Apple TV for live broadcast television

Written by

Matthew Panzarino:

Apple has begun talks in preparation for a set-top box device that could be used to watch live TV as well as view other content, reports Jessica E. Vascellaro and Shalini Ramachandran at The Wall Street Journal. This would apparently be a new direction that would let Apple get a stronger presence in the living room. It would involve them getting deals with cable providers, which the report says has not happened.


  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Marcus-R-Moore/676140569 Marcus R. Moore

    This would surprise me greatly. Apple would seem to want the antithesis of being a PVR. But perhaps the goal of a subscription on-demand model just wasn’t possible to negotiate.

    On the other hand, I’ve never believed that there was ONE way to revolutionize TV watching for everyone. Depending on how much and broad your TV watching habits are, the Cable/Satellite “buffet” model may be the best and most cost effective thing for you.

    If you watch very little TV, you can probably save a lot of money with iTunes alaCarte model (as long as the programming you want to watch is available).

    If more “apps” (TV stations) like MLB, Netflix, or Hulu+ were available from specific broadcasters, that might fill in the gaps for someone who watches a bunch of shows from a particular network or service, and can’t quite get by on iTunes downloads alone. Especially if services like HBO eventually get on board.

    A combination of channel “apps” via AppleTV and iTunes content would suit me just fine.

    But I find it hard to believe that Apple wants the AppleTV to be just an GUI layer for cable. It seems wrong, and counter to their trend of disruption.

  • Blue

    When people are talking about TV over Internet why Apple would be stupid enough to do this. They have problem with a DVR or even over the air ATSC chip in the AppleTV so now they want to license ClearCAM and get sued by Tivo, Motorola and Cisco.

    Cable companies make $10-$20 on STB, Apple would have to pay thru the nose not even Google could get that for GoogleTV and they own Motorola STB business.

    • gjgustav

      That’s why this Apple plan involves deals with the cable companies. Apple wants to do the technology, and they’ll pay the cable companies their cut in the process.

      In a perfect world, cable and satellite providers become nothing but a data service provider and stop being a needless middleman when it comes to providing content. But that’s not likely to happen soon.

  • http://twitter.com/Carniphage Glyn Williams

    The current TV model has digital and analogue services being amalgamated in the living room. This means hardware, switching, tuners and recorders in every household. Expensive duplication, lousy user experience.

    The Apple way is to amalgamate these services in a data center. Then deliver single stream to the user through the internet.

    Live TV, infinite recording. Everyone wins.

  • Relentlessfocus

    Diversion tactic.