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Multiple Sources Suggest Apple Working on Television for as Early as 2012

Hallivand said:
One word: 3D

I reckon Apple has seen the potential of 3D, but the limitations its currently has, most significantly having to wear glasses to view the content.

Apple has been known to take existing products and refine them into something that leaps ahead of the competition. Glasses free true three dimensional television. Thats the only thing I can see that will really define itself in the market place.
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Like LG SAMSUNG & panasonic are doing? Lol
 
I've heard these doubts somewhere before . . . .

Oh, right, when there were rumours about the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.
 
Gaming Console Integration?

Anyone considered that this will allow Apple to create a device that could act as a dedicated console? I mean, imagine multiple iOS devices acting as remote controls for a multiplayer game. It'd be similar to the Nintendo Wii U in that each remote will have a built in screen with dedicated processor ability. Obviously, it wouldn't be a big hit for FPS type games, but it could directly compete with a lot of the social-casual type games that Nintendo's platform specializes in. I mean, think about it. All new iPhones and iPod Touches already have the necessary functionality to be a gaming console remote. Gyroscope, wifi, bluetooth, touch screen, etc.

I mean, it's widely known that Apple isn't making huge profits from media content delivery. But the dedicated gaming market is a whole 'nother story...

Don't discount them.

Nintendo's failure in the casual portable gaming market is almost directly attributable to the App Store.

Next up is the casual gaming console market.

If not Apple...then Google + Sony will.
 
The only problem I have is with people assuming that most people buy TV's which offer the best image quality.
I don't think the majority to.
Picture Size and Price I'd think are what sells the TV. As long as it looks nice and had a brand name they know and trust.

Sony had better sets with RGB LED backlighting to give better colours.
Samsung (amongst others) had local dimming to give great blacks.
Sanyo have the extra yellow pixel to give great strong yellows that are lacking.
Philips have the ambilight which can look lovely on a plain wall.
We had dual tuners in sets for picture in picture years ago with twin tuners.

And yet, the vast vast majority of people just buy "normal" TV's as all these ones are expensive models compared to the bog standard flat screen TV which does a good enough job.

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leof said:
Anyone considered that this will allow Apple to create a device that could act as a dedicated console? I mean, imagine multiple iOS devices acting as remote controls for a multiplayer game. It'd be similar to the Nintendo Wii U in that each remote will have a built in screen with dedicated processor ability. Obviously, it wouldn't be a big hit for FPS type games, but it could directly compete with a lot of the social-casual type games that Nintendo's platform specializes in. I mean, think about it. All new iPhones and iPod Touches already have the necessary functionality to be a gaming console remote. Gyroscope, wifi, bluetooth, touch screen, etc.

I mean, it's widely known that Apple isn't making huge profits from media content delivery. But the dedicated gaming market is a whole 'nother story...

Don't discount them.

Nintendo's failure in the casual portable gaming market is almost directly attributable to the App Store.

Next up is the casual gaming console market.

If not Apple...then Google + Sony will.
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Have you lived with kids?
So you are going to buy the "Gaming Apple TV" for their bedroom are you?
Or are you going to have it downstairs in the lounge as the main home TV they can't use as you want to watch a TV program instead?

A cheap gaming console such as a Xbox360 or PS3 is totally flexible in what it can do and where it can be plugged in.
Fitting a console into a TV raises all sorts of issues.
 
iDuel said:
As pretty as they may look, it still probably won't be as competitively priced with other brands with the same technology.
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And when in recent history has above avg pricing been a barrier to monster sales for Apple?

Here is the difference - Apple makes otherwise boring products, like phones, exciting and desirable. And they can demand a nice premium for that magic. Apple's growth since the iPod's early days has proven this to be an indisputable fact.

The question won't be price, it will be whether Apple can make a sexy enough TV. AppleTV isn't a hot model yet, it's just another cute girl.
 
Roy G Biv said:
Make a beautiful, 32" aluminum TV. Integrate it with Apple TV and an app store. Sell it for $999.

Who would buy that? Millions.

