I found quite an interesting article about the upcoming release of iTV with revolutionary 4k resolution?I think there can be something about it. What do you think?
Yet millions turned into the bbc to see Murray play in the final. If people watch bbc's click programme you will have seen new internet/ interface / interactive tellys. So I don't think apple will.
But people want to watch it at the finest resolution. And it will also become a gadget hitherto unknown, so all the tech enthusiasts will want to have it, unless it's going to be ridiculously priced.
There is almost no widely accessible 4k material at the moment, but I guess that might change very quickly right?
I wouldn't hold your breath.
The only reason companies will start producing stuff in 4k resolution is because there is a big market to sell it to. A single Apple platform is not a big market, unless Apple want to pay for it to made.
And as for people only wanting to watch the highest resolutions, how does that explain the viewing figures for things like the torch relay cam, which in a good spot doesn't even make it to SD resolutions? I really don't see anyone ever going "I would watch the Wimbeldon final, but it's only in HD, so I'll just have to watch that 4k film again".
In other words, no, the Apple iTV won't kill the TV industry.
The strange thing is, you can look at forum postings when the iPod came out in 2001, and when the iPhone came out in 2007, and you'll see the exact same type of postings. 'Apple is a computer company, a niche MP3 player isn't going to take over the world' and 'An Apple Smartphone!? Surely a niche product for Apple enthusiasts'. Yet these products took off spectacularly, and changed the industries surrounding them.
Apple has a history of reinventing markets which have been stuck in their ways for a long time. If Apple really pushed themselves into the TV/Film industry, major changes would occur. The current Apple TV is a niche product because they're not putting all their resources into it. They've said so themselves. They call it a 'hobby'. However if they brought out an actual Apple TV set, with content to match, and really push it as the next big thing, then you wouldn't be able to ignore that. Big Changes will undoubtedly occur.
The strange thing is, you can look at forum postings when the iPod came out in 2001, and when the iPhone came out in 2007, and you'll see the exact same type of postings. 'Apple is a computer company, a niche MP3 player isn't going to take over the world' and 'An Apple Smartphone!? Surely a niche product for Apple enthusiasts'. Yet these products took off spectacularly, and changed the industries surrounding them.
This is a different question though. It's more like asking if the iPod will kill off the music industry.
It's companies like Hulu, Netflix, LoveFilm and YouView who could be affected by the Apple iTV, not the content producers and traditional broadcasters like the BBC and ITV, or even the TV manufacturers - you're not going to be buying a iTV for every room in the house.
The strange thing is, you can look at forum postings when the iPod came out in 2001, and when the iPhone came out in 2007, and you'll see the exact same type of postings. 'Apple is a computer company, a niche MP3 player isn't going to take over the world' and 'An Apple Smartphone!? Surely a niche product for Apple enthusiasts'. Yet these products took off spectacularly, and changed the industries surrounding them.
Apple has a history of reinventing markets which have been stuck in their ways for a long time. If Apple really pushed themselves into the TV/Film industry, major changes would occur. The current Apple TV is a niche product because they're not putting all their resources into it. They've said so themselves. They call it a 'hobby'. However if they brought out an actual Apple TV set, with content to match, and really push it as the next big thing, then you wouldn't be able to ignore that. Big Changes will undoubtedly occur.
It depends on the broadcasters. There are many studios that still haven't made the conversion to HD and those that have, would they really be willing to do even more refits? The examples you mention are very much focused on existing products where they pushed themselves to the forefront by producing products that are quite revolutionary and ahead of their time. You're right to say the industries have changed but they have only changed because they took off in the first place, whereas for the iTV to take off it requires the change to accommodate it to take off because noone will buy one if there is no content for it.
Having said all of that, 4k is the next place for TV to go as it is developing all of the time, but I don't think it will be any time soon. And by the time it does happen you'll have companies like Samsung and Sony producing similar spec products as they already do with smartphones.
Last edited by SWatson7 on 9 July 2012 5:59pm - 2 times in total