Apple With Modest Expectations for 'iTV' and TV Show Rentals?
Bloomberg Businessweek's Peter Burrows writes a
follow-up to his earlier report disclosing Apple's plans to announced
99-cent TV show rentals alongside a revamped Apple TV and updated iPod touch at a
September 7th media event. The new piece focuses on Apple's ambitions with the video rental service, which Burrows notes is not expected to be a game-changer in the same sense that the iPod and iPhone remade their markets.
My sense is that Apple doesn't plan to overplay its hand, by making too much of this mobile TV opportunity. This isn't another "revolution" in the making. Even if Apple wanted to try for that, studios have all but nullified the possibility by refusing to let Apple sell subscriptions to your favorite shows, to be watched whenever and as many times as you like.
According to Burrows' source, Apple will primarily pitch the video rental service for "catch-up viewing", allowing users to watch episodes of their favorite series they may have missed or to try out shows recommended by friends.
And despite the rumored $99 price tag for the new Apple TV or "iTV", even Apple CEO Steve Jobs himself is reportedly holding only modest expectations for the device's sales potential.
Even with the refresh, Jobs isn't convinced the new version will be a mainstream hit, says the person familiar with Apple's plans. Most consumers aren't ready to cut the cord to their cable company, or put up with the tech-nastics required to stream content from the iTunes collection on their PC to their living room big-screen TV. In other words, it's a product that at best will delight some of the "hobbyists" that have always been interested in the product.
Rumors of a TV show rental service from Apple surfaced early last month as an alternative to the company's original plan to work with the networks to offer a monthly subscription package.
Popular Stories
Black Friday 2024 is less than one week away, and as always the next few days will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals. Right now, this includes big savings on popular Apple products like AirPods, Apple Watch, MacBook Air, iPad, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
Anker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
There are a few bonus offers during this event as ...
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2 in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others. During the event, customers can get an Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible product.
In the U.S., for instance, Apple is including gift ...
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
The next episode of Apple TV+'s award-winning sci-fi series "Silo" will be released early.
Apple previously announced that new "Silo" episodes would be released on Fridays, but the third episode of the second season will instead be released on Wednesday, November 27. Apple has likely bumped up the date so that people can watch the episode during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday,...
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence.
Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476
The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
Beats is joining in on the Black Friday discount frenzy, with up to 52 percent off select headphones, earbuds, and speakers on Amazon. You'll find many of the same prices at other retailers like Best Buy as well.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This sale...
iOS 19 is not expected to be announced until June 2025, but the software update's first major new feature has already leaked.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reported that iOS 19 will introduce a "more conversational Siri" powered by "more advanced large language models." He said this upgrade will make Siri more like OpenAI's ChatGPT, allowing the assistant to "handle more sophisticated...
