Apple is working on a new technology to deliver video to televisions and revives rumors that Apple is seeking to launch a subscription package for television content. Apple has of course been pushing its AirPlay technology for streaming video from iOS devices to its Apple TV set-top box and has been rumored to be interested in launching an Apple-branded television set. If Apple is indeed pursuing subscriptions, it will undoubtedly run into heavy resistance from Big Cable and networks that rely heavily on cable subscriptions may feel pressure from cable providers not to join Apple’s venture……………
The Wall Street Journal has claimed that, Apple is working on new technology to deliver video to televisions, adding that the company has also been in talks over a subscription TV service and the report suggested that new markets, such as digital video and control of the living room will pose the first real test for Cook, who officially took over for Steve Jobs on Wednesday. Markets that Apple is already entrenched in, such as mobile phones and tablets, have already been handed to him by Jobs and won’t require the same level of innovation. Though further details regarding the rumored new technology were lacking, some have connected the comments to Apple’s upcoming AirPlay Mirroring functionality, which is said to be iOS 5‘s most exciting feature. AirPlay Mirroring could bring about significant disruption in the console gaming market by allowing iOS game developers to offer console-style gaming with the iPhone or iPad serving as both the hardware and a wireless controller. Speculation also turned to the possibility that Apple will release an Internet-connected TV in the near future. Analysts have claimed for years that the company is hard at work at an Apple-branded HDTV. Reports have picked up steam as of late with some rumors suggesting that Apple could release the product as early as this fall.
Apple reportedly attempted to negotiate licenses for a service in 2009 but gave up after talks stalled and envisioneering Group analyst Richard Doherty compared Apple‘s efforts to pushing this giant marshmallow uphill, noting that convincing rights holders, cable and satellite companies to change their business models is light years tougher than with the music industry. Apple has repeatedly referred to its Apple TV set top box as a hobby and the ost recent version, which sells for $99 and is focused on streaming content has performed well, selling half a million units per quarter. UBS Investment Research analyst Maynard UM has said that Apple is in the best position to win the battle for the digital living room. He rated all areas in Apple’s ecosystem as strong, with the exception of TV, the cloud, social networking and office suite, which were listed as needs improvement. Motley Fool Senior Technology Analyst Eric Bleeker also views Apple’s opportunity to leverage iOS in the home entertainment arena as a next step for Cook. According to him, Jobs had already seen the vision of iOS extending into the living room, and it’s up to his successor to execute it. Rival Google is also making a play for the living room in the form of Google TV. However, the Android-based Apple TV competitor has failed to gain much traction. Apple search giant’s recent $12.5 billion proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility could help the company regroup. Motorola has an existing set-top box business that builds high-definition digital video recorders and other devices. The company also has a Video Solutions line of products for content sharing.
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