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The people who want interactivity with their TV have game consoles. Even on those wildly successful, high-use consoles, the "apps" (as opposed to "games", the f
by cheald 11y ago
The people who want interactivity with their TV have game consoles. Even on those wildly successful, high-use consoles, the "apps" (as opposed to "games", the first-class use case for the device) typically do rather poorly.
Not-console-manufacturers have been trying to break into this market for ages by making a TV viewing device that also happens to be a casual gaming console (/app platform), but it seems that people who want gaming on their TVs buy gaming consoles, while people who want TV on their TV buy things that let them watch TV, and there isn't enough overlap between the two for One Grand Unified Device to capture the market. Microsoft really went hard-in on the married TV and gaming concept with the XBox One, and it's been a massive flop compared to the PS4 (with the PS4 outselling it 2:1).
I don't think it's an issue of "nobody's done it right yet" - I think it's actually two separate markets and attempts to marry them just can't force those two markets to both want the same thing.
- seiji 11y agoIt's a software problem though. Every "Smart TV" has garbage software features. Some become completely unusable during the hour it takes them to download and install weekly updates. Apple creates new markets by switching the equation from 90% hardware/10% software focus to 70% software/30% hardware focus. As for the xbone, that's more of a marketing/positioning argument. Just because a game console can be a home media center doesn't mean people will buy it for one. xbones are for teenagers who want to be racist over their headset connections online.
- Karunamon 11y agoYes, this, thank you! There's a very good argument to be made that the reason nobody wants "apps" on their TV is because the experience can be charitably described as utter shit. Smart TV's are known for awful UI's with awful lag, high end consoles such as the Xbox One stutter and hitch on their simplistic home screens, experiments such as Google TV have failed for the same reason, set-top boxes from outfits like DirecTV have the same problem, lag, lag, and more freaking lag. If anyone can put a decent user experience on this whole idea, it's Apple. After this, expect the rest of the market to shape up quickly.
- Navarr 11y agoAs much of a Google fanboy as I am, I must admit that Apple is a market leader when it comes to UX. I do hope Google was taking some notes during this keynote. Siri's interaction in Apple TV is far superior than Android TV's Google Now integration. Hopefully that changes with the work in contextual awareness they've been doing and Now on Tap in Android 6.
- blt 11y agoShitty programming. The hardware in these devices should have no trouble dealing with a simple UI with a few movie thumbnails and a virtual keyboard. Yet my "smart TV" runs slower than any dinky 90s windows box I can remember.