The new ultra-thin Apple TV monitor
Likely coming in 46" and 60" models with solid glass front and aluminium back, and stand and rear mounting options, this ultra-thin monitor will mirror the design aesthetic of the latest iPhone and iPad.
The full capabilities of the companion device are complemented with additional audio, video and lightning ports, storage of up to 3 TB and of course gorgeous display quality (probably 4K resolution) and exceptional design for a modern environment.
How TV works on Apple TV
While Apple TV will support voice- and motion-based input for global menus and navigation, the preferred control method for basic everyday use will be either the bundled simple remote or, more likely, new iOS 7 apps from Apple that let you control Apple TV with your iPhone and iPad.
With the iPhone, Apple created a simple "phone" application on top of existing telephony carrier infrastructure, improving the consumer's user experience and creating an additional product sales opportunity for carriers. The company will take a similar approach to existing broadcast cable TV and, in so doing, put one or two major cable operators in the same privileged position that AT&T, in the US, and O2, in the UK, enjoyed following the iPhone launch. Around the world, cable TV distributors will battle for national sales and marketing rights for the Apple TV.
To accomplish this, Apple has likely created a new API for interacting with the IP-based cable broadcast infrastructure that providers such as Comcast, AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner Cable in the US and UPC and Virgin Media in Europe have been moving to for a number of years. This will enable Apple to present a consistent user experience worldwide for accessing live broadcast channels and recording content for later consumption. With program guide data, VOD metadata, and the ability to use network or local DVR APIs, the new TV app for iOS will become the simplest form we've ever had for watching broadcast television.
Cable companies may initially resist supporting this offering, viewing their ability to cross-promote offerings in their guide and VOD menus, and the customer relationship in general, as their provenance. This would be as misguided as the mobile carriers were who thought they could control and customise the home screens, operating systems and bundled apps of mobile phones as a strategic advantage. Smart operators will understand their role as broadband and infrastructure providers and will continue, for now, to be the primary packagers of broadcast content with its lucrative tolls for subscription programming. For all of the hope that Apple would help to blow up existing cable packaging, for now the company's priority is to navigate and establish global partnerships with multi-system operators (MSOs) and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) to sell its new TV and TV companion devices.
With natural hooks into the iTunes à la carte content library, Apple will be able to combine premium cable subscription content with its on-demand library to offer users the broadest choice for video content.
Apple's TV app in iOS 7 is also likely to take ownership of the core second-screen category for companion content to broadcast shows. Apple can easily provide rich, contextual meta-data about shows, characters and social chatter while providing new APIs that broadcasters can use as a launching point into show as well as channel specific iOS apps. These apps will give broadcasters the greater brand control and direct consumer relationships they've wanted, with the added benefit of cross-promotion from within Apple's own TV app.
Because Apple TV users will be linked to a cable provider just as your iPhone is linked to a mobile operator, broadcasters will also gain a simple and seamless way to authenticate consumers into apps that offer their full slate of catch-up TV programming.
It also seems likely that AirPlay updates will include streaming from an Apple TV to your iPhone and iPad (e.g. the inverse of current AirPlay use-cases), allowing you to access and stream content from your Apple TV via your iPhone and iPad, including live television and DVR content, the original innovation from Sling, presuming its deals with MSOs include these wireless streaming rights, which seems increasingly likely.
As with iPhones and iPads, the new devices will come with many pre-installed Apple and third-party apps, in this case likely including leading online video services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon VoD, and YouTube, as well as TV Everywhere apps such as HBO Go. More importantly, any developer will be able to build content and apps for Apple TV. Just as nearly every app you download for your iPhone is also available in a version that fits the iPad display, new iOS 7 Universal Apps will include code for deployment on Apple TV.
Apple continues its disruption of the gaming industry
Putting all of this together ― the new hardware, the new APIs, the new input capabilities ― adds up to nothing less than a full-frontal assault on the game console market, as Apple and iTunes become the distributor of choice for everything from casual to hardcore 3D gaming.
While the large installed bases of industry incumbents provide some advantage, it pales in comparison to Apple's hundreds of millions of touch device users, millions of apps, and unparalleled catalogue of à la carte media. It's hard to imagine a scenario where Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo can win.
Jeremy Allaire is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Brightcove.
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