It is the dream of many companies to rule the living room TV, but so far no one has really succeeded, and Apple is the same. In Apple's business, selling Apple TV is just "hobby." It's not that Apple doesn't want to rule, but there is no way to win the living room battle. Is it the development of a TV or the launch of a service? Apple is tangled up on this issue. Just as Apple's streaming video service took a step forward when it was slow, TV now has entered an era of service. Apple retire, it modified the Apple TV system, put a large number of APP on the TV screen for users to choose. This shows that Apple can not win the living room TV war.
Make television or push services?
For Apple, the living room war may have ended without starting.
In 2003, Apple's smash hit the music industry, and it launched the iTunes Music Store. But TV is a tough bone and it's not that easy.
In March 2015, the "Wall Street Journal" reported that Apple plans to launch an online TV service, but for almost a year since then, Apple has quietly disappeared. At the same time, streaming services such as Netflix have reinvented the TV experience. It seems that no company has the ability to rule the living room. The entire living room TV platform has seen a "multinational hegemony" situation.
Of course, investors hope that Apple can successfully subvert the TV industry, just as it subverts the music industry.
There are reports that Apple's TV service has only 25 channels, and it is very unlikely that it will pay 30-40 US dollars per month. The reason why negotiations between Apple and content providers stalled may be because content providers are accustomed to the impact and harm caused by Internet services. They are not so eager for Apple to save themselves.
Is it a TV or a service? Apple is very tangled up on this issue. Just as Apple was stunned, the video streaming platform had come to the front.
The streaming media platform has activated the TV industry. The previous television service was similar to the “digital libraryâ€. It locked users on a single platform and forced users to save money. This was not the case for streaming media services. It significantly reduced the conversion costs of music and video consumption, that is, from The cost of transferring one platform to another is reduced.
Or provide users with APP
Against this backdrop, Apple can only change its strategy. In September 2015, Apple introduced a new version of Apple TV set-top box, which is pre-installed with an operating system. Developers can develop TV applications for the system just as they do for iPhone applications.
Although Apple’s experience with users is far ahead, the attention of the audience is severely distracted from the perspective of the new user interface. The Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Now apps are side by side with Apple TV.
The Apple TV system and iTunes are completely different: iTunes started with the iPod, and there are only a few streaming services bundled with hardware in Apple TV. In a world made up of apps, consumers can watch online video content on their smartphones and tablets. Some devices can also send mass content to TV screens for viewing.
Not only is the content fragmented, the hardware is the same. In the field of digital media, Google Chromecast occupies a high market share, because its price is only 35 US dollars. According to a report from Strategy Analytics, the market share of Chromecast streaming media devices in the third quarter of 2015 was 35%.
Fortunately, Chromecast did not affect sales of the new Apple TV, and new products began selling in October last year. If the new set-top box is really skyrocketing, it will eventually help Apple to build up its advantages and launch streaming media services. When that happens, Apple still hopes to bundle fee-based services within Apple TV. Not only does Apple have such ambitions, but other companies do the same.
Without a live sports program, it is difficult for technology companies to take a portion of their profit from the TV ecosystem. Who can succeed? It's really hard to predict. There are enough companies participating in the fight for the living room TV. Apple and other technology companies may have to grab a seat first.