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Apple Planning To Make Original TV Shows and Movies as Hardware Sales Soften (venturebeat.com) 130

Posted by msmash from the money-power dept.
While investors seem to remain optimistic about the future of Apple, it's no secret that sales of its iconic hardware products have flatlined or fallen over the past year. From a report: We'll have to wait until January 31 to find out how the company performed over the critical holiday period. But for the moment, its most promising category of revenue has been "services," which includes things like Apple Music, and has been on a big winning streak over the past several quarters. Now it appears Apple is getting ready to make an even bigger bet in that category. According to a story just published by the Wall Street Journal, the company "has been in talks with veteran producers in recent months about buying rights to scripted television programs. It also has approached experienced marketing executives at studios and networks to discuss hiring them to promote its content." According to the story, the programming would be part of is Apple Music subscription ($6/month for an individual plan, $9 for a family plan.) The movie bit is deemed to be "more preliminary," according to the Journal.
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Apple Planning To Make Original TV Shows and Movies as Hardware Sales Soften More

Apple Planning To Make Original TV Shows and Movies as Hardware Sales Soften

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  • Sigh... slashdot editor fail again (Score:2, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Prices quoted in the summary are wrong. It's 9.99 for single user 14.99 for family. Either that or the currency symbol needs to be changed.

  • This is insane behavior. (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Instead of making their core products better, Apple decides to spend time and money on stuff that most likely will
    be a waste of time and money and will bring NO benefit to the world.

    Somebody, please tell me why Tim Cook is worthy of being the CEO of Apple, because from where I sit it looks like
    he is leading the company into the abyss.

    ( maybe Tim Cook and Marissa Mayer can compare notes when it's all over )

    • Re:This is insane behavior. (Score:5, Interesting)

      by avandesande ( 143899 ) on Thursday January 12, 2017 @10:50AM (#53653487) Journal
      Every indication points to the entertainment market being completely over-saturated. What makes Apple think they can do better than the existing studios?

      • Um.... because they are Apple? They can do no wrong? People will line up around the corner to watch the new TV shows even though there is no point to line up around the corner...

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Falos ( 2905315 )
          I would concede that as dumb-but-true more a year ago than today. Being an old loyalist in a crisis of faith seems downright fashionable lately.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        People will pay more for Apple stuff even though it costs the same to make as cheaper entertainment.

        It will be interesting to see what they come up with. Most premium offerings like Netflix originals and HBO rely on being able to go further than free-to-air channels in terms of violence, sex and other adult themes. Apple has a kind of wholesome image, with Jobs famously saying that onanists should choose Android.

        • Don't even compare the two. HBO can make 'halo' offerings like GOT because they have decades of experience doing it. If you throw money at the problem you end up with barely watchable second-tier stuff like netflix which is the best apple can hope to do.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

            Netflix's own stuff is great, especially their Marvell shows.

            On the other hand, Amazon's is really hit and miss, mostly miss. That proves that money alone isn't enough.

            • If they are good or not is certainly a matter of opinion, but these shows certainly don't generate the buzz that GOT did.

      • Every indication points to the entertainment market being completely over-saturated. What makes Apple think they can do better than the existing studios?

        They don't have to be "better". Apple hardware tends to be one-at-a-time kit - there aren't *that* many people who will own and use multiple laptops or smartphones at the same time. However, it's entirely practical (and common) for a Netflix subscriber to also purchase a season of a TV series from the iTunes Store. Apple focusing a bit more on services allows them to widen their potential customer base by creating a product whose competitors can all coexist, which isn't nearly as easy for laptops and smartp

        • they just have to have a TV show that a million people are willing to spend $20/season on

          $20 million? That's a cheap show by Netflix's standards. [cheatsheet.com]. "The Get Down" cost almost $200 million for a season.

        • At first I thought it was stupid, but you're right... they already have iTunes, so this is probably going to end up more akin to Amazon Prime Video than Netflix (although I admit the difference is subtle in some ways)

      • Re:This is insane behavior. (Score:5, Insightful)

        by geekmux ( 1040042 ) on Thursday January 12, 2017 @11:15AM (#53653615)

        Every indication points to the entertainment market being completely over-saturated. What makes Apple think they can do better than the existing studios?

        Ever wonder if they said the exact same thing to Netflix a few years ago?

        The world is flattening, which is opening up markets companies never even dreamed of before, so perhaps we can stop with this whole "over-saturated" theory now. Sure seems to me damn near anyone can make a buck these days as long as you can avoid infringing on someone else's patents, trademarks, or copyrights. Original content is a rather common-sense approach to doing exactly that.

      • entertainment market being completely over-saturated.

