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Apple television to ship in time for Christmas?

Thursday, June 21, 2012 · 10:32 am · 24 Comments

“The Street continues to get all tingly at the prospect of Apple potentially jumping into the television business,” Eric Savitz reports for Forbes. “While the company has said nothing about this possibility, buy-side analysts keep picking up tidbits from the Asia tech press and from the Taiwanese supply chain that suggest something is up.”

“The latest nugget comes from Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, who points to a report on the Chinese language web site 21cbh.com that says contract manufacturer Hon Hai expects to start receiving LCD TV panels from Sharp in Q3, rather than Q4 as originally planned,” Savitz reports. “White notes that Hon Hai had invested in Sharp earlier this year to secure LCD panels that White contends are intended for production of Apple-branded TVs.”

Savitz reports, “The story apparently concludes that Apple could have a TV ready to go by the holiday season.”

Read more in the full article here.

Categories: News

Tags: Apple iTV, Apple television, apple tv, Apple TV set, Foxconn, Hon Hai, Sharp, television, TV set

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Comment Feed

24 Comments

botvinnik

Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 10:36 am · Reply

argh.
silverhawk1

Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 10:50 am · Reply

Gene Munster must be smiling over this story. I personally believe it’s a non-story.
DustyMac

Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 11:00 am · Reply

I’m not convinced. I still believe the only Apple TV that Apple will sell is the Hockey Puck content box they are currently selling, but with upgraded content.

Leave the screen size, type, etc. to other manufacturers. Why would Apple want to get into that game? The only thing wrong with HDTV is the content. More than half of my TV viewing is already via the existing Apple TV device.
- Raymond in DC
  
  Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 11:53 am · Reply
  
  “The only thing wrong with HDTV is the content.”
  
  Given my recent experience with a commercial quality HD(TV) display, there’s a lot still wrong. Too many configuration settings for one. Four picture “modes”, each with a dozen custom settings, and still difficulty providing what people want – a high quality image without a lot of “futzing”.
  
  As a computer specialist, I used to note the insanity of expecting computer users to be effectively system administrators just to do their jobs. Why are manufacturers still expecting consumers to be TV calibrators? Even if Apple doesn’t come out with their own branded displays maybe they can show manufacturers how to deal with this problem.
  
  If Sony can sell a “Google TV”, or Panasonic Plasmas include THX configuration, they can sell displays “Certified by Apple” with default Apple settings. If you insist on futzing, you’re on your own. The rest of us just want to watch.
  - DustyMac
    
    Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 12:11 pm · Reply
    
    A TY owner has to go futzing around in the TV’s menu system in order to find all these picture mode and settings you refer to. Most consumers probably don’t know that their TV even has such a menu.
    
    I will grant you that most consumers have the aspect ratio set incorrectly, though. I cringe whenever I watch someone else’s HDTV and see squashed, fat people or people whose obesity depends on where they appear on the screen, if you know what I mean. I have given up on trying to tell people that their TV is not set correctly.
    - DustyMac
      
      Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 12:26 pm · Reply
      
      D’oh, I meant “TV owner.” V and Y aren’t even that close on the keyboard, so my mitten fingers are no excuse.
    - spyintheskyuk
      
      Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 3:34 pm · Reply
      
      Wow you mean the manufacturer cant be bothered to set up the tv for the market itself?
Jean Poole

Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 11:21 am · Reply

‘Why would Apple want to get into that game?’

Profit?
- botvinnik
  
  Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 11:25 am · Reply
  
  not in tv’s. content, distribution is da dough.
  - Jean Poole
    
    Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 1:07 pm · Reply
    
    So why do TV manufacturers exist? Profit?
    - botvinnik
      
      Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 1:27 pm · Reply
      
      uh, compare Panasonic to …I know you can take a deep breath and crunch those numbers, Jean…get your big girl panties on and think rational.
    - DustyMac
      
      Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 2:19 pm · Reply
      
      The profit margin in TVs is very thin. Few, if any, manufacturers make only TVs.
      - Michael
        
        Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 3:12 pm · Reply
        
        The profit margins on mobile phones and computers are extremely thin as well… but Apple doesn’t have a problem making a profit. Why would a TV not be profitable for Apple?
        
        botvinnik
        
        Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 3:35 pm · Reply
        
        “Apple’s iPhone profit margin greater than 50%”…and that was in 2007.
        
        http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9026178/Apple_s_iPhone_profit_margin_greater_than_50_
        
        botvinnik
        
        Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 3:36 pm · Reply
        
        There was no iPhone before the iPhone, virtually everyone already has a big screen HDTV….that’s why.
        
        Weezer
        
        Friday, June 22, 2012 - 4:27 am · Reply
        
        There were phones before the iPhone. If apple make a tv that is good enough people will buy it.
        
        botvinnik
        
        Friday, June 22, 2012 - 10:03 am ·
        
        IT WON’T HAPPEN..accept it, move on with your lives: there will be no branded standalone television set.
vanfruniken

Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 11:35 am · Reply

As soon as the AppleTV allows unified control over your entire TV-screen experience (with no need for umpteen remotes), it won’t be a hobby anymore but things will get dead serious. Expect a real massacre then.
- DustyMac
  
  Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 11:52 am · Reply
  
  Try a Logitech Harmony remote. My Harmony remote controls all of the following devices:
  
  Panasonic HDTV
  Yamaha Home Theatre Receiver
  Motorola Satellite Receiver
  Denon DVD Player
  Magnasonic VCR
  AppleTV
  
  It understands activities such as Watch Satellite TV and turns all the correct components on and sets all the input sources correctly with a single button press. To change channels and then change the volume, I don’t need to switch between components as the remote understands that channel selection uses the Motorola and volume is set on the Yamaha. Any visitor in my house can use the system as easily as I can without having to understand anything about my setup..
  - Jimmy
    
    Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 1:34 pm · Reply
    
    New thin retina cinema display with built in apple tv in 32, 42 and 52″ you heard it here first!!
    - solid
      
      Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 3:22 pm · Reply
      
      If they don’t have a 55 or 60 inch model, then no dice for me. Why would I want to downgrade my screen size?
  - Lordthree
    
    Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 2:11 pm · Reply
    
    1. I was about to say the same. Setup is fairly easy- controls EVERYTHiNG
mikie

Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 2:42 pm · Reply

When it’s out WE WILL BUY IT just because it’s made by apple. To guggle and sam-’sh!t’-sung all I can say is: FAIL!(echo)
alexkhan2000

Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 8:56 pm · Reply

I believe it will happen eventually. I think Apple has to get into it with the long-term in mind – just as they did with the iPhone. It will be a different kind of business model than phones, tablets, and computers. They’re all different with different strengths and weaknesses and complement each other very well.