Joan E. Solsman of CNET reported it correctly: another Apple event, another Apple TV no-show.
It has been three years since Apple’s streaming-video box has been updated and still there were no new refresh for the next generation. During all those times, Internet-delivered TV has grown bigger and more accessible than ever.
In that span of time, Apple has thrown plenty of splashy events, and each one has come and gone without Apple TV getting serious time in the spotlight. But during the 8th June developer conference keynote was supposed to be different.
This year, the Cupertino, Calif.-based consumer electronics titan has been widely reported to be developing a new Apple TV box that it would launch alongside an Internet-delivered television service. In March, Apple cut the price on its current streaming-media box from $99 to $69, a classic signal that a company is clearing out old inventory ahead of a newer version coming down the pipeline.
But as the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference approached, the prospects of seeing a new streaming device at the confab dimmed. Apple couldn’t broker deals with TV programmers to stock the new service with channels in time, according to reports.
The no-show underscores the daunting challenges that even a major player like Apple faces when introducing a video service that seeks to upend the status quo. TV content providers, for instance, can hold out for better terms. Rights for the country’s hundreds of local stations aren’t as simple as sealing a deal with few parent companies.
The price cut on the Apple TV box, meanwhile, reflects more than just its pipeline plans; it’s also an acknowledgement of cheaper competitors. Google’s Chromecast dongle for online video can be purchased for $35. Most important: Even without any significant marketing, a tech refresh, or a high-profile new service, Apple TV is doing just fine on its own.
And for Apple, there’s really no rush to introduce something that’s half baked. Because Apple is Apple, it has the luxury to wait to get it right. Being late to the game has never hurt the company in the past – just look at the success of the iPod, which followed other digital music players, and the iPhone, which wasn’t close to the first smartphone on the market. But what would hurt the company is introducing something that’s not truly compelling despite having years to get it ready.
It has been three years since Apple’s streaming-video box has been updated and still there were no new refresh for the next generation. During all those times, Internet-delivered TV has grown bigger and more accessible than ever.
In that span of time, Apple has thrown plenty of splashy events, and each one has come and gone without Apple TV getting serious time in the spotlight. But during the 8th June developer conference keynote was supposed to be different.
This year, the Cupertino, Calif.-based consumer electronics titan has been widely reported to be developing a new Apple TV box that it would launch alongside an Internet-delivered television service. In March, Apple cut the price on its current streaming-media box from $99 to $69, a classic signal that a company is clearing out old inventory ahead of a newer version coming down the pipeline.
But as the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference approached, the prospects of seeing a new streaming device at the confab dimmed. Apple couldn’t broker deals with TV programmers to stock the new service with channels in time, according to reports.
The no-show underscores the daunting challenges that even a major player like Apple faces when introducing a video service that seeks to upend the status quo. TV content providers, for instance, can hold out for better terms. Rights for the country’s hundreds of local stations aren’t as simple as sealing a deal with few parent companies.
The price cut on the Apple TV box, meanwhile, reflects more than just its pipeline plans; it’s also an acknowledgement of cheaper competitors. Google’s Chromecast dongle for online video can be purchased for $35. Most important: Even without any significant marketing, a tech refresh, or a high-profile new service, Apple TV is doing just fine on its own.
And for Apple, there’s really no rush to introduce something that’s half baked. Because Apple is Apple, it has the luxury to wait to get it right. Being late to the game has never hurt the company in the past – just look at the success of the iPod, which followed other digital music players, and the iPhone, which wasn’t close to the first smartphone on the market. But what would hurt the company is introducing something that’s not truly compelling despite having years to get it ready.
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