Apple Indeed Talking with Cable Operators About New TV Product, But Launch Not Imminent

nsayer said:

There are two ways Apple could succeed with TV. Both paths require them to subvert and/or destroy the media/delivery conglomerates (Comcast/Universal in particular).

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I used to work in the industry and I disagree. Fighting the likes of Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner, and Charter will be an uphill battle. These providers own and control valuable content. They also control the wire to the customer, and there are things they can do to make it very difficult for Apple to deliver a quality experience with a competing service over their networks. Net neutrality with respect to QoS (especially the QoS needed for a streaming TV service) is largely unenforceable. Working with those providers, to their mutual benefit, is the most probable scenario and Apple's only viable option, IMO.

See my comments above about the iTunes-match like service for television. Those expecting Apple to unveil a service that cuts television or cable costs are going to be sorely disappointed - content providers and cable companies will not accept a solution that cuts their profits. Instead, look for Apple to work with existing providers to deliver a service that simplifies access to all the content you want across all your TVs, computers, and mobile devices.

TV Event 2013

At any point in time that will see fit, (hopefully sometime next year or by 2015 at the latest) I can now see an entirely new event taking place. A new event with a new product, new software & UI, and a new chance toward expanding more dominance of Apple's ecosystem. Digital video content & it's accessibility will be the main source of the new product, software and UI all covered in this "imminent" event launch.

I personally saw the revelation as the iPad Mini event was aiming toward its end. At the 69:17 mark I saw the Mountain Lion logo, the iOS 6 logo, and felt the hint at a 3rd logo missing its spot. I even imagined a orange or green colored logo with a cloud and a TV directly underneath.

I sense that Apple is in negotiation with content owners and distributors to create a subscription based model to attract "cord-cutters" back to watching premium television without the complications of unwanted material & abundance of ads.

By creating a subscription model and utilizing the cloud to hold as much space that can be offered, essentially customers will now get the chance to purchases seasons and episodes of shows & movies in 720 & 1080P resolution to watch through the new UI and through iCloud, take the exact point left off in whatever being watched to any iDevice on the same wifi at the time of pause.

"Apple TV on Steroids" can be the best way to word this. Turn on the device, see Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and all that is currently in ATV3 iOS 6. With the new product coming soon the adaptation of Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, ABC, NBC, C-Span, ESPN should become available for subscription through an ATV App store. (Pricing and all that is OBVIOUSLY what the dispute and rumors are all about, the technology is there but the old men at the board of these companies isn't too sure about putting all their eggs in one basket.)

After the subscription you have constant access to all video that can be associated with the app. Purchasing of seasons or individual episodes should be executed through iTunes or from the app itself and stored on iCloud. With that, iCloud keeps tabs on where the video was and you can watch it through all your other apple products as we all expect will soon come. Airplay will & should be beefed up IMMENSELY as a feature for this new product.

My main argument for this entire idea is if the consumer can imagine it, the companies are far along in the process of bringing it to the forefront. Digital video and streaming of it is not only the future of viewing video but it seems that Apple is in a prime position to take the first step toward a fair and easy process to this. Cable companies and content owners shouldn't limit themselves to Apple's ecosystem, a Google, Amazon and Roku alternative should all shortly follow. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a post n00b who doesn't nag about a lack of iMac love so that just makes me a iFanboy? LOL

I bought a Boxee TV at Walmart the other day just to see how it works (I didn't knew what to do with an old gift card) and I actually enjoy it... it's not better than the ATV but the blend factor between TV and Box is great.) if Apple offer that option as a simple Update next year I will be very Happy, turning on my tv on my Boxee Tv and be able to see apps or Tv with one remote outta the box is a MOST for ATV!

KenAF said:

I used to work in the industry and I disagree. Fighting the likes of Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner, and Charter will be an uphill battle.

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I never said otherwise. I, in fact, concur.

These providers own and control valuable content. They also control the wire to the customer, and there are things they can do to make it very difficult for Apple to deliver a quality experience with a competing service over their networks. Net neutrality with respect to QoS (especially the QoS needed for a streaming TV service) is largely unenforceable. Working with those providers, to their mutual benefit, is the most probable scenario and Apple's only viable option, IMO.

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I don't see anything short of "winning" against those companies as being the fulfillment of His Stevness' claim that he "solved" TV.

See my comments above about the iTunes-match like service for television. Those expecting Apple to unveil a service that cuts television or cable costs are going to be sorely disappointed - content providers and cable companies will not accept a solution that cuts their profits. Instead, look for Apple to work with existing providers to deliver a service that simplifies access to all the content you want across all your TVs, computers, and mobile devices.

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A service that involves people spending more to get the same stuff is not going to succeed, period.

macUser2007 said:

Hm, if you actually care about Live TV, why don't you simply run Windows Media Center on the PC with an extender or two (those can be purchased dirt cheap nowadays, as they have all been EOL-ed, as far as I am aware. If you have a cable card device, it will stream perfectly as well.

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I am doing that. I have a couple of XBox 360's that I use as extenders. But the whole "package" is a bit clunky, what with my tower PC and the bulky/noisy XBox 360's. I'd prefer an overall package that consisted of an AirPort Extreme with built-in iTunes server/DVR/cablecard tuner and multiple silent ATV hockey pucks. But, yes, what I have works, and works well.

flopticalcube said:

With TV viewership in decline and media being able to be delivered right to you cell phone or tablet, I don't think the TV space is worth investing in for Apple, even as a hobby. Fixed displays are becoming rarer in this age of portability.

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You are imagining that everyone is always on the run and they never sit at home and relax for even a few hours.

Mobile is like a pack of chips. When you are hungry you want a good lunch/dinner.

Home based big screen TV's are not going anywhere. In fact they are going to get bigger and cheaper and have more high resolution.

krravi said:

You are imagining that everyone is always on the run and they never sit at home and relax for even a few hours.

Mobile is like a pack of chips. When you are hungry you want a good lunch/dinner.

Home based big screen TV's are not going anywhere. In fact they are going to get bigger and cheaper and have more high resolution.

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Yeah, but viewership is on the decline and has been for a few years now. People sit at home and surf or watch downloaded content. Broadcast TV is over and the viewership numbers prove it.

flopticalcube said:

Yeah, but viewership is on the decline and has been for a few years now. People sit at home and surf or watch downloaded content. Broadcast TV is over and the viewership numbers prove it.

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I agree to a degree. Broadcast companies have become too old fashioned to offer what the customers want. Instead, bundling hundreds of useless channels in order to watch a few.

Time for someone to offer channel based programming where you choose what you want rather than these ridiculous packages.

But internet TV is still far away, unless everyone has Google's fiber optic connection that they debuted in Kansas recently.

Imagine watching a program and recording another using the internet. The bandwidth police will be knocking your door.