“Apple is the only company that consistently gets big buzz out of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas — without even attending,” Scott Martin reports for USA Today. “This year will be no different.”
“Connected TVs — TVs that connect to and can access content from the Internet — will be a big part of CES this year,” Martin reports. “And just about everyone in tech expects Apple at some point to launch such a television — an iTV — that easily consumes and shares with other Apple devices content served from the company’s media-storing iCloud.”
Martin reports, “But a major roadblock for Apple along the way has been securing content needed to make an iTV succeed. The problems Apple is having securing content deals were described in an interview with a person who worked in the Apple TV group and verified by two television industry sources. All declined to be identified because of the confidential nature of the talks.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Apple’s big TV test: New rules for the ways we watch – December 30, 2011
Analyst: Apple looks to offer television subscribers customized channel lineups – December 28, 2011
Apple suppliers soon to prep materials for iTV launch in 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2012, say sources – December 27, 2011
Apple meets with media executives to discuss TV plans, say sources – December 19, 2011
With Siri TV, Apple will dismantle the TV networks – December 16, 2011
Strategy Analytics: With 32% share, Apple leading ‘Connected TV’ market with ‘hobby’ Apple TV – December 12, 2011
What I wonder is, how are all the other vendors doing at securing content; legitimate, paid content that is. Everyone can get netflix and the free stuff, but who can provide the stuff that everyone really wants? Until someone else can do better than Apple at providing that stuff, then what Apple does is no more a gamble than what Samdung or Gaggle can do.
As I see it, there are two ways to get legit content:
1) Get it yourself. This is the route Apple is taking.
2) Get someone else to get it for you. By “someone else”, I mean companies like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, etc. This is the route everyone else is taking.
Note that going with route #1 shouldn’t preclude you from being able to also go with route #2
“All declined to be identified because of the confidential nature of the talks.” Because no one outside Apple knows anything about the Atv.
If Apple wanted they could lay a huge pile of cash in front of the various content providers and say this is yours if you sign up a multi year exclusive all encompassing contract for all content.
The media owners can say they don’t want Apple to have another monopoly but they can only pass up on so much cash before they sing a different tune. Apple could do this but it’s pretty clear that they haven’t. Other than Apples own software there’s no evidence that Apple has ever pushed for exclusivity outside of a few iTunes tracks.
Built it and they will come(content)
I would be happy to see Apple bypass all these crappy content providers and produce and stream it’s own content to every iOS device. I would add the NFL as one outside source of content, if they arec
willing to be cooperative. Otherwise F the NFL also.
Apple has the cash to set up, produce showsvetcand stream it all.
They could offer independent producers the opportunity to make money by producing all kinds of entertainment just like apps.mi think this is the break through Steve liked. Apple owns and distributes content and only iOS devices, including the Apple new TV will be able to view it. Just like apps. All kinds of creative entertainment, news drama etc etc. i would love to see Apple to an end run on the TV content providers. They would be beggingto come on board, so they could survive. IAd morphs into TV adds. Apple creates, it’s own TV iOS ecco system.
Until somebody can come up with a simple and inexpensive way to do ‘pay-by-show-as-you-go’ TV, this state of affairs will continue for a long, long time.
If (and it’s a big if) Apple can make it works I’m in.
For now Netflix does it for us.
I’m not mentally harmed because I don’t have access to ABC/NBC/Fox/CBS.