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Apple iTV iffy this year because of supply issues, says report

Apple's iTV is dependent on high-volume Ultra HD display supply, which doesn't look promising this year.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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Brooke Crothers
Apple is not having an easy time securing supply of the ultra-high-resolution displays needed for the iTV, say sources at suppliers.
Apple is not having an easy time securing supply of the ultra-high-resolution displays needed for the iTV, say sources at suppliers. CNET

A new report from Asia claims that Apple will not have an easy time getting the very-high-resolution display it needs for the iTV.

That would purportedly be a 3,840x2,160 Ultra HD display, according to a report in Digitimes. That resolution is sometimes referred to as 4K Ultra HD.

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The report cites two obstacles for Apple. One, Ultra HD TV makers in Taiwan are booked up already for 2013 orders. That supply is going to China-based TV makers. Two, it's not clear if one Apple's favorite display suppliers, LG Display -- which provides displays for the iPad and MacBook Pro, among other Apple products -- will be ready for high-volume production this year.

"If LG...has ample supply of the technology, Apple may try to release the TV by the end of 2013 but is more likely to do so towards the beginning of 2014," according to the report.

Investment banking firm Jefferies cited similar timing for the iTV, in a research note earlier this month.

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said that he had expected an Apple TV event in March, followed by a launch in September or October. However, he now believes the launch will happen sometime next year as the company's display providers -- LG and Sharp -- are having trouble with yields.