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AT&T planning IPTV for Apple TV in 2008?

Thursday, May 31, 2007 · 4:42 pm · 29 Comments

“Maybe this shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise, but when AT&T execs talk about having a long and close relationship with Apple, they’re not just planning on putting out future iPhones,” Peter Rojas reports for Engadget.

“A well-connected source tells us that AT&T and Apple are working on adding IPTV [Internet Protocol Television] capabilities to the Apple TV beginning sometime next year,” Rojas reports.

Rojas reports that it’s “too early to say whether this would be a blown-out offering a full package of channels aimed at replacing your current cable/satellite service, a more limited selection of on-demand programming…”

Full article here.

General info about IPTV: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPTV

MacDailyNews Take: This is starting to sound like some “hobby,” huh?

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Comment Feed

29 Comments

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digirati

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 4:45 pm · Reply

This just in: Apple redesigns the TV industry.

Stayed tuned for more good information…
Nick Holla

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 4:47 pm · Reply

makes perfect sense…….would be nice to manage from an iPhone….
MacMental

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 4:49 pm · Reply

With hobbies like these who needs a real job?
doc

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 4:56 pm · Reply

I hate to appear dense, but what exactly is IPTV?
underground

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 4:58 pm · Reply

New Apple Display will have touch screen running Lepord, when an iPhone comes within range of your computer the screen becomes your phone.
amyhre

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 5:03 pm · Reply

IPTV, Internet Protocol Television. That would make an interesting an compelling reason to have an Apple TV as long as they could cut the ad bulls—. I’ve seen more car, acne and feminine hygiene commercials than anyone should ever be forced to watch. No I don’t want to buy f—ing Tampax, now go away and SDFU! Ads are about as annoying as those system popups in Windows saying they’ve discovered your USB device, or are hiding inactive notification icons or that they want to clean the unused desktop icons off. Ok, you’re working! Do you want a f—ing cookie?
dallas

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 5:04 pm · Reply

This is exactly what I would want. I would love to have a pay/show system. I just wish I could get Internet for a reasonable price w/out telephone or cable.
andy

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 5:05 pm · Reply

“I hate to appear dense, but what exactly is IPTV?”

basically tv over the net, but done nicer and more instant than something like joost, though i though iptv was managed by microsoft, its coming to xbox soon
Branedy

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 5:14 pm · Reply

trust me you don’t want IPTV, is sucks, I have it, and unless you have a 3MB or better download the screen pixelates badly.
JadisOne

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 5:15 pm · Reply

All I can say is wow. Couldn’t say that about Vista, though.
sea snake

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 5:16 pm · Reply

You have to admire Apple’s effectiveness in building healthy symbiotic relationships as of late.

Google, AT&T (birthplace of UNIX lets not forget) … No doubt we’re going to see more with Cisco and Sun Microsystems in the future. Is Apple going to ignore the enterprise? I don’t think so.
Steven - IPTV for Apple TV commeth, but we knew th

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 5:29 pm · Reply

… we just did not understand it would be via ATT, but more likely Google…

Google is rumored to have tons of black fiber ready to turn on at the flip of a switch, but Apple has ATT now onboard and the partnership may be the right move, as Google may be looking at running their own service and leaving Apple out in the cold.

ATT or Google solve the backbone bandwidth costs.

Of course, Steve will want to give what consumers want over Cable and Dish – which is channels al-a-carte, which is perfect!

Comcast and Dish networks will grip when people can purchase ESPN for $2.99 a month, or $4.99 in HD, with limited commercials…

Here is the kicker. If Apple takes $.25 a month, ESPN gets their $2 a month (as they do from Comcast or Dish), then ATT gets their $.75 a month for bandwidth costs.

Granted, $.75 is not enough to cover ATT’s backbone costs, but then again, that is “free” bandwidth for their own use, so it is newly realized revenue.

Add onto this Apple paid ESPN for airtime, so Apple and ATT can insert their own ads, or at least a good portion of the advertising (however it works out with each network), and the results are Apple-ATT become an advertising Google, while giving consumers exactly what they want. A way to access only the channels they want, without being forced into lame packages and channel bundles by Cable and Dish netowrks.

