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Apple Introducing New Apple TV Box in April for Holiday Launch, Still Talking With Time Warner Cable

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Apple is planning to introduce a new Apple TV set-top box in April according to Bloomberg, but the report says Apple would not begin selling the box for months. Apple is also in talks with content providers including Time Warner Cable to provide TV shows and other media. The new box is said to include an upgraded processor and a revamped interface. The current Apple TV UI is getting a bit unwieldy as the company has continued to add new content channels over the past year.

Time Warner has been in talks with Apple for well over a year and the company has said it would be willing to give control of the customer-facing user interface over to Apple. Bloomberg reported last July that Apple and Time Warner were close to a deal.

apple_tv_2012_interface.jpg
Apple is aiming to have the device available for sale by the Christmas holidays, though the release date could change because the company is still in the process of securing new agreements with programming and distribution partners, said two people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private.
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Earlier this week, a reference to new Apple TV hardware was discovered in a recent release of iOS 7 and rumors have suggested that a new Apple TV could see added support for apps and Bluetooth game controllers in the next few months. At the end of January, the Apple TV received new prominence on the Apple Online Store, suggesting the platform could be developing into more than just a "hobby".

The long delay between the introduction of the new Apple TV box and its public launch would be unusual for Apple, which prefers to announce and release products in a short time period. Apple has only had long lead times between announcement and release for major new product releases -- the iPhone debuted six months before it's public launch owing to the unique FCC permitting process for new cell phones, and the iPad was presented more than two months before it first went on sale. The new Mac Pro was previewed six months before its final release as well.

It's possible that Apple will introduce a new App Store platform for the Apple TV, with the delay giving developers time to build new apps for the device.

Article Link: Apple Introducing New Apple TV Box in April for Holiday Launch, Still Talking With Time Warner Cable
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/02/12/new-apple-tv-april/
No big deal unless Apple can negotiate directly with TV channels to offer a la carte programming without a cable subscription. If that happens, I'll buy 2-3 of them and bid farewell to my TV bill forever. :)
 
This could be interesting. I wonder if you will be able to watch live TV if time warner is not your provider.
 
and really, why not release it and keep adding channels

that way it is like a birthday present every few weeks/months.

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TsMkLg068426 said:
Very early April Fools:p
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I meant the announcement in April.
though knowing Apple April could just mean April 30.
 
kwikdeth said:
please stop announcing products months before shipment. its just annoying.
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That's what CES is all about. Showing future products.

What I see is some kind of special event in April showing it off with a SDK introduced at WWDC ( like I always thought ) then shipping in the fall. I'd be curious if Apple isn't working on the same kind of deal with Comcast.
 
I'd like to see a product from Apple that competes with systems such as TIVO and XBOX.
 
If this is released I will be ditching my Verizon cable boxes so fast it will make their heads spin. A La Carte programing will be a game changer.
 
JonneyGee said:
No big deal unless Apple can negotiate directly with TV channels to offer a la carte programming without a cable subscription. If that happens, I'll buy 2-3 of them and bid farewell to my TV bill forever. :)
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2-3 seasons on itunes is the difference between a la carte internet and cable + internet
 
Flood123 said:
If this is released I will be ditching my Verizon cable boxes so fast it will make their heads spin. A La Carte programing will be a game changer.
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a la carte is a dream, abandon all hope

disney, discovery, viacom and every other content owner tells the cable companies to buy all their channels or don't offer them. best you can get is smaller bundles of channels that i'm seeing on cablevision now
 
Having all the Apple products only in the fall-dec time frame is getting really annoying.

I am happy to hear big things for the Apple TV plans though, but seriously they need to spread products releases out throughout the year.

And the UI needs to change badly. I hate the correct version which was originally a reject back when the first Apple started. 3.0 was much better.
 
JonneyGee said:
No big deal unless Apple can negotiate directly with TV channels to offer a la carte programming without a cable subscription. If that happens, I'll buy 2-3 of them and bid farewell to my TV bill forever. :)
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I'm thinking the gap between announcement and availability is so that we can get to work on pressuring any content provider hold outs.

I have a few hundred channels. I watch about 15 of them. It would be nice to tailor my TV to me and save money by cutting out all of the stuff I don't want. I hope it ends up that way.
 
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