Report: Apple Working on a Television Set
If Silicon Valley experts are to be believed, Apple's got plans for a TV.
Over the last six months we've heard enough about the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPad 3 to last us a lifetime. However, this week, the Apple rumor mill is kicking things off with a horse of another color. The latest word on the street is that Apple is contemplating a new Apple TV, and not the kind of Apple TV that's already sitting in Apple Stores around the nation. This time, the talk is of a true, honest-to-goodness Apple television set.
VentureBeat is today citing multiple Silicon Valley sources in reporting that Apple is 'almost certainly' working on its own TV. The publication spoke to venture capitalist Stewart Alsop who claims to have heard it from several people that the Apple television project is underway. VB also points to predictions from one analyst, Gene Munster, who expects these Apple TV rumors will finally come to fruition in 2012 or early 2013. Munster made similar predictions in 2009, claiming that 2011 would be the year of the Apple TV set, but he has since admitted that it's unlikely we'll see an Apple TV before the new year.
Apple already has agreements with many TV networks and major movie studios that enables it to provide content to users wishing to watch video through iTunes and Apple TV. However, an actual TV is a different story. Alsop says this new TV would be a smaller set, aimed at those looking for a secondary TV for the bedroom or kitchen, and would run on Apple's iOS mobile operating system complete with games, apps, iTunes and more.
How much would you be willing to pay for such a device? Apple's current Apple TV set-top box costs just $99, but it's hard to imagine the company being so generous when it comes to the pricing of an television set. For one thing, there's the heightened cost of manufacturing. This, combined with the fact that people aren't likely to upgrade their TV sets very often, could mean the price for such a product could be quite high indeed.
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How come Apple news are always 'fresh' on Tom's (nothing about this on TUAW yet) while other (PC related) news (not reviews) are usually somewhat late?
An Apple tv? So it will have half the features of a standard TV at twice the price
Expect cheap asian parts enclosed in a rip off Apple casing.
because apple tv is revolutionary!
Yes. White trim; won't come in black for a while. And a uni-body aluminum frame. And of course; a power cable and one hdmi interface to minimize the cable clutter.
You're looking at it wrong !!!!
so its a bigger version of the iPad
Uhmmmm ... no. Apple is going to charge $5000 dollars for 30" TV.
I paid $500 for 43" plasma just this year. I gaurantee there is nothing Apple could possibly due to a tv that would make me even consider paying the ridiculous prices they are going to ask.
1) TV is garbage. (Honestly, why do you need one apart from a big screen?)
2) Apple TV is iGarbage.
Though, I'm sure iZombies will be conviced it is magical enough to buy it even if they don't need one.
Great, Apple will start suing other TV manufacturers claiming they invented the HDTV...
Actually, how about every TV manufacturer ban together and sue Apple? Give them a taste of their own medicine hehehe
And when you have reception issues apple will say that you are holding the aerial wrong!!!!!
So, if this is true, I guess we'll be reading about Apple suing TV makers next.....
And when you have reception issues apple will say that you are holding the aerial wrong!!!!!
Noooo..... You're holding the remote wrong!!!
No, each iTV will come with their own bumpers
It will have a great UI, be hooked into iTunes directly, and you'll be able to use your iTouch or iPhone as the remote.
I can see the marketing motivation behind it. With such a large purchase you will use iTunes, because you are not going to buy an Apple TV to hook up like a normal TV.
Unfortunately it will never fly because of bandwidth costs, and really what features can Apple offer you that is not already built into most proprietary PVRs offered by the cable company?
They'll probably make it 2560x1600 and be the first to do so (it's crazy other manufacturers haven't done this on a large screens yet) and then will actually be able to claim they did it first. And it actually will look really pretty and shiny and people will buy it no matter the cost. Unfortunate, yes, but that's how I'd imagine it will go.
It will have a great UI, be hooked into iTunes directly, and you'll be able to use your iTouch or iPhone as the remote.I can see the marketing motivation behind it. With such a large purchase you will use iTunes, because you are not going to buy an Apple TV to hook up like a normal TV.Unfortunately it will never fly because of bandwidth costs, and really what features can Apple offer you that is not already built into most proprietary PVRs offered by the cable company?
See, that's what I call an iZombie
And why would I use iTunes and have an UI on a TV? It's just a big screen which must play movies. And I don't need iTunes or any other service for movies.
So, you're right. Apple can't offer anything new here [that makes sense]. Not because it's already used by someone else, but because it's a TV. There is only so much you can do to it without turning it into a PC with limited functionality.
Thank you very much for providing me with a book example of an Apple fanboy post.
Sony should sue them when it comes out. Some of the new Sony net TVs have white backs and rounded edges. That would be a knee slapper.
