Many have speculated upon the killer feature that could be incorporated into the long-rumored Apple television set, a feature that would turn the television industry on its head. While it’s difficult to predict what such a feature would be, one analyst points towards a massive hard drive, in excess of 2 terabytes, as the low tech piece of hardware that would facilitate the killer feature which has been the subject of previous rumors…the 4K resolution (via Motley Fool). 4K resolutions are 4 times the size of 1080p HD resolutions and, as an example, Sony has just begun shipping a tv with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels packed into a 55 inch display.
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Tag Archives: AppleTV
Is The Apple Television Killer Feature A Massive Hard Drive For 4K Movies?
Foxconn Moves Into Televisions
Favored builder of Apple products, Foxconn, is making big moves into the television market, according to a new report from the New York Times. In a strategy, that could prove interesting for Apple should the company make a long-rumored move into the television market, Foxconn has apparently formed close investment partnerships with companies like Sharp and, as a result, has invested around $840 million in a new LCD panel factory in Japan. The company now has the capability to make 90% of the component required for a television in-house.
While the move is said to be part of an effort to diversify Foxconn’s interests so that it is not as reliant on Apple, it is an interesting move for the company that builds a significant number of Apple products. Apple itself has been long rumored to be looking at revamping the television market with recent rumors suggesting that the company is developing a television with Ultra HD ’4K’ resolution. The new television is also thought to include motion control functionality and internet connectivity.
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Rumor: An Apple Television With Epic Resolution
A new report is adding to the long history of claims that Apple is working on a new television set by suggesting that such a device could launch later this year. The report comes from Digitimes who say that the Apple television will in fact feature Ultra HD ’4K’ resolution. This apparently translates to a 3840 x 2160 resolution although a screen size is not supplied so there is no way to calculate pixel density.
The new device will feature internet connectivity and, interestingly, motion controlled functionality, likely similar to that found in the XBox Kinect. The report notes that LG Display will be employed to produce the displays that will be found in the device, with production ramping up throughout the year. As such, the new Apple television could launch later this year or at the start of 2014.
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Apple iWatch Speculation Continues
The speculation surrounding the rumored Apple iWatch concept gained an interesting perspective today as Jean-Louis Gassée, former Apple executive at Apple during the 80′s and early 90′s, published a piece with his opinion on the device. On the site Monday Note, Gassée suggests that the popularity iPod nano wristbands give some indication as to Apple’s plans for an iWatch, noting that such a device could become an “even more personal personal computer – an intimate computer”.
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Rumor: Apple TV To Spearhead A Major Push Into Television Apps And Games
A new report is suggesting that Apple is moving forward with a focus on redefining the provision of television content, and that this will be spearheaded by the Apple TV box being opened up to accept third party developer apps. According to TechCrunch, Apple is working on an Apple TV SDK that will allow developers to write their own apps for the device. The report suggests that Apple’s ‘living room plans’ are going to come into focus this fall, and that there could be an announcement for developers about an Apple TV SDK in the coming months.
The report suggests that games are going to play a large role in Apple’s plans, and that downloadable app and game content will significantly impact upon other dedicated games consoles such as the XBox, the Playstation and the Wii. These games will likely be targeted at a wide audience, rather than focused upon high end titles like Call of Duty.
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HBO In Discussions To Bring Content To Apple TV
Apple and premium cable network HBO have reportedly talked about a deal which would mean that HBO programming would be available on the Apple TV from mid-2013. According to Bloomberg, HBO have been in discussions with Apple to bring an HBO Go application to the Apple TV which would mean that subscribers who pay for the HBO service would be offered more than 600 hours of film and television programming via online streaming.
The HBO Go app is currently available free of charge on iOS devices and, as described, offers 600 hours of original programming for subscribers. The app, should it come to Apple TV, would line up alongside Netflix, YouTube and Hulu Plus on the Apple TV, as well as a number of sports networks including NBA and MLB. Currently, the information indicates that a deal has not yet been signed but indications are that the companies are aiming to bring HBO to the Apple TV by mid-2013.
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New Apple TV Is A Performance Update And Is Available Now
Following on from the discovery of FCC filings for a new generation of Apple TV, an Apple spokesperson has today notified TNW that there is indeed a new Apple TV model. However, the changes that are being made to the Apple TV are simply small internal changes rather than any major structural or feature changes.
The new model will indeed use an A5X processor, as was revealed in earlier reports discovering references to the new chip in the Apple TV software. The new device will also incorporate an upgraded Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip for improved performance. However, the external dimensions of the Apple TV will not be affected and will remain the same as the previous version.
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Rumor: New Smaller, Faster Apple TV Coming Soon
A number of reports have emerged related to a new version of Apple TV that Apple could be preparing to release. The first report relates to an FCC filing (via Engadget) which shows a new model of Apple TV which looks much like the current model although the physical measurements of the device are slightly smaller (5mm per dimension) than the existing version. The new device has the model number of A1469, and will also apparently use a new Wi-Fi + Bluetooth combo chipset, as found in the iPhone 5.
A separate report has been published (via AnandTech) which demonstrates, by digging through the IPSW file, that the new Apple TV will be furnished with an A5X (A5XR2) processor which is an upgraded version of the A5 processor found in the current version Apple TV. The A5X processor was first seen in the third generation iPad and offers a significant update in processing power.
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2013: An Apple Television That Fixes ‘The Remote Problem’
A new media report has appeared on Bloomberg today which offers a conversation with Gene Munster, analyst with Piper Jaffray, and longtime proponent of an Apple television set (spotted by 9to5Mac). The analyst apparently has some inside information from Asian supply sources and says that Apple will be looking to release a new television set in 2013. The analyst said “we think it’s an actual television…the basic thing that it fixes is the remote control problem…you can’t go to a friends house and work the TV”.
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Rumor: Apple TV Products To Be Shown Off Next Month
Apple is apparently in the process of testing designs for a new television set, and the displays that are being examined are in the rather large 46-55 inch size range. The report comes from the Taiwanese Central News Agency who are saying that Apple’s partner in display manufacturing, Foxconn, is the one that is leading the display testing. Notably the report also suggests that the shipments of any new Apple television would be unlikely to take place before the end of 2013 so it would appear that 2014 would be the earliest that such a device would be seen.
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