Apple’s predicted move into the world of television seems to be hitting roadblocks at every turn. Despite the hope that the company would be releasing a new, much more powerful version of the Apple TV box this year, word today is that’s not going to happen. Apple’s negotiations with cable companies are at the heart of it, but that’s not the only problem.
Currently, Apple offers a basic device known as Apple TV that allows users to stream content much like a Roku or other similar device. It doesn’t allow any recording or watching of live broadcasts, and that is where Apple has its sights set. They’ve been working on it since the middle of the last decade, according to Bloomberg, and analysts had predicted we’d see a result on the market in 2012. Not so, apparently. Apple can’t really do anything new or innovative without the cooperation of a major cable provider.
What they’re looking to do is integrate television in the same way that iTunes integrated music, with an Apple device. Recently, it was rumored to be a set-top box similar to the TiVo, but that would be connected directly with a cable service provider, allowing deeper integration and a smoother user experience. Word is that Apple is getting the furthest in negotiations with Time Warner Cable, but even that isn’t going very far.
At the moment, the majority of people have a set-top box they rent from the cable company which handles all of their television viewing as well as DVR capabilities. Some may also use TiVo as a DVR. Apple would like to unite streaming, broadcast and DVR functions in their own system, but the cable companies aren’t so sure it’s a good idea. Apple is also apparently running into problems with the question of whether their new box would be sold directly to the public or leased through the cable company.
The bottom line is that for now, there’s no big upset in television viewing headed our way with the Apple logo on it. Will Apple pull it off eventually? If any company can, it’s likely Apple – but they have some stiff competition in an ever-changing television viewing world.
