What will Dish do about HBO?
- Thread starter ctrenkamp
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https://www.apple.com/appletv/hbo-now/
It specifically says on Apple's website that there is no cable or satellite subscription necessary. Scott may be right in that you don't sign up directly through HBO. After reading a few articles it does look like you sign up through Apple or an ISP instead of HBO directly. I thought he was implying that you would need a cable or satellite subscription though and that isn't the case.
It specifically says on Apple's website that there is no cable or satellite subscription necessary. Scott may be right in that you don't sign up directly through HBO. After reading a few articles it does look like you sign up through Apple or an ISP instead of HBO directly. I thought he was implying that you would need a cable or satellite subscription though and that isn't the case.
HBO probably doesn't want to worry about billing individual customers. I don't believe they have ever done it before and their systems probably don't support it. At least for now...
I'm gonna call BS. No way does Apple have 20 million ATV units out there. If they were really at a 2:1 ratio over Roku, they wouldn't be looking to jumpstart it with this exclusive HBO deal. Let's face it, being exclusive to AppleTV is benefiting Apple, not HBO.You really should have done a little googling...
As of 9/2014, Roku had sold 10M units and Apple has an installed base of 20M and had $1B in revenues from it. So if only one was going to get it, Apple was the right choice.
Here's a nice article about it:
http://variety.com/2014/digital/new...-roku-apple-tv-fire-tv-chromecast-1201303129/
I am not 100% on that. Those numbers look like they came from financial statements and notes, so I'll beleive the numbers. That said, exclusivity does have its benefits for HBO as well. It like the old marketing technique "only so many people can have this". People always want what they cannot have, so to snag the small group they want to get their hands on, this very well may be a psychological ploy.
You are certainly welcome to call it BS if you like, but that's actual numbers and there are other sites over the years that have shown the AppleTV, for all its faults, is more than just a viable solution, but a profitable one for Apple and the companies that provide content for them. It has been one hell of a 'hobby product'!! And Apple has a good handle on exactly how many units are out there since all purchases for it go through iTunes.
The HBO/Apple deal is good for both. Apple users have shown they not only have the money, they are willing to spend it with Apple. But HBO is being smart, put it on ATV for 3 months, then open it up to others. Good marketing imo.
If you've watched the streaming appliances over the years, you should have noticed how few that were any good there were for quite a long time. That gave Apple a leg up. It has only been fairly recent that others that are as good or better came along.
I've not only watched them, I've owned them.
The Roku was released before ATV. And, other than AirPlay, ATV is an inferior product when it comes to content and usability. The OG version was pitiful.
I have a strong feeling that many, if not most, users are primarily using it for AirPlay, not streaming content.
Which benefited the carrier, AT&T, not the provider Apple, who could have sold a shipload more units if they were available on all carriers.
In the case of HBO Now, the roles of provider and carrier are reversed with Apple carrying the product provided by HBO. But, it is still the carrier benefiting at the expense of the provider.
Why not use it for both? Airplay might have been the reason I bought it but mine is primarily used for Netflix, MLB.tv, iTunes season passes and PPV rentals, and HBO Go in that order. I also use it for Showtime Anytime and occasionally for WatchESPN.
I think you need to go look at the history of AppleTV. Roku definitely was not out before it.
The OG version was advertised and sold to allow streaming iTunes content and to put recordings on as it had a hard drive. It was very handy. I used to load a few movies on mine and haul it on trips.
Just a note of clarification. AppleTV first sold in 2007, Roku in 2008. At that time AppleTV was designed to stream/record iTunes stuff. Roku was a Netflix box.
Your strong feeling aside, AppleTVs are used for many things by the end users.
1. Airplay - great idea and works extremely well
2. Play iTunes stuff
3. Play stuff from some providers
And yes, it doesn't have as many as the Roku, but it has all but one of the biggies. Most people I know that have either one tend to be on Netflix, HuluPlus or Amazon and sometimes have Netflix and HuluPlus together on the ATV, and some with Roku will have all 3. All the other ones available on both are used to a lesser extent.
The ones that are on Roku and not on ATV, other than Amazon, are very much further down the line with mostly niche watchers and geeks who like playing with this stuff.
I have a Tivo which combines my Netflix, HuluPlus and Amazon into the Tivo as well as the cable TV. I use my AppleTV for iTunes acquired stuff, Airplay to a much lesser extent and HBOGo/ShowtimeAnytime since the Tivo doesn't have those.
My primary use of my AppleTV is to stream content like Netflix or podcasts. In the last year I have killed my DVR timers for Fox and ABC programs and now watch those via the networks' Apps on the AppleTV.
And now Dish has another threat from Apple with the rumored live TV streaming service that will feature channels that SlingTV doesn't have (yet). http://www.macrumors.com/2015/03/16/apple-online-tv-service-wsj/
Of course, like anything, don't buy on rumors.
Interesting times to come...
And now Dish has another threat from Apple with the rumored live TV streaming service that will feature channels that SlingTV doesn't have (yet). http://www.macrumors.com/2015/03/16/apple-online-tv-service-wsj/
Of course, like anything, don't buy on rumors.
Interesting times to come...
The original ATV did come out the year before the 1G Roku. But, as you point out, it was not even a standalone device. You streamed to it from iTunes running on a Mac or PC. It was basically used like an AirPlay device, not unlike a Chromecast is used by Android and Chromebook users.
The ATV2, the real streaming device, wasn't released until 2010. And, like many Apple "innovations" lately, followed not led. (iWatch and iPhone 6 come to mind.)
- Nov 29, 2003
- 14,356
- 18,447
The numbers are correct but they do not tell the whole story.
The 20 million for Apple is their global numbers since it is in pretty much every market on the earth, the 10 million for Roku is primarily here in the United States.
When I said Airplay, I was also referring to purchased content from iTunes via cloud. I should have been clearer.
Since I own zero iTunes content, and Amazon Prime is a huge source of streaming content for me, plus both of us own Android mobile devices, the Roku is the clear choice for streaming content. (We have a couple of Chromecasts, but don't use them. The FireTV and AndroidTV devices look interesting. Although I was burned once already with GoogleTV.)
I had a few ATV's at work, as one of the guys on my team was one of those annoying Mac guys. Thank god he left. Ironically, he got a job at Apple. I thought his head would explode.
