Canadian Companies May Have Early Apple TV Prototypes

New reports about an Apple HDTV are coming in every day, including this new one that suggests that Apple is currently talking to Rogers Communications Incorporated and Bell Canada Enterprises (both located in Canada) about a possible TV deal. These talks are so serious, in fact, that both Bell and Rogers reportedly have a prototype of Apple's TV in their development labs right now, that is if reports from Canada's biggest national newspaper The Globe and Mail are correct.

Both companies offer wireless, internet, home phone and TV services in Canada and both companies also own a lot of different Canadian television brands. All of these services may also be vital for Apple to get its TV into physical form. According to a statement from an anonymous source to The Globe and Mail, "They're looking for a partner...with wireless and broadband capabilities."

However, the report fails to mention any type of content plans from Apple for its new TV, like whether or not the set would exclusively offer online streaming content or include connections for standard cable or satellite TV. Apple may be looking for a partner with cable providers to make sure that the TV works with broadcast television services from major providers without any problems. But you never know with secretive Apple. The partnership could go farther down the rabbit hole to a place where Apple's hardware is sold exclusively through your cable or internet service provider.

Aside from the two Canadian companies, there haven't been any reports of American cable providers working this closely with an Apple TV. USA Today did report back in January that the company was having some trouble securing content deals for an Apple TV with American content providers. CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves also hinted during an earnings call that CBS had decided against "joining Apple TV."

Apple TV rumors took off after the death of former Apple CEO and Co-Founder Steve Jobs when Walter Isaacson released Steve Jobs' autobiography. In the book, Jobs was quoted saying "I finally cracked it," referring to solving the problem of a user-friendly TV interface. Right after the book was published, the New York Times claimed that Apple was planning a TV that had voice commands ala Siri and could ship as early as 2013. But for now, everything is all rumor.

Source: PC World - Apple's Expected Television Set May Be in TV Makers' Hands

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Sony Selling Share of Joint LCD Panel Company to Samsung

Sony just announced on Monday that it plans on selling its entire stake in a single LCD manufacturing joint venture with Samsung for a measly $934 million. The two companies negotiated and signed a contract that will have Samsung turn the company, known as S-LCD, into a fully-owned subsidiary that will provide panels for Sony TVs, among other technologies. The manufacturing company was established by Sony and Samsung in April of 2004 with Sony owning a little less than 50%.

This acquisition comes at a point when Sony faces extreme losses in its television market and also faces lots of inquiries about whether or not it can revive the business that was once at the company's core. Sony announced back in November that it expected to lose more than $1 billion in the current fiscal year through April, even though it is currently recalculating that number in lieu of the recent sale.

According to a Sony press release, "This deal will allow Sony to acquire LCD panels from Samsung Electronics in a stable way based on market prices, without the responsibility or costs that come with operating a factory."

Like so many other companies, Sony has struggled to find profit in the LCD market, despite the fact that executives have claimed that they will not abandon the product. The newest plan by Sony calls for a shift to focus on profitability as opposed to the number of units sold while also shifting to acquiring panels from other manufacturers.

Sony has also announced that it is focused on a "four-screen strategy". This strategy is said to offer content and interconnect smartphones, tablets, laptops and other portable devices, as well as televisions. The company announced back in October that it would acquire Ericsson's 50% stake in their Sony Ericsson mobile phone partnership, which would allow the company to better integrate smartphones into its overall product lineup.

Source: PC World - Samsung to Buy Sony's Share of LCD Panel Joint Company for $934 Million

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Apple Eyeing 5% Market Share in HDTV Industry

The HDTV market is rich with competition but is still dominated by names like Sony, Panasonic, Sharp and Samsung. However, that may all be coming to an end if Apple decides to throw its hat in the ring with an Apple TV. If this predictions truly comes to fruition, it is expected that Apple will make a significant mark in the industry.

Ben A. Reitzes, an analyst for Barclays Capital, has envisioned a world where an Apple TV in the HDTV market could net almost $17 billion in revenue in its first year and climb all the way to the point of controlling 5% of the market share. In a statement from Reitzes, "Apple's eventual television could be so much more than a TV - including gaming, video, communication, content delivery, apps, computing and all the capabilities of the current Apple TV - it is not really fair to compare it to products already available on the market."