        I know what the dot-com crashes look like. Have we ever had such a large entertainment bubble? It gave us cheap Netflix for a while, but what's it going to look like when it all comes crashing down?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by hey! ( 33014 )

        What makes you think doing better than existing studios is the goal? I think the goal is to find some way to extract more revenue out of their iTunes customers. The result doesn't have to be artistically better than what's out there (although that is one strategy). It doesn't have to be financially more successful on its own than Netflix or Hulu. It just has to turn a new profit.

        There are basically three ways to grow profits. (1) Get in on the ground in a new and growing market; (2) become more effici

      • What makes Netflix think they can do better than the existing studios?
        What makes Amazon Studios think they can do better than the existing studios?

        The old media companies let their guard down. If Apple started producing content that the old Discovery or TLC channel would have made they should do fine.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by cyn1c77 ( 928549 )

        They don't need to do better. They will just block other media from playing on their devices!

      • Isn't that what everyone said when Netflix started making shows? Turned out OK for them.

        There is a lot of content out there. A lot of it is garbage. A lot of shows are canned because they aren't popular *enough* for a particular demographic. Or because a network head doesn't like a producer, or production company, or director.

      • Every indication points to the entertainment market being completely over-saturated.

        [citation needed]

        What makes Apple think they can do better than the existing studios?

        They don't have to. They only have to do approximately as well.

      • Every indication points to the entertainment market being completely over-saturated. What makes Apple think they can do better than the existing studios?

        Odd, that's what they said about every market (and every producer in it) Apple has entered.

    • Re:This is insane behavior. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by molarmass192 ( 608071 ) on Thursday January 12, 2017 @11:04AM (#53653561) Homepage Journal
      Tim Cook is one hell of a COO, the guy knows how to get hardware made. The problem is he's not a product CEO like SJ was. I feel Tim should move back to COO and bring in a product guy like Tony Fadell or Scott Forstall to run the show. The recent defections are likely a sign that things aren't good internally at Apple.

      • He's doing what CEOs are "supposed to do" (short term profit) instead of what puts a company in line for long term innovation and success. Apple is going back to what it was when Jobs left the first time.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Yvan256 ( 722131 )

        Just watch keynotes where Scott Forstall takes the stage. If he's not Steve Jobs 2.0, I don't know who is.

      • Tim Cook is one hell of a COO, the guy knows how to get hardware made. The problem is he's not a product CEO like SJ was.

        Great, so he can get hardware made, but it's the wrong hardware. Apple can't sink fast enough for me, so I welcome this fact, but it seems inconvenient for Apple.

    • Instead of making their core products better, Apple decides to spend time and money on stuff that most likely will be a waste of time and money and will bring NO benefit to the world.

      Perhaps you should ask a Kardashian about the value of bringing mindless entertainment to the masses before attempting to label that activity as a waste of time and money.

      Somebody, please tell me why Tim Cook is worthy of being the CEO of Apple, because from where I sit it looks like he is leading the company into the abyss.

      Don't hold your breath. Given their cash reserves and corporate holdings, the proverbial abyss of bankruptcy is only about 200 years away...or never, considering they clearly qualify for the Too-Big-To-Fail bailout program.

      ( maybe Tim Cook and Marissa Mayer can compare notes when it's all over )

      (Neither of them will give a shit after floating away on a diamond-encrusted platinum lined corporate parachute to li

    • core products

      I see what you did there.

    • Since when does Apple have to make something that brings a benefit to the world? Do you want them to start making medical equipment now?

      However, under Tim Cook Apple has brought out the last of Steve Jobs ideas and now they are pretty much aimless. They move from one bright and shiny new idea onto the next one while ignoring the products that brought them success in the first place. Apple has completely lost their focus on building applications that are easy to use. Just compare how the Music applicatio

  • So what shows will Apple make. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Oswald McWeany ( 2428506 ) on Thursday January 12, 2017 @10:48AM (#53653473)

    An apple movie? How about a remake of:

    I, Robot? I, Frankenstein? I know what you did last summer? I married an axe murderer?

    • Slow Clap.

    • Something tells me if they remake "I, Robot", they get sued by iRobot, and then Apple countersues for them using the lowercase "i" in front of their brand name - only to be told that iRobot has had a lowercase "i" for much longer. Make a series out of that whole legal farce, and I'd watch it.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Quirkz ( 1206400 )

      iSee what you did there.

      Sadly, "So I Married an Axe Murderer" doesn't qualify, even though of the things you list that's the movie iLiked best.

