Apple TV has been around for a few years. Apple considers it a hobby. Passionate users consider it their media portal. Despite it's price, it doesn't do much. You load up your iTunes library, and Apple TV will stream that content to a connected TV set. That's great for users who invest in Apple's content. Many prefer less restricted options, including Amazon MP3, Kindle and Video on Demand.
After looking at media consumption apps on the iPad, the next Apple TV should be today's iPad.
Think about this for a second -- for an iPod touch-priced product, you get the ability to stream your iTunes library as well as access content from companies like Hulu, Netflix and ABC.
Today, the biggest issue with video on demand and/or IPTV is that it requires too much hardware. Certain devices are good at one thing, while others are good at the rest. However, with the release of the iOS platform in 2007 and then the App store a few months later, the mobile space for consuming media has changed. Five years ago, people wouldn't even have considered watching a full-length streaming movie on a portable screen. Today, that's reality.
By creating a unified interface an in already established content space (iTunes store) and combining it with the power of the iOS apps, Apple can deliver an unsurpassed user experience and a complete media solution.
- A user wakes up in the morning and reads her news on an iPhone
- On the train to work, she uses her iPad to follow-up on emails.
- At the end of the day, she comes home and all her content (text, audio, video, etc.) is synced and accessible on a 52" TV.
Most of this already exists. The last step is the missing component (along with wireless syncing). At the end of a day, most people don't want to view content on 4" screen. With TV sets getting bigger, they should be able to enjoy their content without straining their eyes.
As a consumer, this would be the perfect solution and the next step for digital entertainment.
***
Aanarav Sareen is a content creator and digital media consultant. He blogs daily at Digital Media Business and publishes the monthly Digital Media Newsletter. He's also the host of the weekly Digital Media Podcast.