Apple wants to take another crack at the living room market before it launches its own branded TV set.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, which cited “people familiar with the matter,” Apple is working on a set-top box device that will allow users to stream live TV.
So the idea is that instead of hooking up your cable box to your TV, you’d hook up this new Apple gadget. It’s unclear how far along the development process is, though, and the company seems to have been unable to strike content deals with any cable or satellite operator.
It highlights a problem that Apple is very green in this market, even though it is expected to reveal its TV later this year or early 2013.
The upcoming TV, which is rumored to offer unparalleled wireless connectivity, seamless integration with other Apple devices, and potentially a Siri-esque voice command in place of a traditional remote control, has been the subject of many rumors over the last few months.
The idea of creating the smartest of smart TVs was apparently a pet project of the late CEO Steve Jobs up until his final days. That vision is expected to become reality by the end of the year.
It was previously reported that Sharp would produce the actual panels for the TV. The continued rumors of new supply manufacturers suggests progress in the production of the iTV is coming along nicely.
The Apple TV was Apple’s previous attempt at entering the living room, but it has largely been a flop due to the mere fact that people don’t like the idea of dedicated set-top boxes anymore. Not in a world where increasing amounts of software is built into the TV itself, or some other staple component like game consoles or Blu-ray players.