Apple thrives in low-margin industries by differentiating and selling at a premium.
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Miilions would by a 32" TV for 1k? 😀 best joke of the day.
 
I dunno, I still find this extremely likely. Entering a market that's already saturated with big tv companies... why would they do that? Especially when they could basically accomplish the same thing, with ANY tv, using the Apple tv, if they gave that product some upgrades...

Also, putting televisions into most apple stores will be a logistical nightmare... Most of those stores aren't very big... but televisions are very big!

I just don't see this happening. I don't see why apple would bother with entering this type of market. Too much of a pain, I think. But hey, you never know...
 
4np said:
Not a really big surprise, as the Apple TV has frequently been called a 'hobby' by Apple (to gain more experience in the TV market) and they obviously want to compete against Google TV... It would make sense to integrate content-delivery into the TVs themselves though. I would be interested to see how they would make the TV market more user-friendly though...

While my Philips' (PFL9704) user interface, 'apps' and processing power could be improved, I love the look, the quality of the screen, its image enhancements, and its Ambilight Spectra 3! And as I have a Mac Mini + Plex connected to it, I wonder if Apple will be able to present something that will make me want to move the Philips to the bedroom 😉 The big improvement lies in the user interface, but as Apple most likely want to distribute content digitally (like the current Apple TV) it will probably be a closed platform (like to other iOS devices) and no way to play your downloaded euh... own content.

Image
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philips are making truly neat things when it comes to light. their living colors lamps are quite nice too. a bit pricy where im at (99 euro or so), but well worth it in the end.
phillips-Living-Colors.jpg


nicely designed too.
 
I want it now.

krischik said:
True. But you missed the real problem: I expect a TV to last 5...10 years. Lion does not run on a 2001 iMac. Got it?
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It has been 5-10 years since 2001....just saying. It's been 10.

All Apple needs to do is add the Standardized apps to the Apple TV. Then HBO could charge for HBO Go. And all the other channels could do it too. TV ala carte. That's what I want. that's the problem with TV's now, they are all coming up with their own apps to subscribe to internet TV. (but they rarely update)

I don't think Apple will make a TV set. Just an upgrade Apple TV, it should have the app store and an iSight. I can't see everyone going out and replacing their TVs.

Now that I think about it, why can't apple just update the AppleTV now? it has USB. So they make an external iSight, gesture recognition, and bluetooth and you done.

Or an App that will turn you iPad into the interface for your AppleTV. (remote) 🙂. Lost the remote? -find my iPad/iPhone-

Everything is already in place.
 
Piggie said:
Have you lived with kids?
So you are going to buy the "Gaming Apple TV" for their bedroom are you?
Or are you going to have it downstairs in the lounge as the main home TV they can't use as you want to watch a TV program instead?

A cheap gaming console such as a Xbox360 or PS3 is totally flexible in what it can do and where it can be plugged in.
Fitting a console into a TV raises all sorts of issues.
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Simple. Integrate the gaming ability into the next iteration of the Apple TV box as well. The Gaming functionality requires very little additional hardware. The new A6 should be able to handle the types of social/casual games that most non-hardcore gamers would be satisfied with.

I think you underestimate the potential market for games outside children. The App Store on iOS has proven that the casual gaming market is HUGE and that it's popular with people of all ages and both genders. Did Apple need to make a dedicated gaming device to compete with Nintendo and Sony for the portable gaming market? No. Similarly, do they need to have dedicated gaming console hardware to compete with the Wii? No. The tech is pretty much going to be there anyways.

If the Apple TV screen has an A6, wifi, bluetooth and 16GB memory+, which is basically guaranteed if they do make a TV for it to be an iOS device, they will already have everything they need to make it a dedicated console via the App Store.
 
pmz said:
What you get is overpriced nonsense that can't be upgraded year to year.
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Welcome to the world of high end electronics. Forgive me for going "grumpy old man" but back in the analog day you could buy expensive high end audio components and you'd be good to go for a decade or longer. Today that isn't possible b/c technology is changing so quickly. Forget about a top of the line ($2000-4000) MY 2000 A/V receiver, a MY 2007 one isn't even functionally relevant if you want to upgrade, to say, a 3DTV or you want integrated AirPlay or Pandora streaming.