Should this hit by the fall, Apple will be well on its way to getting movie studio’s to pony up their content in purchase and rental forms for iTunes.

Understand, this is only the beginning of two huge growth markets for Apple. Home entertainment and mobile communications.
unreal

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 5:31 pm · Reply

only reason His Steveness called it a hobby is obvious. Keep the focus away from it!!

It has so much potantial it is Unreal.
I say they should buy a content provider – maybe Warner. Warner, Disney Apple, Google, AT&T – man!
Scott

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 5:35 pm · Reply

And my iPhone and be an all in one remote for the Apple TV and be able to stream the desktop to my TV and use the iPhone to type and control the mouse. I’d like it.
R

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 6:13 pm · Reply

A perfect use, perhaps, for that immense data center Apple bought a few years back.
Big Al

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 7:36 pm · Reply

Does this mean Fox news will never make it to Apple TV?
Apple Jack

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 7:48 pm · Reply

This is classic Apple. Introduce a technology that has a lot of critics shaking their heads, then start rolling out services and uses for it.

Remember Firewire when it came out? Not very useful at first. I mean, why do I even need this port on my computer at all? Then when you buy your first DV Camera, External Hard Drive or iPod, you realize that your computer already has the port on it, waiting to be used.

Same thing with iTunes. Not much to jump up and down about until suddenly the iPod is released.

They have a tendency to lay down the framework, then break out the “killer use” for it when we least expect it. And I love them for that.
An Optimist

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 8:45 pm · Reply

In terms of wireline techology, AT&T is not the best partner for Apple to have.

AT&T U-Verse doesn’t have many customers, and there are serious doubts that the hybrid technology is capable of scaling up to handle a significant market share. Verizon’s FIOS system is much better – it is fiber-to-the-home.

AT&T’s other technology – Homezone – is even worse. It is a one-way satellite based system + DSL.

AT&T current offers satellite service with both Dish Network and DirecTV. They are expected to dump DirecTV by the end of the year – even though DirecTV offers better technoogy than Dish Network.

The first step for AT&T to begin solving their inferior technology is to nominate Steve Jobs for their Board of Directors.
Alice

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 9:00 pm · Reply

um… itd at&t, not AT&T…
anaknipedro

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 10:03 pm · Reply

Actually, it’s at&t in the logo, but when used grammatically, it’s AT&T.

cingular.com
Christopher Powers

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 10:14 pm · Reply

I personally would LOVE to get rid of Charter Cable. I don’t want the dish as I have more than 6 TVs in my house and don’t want to shell out for the two extra receivers..

I also have DSL that’s now owned by AT&T so it’s perfect sense that they run my TV now too!!
DogGone

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 11:48 pm · Reply

This may be the first sign of being able to pick and choose your distributor for TV. Have a box that can take video from the net is any form to your TV. Then you can get content from anyone.

All you need is the box and an internet connection.
marcos

Friday, June 1, 2007 - 12:17 am · Reply

Excellente dudes! Bring it to the masses!
CdoobieWAH

Friday, June 1, 2007 - 12:20 am · Reply

@amyrhe

You make my stoned ass laugh; thank you.

@et al.

Your dreams have already been drempt. It will all be integrated. Apple, infamous for “testing the waters” of a particular market through initial limited partnerships, prior to entering it with the intent to conquer, is sticking to its M.O. in the current situation as well. Mr. Jobs’ comments at D5 were telling. I found it funny for him to compliment MS on having developed important relationships with other companes, and that such action would have benefitted Apple in its early years. Experience and his maturity have taught him how critical they are; if for no other reason than the aforementioned. Google (Eric Schmidt), AT&T (https://att.mobitv.com/do/welcome), The Data Center purchase (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1565), iPhone, expansion of .Mac, AppleTV, the upcoming spectrum auction (http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/05/21/ap3744169.html), touch screens, screens that are also cameras, iChat, free broadband action for all…just use our services…we’ll market you in a more targeted, search-engine-esque way. Software as service, you say?…, access from anywhere?…I say, iGoogle.Mac.
Sol

Friday, June 1, 2007 - 1:55 am · Reply

Apple TV will create its own market and have the impact of something like the VCR. The hard drive upgrade is a good sign; could a 1080p capable Apple TV be far behind?