iTunes Creator Jeff Robbin Heading Apple Television Effort?

jeffrobbin 1Jeff Robbin, who built iTunes and was co-lead in the creation of the original iPod with Tony Fadell, is heading up Apple's television efforts, according to a Bloomberg report.

Apple Inc. is turning to the software engineer who built iTunes to help lead its development of a television set, according to three people with knowledge of the project.

Jeff Robbin, who helped create the iPod in addition to the iTunes media store, is now guiding Apple’s internal development of the new TV effort, said the people, who declined to be identified because his role isn’t public.

Earlier today, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster issued a research note with several tidbits of evidence to support his long-held assertion that Apple is working on a television.

Rumors of an Apple television have been getting significantly louder since this weekend, when Steve Jobs' biography quoted Jobs as saying he had "finally cracked" the problems standing in the way of an Apple television set.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

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Top Rated Comments

W1MRK Avatar
174 months ago
But will it support Blu-Ray?

Please no down votes LOL
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reden Avatar
174 months ago
For a company who says the Apple TV is just a 'hobby' it still seems strange to me for to believe they would ever manufacture an actual television.

Although it would be pretty neat to see something like Facetime integrated.

That's what you probably said about a phone, a tablet and an mp3 player.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
174 months ago
"iTunes Creator"? That's a bit generous, given the original iTunes borrowed very heavily from Cassidy & Greene's SoundJam MP-- down to the code it used. Apple bought it, so it wasn't stealing, but it certainly wasn't original.

Hell, even the early OS X (carbon) versions of iTunes still had SoundJam code.
Jeff Robbin is the creator of SoundJam.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Funkymonk Avatar
174 months ago
The man with the plan, Jeff Robbin, returns this summer Apple TV.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
koruki Avatar
174 months ago
Why a tv? Yes it will look nice but what do you think it will cost? Im betting at least $2000 for a 42" 1080 LED. While others sell the same thing for half that.

Stick with computers, phones, and OS X apple.
What I've heard over the years

2001 Stick with computers

2007 Stick with computers, OSX and iPods

2010 Stick with Computers, OSX, iPods and iPhones

2011 Stick with Computers, OSX, iPods, iPhones and iPads

2000-2011 Apple grows to be most valuable tech company in the world by ignoring what you say :cool:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArchaicRevival Avatar
174 months ago
And that doesn't require a 1800$ TV Set, it just requires an Apple TV set top box and a Airport Express connected to an Internet connection.

Why are you people putting a price on something that you have no idea about? You're not a professional analyst so calm down everyone...

A 46" 1080P Samsung TV will cost $1,099.99 after $100 Off, that's straight from the Costco website. Why not have a TV set that has Apple TV built in, and a built in WiFi Card for $1300? Even $1500 would be pretty freaking amazing.

Besides, the investment is not in the actual TV set itself, it's in the UI. I would definitely invest in a $2000 TV if it allows me to get my channels on demand instead of paying for garbage bundles that I don't necessarily need.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)