We all know that Apple’s HDTV is set to revolutionize the TV industry, but what about the content industry? Would the idea of an Apple TV set with Siri, FaceTime, and Airplay, an iSight Camera, along with the look and feel of an Apple product not be enough for you to want to buy one? I would say yes, as would a few others, I assume. I found myself arguing with a friend about the idea that Apple could not release anything until it got its content partnerships worked out. I, personally, could not disagree more. I would think Apple would be prone to releasing a fantastic television set that revolutionizes the TV hardware/software industry and not even worry about the content right away.

Like everything else they do, they could simply release a product and let the market evolve around them. Let the products popularity drive content agreements, not wait for the market to move first and then release the product! Remember, they can always allow a coax cable to run into the back and immediately have all the content most people are use to.

Well, needless to say, my friend called me crazy. Thankfully, not 24 hours later an article came across my desk regarding Apple analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffary via the great folks over at Business Insider. It would appear that Munster, who has some knowledge in this field, says it is a simple question of “when”, not “if” this product will be released:

While many believe content will be the key differentiator for the Apple television, we expect at launch Apple may not necessarily revolutionize the content industry. Ultimately we believe that consumers and Apple want unbundled channels and more options including time shifting to watch content, but note that content owners are hesitant to change. Our take is consumers are willing to pay more for each channel as long as their overall bill goes down (i.e. pay more for fewer channels you actually want). The bottom line is that we believe in five years Apple will have a significant hand in changing how people consume content on their TV. We know the end point, unbundled channels and DVR in the cloud. However this will take time (3-5 years.), and while we believe Apple will innovate on its existing TV content offering at the launch of Apple Television, we caution that the initial offering may more closely resemble the current Apple TV content offering (Netflix, iTunes, and eventually Hulu). As mentioned, we expect at launch the interface will allow users a new way to search, interact and record cable content, which will likely give users the feeling of an improved content offering.

Gene Munster goes on to break down what he thinks Apple will do to make this product special:

“Interface. We expect the TV to include Siri and compatibility with third party devices as well as potential integration with content guides, offering consumers improved control which should lead to greater value from their monthly cable subscription. We note that cable companies could charge a fee for consumers to use Apple Televisions ($5-10/month similar to cable box rental fees). Some investors do not believe Apple will be able to gain control of cable interfaces due to advertising on the interface, but we note that the ads are typically house ads and are not significant revenue contributors.

Apps/Games. We expect Apple to ultimately enable the App Store so consumers can play games, listen to music, etc. on their Apple Television set. We believe gaming will be of particular interest given the large base of iOS game developers. We believe games could be controlled by voice, iPhone/iPad and eventually motion capture built into the display,

Design. We believe the Apple television will include many existing Apple styling cues including aluminum casing and reduction of wires. We expect the design of the TV to make it the stand-out center piece of the consumer’s living room. We expect the TV to be LCD given the high cost of OLED panels.

Finally, our friendly analyst gives his take on the specs (sizes and prices) we should expect to see when the Apple HDTV finally arrives:

We believe an Apple television could cost between $1500-2000 and is likely to be available in larger screen sizes (42-55″). The reason we are comfortable with that range is based on our thoughts of what an average Internet connected TV set up consists of (50″ Internet connected HDTV, game system, Blu Ray player, cable box, universal remote). We believe a set-up as outlined would cost around $1,650 (TV $1,200, game system $200, Blu Ray $150, universal remote $100). We note that the iPhone  typically carries about a 20% premium to other high- end smartphones, thus a 20% premium to the $1,650 set-up above would suggest a ~$2,000 TV.

So, when will we see this Apple TV set? According to Gene Munster we should expect the release to come somewhere around the first half of 2013.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for the latest updates on the rumored Apple TV set.

The post Is Apple television waiting on a content deal? We think not appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Apple’s long-rumored television set may soon become a reality, as China Business News reports that Foxconn, Apple’s Chinese manufacturing partner, has already started a pilot production of the new Apple HDTV:

Insider sources told China Business News that a Foxconn factory in Shenzhen has received orders for an Apple “smart TV” and is producing them on a trial basis.

Other Chinese publication, WantChinaTimes, quotes Lao Cha, an industry observer, who said:

The advent of the mobile internet has paved the way for digital convergence, prompting Apple, Samsung and other international brands to branch out into smart TVs. Smart TVs play a critical role in digital convergence. Cloud computing and equipment linkage will be key to the success of equipment suppliers.

According to Xie Qinyi, vice president of Greater China for DisplaySearch, a market consultancy, the Apple’s biggest challenge for Apple will be “to secure high margin in a mature TV market.”

Recently, Cult Of Mac has released some information on the Apple TV set given to them by one of their sources: their source claims to have actually seen a fully functioning version of this mystery machine. The source was quoted as saying,

It resembled an Apple monitor, only much larger.

