New Apple TV Rumored to Keep its Head in the Clouds

For several months now, Apple fans have been speculating that a television set from the famed company will be launched soon as a new option or upgrade to Apple TV.   Some analysts did predict that Apple entering the TV set industry was a long shot – and sure enough, more reliable resources report that Apple TV may be evolving into a cable set top box instead.

According to reports, Apple’s set-top box will have DVR functionality and will access the shows from the cloud.  Moreover, viewers will be able to pull up any show on demand.  It will also include access to live shows a few minutes after they has begun.  But these features would mean that Apple needed to negotiate with broadcasters and cable operators regarding rights.  Sources also claim that the user interface will be similar to that of iPad navigation icons.  But it will also have space on the screen to enable users to interact and share via social media such as Twitter.  Since Apple TV will be connecting directly to the cloud to access shows, it is likely that users will be able to connect their iPhone or iPad to the set top box to access content.

The current model of Apple TV – a digital media receiver – allows users to view movies, video, and photos, and play music on an HDTV (working with companies like iTunes, Flickr, Netflix, Hulu Plus).  Users can also access their iTunes library from their Macbook or iMac using their home or local network.  As a matter of fact, a user can connect laptops, desktops, or all in one computers to Apple TV as long as these have iTunes installed – so it can work on PCs as well as Macs.  But considering that the iMac and most [tp lang=”en” only=”y”]all in one computers[/tp][tp not_in=”en”]all in one computers[/tp] have high-end large displays, it may be unnecessary to transfer content to Apple TV for viewing on an HDTV.  As such, Apple TV has never gained much popularity as compared to its siblings.

If the Apple TV is enabled with the ability to pull up any TV show on demand from the cloud or even live shows,   consumers may give it a second look.   These features are added value that can’t be obtained from the iTunes Store and viewed from a laptop or all in one computer.  Despite no confirmation that no television set with an Apple logo will be rolled out in the near future, many Apple fanatics are still hopeful that Steve Job’s vision to revolutionize TV viewing will include an HDTV that will offer cutting edge display never before seen in the industry.  For now, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, and LG can breathe a sigh of relief as Apple execs don’t see the need to enter their market any time soon.