It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about Apple’s television plans, but a new report from The Wall Street Journal casts some very interesting light on what Apple may be planning. According to the report, Apple is in talks with cable providers to turn the current Apple TV into a set-top box!
WSJ (via TheNextWeb):
Apple Inc. is in talks with some of the biggest U.S. cable operators about letting consumers use an Apple device as a set-top box for live television and other content, according to people familiar with the matter.
The talks represent Apple’s most ambitious crack at infiltrating the living room after years of trying.
Reports have surfaced in the past that Apple was in talks with TV service providers, but WSJ’s latest report provides new insights into Apple’s likely motivations for those talks. As WSJ notes, the talks represent Apple biggest attempt into entering the living room yet.
Apple reportedly has not yet reached a deal with any of the providers, which may be due at least in part to their reluctance to give Apple any more ground in the television industry. The idea of integrating a set-top box into the Apple TV does make a lot of sense, however.
Creating an Apple TV box that integrates with cable services would allow Apple to create and streamline a television interface providing access to live broadcast channels, as well as the current capabilities of the Apple TV for streaming movies, photos, and more from a variety of sources.
If Apple is indeed planning to release an HDTV sometime in the future, a set-top box could be a great way for Apple to work the kinks out of their television platform beforehand, in order to have a more finished and polished television product when and if it is ever released.
Interestingly, the report also claims that Apple considered building a cable set-top box before they created and released the Apple TV as we know it. As such, this could be the result of much more planning than it would seem on the surface. It’s also worth noting that Tim Cook has hinted on multiple occasions that Apple may be planning something more for the Apple TV.
This could be just what Apple needs to transform the Apple TV from a hobby into a booming must-have device for every living room – and frankly, I couldn’t be more excited! Could this have been what Steve Jobs meant when he said he’d “finally cracked” the integrated television?
Take my money, Apple, and put me down for two!
