Apple TV

Consumer interest in an Apple TV set running high

Interest in an Apple television set among U.S. consumers appears to be hot, but price may be a stumbling block for the much-rumored but still-unannounced device.

Some 49 percent of the consumers queried said they would be interested in purchasing an Apple-marketed TV set, according to survey results released this evening by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. Twenty-nine percent said they weren't in the market to buy a new TV but that an Apple entry would turn them into buyers.

"We believe this suggests that customers would be willing to interrupt an estimated seven-year TV product cycle … Read more

iTunes vs. Amazon: What's the best video service on the iPad?

The future of TV, movies, and home entertainment feels like it's changing by the day, thanks to the impact of the digital revolution. Netflix is the top dog thanks to its $8 subscription streaming service, but your viewing choices are severely limited. For a la carte, pay-as-you-go services, Apple's iTunes has been the default choice for many when it comes to buying, renting, and viewing videos. Splitting the difference was Amazon's Instant Video: it offers a diverse library of pay-per-view TV shows and movies, plus a subset of "free" content for subscribers to the company'… Read more

Hulu blocks access to overseas Apple TV owners, report says

International Apple TV owners are complaining that they have been blocked from Hulu Plus.

According to The Next Web, which has obtained images of an error message displayed when users try to stream a show or film from Hulu Plus, those with an Apple TV and U.S. iTunes account are able to browse Hulu's selection of titles. Upon choosing one of those titles, however, a "Geo Restriction" pops up, telling them they cannot access the particular video.

"We're sorry. Currently our video library can only be streamed within the United States," the message … Read more

Leaked iOS 6 beta for Apple TV hints at apps -- finally

One rumor that didn't quite pan out following Apple's World Wide Developers Conference earlier this month, was that Apple would roll out a way for developers to make apps for its $99 set top box.

However a new beta version of iOS for Apple's TV box suggests that idea may still be alive and well in Cupertino.

Apparently unafraid of Apple's legal team, Brazil-based Apple tech blog MacMagazine (via Macrumors) has posted a video of an Apple TV set top box running a developer beta of iOS 6.

While seemingly unchanged from the current release, which … Read more

Sharp set to deliver Apple TV parts to Foxconn in Q3?

Foxconn, a manufacturer for Apple, will receive parts from Sharp next quarter that will be used to assemble the long-rumored Apple TV, according to a new report.

According to AppleInsider, Chinese news site 21cbh.com is reporting today, citing sources, that Foxconn initially expected to have the parts from Sharp in the fourth quarter, but the timetable has shifted to the third quarter. Sharp is believed to be providing the LCD TV panels that will be used in the television.

Over the last several months, reports have suggested Sharp would play a role in the Apple TV after Hon Hai … Read more

Apple's WWDC keynote: What we didn't get

It seems like every Apple event comes with an increasingly large dose of sparkling hype, and plenty of supposedly imminent announcements end up not happening.

This year's Tim Cook keynote speech at WWDC had its share of big news, and plenty of excitement -- iOS 6, Retina Display MacBook Pros -- but here's what wasn't there.… Read more

Apple's plan to dominate all the screens in your home

Apple wants every screen in your home to be an Apple screen. The company will be taking a giant leap toward accomplishing its goal at this year's WWDC.

In just a decade, Apple has become a dominant force in computers, tablets, and mobile. It has yet to make major inroads into the biggest screen of them all: the television.

Sure, there's Apple TV, but it has been a "hobby" for the company. Last year, 2.8 million units of the device were sold, and 2.7 million units have been sold so far this year. Though … Read more

Apple teases WWDC 2012 with iOS6 banner (picture)

Apple is famously secret for not offering much advance notice about upcoming product or technology announcements. But the iOS6 banner that workmen installed inside the Moscone Center, the San Francisco venue for Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference that starts next week, left little doubt that more than passing reference will be made to the next-generation operating system for the iPhone and iPad. Let your best guesses fly.

CNET will have wall-to-wall coverage of Apple's big shindig, which lasts throughout the next week. Monday's keynote starts at 10 a.m. Pacific. And you'll be able to follow along with our live blog. … Read more

Apple TV to get its own SDK with apps to follow, report says

The Apple TV set-top box will soon support third-party applications, according to a new report.

The Boy Genius Report writes today, citing a source, that Apple will unveil a software development kit at the Worldwide Developers Conference next week. The kit will finally allow third-party developers to bring their applications to Apple's set-top box, ushering in a feature Apple TV owners have been desiring for years.

The Apple TV has been viewed as a "hobby" device since its launch five years ago, and has been the odd man out among Apple's many popular products. Last month, … Read more

Apple TV will start slow revolution in 2013, says analyst

Apple will release a television in 2013 for between $1,500 and $2,000, but it won't instantly revolutionize the industry, says Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. You have to wonder how much time it takes to trim a hedge that big.

Munster says the content offerings on an Apple-branded set might not initially be that much different than that of the currently available Apple TV set-top box, but that within five years he would expect the company to push back against the current cable and satellite TV models and move toward more DVR in the cloud and unbundled channels that consumers can pick and choose. … Read more