDC plans, says that a refined version of the same box will actually be coming out in September alongside Apple's next-generation iPhones and the final version of iOS 9.
The basic hardware sounds pretty much the same as it did back in March when the original rumors made the rounds. The new box will include a version of the A8 SoC included in the iPhone 6 and sixth-generation iPod Touch, more internal storage, Siri support, and a new remote control with some kind of integrated touchpad (I'd take anything that would save us from the endless clicking the current Apple TV requires).
Most importantly, the new Apple TV would be released alongside an SDK and app store that would open the platform up. Currently, content providers have to work with Apple to create channels which are then pushed out to everyone with an Apple TV. An app store could increase the amount and variety of content available on the device, and (alongside the gamepad APIs introduced back in iOS 7) could make the set-top box into a sort of mini game console in its own right.
Is Apple too late to this party, with Roku already doing well, or will they come dominate this the way they did MP3 players? Can anyone with Apple TV comment?
(Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Saturday August 01 2015, @12:15PM
My AppleTV box gathered dust under the TV for about a year before being dumped in a box of misc electronics crap. It never got a look-in, mainly because my PS3 does a better job of streaming media and has native apps for Plex, BBC iPlayer, ITV, All4 and Channel 5. Done deal. And no, I'm not bothered about upgrading to a PS4.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 01 2015, @02:39PM
I have a jailbroken ATV2 running XBMC for streaming and apps. Has run well for years, with only some problems playing DVD menus.
(Score: 1) by nicdoye on Saturday August 01 2015, @06:40PM
It plays Netflix and YouTube (and iTunes). What else do I need? I can cast stuff from the iPad/iPhone, but never do.
Perhaps having a Sky+ HD box (does a lot of the catch-up TV stuff) means I'm atypical - I don't need the AppleTV to do much.
Although, I hope it gets Amazon Instant Video, so I can watch the new Clarkson, Hammond and May show.
At the end of the day, it's a cheap box that works well in Apple households, even for non-technical people.
I code because I can