20 million units sold is enough to make Apple TV more than just a hobby, CEO says

[Himanshu Arora]

CEO Tim Cook revealed during Apple's second-quarter earnings call that the company has sold 20 million units of Apple TV. That amounts to around $2 billion in revenue from the $99 streaming device. Last May, he revealed that the company had sold 13 million units.

Steve Jobs famously referred to the Apple TV as a hobby, and for the most part it hasn’t been a huge focus for the company -- despite its relative success in the market it competes in. Tim Cook has been slowly turning that ship around, calling Apple TV an “area of intense interest”, adding many new content sources and giving the device a more prominent spot on its website.

Cook revealed that in 2013 Apple generated more than $1 billion in sales from content directly purchased through Apple TV. "It didn't feel right referring to something that makes $1 billion as a hobby", he said.

He didn’t comment directly when asked about Amazon’s deal with HBO to bring older programming to its Fire TV and Prime customers, but said that the content available on the Apple TV is "extremely favorable" compared with Amazon's product. When asked about future plans, Apple's CEO didn’t reveal any upcoming Apple TV features or partnerships.

Apple TV started off as a hobby but has since become an important part of the company's product line-up. Cook is quite confident that the product is now a strong competitor to similar offerings from the likes of Amazon and Roku. "I'm feeling pretty quite good about that business and where it can go," he said.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/56511-20-million-units-sold-is-enough-to-make-apple-tv-more-than-just-a-hobby-ceo-says.html

 

[RzmmDX]

I feel silly using my old laptop as my streaming device.

 

[Jad Chaar]

It is really in need a refresh though. Other than that, it seems like a nice little device.

 

[Guest]

Apple TV is crap.

 

[drjekel_mrhyde]

I know no one with one as of yet.

 

[Burty117]

I have one and actually quite like it, the screen streaming from iPhone / iPad is pretty flawless and as a Netflix streamer / Home sharing from local server goes, it does everything I've asked of it.

It is in need of a decent refresh though, maybe with the ability to add and remove "apps" from the start screen and support for more services, And maybe make it a bit bigger so you can add a 2.5 inch HDD and record live TV if they made a deal with local channels, that would be really cool.

EDIT: Also to add DNLA support, that would really make it something I would even pay more for!

 

[SNGX1275]

It is in need of a decent refresh though, maybe with the ability to add and remove "apps" from the start screen and support for more services

You can remove the ones you don't want to see through the Parental Controls area in the settings.

 

[Burty117]

You can remove the ones you don't want to see through the Parental Controls area in the settings.

Yeah I know but you can't move them around the ones that are left, and you can't "install" apps, like it would be cool if the iOS store had iPhone/iPad/TV type system, versions of apps designed for the big screen, that would be cool.

 

[Vittorio03USMC]

I have one and actually quite like it, the screen streaming from iPhone / iPad is pretty flawless and as a Netflix streamer / Home sharing from local server goes, it does everything I've asked of it.

It is in need of a decent refresh though, maybe with the ability to add and remove "apps" from the start screen and support for more services, And maybe make it a bit bigger so you can add a 2.5 inch HDD and record live TV if they made a deal with local channels, that would be really cool.

EDIT: Also to add DNLA support, that would really make it something I would even pay more for!

-You already can remove apps from the home screen. I think they added that the last firmware update or the one before.. Just go to settings, don't remember if it's under general or is it iTunes? or audio video. just look through the settings

The setting to remove is called - Hide/Show

And you can move the apps around, just click & hold on them like on iOS devices & move them around

 

[Burty117]

And you can move the apps around, just click & hold on them like on iOS devices & move them around

I litterally did not know that! thanks!

 

[SNGX1275]

I litterally did not know that! thanks!

LOL damn, I almost replied, as in I started to type and then quit. I figured if you knew how to remove them through parental controls you knew how to move them. I thought maybe you were just a lot more knowledgable than me on the setup and when you were talking about inability to move them it was different to what I thought of move.

 

[Burty117]

LOL damn, I almost replied, as in I started to type and then quit. I figured if you knew how to remove them through parental controls you knew how to move them. I thought maybe you were just a lot more knowledgable than me on the setup and when you were talking about inability to move them it was different to what I thought of move.

Haha! Nope, I just assumed being a little infrared remote you couldn't hold down the enter button and it would actually do anything, so I never tried xD As it turns out, you can actually move items around! Just shame you can't move the top row of Apple apps though, I would much prefer Netflix at the top left rather than their video app.