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Apple Television Set Prototypes Reportedly 'In the Works'

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Apr 12, 2001
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One of the major revelations pulled out of the new authorized Steve Jobs biography has been Jobs' disclosure that he "finally cracked" the problems standing in the way of an Apple television set.

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Rumors of an Apple-branded television have been circulating for years, but have been gaining steam following the release of the iPad as observers look to Apple's "next big thing". One of the strongest proponents of an Apple television set has been Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who has issued a number of reports about Apple's prospect for such a device.

With Jobs' comments once again fanning the flames of speculation regarding an Apple television, Munster has weighed in (via Fortune) to claim that all evidence is pointing to a launch as soon as next year. Among the newly presented evidence from Munster is a claim that prototypes of the Apple television set are now "in the works".
- Based on Jan-11 meetings in Asia (not with component suppliers), we believe Apple is investing in manufacturing facilities and securing supply for LCD displays. These displays could range from 3.5" mobile displays to 50" television displays.

- More recently, in Sept-11 we met with a contact close to an Asian component supplier who indicated that prototypes of an Apple television are in the works.
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Munster also points to several patents and patent applications filed by Apple addressing the company's work into television-related technologies as further evidence of the company's interest. And while Apple routinely files for patents on technologies that never appear in its products, it is clear that the company has been thinking about how it could make a bigger impact in the television-related market if it elected to go down that route.

While any specifications on an Apple TV remain unknown beyond Jobs' suggestion that it would integrate iCloud presumably with iTunes Store video content, Munster believes that Apple could sell 1.4 million television sets at an average selling price of $1800 in 2012, ramping up to 4.3 million units by 2014 as costs drop to an average selling price of $1400. Munster's estimates, which are of course essentially guesses informed by current market trends, put Apple's share of the connected TV market at 3% in 2014, with the company bringing in $6 billion in revenue from the segment.

Article Link: Apple Television Set Prototypes Reportedly 'In the Works'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/10/24/apple-television-set-prototypes-reportedly-in-the-works/
That's a lot of random numbers from an "analyst".

Especially for a device that probably doesn't exist, and most certainly doesn't have a price or audience yet.
 
I think it would be a great business model if you could just buy individual channels. I mean, there's only a handful of channels I like, why must the consumer be forced to buy all of the garbage channels.
 
Awesome :D I would love a hi-tech TV with built-in Wifi and a channel subscription service from Apple. It would be wonderful if Apple could set us free from channel packages and cable TV services. An 'a la carte' TV channel service or even something like Netflix with more channels / shows would be amazing. :)
 
The problem is that TVs are already simple and easy to use. Nobody is going to pay $2999 for a 50" Apple TV.
 
If it's reasonably priced, I'll probably think about grabbing one. Based on the current Thunderbolt display, if they go down that route, a 42" TV's going to cost a lot more than the market norm.

42" at the same price as the Thunderbolt, and has the same colour quality, £799 would be a very reasonable asking price.

I'll look forward to seeing how this develops.
 
Makes sense. I suppose it would work in the same way as the iMac and Mac Mini do, i.e bring your own screen and keyboard. Apple TV puck, bring your own TV and an actual Apple TV.

Very interested as to what materials will be used, cannot imagine Apple going with Black plastic as is the norm.
 
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Analyst = BS. I'll believe it when/if I see it. I like the DIY tv i.e. Mac Mini. Apple provides the ATV, you provide the actual tv. Make sense. Come on Apple!
 
They keep showing that screen setup, is that just a mockup or can you actually setup your :apple:TV with that view?

I would much prefer it to the current list view.
 
troop231 said:
I think it would be a great business model if you could just buy individual channels. I mean, there's only a handful of channels I like, why must the consumer be forced to buy all of the garbage channels.
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Usually because the cable companies are forced to bundle channels from the channel providers.
 
If this 1800$ price is true....

If this 1800$ price is true....

Im sorry but 1800 dollars is RIDICULOUS for a TV nowadays. Honestly I could go to best buy and buy a 37" samsung or LG LED HDTV for like 999$

Seriously, I understand the computers coming at a premium but a TV is a TV and for 1800$ people are GOING to look elsewhere.
 
The prices are going to have to be reasonable, that is certain. Unless they can implement something crazy and new. As it is, I'd still buy one price dependant but I couldn't justify spending 3000$ on a TV that I could buy for 1000$ just because of the Apple logo.

