Read this:
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2009/02/10/is-this-apples-next-big-idea.aspx

I realize Apple is trying to expand, but why would they want to get in the competitive battle of TV makers - especially if they are going to be LG LCD's. I can only see this negatively... why would they do this??

on the other hand, this made me smile:

Amazon and Netflix seem to keep showing up whenever an appliance maker rolls out a new gizmo to give couch potatoes their streaming-video fix. Their latest conquest, announced at this week's CES expo in Las Vegas is a new Web-connected Vizio television," Rick wrote. Now imagine that same Vizio with a built-in DVR. Peerless choice in streaming and control over live programming? Couch potatoes have never had it so good.

2/10/2009 4:04:27 PM

Quote :

"but why would they want to get in the competitive battle of TV makers"

what gives you any indication they would be jumping into a "competitive battle"? If they do this, they will likely sell a premium product at a premium price. They won't be selling at bargain basement prices, competing directly with the low-end Samsung and LG products.

They would use the same sales model as their laptops - Macbooks and Macbook Pros are minimum $1000-1200, more like $1500-2000 for the more capable models. You can get PC laptops for $300 (netbooks) and probably $500-600 for fullsize, but that doesn't seem to be hurting Apple's sales, as the Macbook was the top laptop seller in the whole industry last quarter.

[Edited on February 10, 2009 at 4:13 PM. Reason : .]

2/10/2009 4:12:14 PM

I highly doubt it's going to happen.

For one, rumors like this have been flying around for a while. And it's just a plain bad idea. HP tried to make a TV with media center built in, and it failed miserably. There are many other reasons.

Plus, Jobs has a notorious hatred for TV.

2/10/2009 4:13:13 PM

combining basically the apple tv, an HD tuners and a standard tuner into an LCD panel that had the capabilities of using hulu.com and other sites without any sort of hacking, in my opinion, could be a pretty nice product and something nobody has really done in a single package (that I know of)

i think it could go good for them if they pull it off in the way they usually do

[Edited on February 10, 2009 at 4:14 PM. Reason : but they could also fail miserably..or it's just a rumor and doesn't matter anyways ]

2/10/2009 4:13:35 PM

^ I will eat a box of scorpions, stingers intact, if it happens.

2/10/2009 4:14:34 PM

Because apple produces no products that might benefit from a long term supplier contract with favorable terms for LCD displays ... none what so ever. Can't think of a single product they sell that could use an LCD display, must be new TVs.

[Edited on February 10, 2009 at 4:15 PM. Reason : asdl]

2/10/2009 4:15:04 PM

^^^ yeah, if they do it, and if they go "all out", then it could be an incredible product. Apple could finally realize the vision that Bill Gates has been talking about for almost 20 years - an "alive" living room with smart, interconnected devices. An iTV would, of course, be an HDTV monitor, but it would include a huge built in hard drive, wireless networking, media center interface, Blu-Ray player, lots of network services to download and stream movies and TV from the internet, network capabilities to stream every type of media from every other computer in the house, and remote control capabilities from iPhones and other computers.

If anyone can pull it off, it will be Apple. But that doesn't mean they're going to do it.

2/10/2009 5:19:33 PM

^ we're not yet at the level of technology we need to realize that vision. Once the analog spectrum gets freed up, then we'll start to taste that future.

But right now, you can barely get Time Machine to sync with a Time Capsule properly, let alone having devices with great media integration with each other.

2/10/2009 6:07:24 PM

Apple ain't gonna do an all-in-one television.

Apple is very likely to do a LCD+ branded television. That is, a LCD with their ID personality.

I think it's very likely we will see either an Apple branded TV line:

-32-65 inche models (my guess would be a 37, 42, 52/56)
-Supporting HDMI, their new displayport, Firewire, USB, component, composite video connections
-Thin client embedded OS
-Built-in Wifi
-Gigabit ethernet port
-Uses built-in VNC capabilities of OSX, likely running super embedded OSX distro
-A seriously awesome universal remote
-remote functionality updates for iPhone/iPod Touch
-remote also works to extend current MacMini/MacBook/Mac Pro media remotes

That's the likely route. Integrated Media PC + TV has been a proven failure time and time again. No one has done a thin client Television, because no OEM/manufacturer has the homogenous product line to integrate it with. Apple has the big advantage in that space.

I'd put the pricepoint at 10% premium over top tier LCD panels (Sony Bravia, Aquos, etc), likely with bundling incentives (MacVision + AppleTv + Time Machine capable external drive)

2/10/2009 7:28:35 PM

Quote :

"A seriously awesome universal remote"

eh, you know apple will ship some bullshit remote with 1 button

2/10/2009 7:47:34 PM

if by awesome universal remote you mean gyroscopic mouse, then yes, it will be awesome

2/10/2009 7:53:19 PM

^^ of course by universal I mean it will work with all 12 Apple products

2/10/2009 8:37:55 PM

Or they could just release an upgrade (for $10 like they sometimes do) for the iPod Touch (not fucking "iTouch" god damn it) and iPhone that would allow it to act as a bluetooth universal remote. That way instead of some shitty, but free, 1 button remote you would have to buy a $229 remote. Can you feel the love?

[Edited on February 11, 2009 at 9:41 AM. Reason : ]

2/11/2009 9:41:26 AM

$10? fuck that, i can control iTunes with my iPhone for free, i should be able to control the iTV for free too dammit

2/11/2009 10:23:55 AM

^^are you trying to some how say that logitech and every other universal remote manufacturer should give their shit away for free too?

2/11/2009 1:20:35 PM

^ So... $$$$$ for Apple TV + $229 for iPod Touch + $10 software upgrade = $0? Yay for golovko math.

2/27/2009 1:48:42 AM

^what? that made no sense. Reading comprehension FTL.

$229 for iPod Touch + $10 software upgrade = price of any decent universal remote like a logitech harmony

I think you fucked up in your math some where there.

2/27/2009 11:52:01 AM

Quote :

"decent universal remote"

!=

Quote :

"logitech harmony"

The fat chick at the bar inst a decent lay just because she is the only female. Same goes for the logitech remote.

2/27/2009 12:07:56 PM

I've had a logitech harmony remote for years and I love it. Can't argue with that.

Harmony 380

2/27/2009 12:13:53 PM

the 380 isnt bad.

i hate the one with the 1mmx1mm channel up/down and volume up/down buttons.

it's so annoying to try to use.

2/27/2009 12:15:50 PM

I really wanted a 390 because of the RF support but I had already long since left Best Buy when it came out and no way was I dropping $400 on it.

2/27/2009 12:25:54 PM