  • Apple, why don't you show some "courage" (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    and do better with your hardware.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by amiga3D ( 567632 )

      I like my 2012 15" Macbook Pro. Love it. But I haven't seen anything they've produced since that is worth buying. It's been a drive to lighten and reduce size and no other real improvements. They need to realize that some people don't want a 3mm thick computer at the cost of it becoming disposable in 3 years. Leave the option to change the battery and upgrade memory at the least. I'm going to be looking for a new laptop in another 3 or 4 years and it isn't looking like another Mac.

  • Apple, your fashion statement is showing. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by geekmux ( 1040042 ) on Thursday January 12, 2017 @10:56AM (#53653513)

    "While investors seem to remain optimistic about the future of Apple, it's no secret that sales of its iconic hardware products have flatlined or fallen over the past year..."

    I see that the kitsch of paying 3x more for fashionable hardware tends to succumb to the same thing last years clothing line falls victim to; becoming outdated and unpopular.

    • becoming outdated and unpopular.

      Isn't that what Apple has always wanted? Now update to the new phone - your old one's obsolete.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by amiga3D ( 567632 )

      Apple charges a premium price but 3x is bullshit.

      • Apple charges a premium price but 3x is bullshit.

        I'm running a 7-year old laptop because I've upgraded key components along the way to maximize useful life. Did the same thing with my 2012 Mac Mini.

        Apple has now chosen to seal the case shut, limit the RAM, and solder every component to the chassis, including the hard drive. The price can easily become 3x when you consider your "premium" investment turns into a fucking paperweight when the wrong component fails, forcing you to go shopping again prematurely.

        The only thing that is bullshit here is Apples

    • Re:Apple, your fashion statement is showing. (Score:4, Insightful)

      by 0100010001010011 ( 652467 ) on Thursday January 12, 2017 @11:49AM (#53653839)

      flatlined or fallen over the past year..."

      A company has finally made a Mini sided competitor, the NUC.
      The Pro line is probably one of the last things Jobs had a hand in making. It just passed 3 years old.
      They dropped their 17" line.
      The 15" line was neutered.

      Perhaps they should concentrate on making *hardware* if they want to sell it.

    • And one that often gets me downvoted since Mac users don't like to hear it: Apple is a fashion company. That's why they've been able to do what they do. In fashion, a higher price can be a GOOD thing not a bad thing, whereas consumer electronics are one of the most notoriously price sensitive markets out there.

      However the downside is as you say: What is fashionable changes and it is really hard to stay on top of it forever.

  • *facepalm* (Score:4, Insightful)

    by ilsaloving ( 1534307 ) on Thursday January 12, 2017 @11:20AM (#53653657)

    Tim Cook: Oh no! Hardware sales are falling! What can we do?
    exec: Stop making stupid hardware and go back to making stuff people actually want?
    Tim Cook: No no that can't be it. We've just saturated the market so we need to start doing something else.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by sootman ( 158191 )

      Tim Cook, 2014: Hardware sales are going well, but OBVIOUSLY they won't continue to climb FOREVER. We should think of some other things so we can keep making money once THE INEVITABLE happens. Maybe we can get into content. People will ALWAYS need content. And it takes time. You can't just build a substantial amount overnight. We'd better start thinking about this now.
      The Market, 2016: Hardware sales slump.
      The Internet, 2017: Shits itself writing about how Apple is doomed.

  • Thin actors only and no unions!

  • Fine, open up MacOS (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    If Apple wants to be a services and software oriented company and move away from making hardware, fine... but please, for all that is good, open up support for MacOS onto standard PC hardware so us Mac users can get on with life without struggling with under powered and antiquated hardware for no good reason.

    Also, while you are at it, please work out whatever issues you have with Nvidia and help them release their pascal drivers on MacOS...

    Thank you,

    A concerned long time customer that is very much not alone

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by amiga3D ( 567632 )

      Apple has no future as anything other than a hardware company. The software side was simply to provide support for the hardware. To think they'll somehow transition into the over saturated dog eat dog world of the entertainment industry is crazy. The iPod allowed them to leverage the music business for iTunes but it's not where their money is.

  • So... everyone is making their own original content. What I've seen from Amazon and Netflix is often quite good. Will it end up like TV where they will syndicate each other's old seasons or do they hold out so you'll subscribe for a few months to each of them to rotate through binging their series in turn? I subscribe to Netflix because I find enough to watch, we have Prime Video as a value-add to Amazon Prime... we'll sign back up for HBO Now to watch GoT and plan to binge Westworld in between episodes

    • That's what I wonder about the others. If Apple, and later Microsoft (they're likely to follow) start producing media content, then media companies might wanna consider getting into hardware of their own. Companies like Echostar, Charter, Comcast (ugh) et al should look into making their own branded computers. There is plenty of hardware, and plenty of software (Linux and BSD based) to choose from.

