Apple iTV rumors: will Cupertino build a smart television?
Rumors that Apple will produce a ful television set have been around for years, but in 2011 and now 2012 they have increased a bit in frequency and intensity. Can Apple secure content deals with the networks? Will the television be enough to convince consumers to upgrade their current HDTVs? Will it even happen? We've rounded up all the important stories in this saga right here.
Apple TV set designs in 'early stage' of testing, says WSJ
Apple is working with Sharp and Foxconn to test designs for a TV set, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Rumors of such a product have persisted for years, but this is the most solid information we've heard yet that Cupertino is looking to produce an actual television. While a Journal report from the supply chain is often the first sign that Apple is serious about a new product, it looks like things are still in the early stages, with one source saying that the TV "isn't a...
Apple reportedly won't release new TV product this year due to content negotiations
Although rumors of a new Apple TV box have heated up of late, a new report from Bloomberg throws cold water on the possibility. Apparently, though not surprisingly, talks with cable companies have not been going well due to a variety of issues — including whether Apple would have total control over the user interface and the exact structure of what rights deals Apple would need to strike to launch the product. Bloomberg says that the company is focused on creating a product that blends both...
Apple's rumored cable TV box would 'erase distinction between live and on-demand content,' says WSJ
Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was pitching a set-top box to cable operators, and today the publication's anonymous sources have alleged details about how such a device might work. Functionally, it sounds a bit like a DVR, except viewers wouldn't actually be recording their own shows: Apple's set-top would store entire episodes in the cloud as they're being broadcast live, allowing viewers to start watching programs from the beginning even if they're late to the...
Apple pitching a set-top box to cable operators, reports WSJ
Apple's long-rumored play for the television space seems to have changed: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the company is in talks with cable operators to provide a set-top box that provides live television channels, rather than licensing content in order to offer its own streaming service. As far as the publication's anonymous sources are aware, no deals have been reached, and yet the idea has been on the table for some time: "Apple contemplated building a cable set-top box more...
Apple
Apple TV 'is an area of intense interest for us,' says Tim Cook
Steve Jobs famously called the Apple TV a "hobby," but his successor Tim Cook seems to be slowly turning that ship around. At the D10 conference this evening, he said that the Apple TV is "an area of intense interest for us." While Cook wouldn't answer a direct question about whether the company is building a full television set, he seemed to hint strongly that Apple's interest is an active one:
I think most people, maybe not all, but many people would say this is an area in their life...
Foxconn: reports that CEO Terry Gou confirmed the Apple iTV are 'not accurate' (update)
Last week, China Daily reported that Foxconn CEO Terry Gou told the publication his company was making plans to produce the rumored Apple iTV set. There was no direct quote from Gou in the article itself, so the whole story seemed open to some interpretation or mis-translation. Now, Foxconn has indeed confirmed that CEO Terry Gou is not confirming or even speculating on future Apple products, including the Apple TV. The Next Web is reporting that Foxconn said last week's reports are "not...
Apple
Foxconn CEO says company is 'making preparations' for Apple iTV
We're well into 2012, and the mythical Apple TV remains nothing more than a rumor — but Foxconn's CEO Terry Gou might have tipped Apple's hand at a Shanghai news conference to discuss Foxconn's new headquarters. China Daily is reporting that Gou said Foxconn is "making preparations for iTV," though development or manufacturing has yet to begin. As China Daily didn't offer a direct quote from Gou, we're guessing he might have meant that his company is ramping up to be ready if Apple wants to...
Apple in talks with Epix movie service for Apple TV and 'upcoming devices,' says Reuters
Apple TV is already home to a number of third-party video streaming services: Netflix, YouTube, Vimeo, and a handful of sports-related "channels" like NBA, NHL, and MLB.com. According to Reuters, the folks in Cupertino are in talks with Epix to put its movie service on its current set-top box and "upcoming devices that stream content." That's strong wording from Reuters, and the article goes on to make multiple, less-subtle references to the long-rumored Apple "iTV" smart television.
The...
HD & Home
Apple TV review (2012)
After endless speculation and debate, Apple's latest event came and went with nary a mention of a Cupertino-made television set. But Apple's little set-top box did get a refresh, bringing some oft-requested upgrades and improvements to the $99 device. The 2012 Apple TV has a new interface, a new A5 SoC, the ability to (finally) stream movies you've purchased through iTunes, 1080p movie streaming through iTunes and Netflix, and more. It's also as deeply integrated with Netflix as ever, and...
CBS CEO turned down Steve Jobs over Apple TV subscriptions to protect 'existing revenue streams'
It's been rumored for a while that Apple is struggling to land content deals for its much-anticipated "true" entry into the TV business, and CBS's CEO Les Moonves has offered some insight on why that might be. Speaking at the UCLA Entertainment Symposium in a conference attended by the Hollywood Reporter, Moonves said he turned down Steve Jobs personally over the offer of making CBS shows part of a subscription-based content package.
"I told Steve, 'You know more than me about 99 percent of...
HD & Home
Apple TV stock shortages appear, sources say new model imminent
It looks like there may be a little more fact behind some of the Apple TV fiction we've been hearing over the past few days. According to sources (as well as Apple Store stock counters), the current Apple TV is becoming increasingly sparse at stores around the country, with most locations reporting no availability at all right now. More tellingly, at all of the stores where the device is out of stock, availability is listed as starting on or after March 7th — the day of Apple's big iPad...
Apple
Apple streaming TV service rumored for holiday launch despite content deal hold-ups
We've been hearing for months now that Apple has been trying to wrangle content deals for a streaming TV service, and the New York Post has a new report that claims Cupertino is hoping to launch such a service this holiday season — despite gaining little traction with content providers. According to the Post, Apple's senior VP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue has been leading the negotiations, with the intent of using apps — presumably on the Apple TV and on iOS devices — as...
