For some, a world where our media needs are tightly integrated into our digital networks is an ideal worth drooling over.
People, much like me, have long tried creating a frankenstien television where web content, television, music, and movies are on demand.
Gene Munster unleashed a bomb when he started speculating that Apple Inc may be getting ready to venture into the HDTV market with a fully web integrated system by 2014. I couldn’t help but speculate what that would mean for consumers, and more importantly, how the price would compare to my current media hub.
My setup which includes a MacMini, Samsung HDTV, an EyeTV, and Rowmote Pro is far from the simplest solution. Streaming my media across the network requires a third party application like Plex (or Boxee), buying HD content involves iTunes, recording my television shows from my cable subscription requires the EyeTV software, and controlling it all from the comfort of my couch requires my iPhone and RowMote Pro.
It’s quite the messy setup, and it works surprisingly well all things considered, but an end to end solution would be ideal, and I’d welcome it with open arms.
The obvious question everyone is asking is how a setup like mine, versus a true Apple Television would compare.
Here’s how my costs break down.
- Mac Mini… $599.00
- Samsung HDTV… $799.00
- EyeTv Hybrid… $149.99
- Rowmote Pro… $4.99
- Western Digital 1TB MyBook Firewire Drive for storage…$129.99
It’s far from simple, and it’s not exactly cheap.
Total Price: $1682.97
Could Apple Make this Simpler?
Gene Munster seems to think that Apple could easily redefine the HDTV market, and the price he’s throwing around, ~$2000.00, isn’t really that far from what I’m already paying for a similar setup.
There’s a four hundred dollar premium on the guestimated price when compared to my current setup, but we can’t even begin to speculate what would be in an Apple branded HDTV, let alone how it would interact with our other devices. So the profit margin for Apple could vary greatly by the time they got around to releasing a television.
Munster also points out that, “if Apple introduced a device that would negate the need for a Blu-ray player, digital video recorder, cable box and game console, the company’s $2,000 HDTV could represent a significant change for the market.”
He’s not wrong there. The first company to introduce a truly connected television is going to be at the forefront of the innovations. The entire paradigm will shift and whoever is there leading the way will surely reap the financial reward.
Once we add in the possibility that Apple could release a monthly TV pass subscription, we start to see that Apple could provide a superior end to end solution. If it makes my life easier, I’m pretty sure it’ll be worth the price premium. Would you buy a net ready television, what about an Apple HDTV? I’d have to say, I’d seriously consider it.
Article Via Apple Insider
