The Apple TV has become a mythical creature. Sustaining itself off the delicious nectar of Gene Munster’s wishful rumors, its remained hidden for years and who knows if it’ll ever make an appearance in the real world.
The latest rumor is that Apple will announce their TV set next year. If Apple does make a TV it’s likely to bring some huge changes to the cable television industry, and Time Warner’s CEO can’t wait.
The entertainment industry may be bracing for further disruption by Apple when the company finally unveils its HDTV and related television plans, but at least one major player in the field is refusing to show any sign of fear.
In a move sure to be followed by other industry executives, DirecTV chairman Michael White downplayed the potential for an Apple television during a conference attended by other cable and satellite company leaders late last week. While other executives were fairly noncommittal about an Apple HDTV and what it could mean for the entertainment industry, White was emphatic in deriding the idea that Apple could deliver a better user experience to viewers.
Speaking at the Sanford Bernstein Strategic Decisions conference, White specifically called out two of the most anticipated features of an Apple television – a superior user interface and a better selection of content - and described them as unrealistic and unimportant to his company’s customers.
You probably hate cable just as much as I hate cable, right? There’s like five shows on this planet that I want to watch, but I have to wait around for them to air or record them to my DVR, and I can’t take them with me unless I want to be naughty and download them illegally. Getting video wherever, whenever you want it should be a staple of the 21st century but cable companies aren’t making that easy because they refuse to embrace new technologies like Apple’s AirPlay service.
In a telling interview, Time Warner Cable’s CEO, Glenn Britt, admitted he doesn’t know what the heck AirPlay is, and thinks it’s too hard to get video from your computer to play on your TV.
The latest iTV rumor is hitting the web today as Gene Munster told the crowd at IGNITION: Future of Media that the new Apple Television Set has been in the works for sometime now but should be released next year.
Munster is so certain that the new device is coming that he told everyone to wait before buying a new TV because Apple’s is going to be awesome.
If you felt like your Internet connection briefly died early Monday morning, you were not alone. About 9 am Eastern (6 am PT) many cable Internet customers along the East Coast and stretching down to Texas lost online connections. The glitch hit “most of our service areas,” Time Warner Cable told Twitter users.
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