By Allen Tsai | Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:18 pm |
Apple today unveiled a smaller, cheaper version of its Apple TV device, which connects to high-definition televisions to show rented movies and TV programming, escalating the battle with rival Google for control of the digital living room.
The original Apple TV had lackluster success when it went on sale in 2007 for $229. It had to sync with a computer, included a hard drive for storing content and was four times larger in size.
"We've sold a lot of them, but it's never been a huge hit,” said Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive.
The new Apple TV now lets consumers rent, not buy, movies and TV shows. For $4.99, customers can stream first-run high-definition movies the day they come out on DVD. High-definition TV shows, limited in selection to programming from Fox, ABC, ABC Family, Disney Channel and BBC America, cost 99 cents per episode, starting the day after they broadcast.
Other media companies, such as NBC Universal, Time Warner and CBS, have declined to sign with Apple's new pricing system. Many replay their shows on their own websites, while others let viewers watch on sites such as Hulu. Regardless, Jobs said he expected other television companies to join once the service gains popularity.
"We think the rest of the studios will see the light and get on board," he said.
Alongside its own service, Apple has also signed a deal with Netflix, allowing users to stream movies and TV shows from the video rental site. Apple TV can also show content from other devices -- such as an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or a computer with iTunes -- streamed over Wi-Fi.
Jobs, which once called Apple TV a "hobby," made it clear that he now intends to seriously focus on merging the Web to TV, bringing the company into another battle with rivals Google, Microsoft and Amazon.
Apple TV will be available within a month.
Earlier today, Apple also introduced a social networking feature for iTunes that allows users to discover what their friends are listening to, unveiled a revamped line of iPod products and announced an update to its iOS operating system that adds the ability to play multi-player social games.
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Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:13 pm | By
Apple eliminated options for customers to rent TV shows on its iTunes and Apple TV services, as the company looks to refine the way it offers video content.
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Thu Aug 04, 2011 3:44 pm | By
Apple is set to launch a cloud-based service that will let users stream purchased movies and TV shows from the cloud as opposed to downloading files, as the company gears up to expand its dominance of digital media beyond music.
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Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:09 pm | By
Time Warner Cable is under pressure from TV networks to withdraw an iPad app that streams their content and threatens to disrupt their own streaming businesses, underscoring the uncertainty of an industry as it shifts further into online video.
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Thu Mar 24, 2011 12:44 pm | By
Apple is considering expanding its AirPlay audio service to allow video streaming from an iPhone or iPad to TV sets, in a move that could bolster Apple's position in the burgeoning online TV market.
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Fri Mar 11, 2011 2:13 pm | By
Apple TV now streams live basketball and baseball games as part of its iOS 4.3 update, foreshadowing more streaming services to come and making the device a contender in the growing connected-TV market.
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