Apple in talks with cable companies to develop a TV set top box

[oilyfan]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-0...t-top-box.html

Customers would be able to use an Apple-designed device to access their set of channels instead of leasing a set-top box from cable companies for a monthly fee, said the person, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. No deal has been reached, the person said.

An agreement would mark the iPhone maker’s biggest foray into TV after years of calling it a “hobby.” The company’s $99 Apple TV product doesn’t carry live network broadcasting and is mainly used for downloading movies and shows from the iTunes media store or streaming content from such services as Netflix Inc. (NFLX) and Google Inc.’s YouTube.

I think this will be pretty cool, a convergence of the existing Apple TV and the TV hardware will make it a pretty cool device. Who knows if the cable co's will go for it, they are already not happy with Apple taking away VOD revenue from them.

[Azure]

Don't get it why they just don't buy all the cable companies.

[oilyfan]

I know, they should.

Apple cash on hand: $105 Billion

Cableco Mkt. Cap
Comcast $91 Billion

or buy all the canadian cable/satellite companies
Quebecor $2 Billion
Shaw $8 Billion
Rogers $20 Billion
Telus $20 Billion
Bell (BCE) $35 Billion

[burn_this_city]

Why buy a company you can steam roll into oblivion? If they can offer channel by channel selection to consumers they will destroy the cable industry.

[oilyfan]

Apple still has to find a way to connect to the consumer in the home, it relies on the middleman (cableco or telco) to get to the consumer. And data caps and other restrictions have have hampered Apple to a degree, if it bought a cableco or telco it gets direct access to the consumer and bob's you uncle!

Of course they might not want to do that because they are making enough money just doing what they are doing without the headache of dealing with infrastructure problems.

[oilyfan]

Some more info:

Apple Inc.'s vision for a new device that can be used as a set-top box includes features designed to simplify accessing and viewing programming and erase the distinction between live and on-demand content, people briefed on Apple's plans said.

Plenty of hurdles remain. Apple doesn't appear to have any deals with operators to sell the device and getting them on board is likely to be challenging. The relationship between Apple, cable companies and content owners remains tense. Apple has tried repeatedly over the past few years to persuade entertainment companies to grant it rights for various kinds of TV offerings, with limited success.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/...jAxODY3Wj.html

[Flash Walken]

Apple is in for a technological rude awakening if they continue to push for these monopolistic controls (see e-book price fixing thread, Samsung Lawsuit thread).