Katie MarsalMicrosoft and Sony maneuvers at the Electronic Entertainment Expo now turn their respective Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles into stronger media hubs , and more direct challengers to Apple TV.
Gamers with both an Xbox Live Gold subscription and a Netflix account will have the option this fall of streaming an unlimited number of movies and TV shows from the movie provider's Watch Instantly online service, bypassing the need to download the entire video to disk while still having control over pausing and skipping through content. The feature will also give Netflix customers a unique social component that lets as many as eight Xbox Live members watch a movie at the same time.
On top of the video service, the company has also revamped the Xbox 360 interface with a design that will seem familiar to users of iTunes' Cover Flow interface and has struck a deal with NBC-Universal to host its movies and TV shows — a move that emphasizes the rift between Apple and the studio, which was forcefully split from iTunes after neither company could come to terms on variable pricing.
Meanwhile, Sony itself has also kicked off the release of its first video service for its own game system: The PlayStation Store is on Tuesday carrying movies and TV shows from Sony, Apple's close partner Disney, as well as Fox, MGM, Paramount, and several other studios.
The service from the outset is largely comparable to services from Apple and others and offers TV show purchases for $1.99 per episode as well as movies for between $9.99 and $19.99 depending on the title; movies are also available to rent for between $2.99 and $3.99. Sony offers a choice between standard and high-definition versions and is one of the few to offer HD for TV shows.
Both Microsoft and Sony's efforts put even greater strain on Apple TV, which has struggled to gain a foothold in the marketplace and has been consciously talked down for its role as the "fourth leg" in Apple's product lineup. Simultaneously, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have both sold millions of units while frequently offering media playback (with the exception of the PlayStation's Blu-ray) only as a secondary feature.
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126 Comments
1. I don't see XBox nor PS3 to be a competitors to Apple TV. Maybe its just me or not, but I see Apple TV targeted towards Family Audience and XBOX and PS3 towards younger generation and teenagers.
I can't see Parents using their kids PS3 to rent movies, kid is not gonna like it because he/she will want to play, so Parents will just get Apple TV for their own use.\
2. To fight back, Apple just have to make Apple TV compatible with Games and other Apps and make Apple Remote into a Wii like pointer with Accelerometer.
2. To fight back, Apple just have to make Apple TV compatible with Games and other Apps and make Apple Remote into a Wii like pointer with Accelerometer.
I've been playing with both my old and new iPhones, and I'm starting to realize, The iPhone is going to render the PSP, DS, etc. Obsolete. It's just much more intuative, and as soon as there are better games for it, It is going to blow them out of the playing field. It's quite possible that this could happen with ATV as well.
Just open the Apple TV in the same way as the iphone, with a SDK and allow the USB port to be used for a TV tuner or DVD etc.
Problem solved
1. I don't see XBox nor PS3 to be a competitors to Apple TV. Maybe its just me or not, but I see Apple TV targeted towards Family Audience and XBOX and PS3 towards younger generation and teenagers.
I can't see Parents using their kids PS3 to rent movies, kid is not gonna like it because he/she will want to play, so Parents will just get Apple TV for their own use.\
2. To fight back, Apple just have to make Apple TV compatible with Games and other Apps and make Apple Remote into a Wii like pointer with Accelerometer.
Not necessarily. I got my PS3 primarily as a Blu-Ray player. I am 35 and absolutely suck at video games.
I do agree with your point number 2, but the iPhone/iPod touch is TOO expensive to be used as an everyday remote.
I don't know about Xbox 360, but the PSN store has been improved but it still isn't as easy to navigate than then the Apple TV. And the Sony Wallet thing is a pain to use.
1. I don't see XBox nor PS3 to be a competitors to Apple TV.
I don't see it as competitors either. PS3 has a Blu-ray player which plays all my DVD's too.