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This all seems reasonable to me, but I'm not sure this is the full meaning of the "I finally cracked it" remark. I know Steve was enthusiastic about the moment

by zach 15y ago

This all seems reasonable to me, but I'm not sure this is the full meaning of the "I finally cracked it" remark. I know Steve was enthusiastic about the moment when he could see something that finally met his standards, but he also wanted to see all the details come together before being confident in something. When I read that quote, I thought that must mean that Apple has a fairly complete prototype experience that Steve was satisfied with. So I think this aspect could be at the core of what having "cracked it" means but it means more than that. For another view on the Apple TV's near future, here are my thoughts on this topic from a month back, focusing more on the fact that apps are not going to be remarkable in their form yet still have the power to powerfully disrupt the massive cable industry: http://www.quora.com/What-apps-can-we-expect-for-Apple-TV/answer/Zach-Baker http://www.quora.com/What-apps-can-we-expect-for-Apple-TV/an... By now I have come to believe the TV-set approach is for real. Dan Frommer's argument from yesterday is compelling and input switching is so awful that it may be the biggest opportunity to relieve consumer pain. Reworking the TV set looks more and more like a highly strategic and experience-changing way to put all of Apple's advantages to bear on this apps-as-channels approach.

dave1619 15y ago
I think "I finally cracked it" means that he finally discovered a way to get TV content directly to the view without the cable stations getting in the way. He described the problem in his Walt Mossberg interview @ AllThingsD conference in 2010, I think. He basically said the TV problem is very challenging and he doesn't have a solution because the cable companies control the viewing experience for the user, and Apple would be stuck with just adding another device onto the TV but wouldn't be able to really disrupt much (ie., current Apple TV as a hobby). SJ finally cracking it probably means he found a way to circumvent the cable companies... thus, apps as a means to directly give TV to users. But not just apps, but probably some kind of aggregation of TV shows from all the TV apps out there to provide a new interface/experience with all the content available, so you don't need a cable subscription anymore.
Fluxx 15y ago
Steve Jobs has commented on how to disrupt the TV market before. Here is the transcript of the relevant parts: "The problem with innovation in the TV industry is the go-to-market strategy. The TV industry has a subsidized model that gives everyone a set-top box for free, or for $10 per month That pretty much squashes any opportunity for innovation, because nobody’s willing to buy a set top box. Ask TiVo, ask Roku, ask us…ask Google in a few months. The only way that’s ever going to change is if you can really go back to square one, tear up the set top box, redesign it from scratch with a consistent UI across all these different functions, and get it to consumers in a way that they’re willing to pay for it. And right now there’s no way to do that. The TV is going to lose until there’s a better — until there’s a viable — go to market strategy. Otherwise you’re just making another Tivo. It’s not a problem with technology, not a problem with vision, it’s a fundamental go to market problem. And then it not like there’s a GSM standard where you build a phone for the US and it also works in all these other countries. No, every single country has different standards, different government approvals, it’s very…Tower of Bableish. No, balkanized. I’m sure smarter people than us will figure this out, but that’s why we say Apple TV a hobby; that’s why we use that phrase." For video see the section on, "On Apple TV and why television is balkanized:" http://www.geek.com/articles/apple/what-you-need-to-know-about-steve-jobs-talk-at-d8-2010062/ http://www.geek.com/articles/apple/what-you-need-to-know-abo... I've blogged about this subject before as well, but I'll include my thoughts here as well: "Content producers like TV studios and stations control the entire TV industry because they control the content. They’ve created this market where customers pay for the content (subsidized by commercials) and get the hardware for free. But by getting the hardware for free, they’ve stifled any innovation and advancement downstream from content production. Only through the magic of open-source software has innovation happened. XBMC is an amazing piece of software and is getting easier and easier to use very day. At the same time, downloading TV is now easier than ever and still getting easier. It’s only a matter of time before someone makes the 'Napster for TV shows.' People are already dropping their cable for Hulu and Netflix." http://bitfluxx.com/2011/04/16/the-revolution-is-coming-and-it-will-be-televised.html http://bitfluxx.com/2011/04/16/the-revolution-is-coming-and-...
contextfree 15y ago
Why can't it exist both inside new TV sets and as a set top box for existing TV sets?

by zach 15y ago

dave1619 15y ago

I think "I finally cracked it" means that he finally discovered a way to get TV content directly to the view without the cable stations getting in the way. He described the problem in his Walt Mossberg interview @ AllThingsD conference in 2010, I think. He basically said the TV problem is very challenging and he doesn't have a solution because the cable companies control the viewing experience for the user, and Apple would be stuck with just adding another device onto the TV but wouldn't be able to really disrupt much (ie., current Apple TV as a hobby). SJ finally cracking it probably means he found a way to circumvent the cable companies... thus, apps as a means to directly give TV to users. But not just apps, but probably some kind of aggregation of TV shows from all the TV apps out there to provide a new interface/experience with all the content available, so you don't need a cable subscription anymore.

Fluxx 15y ago

Steve Jobs has commented on how to disrupt the TV market before. Here is the transcript of the relevant parts: "The problem with innovation in the TV industry is the go-to-market strategy. The TV industry has a subsidized model that gives everyone a set-top box for free, or for $10 per month That pretty much squashes any opportunity for innovation, because nobody’s willing to buy a set top box. Ask TiVo, ask Roku, ask us…ask Google in a few months. The only way that’s ever going to change is if you can really go back to square one, tear up the set top box, redesign it from scratch with a consistent UI across all these different functions, and get it to consumers in a way that they’re willing to pay for it. And right now there’s no way to do that. The TV is going to lose until there’s a better — until there’s a viable — go to market strategy. Otherwise you’re just making another Tivo. It’s not a problem with technology, not a problem with vision, it’s a fundamental go to market problem. And then it not like there’s a GSM standard where you build a phone for the US and it also works in all these other countries. No, every single country has different standards, different government approvals, it’s very…Tower of Bableish. No, balkanized. I’m sure smarter people than us will figure this out, but that’s why we say Apple TV a hobby; that’s why we use that phrase." For video see the section on, "On Apple TV and why television is balkanized:" http://www.geek.com/articles/apple/what-you-need-to-know-about-steve-jobs-talk-at-d8-2010062/ http://www.geek.com/articles/apple/what-you-need-to-know-abo... I've blogged about this subject before as well, but I'll include my thoughts here as well: "Content producers like TV studios and stations control the entire TV industry because they control the content. They’ve created this market where customers pay for the content (subsidized by commercials) and get the hardware for free. But by getting the hardware for free, they’ve stifled any innovation and advancement downstream from content production. Only through the magic of open-source software has innovation happened. XBMC is an amazing piece of software and is getting easier and easier to use very day. At the same time, downloading TV is now easier than ever and still getting easier. It’s only a matter of time before someone makes the 'Napster for TV shows.' People are already dropping their cable for Hulu and Netflix." http://bitfluxx.com/2011/04/16/the-revolution-is-coming-and-it-will-be-televised.html http://bitfluxx.com/2011/04/16/the-revolution-is-coming-and-...

contextfree 15y ago

Why can't it exist both inside new TV sets and as a set top box for existing TV sets?