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CNET UK Credits Claim That Apple Will Release Networked TVs

Posted by timothy on from the logical-progression dept.

r2k writes "While the Apple rumours posted yesterday highlight some of the most commonly talked-about opinions, a writer for CNet UK sat down with Mahalo's Jason Calacanis, who told CNet he knew for a fact that Apple is developing fully networked LCD TV sets. As the writer points out, Apple dropped 'Computer' from its company name for a very good reason."

9 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. Wi Fi and Security? by William+Robinson · · Score: 5, Interesting

    TFA does not tell more except it is 802.11n. Not sure whether I am paranoid, but will anybody on road will be able to hack in my TV and show something I don't want to see?

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    hilarious
    1. Re:Wi Fi and Security? by cloakable · · Score: 5, Funny

      Welcome to GoatseTV.

      Distended anus, 24/7.

      --
      No tyrant thrives when every subject says no.
  2. if they did away with the need for the computer... by inzy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...they could open up a whole new market.

    i see a net-equipped TV, with a minimal ARM-based computer built-in, running a lightweight itunes; shows are bought and played entirely with the remote, which has a simple kb for searching for stuff and entering credit card info.

    owners could then download shows straight to the tv, which has an upgradable hard drive/flash module

    people don't necessarily want a computer, they want to watch tv

  3. Re:Wrong market for Apple to be in by Mark+Hood · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Which is exactly why they add value by building in an HD content delivery system...

    Why buy a TV, and a Blu-Ray player, and a load of discs when you can buy AppleTV and rent/buy your content without levering your fat ass off the couch?

    Now how much would you pay...? :)

    Sure, the margins on LCD TVs are low, but if someone says they can save $300 or more by not needing an HD source, they might pay almost that for a shiny Apple logo...

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  4. Yep by dreamchaser · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Phillips showed one off back in 2004. A very quick search turns up several good examples with varying features and capability.

    That won't stop the Apple fanbois from drooling and going "OMG STEVE'S SUCH A GENIUS!" and acting like Apple invented it, though.

    1. Re:Yep by Stan+Vassilev · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That won't stop the Apple fanbois from drooling and going "OMG STEVE'S SUCH A GENIUS!" and acting like Apple invented it, though.

      You're missing the point. Not inventing something for the first time, never stopped Apple from dominating the market with their own version.

      The key asset here is iTunes. iTunes is the first store of its kind to enjoy simplicity, availability and mass support by content providers and consumers alike.

      When other companies add networking, WMV playback and photos slideshows to their TV-s, you have a set of possible uses for that, especially if you're a geek, but you need to figure it out on your own.

      When Apple puts iTunes in a TV, you have a complete product your entire family can sit back and use out-of-the-box.

  5. Re:no thanks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    rumor has it you can play all the mpeg4 content you want (and more) on a mac. the DRM only comes into play if you actually buy content... having the option to legally buy content is nice sometimes you know.

    besides MS has shown its willing to please content providers over consumers disallowing recording of certain content.

  6. The Apple cycle... by itsdapead · · Score: 5, Funny
    1. Rumours circulate of Apple developing flying cars (iFly) teleportation (iHopeTheresNoFly) and tabletop cold fusion (damn, MacFusion is taken!)
    2. Apple announces press event
    3. Mac fanbois approach orgasm. Badly photoshopped images of imagined products appear and are taken seriously.
    4. More plausible photos of faster Macs with slightly bigger trackpads and new colour options for iPods appear and are dismissed by tumescent fanbois as badly photoshopped fakes.
    5. Apple launches faster Macs with slightly bigger trackpads and new colours of iPods.
    6. MacHaters proclaim the failure to deliver imaginary unannounced products as a sign that Apple is doomed. Fanbois are briefly disappointed, but this is dispelled by the comforting ritual of the unboxing ceremony when their new pink iPod arrives.
    7. Rumours appear that Apple is developing holographic TV (iStrain), faster-than-light wormhole travel (iHole) and an intelligent pop-up toaster that actually works (iWatchTooMuchRedDwarf). Badly photoshopped pictures of perfectly browned bread products appear on macrumors.com...
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    In a survey of 100 programmers, 111111 thought that duck-typing was a good idea.
  7. Re:if they did away with the need for the computer by lysergic.acid · · Score: 4, Insightful

    exactly. there will be a convergence of the TV with the PC, but it's not the PC that will be replaced. you replace specialized hardware with generalized hardware, not the other way around.

    right now we have a bunch of redundant communication networks and hardware appliances. we have radios, telephones, and TV all using very specialized communications networks, and all running on application-specific hardware. but with the widespread adoption of broadband internet access, there's no need to have different communications infrastructure for sending audio data for radios, audio data for telephones, and video and audio data for TV, when all of this data can be transmitted digitally over the internet. soon all of these parallel technologies will be merged into the more generalized/flexible internet.

    it's more efficient to run a single generalized data network like the internet than having a bunch of parallel application specific networks because it allows for better allocation of resources and eliminates redundant infrastructure. not only that, but the internet is also an open/democratic network (at least while there's net neutrality). like the computer for which the internet was originally developed, it gives users complete freedom of access, which is a stark contrast with the closed proprietary networks of traditional radio/TV/telecom. this decentralization of media distribution allows independent artists, musicians, film producers, etc. to reach billions of users around the globe without having to go through the traditional distribution channels which are tightly controlled by a handful of media conglomerates.

    it's become harder and harder for big TV networks like NBC or radio networks such as Clear Channel to act as the gatekeepers of information. because of this, we're seeing a free culture developing where cultural contribution isn't a privilege reserved for major label artists, Hollywood studios, or corporate execs that have up until now decided what the public watches on TV. neither Apple nor anyone else is going to convince consumers to go back to the cultural bondage of pre-internet media.

    a LCD TV is simply an LCD monitor with a built-in tuner card. why buy a TV and a set-top box when you can just have an HTPC or media center pc that can be used to check e-mail, surf the web, burn DVDs, play games, etc., etc.? a computer with a tuner card can watch both, regular TV as well as internet video streams like Miro (Democracy Player). it just doesn't make sense to replace the computer with a locked down and functionally crippled equivalent.

    i imagine that once open wireless internet access becomes a common public infrastructure across the country we'll start seeing AM/FM radio being replaced by portable smart devices that can stream internet radio. people want freedom of choice, so that's the direction that media convergence will take.