A new Apple TV box is expected. It is hard to believe that Apple TV was first announced 20 years go, initially as iTV. It will be the fourth generation of the media player, coming four years after the last update. Meanwhile, an update is also expected to the Google TV Streamer. Will this bring more conversational intelligence to the television experience?
Apple is expected to announce product updates at an event it is calling “Welcome home”. No major external changes are expected to the Apple TV, but a processor upgrade could give the box more power to handle any artificial intelligence features. That could involve a revised remote control. More local intelligence could support a more natural conversational interface with Siri AI.
Apple TV is becoming a premium product that works well for those committed to the Apple ecosystem. So far it has remained relatively neutral with respect to the services it offers through installable apps. It has also largely eschewed traditional television channels.
Apple is competing with other players like Amazon and Google, which are also looking to control the living room screen interface.
Google is also expected to release a new version of its Google TV Streamer box. It expected to include microphones, enabling it to respond directly to voice commands.
Voice control offers advantages for searching and selecting what to watch, while artificial intelligence can offer recommendations.
There may still be a role for a physical remote control for simple functions like pause and resume, mute and volume controls.
Google is also expected to include more shortcut buttons to join existing buttons for YouTube and Netflix.
All of which is leading to simplified user interfaces, but it gives the provider of the remote more control over the experience.