Tim Cook on Apple TV: 'Apple doesn't do hobbies as a general rule'
Tim Cook is speaking at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference today, and he was pretty candid when asked about the living room and Apple TV: he said that the Apple TV is a "hobby" because the company knows the business isn't as big as the Mac or iOS devices, but that "Apple doesn't do hobbies as a general rule." Cook followed up by saying he "can't live without" his Apple TV, and that he's "always thought there was something there, and that if we kept following our intuition...
HD & Home
UK's ITV denies warning Apple away from iTV name
ITV has denied that there is any truth in reports that it has approached Apple to warn it off using the ITV name. The Telegraph suggested this morning that British television network ITV's CEO Adam Crozier had written a letter to Apple regarding the use of the name iTV in its products, which reflects a number of recent rumors regarding a forthcoming Apple-branded TV.
In a statement to The Verge, an ITV spokesperson said that, "The Telegraph's piece is entirely speculative, and there has been...
Apple
Apple 'iTV' prototypes already in testing at Bell and Rogers in Canada?
Now that CES is over, it's time for Apple iTV rumors to spin up again in earnest. The latest comes from Canadian paper The Globe and Mail, which cites anonymous sources who say that "Rogers and Bell already have the product in their labs." Apple is said to be pursuing relationships with both companies in Canada, because both offer "wireless and broadband capabilities." The paper also suggests that the iTV will include voice recognition from Siri, hand gesture controls, video chat, and an...
Apple
'Apple HDTV' imagined in Best Buy survey: 42-inch model for $1,499 (updated)
Best Buy appears to be sending surveys to customers getting feedback on potential new products and services — something that virtually every consumer-facing company does on a regular basis — but one thing stood out this time around: the very first product in this survey that Best Buy asks about is the oft-rumored Apple iTV, identified here as the "Apple HDTV." The big box wants to know how you feel about it based on some proposed promotional verbiage which boasts that "Apple finally...
Apple
Apple struggling to make content deals for rumored iTV, says USA Today
While rumors over a true Apple TV have swirled for literally years, they've kicked into high gear ever since Walter Issacson quoted Steve Jobs in his biography as saying he'd "finally cracked" the difficulties behind entering the market. It's widely assumed that in order to successfully launch a television, Apple would need a set of game-changing content deals in order to make it a compelling enough product to convince consumers to upgrade — especially given the longer upgrade cycles...
Apple
Apple iTV will arrive in 32- and 37-inch sizes this summer, says DigiTimes
Rumors of an Apple television have resurfaced with supply chain sources telling DigiTimes that they're starting to prepare components for 32- and 37-inch "iTV" sets launching in Q2 or Q3 of 2012. According to the Taiwanese publication, suppliers will begin preparing materials in Q1 to prepare for the mid-year production ramp up.
The mythical Apple television has been rumored for years, but picked up steam after Steve Jobs was quoted in Walter Isaacson's biography saying that he'd "finally...
WSJ: Apple working on a TV, new interfaces, myriad content partnerships
According to a Wall Street Journal report, Apple has been briefing media executives on a new Apple television that can stream "shows, movies, and other content." The Journal spoke to "people familiar with the matter" that say Apple executives, including senior VP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue, have detailed a system that would respond to user's voice and movements, and use voice to search for shows or change channels. Another person familiar with the matter told the Journal that...
Apple
Apple 'iTV' and next generation iPad said to feature Sharp displays
Sources speaking to the Wall Street Journal claim that Sharp is a new supplier of iPad LCD panels. One source claims that the relationship involves Apple investing in some of Sharp's Japanese manufacturing facilities. Specifically, Sharp's Kameyama No. 2 plant in central Japan is tipped to manufacturer LCD panels for Apple's next iPad expected in 2012. Sharp, an existing supplier of iPhone and iPod touch panels, will also be making panels for Apple's next generation iPhone, according to the...
CBS: We turned down an Apple TV deal because of ad split
CBS just announced its quarterly earnings a few hours ago, and CEO Les Moonves dropped a very interesting tidbit in on the call. When asked about possible streaming deals for the network, Moonves mentioned rather casually that the company had turned down a deal with Apple for a streaming TV agreement because it was based on an ad revenue split model.
This is all very interesting to us, of course, as Apple has long been rumored to be considering just such a subscription-based streaming TV...
Steve Jobs told biographer he wanted to make a smart TV
Steve Jobs once called the Apple TV a hobby, but it was perhaps more to him than that — before he passed away this month, Jobs told biographer Walter Issacson that he wanted to create a complete television set. Here's the excerpt from Jobs' biography, courtesy of the Washington Post:
"I’d like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use," he told me. "It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud." No longer would users have to fiddle...
Apple kills TV rentals through iTunes and devices
Apple today quietly pulled the plug on TV rentals via iTunes, Apple TV, and other devices, citing customer demand for purchases as the prime motivator. Company spokesman Tom Neumayr told us that "iTunes customers have shown they overwhelmingly prefer buying TV shows," adding that "iTunes in the Cloud lets customers download and watch their past TV purchases from their iOS devices, Apple TV, and Mac or PC, allowing them to enjoy their programming whenever and however they choose."
This...
WSJ: Apple working on 'new technology to deliver video to televisions'
Strangely buried inside of an article about Tim Cook's new challenges at Apple, the Wall Street Journal makes a casual mention that Apple is working on a "new technology to deliver video to televisions," as well as mulling over the idea to "launch a subscription TV service." No sources are named, but as usual, the WSJ has "people familiar with the matter" on hand to deliver the goods.
We've heard rumors for some time that Apple has been dabbling in TV tech, and certainly the latest iteration...
