Apple polls customers for feedback on streaming video & Apple TV

Apple is hunting for feedback on streaming video, presumably to help decide on a future direction for the Apple TV and/or video in general, AppleInsider learned on Thursday.

A email survey sent to AppleInsider first asked about a recent iPad purchase, but then launched into a series of questions about streaming video. These included which devices were being used for streaming, and several about the Apple TV, among them satisfaction and when a fourth-generation unit was bought.

Hardware appears to be the focus of Apple's interest, since a later question asked about the likelihood of buying another streaming media player.

Until recently the company has put relatively little emphasis on the Apple TV, referring to it as a "hobby" and only updating it periodically, instead of annually like Macs and iPhones.

The fourth-generation model has been treated more seriously though, with upgrades like Siri and a native App Store, plus much more extensive marketing. The survey could be meant to gauge things like the overall success of the Apple TV and the best time to launch a fifth-generation model.

In May, one report suggest that Apple's rumored Amazon echo competitor could instead be just an upgraded Apple TV with its own microphone and speaker array. No timetable was given, though other rumors have hinted at 2017.

It's not clear what else Apple would change. One possibility might be 4K support, since iPhones already support shooting in that resolution.