I'm guessing it will be 32" and just $13,495.
That's only $250 a month for 6 years what a great deal!
Honestly I can predict this one...
1. It will have built-in apple TV functions
2. Access to iTunes and the movies/video rentals/purchasing on there
3. Possibly able to act as a DVR
4. Will definitely have a camera used for face to face chatting
5. Built in wireless or a second model or adapter that allows wireless
6. It will likely have the ability to use various "apps"
7. Could possibly have a browser
8. Could possibly have VOIP calling
@burnley14
might want to check out DPI, TV traditionally have big DPI (which in turn reduce resolution), it assist in disguising motion artifacts, on smaller size screens such artifacts are not so noticeable but on larger screens they may become distracting. A TVs primary job is not to display crisp text or interactive icons but rather moving pictures.
besides what will you do with 2560 x 1600 we barely moved over to 1080p there is absolutely no content in 2560 x 1600 and even if there was and the idea of streaming 2560 x 1600 over iTunes is laughable
Sony should sue them when it comes out. Some of the new Sony net TVs have white backs and rounded edges. That would be a knee slapper.
Haha I was about to say Samsung should sue them but yeah they both probably should.
Panasonic,Philips,Sony,Samsung ,Gg,Toshiba etc prepare to be sued by Apple because you infrige their patent on how a TV looks like!!!!
1) TV is garbage. (Honestly, why do you need one apart from a big screen?)
Uhh... that's the entire reason a lot of us need one. I don't know about you, but when I'm watching a movie or football game, I like to watch on a big screen, lounging on my couch, rather than sitting in my office chair at my 24" PC monitor.
Will I buy an Apple TV? Almost certainly not, but I love my TV generally. Why the hate?
Well, since Samsung and Apple are on bad terms now, who is going to manufacture the display screen for Apple TV? ;O
If it's some cheap Chinese factory line, I rather just get a Samsung Smart TV that will probably get sued by Apple who is going to claim their TV is "smarter" and that Samsung copied it.
@ikyung
there currently only 2 major fabricator of LCD panels of any kind, Samsung and LG, the reason for this is that Samsung and LG developed and patented processes that enable them to increase yield rates (which LG is currently suing Samsung over infringement), so even if some cheapo Chinese factory wanted to make LCDs they wont be able to produce enough of them to offset cost and turn out cheap panels without investing large sums of money in R&D to developed techniques that increase LCD yield rates
They'll probably make it 2560x1600 and be the first to do so (it's crazy other manufacturers haven't done this on a large screens yet) and then will actually be able to claim they did it first. And it actually will look really pretty and shiny and people will buy it no matter the cost. Unfortunate, yes, but that's how I'd imagine it will go.
They already have t.v.'s in the works with "Ultra H.D." resolution which is 7,680 x 4,320..
The ipad 2 was rumored to be 2048 x 1200, but it came out at 1024 x 768, so......
Even if it did come out at 2560 x 1200, you'd be better off saving your money for an Ultra H.D. tv.
1. If it's touch screen, then it's gonna have fingerprints like mad.
2. if it has IOS, itunes, then that means you are gonna have to pay for each show.
3. If it's apple, it means you are probably gonna have to pay 3 times what a normal t.v. with same specs cost.
4. it won't have hdmi, it'll probably have some kind of proprietary connections that only work with apple products.
5. repairs are gonna be expensive, because only place to get it repaired will be apple.
Me and my wife both have iphone 4's, and I have an ipad.. I like the ipad, because i can sit on the couch and use it, and it has good battery life, but i'd much rather have windows 7 or android devices. Just waiting for my contract to be up.. So sick of apple and itunes.
It wont be anything new except a white bezel and people will go nuts to the first company that makes it (successfully).
Lemme guess. It'll only play streams purchased from their apple store and will not allow for an individual to do anything that would require knowledge to operate.
Yes. White trim; won't come in black for a while. And a uni-body aluminum frame. And of course; a power cable and one hdmi interface to minimize the cable clutter.
No way will it include HDMI. That would mean that you could watch content that doesn't make any money for Apple on it. It will have WiFi but only connect to Apple's iNetwork link or the iTunes store.
Apple TV re-badged samsung, and then they will sue samsung for having TV's
I wonder if Apple will go to the grave site of the inventor of television, Boris Roswig and sure him.
Hmmm, suing the dead. Now there's a genuine innovation Apple could patent.
How come Apple news are always 'fresh' on Tom's (nothing about this on TUAW yet) while other (PC related) news (not reviews) are usually somewhat late?
ditto
wonder why they haven't registered itomshardware.com or tomsihardware.com?