“In a strange announcement out of India, Philips has announced that it will be selling a ‘new range of televisions that come bundled with Apple TV features’ in time for the holidays,” John Brownlee reports for Cult of Mac.
“The Hindu Business Line claims that these televisions would come with iTunes installed, as well as AirPlay and Screen Mirroring, allowing you to stream content from your iPhone or iPad directly to your TV. To me, this sounds like a Philips TV with an Apple TV baked inside,” Brownlee reports. “It’s possible that Apple has teamed up with Philips to help the Apple TV get a leg up in the Indian market. Equally possible? That some Philips representative misspoke, or a Hindu Business Line reporter misheard.”
“To me, though, this implies that Apple could announce a number of Apple TV hardware partners next week,” Brownlee writes. “Could that be what Apple means when it says it’s been ‘far too long?'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: Since publication, Brownlee has aded an update:
False alarm. As we suggested was a possibility, Philips was misunderstood by a reporter. They are actually just bundling Apple TV’s with new televisions, not building in the hardware.
Interesting. Nonetheless, I’m hoping for an Apple TV 4. Ultimately, I’d like it to have an App store. That said, I’m ok with it being a modified App store that offers access to only things that make sense on a TV, such as gaming.
Here’s hoping we can either get USB controllers for the box or use our devices (iphone, iPad, hell, even my Macbook’s trackpad) via Bluetooth. Wifi has too much lag.
WWSD?
Steve would do nothing, like when Time Magazine outed the iMac hours before Apple did.
What is a Time Magazine?
I sure hope it will have an App store and the ability to use a wireless controller for games etc.
xBox and Playstation, Wi will go bye bye. Just want some pain for microsuck.
Nope.
“Update: As discovered by AppleInsider reader “Digvijay,” the announcement appears to be for Philips TVs bundled with Apple TV units. This story has been updated to reflect that.”
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/10/09/philips-tvs-with-built-in-apple-tv-functions-including-itunes-airplay-reportedly-launch-in-india
Update: False alarm. As we suggested was a possibility, Philips was misunderstood by a reporter. They are actually just bundling Apple TV’s with new televisions, not building in the hardware.
The use of iTunes is a dubious one, it always make me thing of NAS devices that offer iTunes support – unofficially. My Amplifier offers Airplay support for music, so they’re things that can be touted as features without being any sort of official partnering.
Keep in mind that Philips no longer owns the television business (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-20/philips-sells-tv-venture-stake-in-focus-on-health-energy.html), but licenses its name to TPV Technology in exchange for a small royalty. So, this is really under the control of TPV.
There is an update on the story: “Update: False alarm. As we suggested was a possibility, Philips was misunderstood by a reporter. They are actually just bundling Apple TV’s with new televisions, not building in the hardware.”
it says “its been a long time” on the invite. I think everyone who has been waiting for a particular product will be happy
If not true it’s something Apple should look into. Roku are now beginning to partner with TV manufacturers and integrate their services into the TVs themselves, why not Apple?
Such a solution will allow Apps access to HDMI stream so an app would be able to display additional information on screen with the TV as well as resizing the stream. Give the TV some IR capability and it will be able to control the set-top box.
Suddenly we have a TV that is not controlled by the cable operators. We will with the help an app controlled what we watch, what source it will be from (set-top, iTunes, Netflix and the likes, youtube, iCloud, iCloud DVR, etc…)
The Apple TV will be the next revolution not only in gaming, social media, entertainment, news, sports, home hub unit for connected device, but for shopping with Apple Pay & Touch ID. You will be able to purchase items right from your television set while watch your favorite programs.
I agree. Apple devices will be “in sync” with TV programming. So, when an advertisement appears there might be a further info and/or purchase button that appears on iPads, iPhones, etc. This might also extend to products that appear in movie scenes, etc. Click a button on the iPad and a list of products appear. To purchase just place finger on Touch ID.
I got a LG 47 3d cinema TV and I glued my Apple TV to the bottom of the TV (it is in a wall support not on it normal stand).
Then went to settings in the apple TV – General – remote control – learn new remote and made the center arrows of the TV ‘s remote control work with the apple TV (those are just use to play USB multimedia so there is not much use for them with apple TV on it).
So, in a way, I already have that kind of TV 🙂
Damnit! I just got four new TVs for about 2-3 months ago!!
At least none of them are Samsung…
They already have airplay and a song browser built into many audio receivers and Sonos, etc. – if they really have full iTunes standalone and iTunes store installed – color me VERY impressed.
Somewhere, a dejected man slumps, face in hands, only hours after brimming with wild elation at the report, now discredited, that his fondest desire had come true.
That man is Gene Munster.
Brimming with elation and then slumping with face in hands for Gene Munster, with respect to the iTV, is like breathing for mortals it seems, only in very slow motion
by the way, howz ya blog goin?
It’s just a nightmare. I can’t seem to write anything good that’s longer than a paragraph. Am I doomed to remain a drive-by quipster, Hit and Miss? 🙁
too much practice on forums.. i fear
Anyway, with the attention span of the internet these days, you may be better off as a “drive-by quipster,” but you always seem to hit on that cylinder
heh.
One thing about this mistaken news, though, is that after the partnership with automakers and CarPlay, and with Credit Card issuers and Apple Pay, while I don’t see Apple licensing TV IP to manufacturers or Apple going into the TV manufacturing business, I COULD see Apple partnering with manufacturers to bake in, or bundle, actual Apple TVs, where the Apple equipment is uniquely Apple made and controlled, but made available ubiquitously. hmmm…
Or, someone at Philips did jump the gun and Philips needs to wait till Apple makes the announcement.
B&O have been selling TVs with Apple TV inside for the past year, or so ….