Apple is not looking for the value or price conscious consumer. It views itself as a "premium" brand. I'm not making a case for an Apple branded TV, just one that if Apple decided to make one there would be a market if it had the usual Apple panache.
 
Wonder if they'll even bother with a coaxial cable hookup? 🙂

This is basically the last frontier in the computer world, and the one screen in a home full of desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones not ruled by the tech industry. I've had a multimedia PC for years, and have rather liked the ability to surf the web and utilize Netflix's full site from my sofa. But most people categorically separate their computers and televisions to their own corners and give little thought to combining the two.

I think Steve, Tim and Co. would like to see the cable industry disappear. But that's not going to happen. The studios and the cable companies are too ingrained in their business model and will fight any changes tooth and nail. However, why wouldn't Apple want to introduce their ecosystem into the living room completely? The iOS system on the TV would be fantastic, especially gaming and video. Built-in home sharing capabilities, mirroring, Airplay, and a TV app store? I'm ready to buy one right now!

Apple has upended the movie industry, the music industry, the publishing industry and is beginning to make in-roads into the gaming industry's bottom line. Why not TV? It's coming, and sooner rather than later it looks like.
 
jeffreyropp said:
TVOIP. If Apple gets in, it will change the business completely by replacing the existing market will something more flexible, powerful, and within a new or converged with an present ecosystem.

Goodbye cable companies, maybe even DirecTV if they get it right. I suspect the massive data centers are about more than just your music collection and movies. The cloud is going to be your provider of programming.
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I think you hit it right on the head.

The app store changes everything.

Apple is probably negotiating deals with major networks right now. I think people would pay a premium to totally ditch cable/ direct TV and just pay for the programming they want through the cloud. Most of it may even be free like Hulu. You could start watching a show in your living room, leave, then continue watching it on your iphone or ipad later. And remember you can pick up local stations in HD via antenna so there would probably be some type of internal antenna like the iphone.

I also think Apple will enter the video game console industry by competing directly with xbox and playstation. Everything will be integrated into the TV via app store so if you want Madden '12 just download the app and play. I'm sure the game developers would be very excited because now the ipad or iphone could be integrated in gameplay as well.

Think how sweet the remote could be. a 5-7" mini ipad.

So basically you would have:

-A very thin, light flat panel TV with superior display
-Internal Apple TV
-App Store
-Integration with all of your other apple products (iphone, ipod, ipad, macs)
-Internal antenna
-IOS
-An internal gaming console
-Programming without the need for cable service
-a mini ipad remote


This makes perfect since. Music/Radio came before TV. Apple revolutionized how we listen to music. TV is next.
 
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Nah, I'd rather stick with brands I like for different reasons. Samsung in the bedroom, Sony in the living room and kitchen. A dvd/bluray player where needed. Boom.
 
Am I the only one who see an Apple branded TV a bad thing?

It will be over priced , require none standard ariel connection and an iTunes account to work , and be outdated every 11 months when apple expects you to buy the new model (going off ALL their other products marketing plans)

I'd rather hook a £99-199 box to a TV of my choice thank you
 
I see many of u have a huge lack of imagination and no faith in apple. I'm not saying I know they will come through with this tv idea, but how can u knock them put before they even say that they are getting started. If they are working on a tv, which is at least a 75 percent chance just because the idea is worth thinking about, one can rest assured that they just MIGHT come through with something amazing and revolutionary again. WHY? Because thats wat Apple does.
 
Oh, not this again!
nea.gif


We're ALL forgetting that Apple is not interested in selling low-margin products. As such, I don't think Apple will sell their own branded TV, mostly because flat-panel TV's are such a low-margin product nowadays because of the competition between Samsung, LG, several Japanese brand names, and Vizio here in the USA.

Now, a much-improved Apple TV box, that would be a different story.
 
I can wait

I'll probably buy one but I'll wait for the second generation which will have twice the features for half the price and have a bigger screen, as well.
 
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