      I'd like to see more competition in hardware, not just in shows that I don't watch

  • Calling Cook the Ballmer of Apple is an insult to Ballmer because at least Ballmer consistently raised revenues and profits and demonstrated a deep commitment to Microsoft's core markets. The fact is that putting Steve Ballmer in charge of Apple now would make more sense than keeping Cook. Ballmer would probably have a better shot of resurrecting the Mac's nose-diving reputation than Cook at this point.
    • At least MS didn't have the hubris to believe they can do anything on a whim. When they got into video games, they bought a successful studio and let them run semi-autonomously.

    • Calling Cook the Ballmer of Apple is an insult to Ballmer because at least Ballmer consistently raised revenues and profits and demonstrated a deep commitment to Microsoft's core markets. The fact is that putting Steve Ballmer in charge of Apple now would make more sense than keeping Cook. Ballmer would probably have a better shot of resurrecting the Mac's nose-diving reputation than Cook at this point.

      Let's ignore that especially in the later years of Balmer, Microsoft's revenue and profits was very volatile.

      You can only make the claim about Cook's performance because he introduced the iPhone 6 (Plus) at the end of 2014, and because that product was so outstandingly successful that 2015 was a black swan year for Apple. If Apple had sold 22 million less iPhone 6 (Plus), there would be a nice steady growth for both 2015 and 2016.

      IOW claim that Cook wasn't successful hinges on the fact that he was extremely

  • Among the sizzling innovations in the new Apple programming will be that you can no longer turn off your TV or stop playback once you've started an episode, it will automatically perform "updates" of your platform to prevent non-Apple content being played back in the future, and you will need to sign over your firstborn and put your house up as collateral to create a streaming account in the first place.

  • They already made Queer as Folk.

  • Maybe they could do a series ala Seinfeld, but the characters could spend every show looking for their mis-placed wireless AirPods.

  • & how much courage will be needed for this?

  • Unfortunately these days it is just the next earnings statement that matters. 3 months at a time is all the planning that's needed.

  • Wow, Apple has jumped the shark before even producing their first episode.

    Maybe declining revenue from hardware sales could instead be addressed by a return to offering compelling and valuable hardware choices for the consumer to purchase.

    (/me waits for news that Apple's new content was produced using tools from Adobe or Avid)

  • That "as hardware sales soften" is pure editorializing. The author is linking this initiative with hardware sales for his own reasons.

  • We get to hear all about how piracy is killing Apple, Beeeeeeelions in lost profits, the company is tanking on account of all of these freeloaders watching our content for freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

    We need a host of new laws on the books to protect us all from these criminal consumers!
     

  • Seriously, end the tyrrany and oppression of having XCode bundled with OSX. I want to stop buying Apple Products all together because the new Macbook Pro is a piece of shit and I'm not sure their fucked up AirBuds will fit my ears - but need to still have the ability to create iOS Apps without having to use VNC

    Frankly, Apple is fucked -- Tim Cook was a good lackey for Jobs, but has not sense of purpose or direction The smart move would have been for him to find a younger, brilliant, "jobs-like" replacemen

  • You: "I don't like this TV show from the Apple network."

    S. Jobs: "You're watching it wrong!"

  • Dear Apple (Score:3)

    by RatBastard ( 949 ) on Thursday January 12, 2017 @03:04PM (#53655353) Homepage

    Dear Apple,

    How about making products your customers actually want? Like a MacBook Pro that's actually a pro-level computer. Or, a "Cheesegrater" Mac Pro with Thunderbolt and USB 3/3.1?

    See, here's the deal: no one wanted the trash-can Mac Pro. We wanted the existing model with the I/O capabilities you put in your home-user machines. But, it's too late. You've lost us. We're tired of paying premium prices for last-years already outdated technology.

    And you guys are really missing the bus with your lack of VR-compatible hardware. Sure, VR might be a flash in the pan, but isn't the fact that you make NOTHING with the CPU/GPU power to support it worrying?

    Yours,
    RatBastard, a former Mac customer.

  • I want to do what Amazon, Netflix and Hulu do!

  • So, the Apple slogan was think different, revolutionize and now is just to generate money. This and other few things indicates that inertia of SJ is slowly fading out. They do nothing in last 5 years apart from the chairmans sharing enormous salaries. It is really sad. SJ wanted to redo TV, education but they touch none of those. Now they want to make movies? Wtf. That is really inovative and revolutionary. It just show that they have no clue what they are doing with company. If iPhone 8 fails (be the same

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