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Apple Interested In Acquiring German Television Maker Loewe? [Updated: Company Denies]

Exciting! Very good choice! (If the story is true.)

Although I wouldn't call them "luxury" (okay they are a bit more expensive than the mainstream but the value is even better) the Loewes are excellent TV sets. I—as a professional broadcaster, photographer and TV camera operator—own a Loewe LCD (Concept series) since seven years or so for my private home. And I am very satisfied with it. Much more than with the Sony that I had before.

The big advantages are: Electronics and design, robustness and customer service (if you need it) here in Central Europe. I couldn't find in those days ANY TV set that displays especially old analog video inputs that fine and flawless. Sound is very good as well. Their design of recent devices with almost no borders (frames) is great as well.

In 2009 I made a little videoclip showing the Apple AV composite cable/iPhone 3G (and the Loewe) in action:

apple_avcable_11.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=J0JjLstblHk

(If you are interested in the whole story about that cable, here it is. Sorry it's German-language.)

Loewe TV sets (and peripheral equipment): Highly recommended! I was sitting right on the fence for a new one but now I'll wait what Apple brings up, naturally.
 
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winston1236 said:
Whats an american product? americans buy everything, including apple products, from china.
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Cars, motorcycles, laundry appliances, kitchen appliances, power tools, solar panels, (many other things that'll take a while to list)... all made in America (obviously you can find imported brands of these products as well, but these category of products have many American manufacturers).

And these are physical products. Obviously that doesn't include software products (or other intellectual-property products). And that doesn't include things like airplanes (which most people wouldn't consider a "product"). Or food products. Or personal care products.

And Apple products are assembled in China. Many of the major parts in the Apple products come from outside China. Much of it from South Korea (Samsung). But there are some parts that are American made, like the Gorilla Glass on the iPhones (well, and Japan; Corning has manufactured facilities in the US and Japan for the glass).
 
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Benjy91 said:
Really? I thought Germans were known for ........ getting up at 3AM on vacation to put their towel on the best sunloungers by the pool.
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Huh, allways thought that was an english speciality (before/after they turn themselves into a boiled lobster) :D
 
Very impressive looking product line, and something I suspect would appeal to Ive, given its bold simplicity. Looks like there may be some exceptional tech involved as well. I agree that this company's greatest asset is its IP, and if Apple is planning to build a TV, then this company is worth well over Apple's rumored offer, at least to Apple. And the rumored premium would likely be an attempt to avoid having a repeat of the AdMob debacle (I would bet that Google is likely also interested).
 
Puevlo said:
Terrible idea. Germans are notorious for the poor quality of the products they manufacture.
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I find German made stuff is well built, more reliable than British made stuff.

German made stuff to me means a reliable, well made product that lasts too.
 
Bug-Creator said:
Huh, allways thought that was an english speciality (before/after they turn themselves into a boiled lobster) :D
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Nahh, must be a retaliation for the whole sun lounger scenario, and I've seen Germans burn far worse :p

In Tunisia there was a German man at my hotel who fulfilled almost every German stereotype, he had an enormous mustache, never smiled once, was always first to the pool every morning, but he was so burnt I'm surprised he didn't scuttle sideways into the pool chanting "woop woop woop woop" like Zoidberg :D
 
Peculiar

Maybe they know that Loewe will not survive when Apple enters the television market. So if Sharp is a major share holder, maybe part of the deal is to keep Sharp happy so they don't lose out.

I hope they aren't just going to rebrand Loewe as Apppe TV's -they're far too expensive to go mass market to compete with the big TV manufacturers.
 
Those of us on the correct side of the pond must remember our pilgrim cousins have no knowledge of the quality we see from sharing with our European neighbours.

In general the quality is very good. Even the gentlemen from France have started making quality products. You get the occasional pile of carp, like any Mercedes from the mid 1980's to 2000. On the whole things are pretty good. As long as they use a quality screen the rest of the product will be amazing.

Let the Germans do the work and let Apple do the advertising. Just like Audi let their Italian friends create the brochure for the new Lambo. You'll have the quality and the flare.
 
Loewe make excellent products. They are much more of a high-end premium brand than Apple have ever been. Their TV's cost an arm and a leg too.
 
dlmorley said:
http://gizmodo.com/343641/1960s-braun-products-hold-the-secrets-to-apples-future

Image


Design wise, apple have always copied the Germans to a certain extent and rightly so. I think this would be a good purchase. Loewe are too pricey for many but if apple could bring a grab tv set in at a lower than loewe price :p , they would do well.
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Apple wouldn't buy Loewe based on the fact that their products are also silver and black (I hope) and hove some resemblences in design to Apple products. I hope the reasoning is intellectual property (patents) or manufacturing knowledge. You can rest assured that the design of a hypothetical Apple TV would follow Ive's logic and not Loewe's. Those german designers will be out of a job if Loewe is bought, unless some of them are talented enough and willing to move to California.
 
Puevlo said:
Terrible idea. Germans are notorious for the poor quality of the products they manufacture.
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Aren't you talking about their pop music which is as you said can sometimes be very poor?


On the other hand Germans manufacturers are known around the world for producing very high quality products.
 
Great. Loewe has Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP) TV sets, which requires at least two Digital Terrestrial Television (DTTV or DTT) tuners inside the TV set. After image quality, the most important feature of a TV set for many people is that!
 
Well I don't know what products you use but my BMW has never failed me.

This is an interesting rumor but I wonder why Apple needs to do this. Did they aquire a phone company to build the iPhone?

By doing this, I fear it will turn out to be just a regular tv with an Apple logo stamped on it.
 
Being a Loewe tv owner I am in two views about this! Yes it's great for apple and loewe but it would be shame to loose the brand! Ahh well it
May not happen!
 
Marx55 said:
Great. Loewe has Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP) TV sets, which requires at least two Digital Terrestrial Television (DTTV or DTT) tuners inside the TV set. After image quality, the most important feature of a TV set for many people is that!
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Oh No, Oh No, not you AGAIN with that crap, how many times you post exactly the same post over and over again and again and again.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=14853094#post14853094

Marx55 said:
Which TV sets have two DTT tuners for Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP), which requires at least two Digital Terrestrial Television (DTTV or DTT) tuners inside the TV set? The Full PiP feature is extremely useful for channel surfing during commercials (ie., very handy for bridging commercial breaks). Thus, waiting for commercials to end on one show while flipping through channels to see what else is on. No cable/satellite/TiVo/DVR involved; just the TV set. After image quality, Full PiP is the most important feature of a TV for many consumers.
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Stop repeating yourself, it's plain stupid and annoying.

Which TV sets have two DTT tuners for Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP)

Hopefully with Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP)

After image quality, the most important feature of a TV set for many people is the Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP)

Hopefully with Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP)

After image quality, the most important feature of a TV set for many people is the Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP)

After image quality, the most important feature of a TV set for many people is the Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP)

Hopefully with Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP)

Hopefully with Full Picture-in-Picture (Full PiP)
..................................................................................................................

And there I stopped searching, probably more.
 
Being a Loewe tv owner I am in two views about this! Yes it's great for apple and loewe but it would be shame to loose the brand! Ahh well it
may not happen!
 
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