What features would you most like to see added to AppleTV?

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February 10, 2009
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Comments (61)

Dave Park | February 10, 2009 - 6:37am

 I want iTunes to be able to rip my DVDs just like it rips my CDs, so I can watch them anytime.

LD (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:53am

At least in the US, it's still illegal to rip DVDs.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 15, 2009 - 5:31pm

As long as you use it the same way you use you riped CD (put it on a portalpel player, or a File server) then it's allowed in most of the world.
.
And last I cheked, then Aplle do sell stuff out side the US

Me (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 6:40am

I want to be able to stream all iTunes Store videos for a monthly fee.

xanatos (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 6:41am

Make the movies avaible to us in europe!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 6:44am

With these two things it would rule the universe. I echo Dave Park that I would like to be able to rip DVDs into iTunes but I think that's highly unlikely because of the movie companies. Currently I use handbrake and have my entire DVD collection on a 4 gig Drobo, including many seasons of television shows. However, I think that most non-techies would need to rip in iTunes to make ripping attractive.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 8:47am

How do you fit your whole movie collection in 4GB! mine is nearer 50GB and thats about 35 movies, nowhere near all of my movies.

John 9852 (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 10:34pm

I think he means 4TB. My drobo has just under 2TB worth and I am just starting in on my VHS home videos and movies that I have collected for the last 25 years.

apv (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 5:35pm

Apple would be smart to invest a little bit of those billions their sitting on and buy Tivo.Tivo has been doing some great stuff ,Both companies have great brand loyalty. Apple can add great marketing and better hardware design.Tivo has made some deep inroads into the cable/satellite business which apple can jump on. Otherwise they should consider adding dual cable card with an HD DVR built in as well as a bluetooth keyboard.

Luke Bornheimer (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 6:57am

This survey should have been made so you could select multiple choices, there are too many things on that list that I want to pick one!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:00am

I want an all-in-one TV, but not yet! I'd rather wait for LED backlit TV's to become mainstream to eliminate the issue of fading backlights so it wouldn't need replacing often.

40" + 52" LED
Apple TV Functionality w/ 1TB HDD for media
Time Capsule Functionality w/ 1TB HDD for Time Machine

Perfection!

Whatever (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:02am

Apple call this TV, but it's actually no TV - why not allow to use a TV stick - like Elgato's EyeTV seemless with the system. I want to recode show, want to do timeshift and want to have multiple tuners e.g. picture in picture or view one channel while ceroding the other..

Okay...your my 2 cents...

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:12am

More storage please!

I'd like to see 1, if not 2, 3.5" hard drive bays so that I can finally have enough storage for all my media. Right now the size constraint would mean that I would have to stream my media from a mac, and I would rather not have to worry about turning on my mac and iTunes when I feel like watching a show. And then, since this would allow AppleTV to be a central library for all my media, I would also like it to back up remotely with time machine as well as let me stream the media to my other computers through iTunes.

Aside from that, 1080P and more codec support seem glaringly missing.

LD (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:55am

I completely disagree. LESS storage! Give it some flash and just enough for the OS and some Apps. Storage should be added via USB or streaming from an Airport/Time Capsule/Mac/PC.

Adam (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:19am

I'll buy one tomorrow, if:
1. It is an Airport.
2. It is also a Time Capsule.
2. I can play my DVD collection it.
3. It is a DVR.
4. It is full HD compliant.
5. It is my iTunes server.
6. And it has all the existing AppleTV features.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:23am

Without a DVR, Apple TV is stupid. Why would I buy "The Office" from iTunes when I can just set my Tivo up to record it for free?

LD (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:57am

Why would Apple include a DVR when they are trying to sell content from iTunes? Your logic makes no sense, just like including a DVR makes no sense. That completely defeats the purpose.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 9:45am

My logic is actually solid. I'll repeat:
Why would I buy "The Office" on iTunes when I can record it for free with my Tivo? Pretty logical if you ask me.

Whether or not it behooves Apple to add a DVR or not, Apple TV is still stupid without it. Tivo streams your photos and music as well, so in my mind, Apple TV needs to catch up.

I know this might be hard for Apple fanboys to digest, but it's true, and you know it.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 12, 2009 - 7:01pm

I'm with the previous commenter. Apple putting a DVR in the Apple TV would cannibalize iTunes sales. My biggest expense on iTunes (video, at least) is the "Oh, damn, forgot to record the Office last night, I'll just buy it on iTunes" moment. If there was a DVR in AppleTV, then that wouldn't happen and Apple would lose my $3.

If you want an Apple DVR, the Mac Mini and an Elgato work perfectly. I'm set up to record Letterman every night, and Elgato records it, compresses it, and sends it to iTunes while I sleep. In the morning, it's on my iPhone ready for my commute.

What I could see happening is an App Store on the AppleTV, like the iPhone. I'd pay Apple or a 3rd party a monthly fee (like Time Warner, Cox, Tivo, etc.. now) to run DVR software. Apple gets a cut, as do the DVR company.

Of course, if I could pay a subscription to Apple for movies, TV shows on iTunes, Hulu, ABC.com, NBC.com, CBS.com, CNN, MSNBC streaming on the AppleTV, I'd cancel cable all together.

sonu (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:24am

Buy Netflix and give us the ability to stream for a monthly fee

sm (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:39am

Build functionality into iPOD (mirrored on MACBOOK)
Simple dock to HDTV HDMI port

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:45am

What I'd like to see is Boxee/XBMC type functionality, but with access to graphics hardware acceleration, so that it can play 720p content.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:48am

How about adding a god damned power button!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 9:42am

Amen... i haven turned mine on in months cause it runs at 400,000 degrees (extremely hot) therefore i feel like its a waste of money so i only turn it on when i feel the need to rent a movie. (im so tired of converting my movies so this stupid thing will play it)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:56am

Evidently WiMax with the ability to buy ESPN, Disney, etc... any network does not make the list... It should. Al-a-carte network purchasing would be HUGE. Add DVR to this and it's a new game against FiOS, Cable and Dish.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 7:59am

DVR please!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 8:18am

DVR functionality and a cable card slot so I can tell my cable company to keep its ugly, power-hungry, heats-up-my-whole-house set-top box and give me back at least part of my $7 a month.

For those who argue DVR capability would cannibalize iTunes sales, I say, whatever. There's a lot more on TV than what is on iTunes, and the Apple TV would still have only a finite amount of storage space. Use software to limit transferability off the the Apple TV to other devices, or set a maximum storage period for any recorded program. Apple has never shown any hesitation about limiting how people are able to use their hardware, and I see no reason why this should be different.

This is the feature I've been waiting for, and without it, I probably will never buy an Apple TV.

Scott (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 10:37am

this is the one thing that is really keeping me from buying an apple tv vs a tivo or a media center pc. please, apple, add the ability to watch cable tv and record it on the apple tv!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 8:29am

SlingBox streaming ability so I can watch my AppleTV via the web, no matter where I am.

And all of the above except combo'g in an HDTV -- Bad idea, unless they still plan on selling the unit separately.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | February 10, 2009 - 9:00am

- Buy HD movies (not just rent HD/buy SD)
- appstore (fun games)
- new remote
- widgets