Apple TV – Will People Be Tempted This Time Around?
Announced yesterday was the all-new Apple TV at a $99. A much more attractive price point that actually made me pause, think, and research if this was something that I wanted to buy. A win for Apple (and others like Roku and Boxee) as I wasn’t even in the market to buy this type of product. Apple’s marketing machine has again placed a seed in my head to consider a product that I didn’t even know I possibly wanted (e.g., the iPad, which I currently now own).
I did a bit of digging last night and here’s a few pros and cons as it pertains to my current situation…
Pros
- Netflix Streaming – With Blockbuster in bankruptcy, our favorite local video store might be kaput. It would be great to get access to movies without leaving the couch.
- AirPlay Streaming – We have iPhones and an iPad in our household so it would be seamless to stream music and videos onto the player.
- Apple Design & Functionality – We love our current Apple products. They are not without fault but in general they work really well and are used on a daily basis.
Cons
- Lack of Content – The biggest problem with Apple TV is that I’m not sure if they’ll have enough good programming to purchase. For TV shows they only will have ABC and Fox shows. What about my Amazing Race and How I Met Your Mother?
- DVR - Do I really need another product to buy more things to watch on TV? I already pay $100 for cable and the DVR function means that I always have something that I want to watch.
- Price - Yes this was the main head turner but for $99 is my money better spent somewhere else? Similar streaming content devices cost cheaper or I could spend a bit more and get a Blu-Ray player with streaming capabilities. The other issue is that if I had the Apple TV would I be locked into spending even more money buying shows/movies? The answer is probably yes as I would need to justify the purchase.
The product has its initial temptation but I think I’ll end up in a wait and see approach. If more studios provide content to Apple for shows and movies then I might be more inclined to kill my cable service and try a product like the Apple TV.
