Why Apple TV Matters
Ok, so you have heard about the new Apple TV. About how it can stream iTunes, Netflix and how it will save the planet from the evil Cable TV overlords who want nothing but to squeeze every last nickel out of recession-weary viewers. You also may have heard how the new updated Apple TV came up short of expectations in that there were no apps, no support for component out, and unlike the previous generation Apple TV you can’t purchase, you can only rent. Underneath all of the hype, beyond the excitement and after the Steve Jobs reality distortion field has faded, one question still remains; why? Why is the Apple TV anything to get excited about at all? Don’t we already have several streaming media boxes to choose from? Yes, there are other similar devices out there but the Apple TV brings something extra and I am about to tell you why that might just make all the difference.
Sure there is the Roku, which plays Netflix and Amazon, and don’t forget all the internet enabled blu-ray players out there. So why does they market even need another streaming media box? Well, the answer is surprisingly simple in that all of the current products out there now can’t really complete on one very important aspect…END USER EXPERIENCE! The reason why the Apple TV matters is that this is the first device to bring a consistant interface, idiot proof setup (just plug it into your TV and internet), while hitting the hugely important price-point of $99 bucks, something the previous generation device got wrong. I can seen plenty of cable-bill weary folks out there realizing that they can have all the TV they want for $8 (Netflix streaming monthly cost) plus .99 for whatever grabs them on iTunes. Yea, that’s huge savings over what most folks are playing for TV and you get to watch what you want, when you want it. But in the end it’s going to be about the experience. If non-geek folks can’t figure out how to get a Roku (or Google TV, etc) working, or they need five separate boxes in order to get the shows they want, you can bet they will just pick up an Apple TV even if the content is a bit more expensive on it. Ultimately, I suspect that over time Apple will add more streaming content providers (beyond Netflix) and can you only imagine (for now) just how compelling Apple TV might be combined with a Hulu account? Yea, at that point it would be game-over for cable TV as we know it…
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