Recent speculation of an Apple TV has gone into overdrive ever since Steve Jobs said he “finally cracked it” in his biography. However, the analyst who tipped the move years ago believes Apple’s foray in the TV market could happen in 3 ways.
Analyst Gene Munster of firm Piper Jaffray first predicted Apple would enter the TV market in 2009 and according to a TechFlash article, envisions the move to happen in one of three ways:
The first requires users to buy an independent box which they’d hook up to their TV. Granted this isn’t a revolution, especially when you consider Google and TiVo already dabble in this market, but Munster believes this is the “easiest and most likely option.”
The second involves a combination of live TV, web-based video services and TV tailored applications.
The third option involves Apple offering monthly subscription packages featuring live TV and content from different providers. Of the three, Munster believes this option is least likely “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 remains confident Apple will release their take on the TV, but he doesn’t think the company will do so to meet any deadlines. Rather, Munster believes Apple will only release such a product when the company believes it can revolutionise the TV industry.
“We believe that Apple only enters mature markets with the goal of revolutionizing them, as it did with the smartphone. Without a revamped TV content solution, we do not think Apple enters the TV market.”
Introducing such a revolution in the TV industry will be a tall order, especially considering rival manufacturers, such as Samsung, LG and Sony, have studied Apple’s smartphone history in an effort to hedge their impact on the TV market.
TV rivals such as Samsung are proactively innovating the age-old television set in an effort to beat Apple to the punch. Samsung’s CES stand showcased Smart TVs with dual-core processors, webcentric software, responsive voice commands and interactive gesture controls. Their efforts were joined by LG and Lenovo who also showcased similar technologies, while Microsoft is expected to be competing in the arena too.
Read: Samsung Get Cocky, Claims Apple TV Is No Threat
Nintendo might have introduced gesture control with its Wii, but Microsoft is the company who turned motion gaming mainstream with their Kinect motion camera and microphone. Intended on being a gaming gimmick, the device broke sale records and earned a Guinness World Record nod for being the Fastest-Selling Consumer Electronics Device at a rate of 8 million units within 60 days (133,333 on average a day.)
Read: Microsoft Transforms Xbox Into TV Central
Microsoft now intend on incorporating a second generation Kinect device into television sets to facilitate motion and voice control. This technology, combined with the company’s recent agreement with 40 entertainment providers, will give Microsoft a leg up against industry TV veterans.
Read: Microsoft’s Kinect VS Apple’s Siri In TV Market
