Michal Ždanský The online store was down for a while today, which immediately sparked speculation about possible updates to some products. In fact, something completely different happened - the store's main menu was redesigned and Apple TV got its own section alongside iPhones, iPads, Macs and iPods. So far, it has only been conducted between accessories. The move means the TV product could become more than just a hobby, as both Tim Cook and Steve Jobs previously described it as.
The Apple TV website itself also offers a dedicated accessories sub-page where you can find AirPorts or various adapters, and in foreign stores, the page also offers AppleCare, the option to buy refurbished parts and a question and answer section. After all, these changes do not happen for nothing. Apparently, Apple is planning to release a new version of the Apple TV that should appear in March, setting the stage for a future product.
The new Apple TV should finally bring app support, specifically games, whereby Apple would turn the device into a small console, as has been speculated for a long time. Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac he also came up with some new information that he got from his sources that was very accurate in the past.
To control games, Apple TV should use both the introduced MFi game controllers and iOS devices themselves. As mentioned earlier, the ability to install third-party applications will most likely be limited to games only, normal applications that would, for example, allow streaming non-native videos from a network drive, may not be available at all. Another line of information, according to Gurman, is rather speculative at the prototyping level, which ultimately may not appear in the final product at all.
Apple is said to have experimented with the possibility of receiving a signal from a TV tuner, which would allow TV programs to be controlled via Apple TV, in addition to Apple's elegant user interface. Another experiment involved the integration of a Wi-Fi router, where the Apple TV would acquire AirPort functions. This could eliminate the intermediary between the Apple TV and the Internet connection, on the other hand, many people have a TV and a router in different rooms.
Anyway, we'll find out what's coming in less than two months, if the release information is accurate. According to Tim Cook, we should expect new interesting products this year, perhaps the new gaming Apple TV will be one of them. As for the current models, the company has added a new channel to the offer Red Bull TV, which will offer similar content as on the website and in the iOS application, related to sports, music or live broadcasts of various events.
Hopefully the AppleTV router will not be part of it. For us, who have just invested in a new network infrastructure, it would be extremely unpleasant.. :D
Also, it would significantly increase the price of the AppleTV itself, and along with the argument that most people don't have a router in the same room as the TV, I'll hope that doesn't happen.
Of course it won't, it wouldn't make any sense in that context.
The context of a centralized multimedia center? Well, I don't know, if you look at it this way, it makes more sense than you might see at first glance :-D
Imho, I would really like to have one less box at home :)
That doesn't work, I can change WiFi every year with new standards/changes, and especially some WiFi offers completely different services (printer, disk sharing, etc.)
The last thing I would like to have in the living room is a printer and a hard drive ;-). Besides, I wouldn't even want to have a giant device there in front of the TV :-). Today I have an Apple TV under the screen, so nothing taller than 8 cm can fit there ;-).
Apart from that, the expensive console did not attract anyone, there are already enough consoles on the market (with worse graphics, performance, bigger disk, etc.).