In praise of Apple TV

Back in January the New York Times 'Bits' blog called the Apple TV a "sleeping giant." Having been housebound and watching it for the past two days I can now see why.

Were Apple to actually big up some of its features it could actually be a real alternative to multi-channel TV (cable, satellite and freeview) systems. Especially since it delivers HD quality content at (unlike the Sky satellite TV system here in the UK) no extra cost.

Meanwhile for brands, it's a way to deliver content direct to consumer's TV screens. You by-pass the broadcaster as you become the broadcaster.

Around for a year and a half, Apple TV is essentially a hard drive that links your computer and your home internet connection to your TV set. Yes, boxes that connect the computer to the TV have been around for a while - so what?

What makes Apple TV different is that it links into the whole itunes library. That includes an (admittedly currently limited) selection of films to rent or buy. It also includes a few TV programmes from the likes of (here in the UK), the BBC and Channel4 that you buy to watch at £1.89 (just over $3) per episode.

Where it really comes into its own is, as Saul Hansell wrote in his NY Times blog post, its ability to tap into the itunes podcast library. Podcasts have traditionally been downloaded and played on an mp3 player, but through Apple TV you play them on demand over the Internet, without needing to go back into your PC or mac.

Podcasts? "“Huh,” you say, thinking that podcasts are Wayne’s World run amok. But in Apple’s world, podcasts are any free video and audio programs."

In other words you automatically have access to a database of tens of thousands of videos from the likes of Telegraph TV, Monocle, National Geographic, Sky Sports - the list is endless, as in practice the itunes podcast library picks up the vast majority of podcasts that people actually watch / listen to.

While a lot of it is a rehash of what broadcasters show on telly, some of it is exclusive video content that you'd only ever see on itunes. The excellent 'Alive in Baghdad' series of short films is one example - filmed by Iraqis it gives you a weekly insight into daily life in the Iraqi capital.

So - these aren't actually 'podcasts' in a 2004 sense. In practice they are TV programmes delivered over the Internet, something that's had promise for a long time.

But Apple streams it over a device where people are used to watching broadcast footage day in, day out. I mean, the computer might be great for watching You Tube or Vimeo clips at work....but would you seriously spend the evening in front of it watching TV shows?

What's the relevance for marketing departments and brands?

In my experience, the word podcast doesn't really figure on their radar any more. Like the word blogging, it seems almost old fashioned. In both cases, it's the term that's out of date - both mediums are very much alive. Both are misunderstood and both have a lot of potential for brands.

The platform is completely open - anyone can produce content and stream it out, and anyone can insert advertising in their video.

Indeed- "Dina Kaplan, the chief operating officer of Blip.TV, which distributes advertising-supported video programming, says Apple has gone out of its way to help support its advertising technology."

"“They know for independent content creators to work, the ads have to travel to, and work on iTunes."" And of course there's the added bonus that any video content will also play on iphones and video ipods.

So the opportunity is there - broadcast video content direct onto people's TVs and iphones. The challenge is of course for brands to make and sponsor content that people actually want and to resist the 'name check' game - how many brand mentions can I squeeze into every five minutes?

An example of someone who's got that right? Cobra beer, which produced a series of video shorts featuring beer boss Karan Billamoria in the, 'The less gassy guide to entrepreunership.'

The brand messages were there, but ultimately the videos also delivered something of value and for a time they appeared in the iTunes top ten business podcast list.

Photo - Niall Kennedy.