While we’re almost certain Apple is working on its own television set, when it will launch is a complete mystery. Initially it seemed the set could make its debut before the end of 2012, and then reports pushed the release date back until 2013. Now according to a new analyst report, it’s unlikely won’t be adding an Apple HDTV to your credit card bill any time soon.

Why? Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services Eddy Cue has reportedly indicated to analysts that there’s still a lot of work to be done with content providers.

When Steve Jobs brought John Sculley over to Apple as the new CEO in 1983, he wasn’t really known as a product visionary, but he was one of the best marketing guys on the planet.  He knows how companies can capture a bigger marketshare for themselves, and he thinks that Apple is ready to pounce all over the TV market.

In a recent interview, the ex-CEO explained that Apple has the best chance of any company to take control of consumers’ living rooms, stating it’s “Apple’s game to lose.”

In a series of tweets summarizing a new (and still unpublished on the Internet) report by Jefferies, Apple’s forthcoming HDTV is said to already be in full production, and will be sold with a carrier subsidy from AT&T and Verizon. They estimate that two million will be sold in 2013.

Yesterday The Wall Street Journal shed some light on Apple’s future plans for the TV, noting that the company was in talks with cable providers to offer live broadcasts through an Apple set-top box. The report also alluded to the possibility of an Apple-branded HDTV.

Tonight The Journal published a follow-up report that adds more details to yesterday’s story, including the not-so-surprising revelation that Apple wants to greatly simplify the overall TV viewing experience.

The iPhone 5 and iPad mini sections of the rumor mill have been churning nonstop as of late, but there hasn’t been any rumors surrounding the future of the Apple TV for quite some time.

Today a report sheds more light on the future of the Apple TV by noting that Apple is in talks with major cable providers to stream live television to a set-top box.

It seems that making your latest product look exactly like the market leader isn’t always the fastest route to success. As Samsung found when it aired its first commercial for the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the device is so similar to the iPad that half of TV viewers thought it was an Apple product. Only 16% realized it was made by Samsung.

Hulu Plus has long been a curious omission on the Apple TV’s list of channels, but it now appears that Apple has quietly added it this morning to its supported steaming services. If you don’t see it, try rebooting your Apple TV. About time!

Source: Macrumors

Apple CEO TIm Cook announced some interesting numbers during today’s Q3 earnings call. Apple’s “hobby” the Apple TV, sold a surprising 1.3M units just last quarter, totaling 4M so far this fiscal year.

With all this growth, Apple is still calling the Apple TV a hobby, although Tim Cook hinted at future plans, saying that Apple will “continue to pull the string and see where it takes them.”

Apple has stuck in the Apple TV game for quite a while, and it looks like it is starting to finally pay off for them.

Whenever the Apple HDTV comes out, it’s going to need an array of slick media content partnerships to get off the ground. That’s one reason why Tim Cook might have been hobnobbing with Hollywood executives at a recent media conference, but these deals are tricky to strike, and take time.

According to analysts, that’s why the Apple HDTV might not launch until 2014… and when it does, it will be a U.S.-only launch.

Having been spoiled by Retina displays since the iPhone 4 was launched back in 2010, it’s slightly disappointing when Apple releases a new product that doesn’t have one these days. But there won’t be any disappointment with the upcoming Apple HDTV, according to one expert.

DisplayMate CEO Dr. Ray Soneira firmly believes that the Cupertino company’s much-anticipated set will feature a Retina display, just like all “premium” Apple products in the future. Not just because it’s incredible technology, but also because Apple wants to be consistent.