The source also claims to have witnessed a build in iSight camera installed into the TV allowing full use of FaceTime to make free calls.

According to Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley, Apple will launch a 50-plus inch LCD-TV by the end of the year.

In an interview on Bloomberg Radio, Apple analyst Gene Munster assured that the Apple television is real („we met with some component suppliers at CES“) and said that he thinks Apple TV set „is going to be the biggest thing in consumer electronics since the smartphone came up.“  He was betting that it will be announced later this year, probably for the holiday season.

However, JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz claims Apple TV set is unlikely to arrive in 2012.

Back in January Globe and Mail reported that Canada’s largest telecommunications companies – Rogers and Bell – were in talks with Apple to become Canadian launch partners for its Apple HDTV. Another source said Rogers and Bell already had the product in their labs.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ for the latest updates on the rumored Apple TV set.

[image: Cult of Mac]

The post Foxconn starts producing the Apple TV set appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Apple TV set featuring Siri, FaceTime, Airplay, and a build in iSight camera is more of a reality today than ever before. Though we have had many reports from anonymous insiders, today marks the first public admission of the project by someone within Apple’s product release chain. More than simply admitting the products existence, Foxconn CEO Terry Gou discussed some of the production details. According to China Daily:

Gou said Foxconn is making preparations for iTV, Apple Inc’s rumored upcoming high-definition television, although development or manufacturing has yet to begin.” Apple’s upcoming TV also “reportedly features an aluminum construction, Siri, and FaceTime video calling.

This report goes on to quote Mr. Gou as saying:

Foxconn’s recent 50-50 joint venture factory with Sharp in Japan is one of the preparations made for the new device.

Cleary, Sharp would be a great strategic partner for the production of a new line of TV’s. It is more than encouraging to hear that there is actual movement in this long rumored project. Steve Jobs has been quoted numerous times in regards to his companies “hobby project.” The folks over at TechLand shared one of these infamous quotes where mr. Jobs tells his biographer:

I’d like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.

I think it would be fairly easy for us to assume that Jobs was referring to Siri. But we will leave room for more speculation in the months to come.

umOuch (Andrew Brasher)

The post Apple TV set confirmed by Foxconn chief appeared first on Apple TV Hacks.

Is Apple’s newest HDTV creation set to have Siri, FaceTime or AirPlay? Is Apple’s new TV set going to be slick, smooth, and as beautiful as its other products? According to an anonymous source, the answer is yes to all. The team of at Cult Of Mac has released some information given to them by one of their sources. It is important to note that they said:

Our source is well-placed and has provided us with great tips in the past. However, not all of them have panned out, ostensibly due to the fact that our source tends to see products in the prototype or early development stage and Apple doesn’t always ultimately choose to release them. We hope this is one of our source’s tips about an upcoming Apple product that actually sees market.

Their source claims to have actually seen a fully functioning version of this mystery machine and says that the image above is accurate. The source was quoted as saying,

It resembled an Apple monitor, only much larger.

The source also claims to have witnessed a build in iSight camera installed into the TV allowing full use of FaceTime to make free calls. As if this is not enough it is said that this camera has smart motion technology that allows it to follow you around the room… zoom… and locate your face.

Even more exciting is that these FaceTime calls were, apparently, initialized by our good friend Siri! Though we do not have more information on what functions Siri will be equipped with at the TV’s release, it would seem likely that she will be on board!

After releasing this information, Cult Of Mac reached out to TV analyst Paul Gagnon, Director of North American TV Research for NPD Display Search:

Gagnon said he didn’t have any hard information, but expects Apple to introduce a line of TVs this year. He noted that Apple’s Chinese supplier, Foxconn, has invested $1.6 billion in Sharp’s TV unit, which can efficiently make large size panels up to 60-inches. Speculating, Gagnon Apple’s TVs will likely be pretty conventional in terms of hardware. They will not be anything exotic like OLED or 4K resolution. There will likely be two to four models ranging from 40-inches to 60-inches. They will be standard 1920 x 1080p resolution and cost between $1,000 to $2,000 or slightly higher. When might they ship? “Our best guess is 2013,” Gagnon said.

According to Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley, Apple will launch a 50-plus inch LCD-TV by the end of the year. However, JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz claims Apple TV set is unlikely to arrive in 2012.

Source: Cult of Mac
[Mockup exclusively for Cult of Mac by Dan Draper Design]

umOuch (Andrew Brasher)

You may also want to read:
Apple seeking streaming content partners for Apple television. Hello EPIX!
Rumor: Apple working on a revolutionary, Kinect-like video game console
Yet Another Patent Hints at Apple Preparing a Standalone HDTV

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