A while back, Apple bragged that it could get 1% of the entire cell phone market. Many people found this statement amusing, never believing that Apple would ever achieve such a high expectation. Fast forward to today and those naysayers are pretty quiet as Apple has clearly dominated the smartphone market for the past five years.

That's why not many people are finding the idea of Apple having a 5% market share in the HDTV industry that surprising. The Cupertino giant has already shown that it is capable of lighting a fire under the most dull, rigid and inflexible markets so doing the same to the HDTV industry shouldn't be that hard.

It has already been reported that Apple has approached Rogers and Bell, two Canadian carriers, to integrate their services with iTV. Full details on that partnership are, of course, extremely secretive so we probably won't be getting any new information for quite some time. However, it does go to show you just how innovative Apple can be. Many people believe that we will be seeing an Apple HDTV on the market by the end of this year, provided we live that long.

Source: TG Daily - Apple could take 5% of HDTV market

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Will Apple Release a TV Set in 2012?

Apple has been wildly successful with pretty much everything that they have released recently, so do you believe that an Apple TV set could be a piece of technology that we see in the near future?

On Tuesday, January 31 Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster stated that he believes that Apple is currently targeting a TV set that they would launch sometime in late 2012.

"We are confident that Apple will enter the connected TV market, but timing remains uncertain," he wrote. "More specifically, the hardware could be ready quickly, but the timing and scope of a revamped TV content solution is unclear."

Munster claimed he had talked to a major TV component supplier that told him that Apple had contacted them “regarding various capabilities of their television display components." This report comes shortly after another report was released claiming that Apple was highly interested in a TV set. In September an Asian supplier told Piper Jaffray that a prototype of an Apple TV was in the works.

“We believe that Apple only enters mature markets with the goal of revolutionizing them, as it did with the smartphone," Munster wrote.

"In television we see an opportunity for Apple to reinvent how consumers discover and enjoy video on their TVs and mobile devices (live TV, previously aired shows, movies, user generated content, etc.)," he continued. "Without a revamped TV content solution, we do not think Apple enters the TV market. Since we know Apple is exploring television hardware, we are therefore led to conclude that the company is exploring a solution for live TV, and this solution could be one that has not yet been taken mainstream."

Munster went on to say that he believes that there are three scenarios that Apple could choose from when it comes to its TV plans: partner with cable companies, offer access via broadcast TV or an Internet-based source, or secure a license that would allow them to offer a monthly subscription service.

Of course, the simplest of the three options would be the first. However, "while this would be the easiest and most likely option, it would also be the least revolutionary," Munster wrote.

The second option would be a “broadcast/Web-based hybrid.” According to Munster, "Apple could then leverage a new App Store for the Apple Television to supplement the basic live TV features with Netflix, Hulu Plus, or any content provider that chooses to build an app for the television. In this instance, Apple would also likely continue to offer its iTunes movie and TV content through the iTunes store to the Apple Television."

The third option would definitely be the most difficult because Apple would become the manufacturer as well as the provider. This option would take plenty of work because getting a license can be very difficult.

"Such an offering would be unlikely given existing licensing arrangements between content providers and service providers as well as the fact that it lies outside of Apple's core competencies, even in media," Munster said.

One thing that Munster said was very important was the availability of the App Store on the TV. "Apple's strong iOS developer community would likely jump at the chance to build apps for an Apple Television, and Apple's iOS users would likely jump at the chance to buy one," Munster said.

Source: PCMag – Analyst Predicts Apple TV Set in Late 2012

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Goodbye 16:9 Aspect Ratio and Hello 21:9!

I think it's safe to say that we have all determined that wide screen television viewing is head over heels better than how we used to watch tv (back when your screen looked like a bubble). However, future HDTVs may have a viewing style that is even wider than our current widescreen format. HDTVs of today have a more rectangular 16 x 9 shape, though a wider 21 x 9 display standard is said to be in the making and was announced at the Consumer Electronics Association, or CEA.

Vizio's upcoming 58" 3D LED CinemaWide display is believed to be the very first television in production that will feature the new 21 x 9 shape. The device isn't set to be released until March for a retail price of $3,499.99 and will come with a total of four pairs of 3D glasses.

In addition to the 58" device, Vizio is planning a 70" and a 50" model as well set to be released in the second half of 2012. CinemaWide HDTVs allow movies shot in the cinema standard 16 x 9 aspect ratio to be automatically re-sized to the 21 x 9 ratio display without any black bars on the top or bottom. In addition to movies, other 16 x 9 content can be scaled up also.

