The Apple TV got off to a slow start. It’s improving, but the one has to ask what Apple needs to do to put the Apple TV into the iPod class of success, according to Andy Zakay at Seeking Alpha.

Customers are crazy about DVDs and iPods while Apple continues to keep the sales number for the Apple TV burried and combined with other sales numbers. That’s so that pundits won’t take pot shots at Apple in a video intensive market. It also allows Apple to dole out good news when it suits them.

One clue about the success of iTunes and perhaps Apple TV is that Apple recently announce that its iTunes is renting or selling 50,000 movies per day. (There was no breakdown on Mac only vs Apple TV viewing.) Even so, one has to ask what Apple needs to do to make the Apple TV a significant contributor to Apple’s revenues.

Mr. Zakay explored, in some detail, the idea of turning the Apple TV into a Tuner+DVR, wireless streaming between one person’s iPod and another’s Apple TV, add the DVD extras to the catalog of movies, add a Blu-ray player (proposed with definite awareness of Apple’s aversion to that format) and a better remote control.

Some of the ideas proposed might violate Apple’s DRM agreements (wireless) or entail DVR license fees from TiVo. Just what, in addition, Apple needs to do to make the Apple TV the darling of the set top box genre remains open to discussion. One thing is sure -- Apple is aggressive about learning from its mistakes and would lobe to turn their Apple TV "hobby" into another big money business.