Earlier today I wrote an email to Tim Cook of Apple.  Not that I expect him to reply, but one NEVER knows.  He does the same thing Steve Jobs did – which is occasionally reply to a random email sent by a customer, so I thought what the heck.   Here’s what I wrote….

To: Tim Cook <tcook@apple.com>
From: Joe Siegler <joe@siegler.net>
Subject: I’d like Apple to make this

Now I know Apple isn’t one on talking about future devices, especially ones that Apple doesn’t currently make but I wanted to say this….

I’m a TiVo customer, and have been since 2000.  In all that time I’ve owned about six or seven different models of TiVo.  I’ve been a major TiVo nut and cannot imagine watching “conventional” TV after that.

Recently, as I’m sure you’re well aware, Amazon introduced the Recast device.  I really like the device, and the concept.  I’m really onboard with the idea, but I don’t want to use a Fire TV device JUST for that, since I have an Apple TV 4k and am very happy with that.

What I am hoping Apple introduces is their own version of the Amazon Recast device – something that could add on to my Apple TV, and record broadcast TV signals, and integrate it with my Apple TV.  It would then remove my TiVo from the equation TOTALLY, and allow me to go with my Apple TV 4k as my primary TV streaming device.  Or heck, a new version of the Apple TV that has this built into it.

Now I know you won’t reply and say something like “Hey, that’s coming next summer” (assuming you’re even working on one in the first place), but I wanted to put forth this one customer’s opinion that if you did put this out, it’d be something I’d buy in a heartbeat.

Thanks for your time (or whoever it is that actually reads this)
Joe Siegler

I am quite sincere in that.  I really love the idea of the Amazon Fire Recast, but as I’m an 18 year embedded TiVo customer with fully paid devices, I’m not about to buy into the recast system – and a Fire TV *JUST* to use that functionality.

I would, however, consider doing that with an Apple TV, as that’s where I do most of my streaming anyway.  If they can more or less replicate the core TiVo functionality and embed it into an Apple TV system, then I’d do it in a heartbeat, and leave TiVo after almost 20 years.