The CinemaWide devices also allow users to use Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Yahoo TV and other apps on the left side of the screen while the full 16 x 9 video fills the rest of the screen.

According to a statement from Vizio's Vice President John Schindler, "We wanted to give consumers a good choice to watch movies and standard TV while you use the internet. This also offers a new look and feel for prospective TV buyers [that are] looking for something more modern in their homes." The CEA is currently in the process of developing a standard that would allow 21 x 9 content to be transferred via HDMI cables as well.

The TVs that Vizio is creating have built-in technology that would allow them to function without the CEA having to update the standard for HDMI cables. According to Schindler, "We really want to lead the charge." Ultra-wide video is also "closer to a cinematic experience," according to Vice President of Technology and Standards at The Industry Trade Group Brian Markwalter. Markwalter also added, "That is the aesthetic to it - to get the more sweeping panorama."

Source: USA Today - New Vizio HDTV breaks widescreen barrier for movies, apps

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Lenovo Unveils Android 4.0 HDTV at CES 2012

Companies are really starting to make waves in terms of computer monitors and televisions. People flipped out when they announced LED TVs and went crazy over Google TV but now there is something even greater to drool over, Android 4.0 TV. That's right, Lenovo has officially unveiled its first generation Idea TV, a 55" HDTV that has comes with Android's Ice Cream Sandwich.

Reports are coming in from all over about the device which is on display at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show right now. The device is a full 1080p HD television that centers around an Android-based home screen, dubbed by Lenovo as the "Sandwich Screen". From here you use a touchpad located on the TV's remote to navigate between a standard TV feed, a video-on-demand screen and an apps screen with all of the video-on-demand content streamed via Lenovo's servers directly to the television.

Lots of reports are complimenting the device's smooth operation, especially compared to remote-based interfaces out there. In addition to that smooth operation, the 1.5GHz processor in the television makes switching between things very quick. Also, moving between the home screen, video-on-demand screen and apps screen is also very quick and precise.

Lenovo also noted that the Idea TV will also allow you to stream content wirelessly from your tablet, smartphone, laptop, desktop or any other device in your house or from 200GB of cloud storage that Lenovo is also throwing in with the Idea TV. Overall, reports are saying that the television handles like you would want it to and that everything runs smoothly and quickly, allowing for easy and enjoyable transitioning between medias.

The only real problem with the Idea TV is that Lenovo will only be releasing the first generation model in China. It is still unclear as to whether or not this device would actually succeed on the market, but if it does well in China, you can expect Lenovo to start branching out the second generation Idea TV to an extended customer market.

Source: Gizmodo - Eyes On Lenovo's 55-Inch Idea Android HDTV: It Might Make You Want to Move to China

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FedEx Driver Tosses Computer Monitor Over Fence

I'm sure you have all heard the story by now. A man orders a computer monitor and has it delivered to his house by FedEx, only for the delivery man to carelessly pitch the extremely fragile piece of equipment over the customer's fence like it was a piece of trash. That's right, this driver, whom the customer had no choice but to trust with his package, just tosses the monitor right over the fence.

The video, which made its way around YouTube like wildfire, claims to be surveillance footage from the owner's house that captures the FedEx driver tossing the monitor. The poster of the video wrote, "Here is a video of my monitor being 'delivered'. The sad part is that I was home at the time with the front door wide open. All he had to do was ring the bell on the gate. Now I have to return my monitor since it is broken."

News of this obviously reached the heads of FedEx, especially after every single news station in the country was reporting on it and blasting the video all over t.v., and needless to say, they weren't happy with what they saw. The video itself has nearly 8 million views on YouTube and as for the driver, well, a FedEx spokeswoman put it lightly saying, "This won't be his best day."

I think the fact that the customer's door was wide open is the worst part. I mean, how lazy does the driver have to be if he won't even ring a bell and wait a few seconds for an answer? Oh, and this may be just me but it looks like the security camera is in plain view. I mean, did he not see it directly next to his face? Regardless, this is definitely not the proper way to deliver any package, let alone an expensive, breakable computer monitor. Thankfully, FedEx shipped another one to the customer, completely free of charge, and apologized immensely for the behavior of the driver. The video of the incident is below.



Source: CNET - Computer monitor tossed over fence by FedEx man

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