Apple Indeed Talking with Cable Operators About New TV Product, But Launch Not Imminent

apple tv blackFollowing up on yesterday's report suggesting that a launch of a new Apple television product may be "imminent" based on cable operators assessing infrastructure needs to support such a device, AllThingsD notes that Apple is indeed talking with cable operators but that characterizing any launch as "imminent" would be premature.

For starters, Apple has already steered analysts away from the notion that it will have something to say about a TV solution soon. More important: If Apple were close to launching a new service, it would almost certainly be in touch with TV programmers about new arrangements, and we haven’t heard anything along those lines.

In other words, there are still a lot of missing pieces here, and while a major cable provider running what-if scenarios on a rumored Apple product is certainly interesting, it’s not necessarily a trumpet fanfare announcing its imminent arrival.

Apple continues to refer to its existing Apple TV set-top box business as a "hobby", even as sales doubled year-over-year to 5 million units in fiscal 2012. More ambitious plans for either a new set-top box supporting live television or an Internet-connected television set are reportedly being slowed by difficult content negotiations.

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Top Rated Comments

spiderman0616 Avatar
165 months ago
I am 100% in love with my Apple TV and I really don't see why they need to make an actual television. Super charge the Apple TV with the option to use it with cable and give it an amazing interface, and this whole profitability issue goes away. Let all the people already in the game make the TV hardware. Apple TV would turn ANY TV into an iTV. Let Samsung and Sony and Vizio fight over the profit scraps in the TV biz.

A buddy of mine has a Samsung Smart TV and hates the interface and buggy apps so much that he bought an Apple TV and uses that on the Samsung TV. He loves it.

So if you can't tell, I think the smart move is to do a grand re-launching of Apple TV. I will buy one for every TV I own, and I think others would too.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jdegid Avatar
165 months ago
"Apple continues to refer to its existing Apple TV set-top box business as a "hobby", "

Nice to have a hobby when you can't deliver on your real job. :cool:

where's my iMac?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gregwyattjr Avatar
165 months ago
Fixing Maps should become Apple's new hobby.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jsameds Avatar
165 months ago
Can't wait for the iMac to be released purely to shut the moaners on here up, but then again they'll just pass the buck to the Mac Pro crowd :(
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dkersten Avatar
165 months ago
Dear iMac owners/potential buyers,

Apple is never going to release a new iMac. Apple just showed a concept they scrapped at the presentation to troll all of you. Please never speak of the iMac on a non-iMac article again. Get a freaking grip on reality.

Sincerely, everyone else
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
camnchar Avatar
165 months ago
Sorry Apple. I'll probably put some cash down for a flat screen this holiday season, which means I probably won't be in the market for another 5-7 years.

Unless your TV is insanely great. Not "iPad Mini great," but something really extraordinary.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)