I really like the LED tv so I hope that they use something like that, with vibrant colours!
 
troop231 said:
I think it would be a great business model if you could just buy individual channels. I mean, there's only a handful of channels I like, why must the consumer be forced to buy all of the garbage channels.
Click to expand...

Definitely agreed, though I might choose the verb "rent" rather than "buy," but that's just pedantic.

A la carte channel usage is definitely preferred. That's the thing -- the cable/TV business is in much the same position as music was before Napster and eventually iTunes. Overpriced bundles paid to simply get the few tidbits desired. The significant difference is the immediacy. As far as I know, studios and cable operators are making a healthy profit, and are in no immediate rush or desire to change. This is likely due to the lack of convenience of video over the internet. But as data connections increase in speed, the convenience factor will further align with people's patience and the cable operators will find themselves in a similar position. The forward-thinking CEO would be looking to head this off.

Hopefully Apple can gain more traction here to break that mold. I don't think studios care how they make their money, just so long as they do.
 
that pricing sounds steep, even for Apple. my television seems fine as is.

but good luck with that.
 
So are they going to discontinue the current apple tv? Or will there be 2 seperate apple tv's...
 
Man, I can't wait to hear what the prices for these things will be. I'm guessing $799 for a 32". If they can incorporate their ATV and, possibly, a Time Capsule drive in it, I'll be interested in seeing what they got.
 
I'm fine with my 32" Samsung with an Apple TV connected via HDMI. Spent $500 at the time and wouldn't spend more than that on a tv anyway.
 
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I've had an ad hoc setup for years and it was one of the best decisions I made. MacMini plus eyeTV HD DVR. I haven't bought a DVD since.
 
troop231 said:
I think it would be a great business model if you could just buy individual channels. I mean, there's only a handful of channels I like, why must the consumer be forced to buy all of the garbage channels.
Click to expand...

Why do people continually think something is a "great business model" because it results in things being cheaper for the consumer? Explain to me why the content providers should change their model to something that results in you sending them less money every month? Show me the model where you send more money to your cable company or to the network providers and then you might have a "great business model". Show me how they can raise the prices they charge to run adds, then you've got a "great business model." I'm not saying this can't be done, but suggesting that you should be able to buy just five channels of content and cut your monthly cable bill in half just doesn't make sense for the company receiving those checks.

For the record, I cut the cord on cable TV and just get free over the air HD. I get the basic channels, including plenty of NFL games on Sunday. But I still pay my cable provider for internet service, so they get a nice check from me every month.
 
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A simple remote (app w/iphone, ipad, ipod touch) and a simple user-interface on a tv would make sense as a product (built in camera & mic for voice control and/or facetime?). There's no profit margin on the TVs, nowadays, but it gets them in the living room and non-techies will buy an "AppleTV" tv because of apple's reputation for being easy to use.

I like Samsung and Sony tvs, but both have user interfaces that are asinine. My Samsung has PIP, but only coax inputs can be the PIP selection. I can listen to audio from either source, but to change between the two requires 4 steps in the menu (and sub menu), and the response time is laggy. It's a 4095 40" 1080p LCD from 2006, so it's old but not ancient...

That's got to be the "crack" that Jobs found: Write the user interface and make the remote for the tvs, then build in wifi streaming (appleTV) as one of the sources. You'd still have inputs for PS3s, cabletv, etc. Of course, knowing apple they'll probably all be mini-displayport...
 
Many of the kids on this forum probably don't remember the old way of surfing channels where you flip through channels at high speed and watch each channel for about 0.2 seconds along the way and then flip back if you see something you like.

These days with all the goodness of digital TV, you cannot do that anymore. It's really a drag now, you have to know what you want to watch first, and then find it on a blue screen, and put up with endless scrolling, and TV shouldn't have to be that way. (Granted, the PVR is awesome though, but still....)

In the old days you flip on the boob tube and start flicking through channels until you saw something you liked. The process of flipping through is something I miss a lot.

These days, you click and wait 1.5 long seconds for the stupid channel to tune in on digital, and then it's still going to be a repeat of the same show that was on 12 hours ago.

This might have nothing to do with how an Apple TV might function, but I just thought I'd throw this comment about TV Devolution in hopes that it inspires someone to improve how TV's work these days.
 
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