Andre Yoskowitz
26 Aug 2012 21:47
According to Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves, the oft-rumored Apple HDTV is not coming anytime soon.
Hargreaves says the source behind his note is Apple executive Eddie Cue. Cue is the Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services.
Reads the note: "Cue reiterated the company's mantra that it will enter markets where it feels it can create great customer experiences and address key problems. The key problems in the television market are the poor quality of the user interface and the forced bundling of pay TV content, in our view. While Apple could almost certainly create a better user interface, Mr. Cue's commentary suggested that this would be an incomplete solution from Apple's perspective unless it could deliver content in a way that is different from the current multichannel pay TV model.
Unfortunately for Apple and for consumers, acquiring rights for traditional broadcast and cable network content outside of the current bundled model is virtually impossible because the content is owned by a relatively small group of companies that have little interest in alternative models for their most valuable content. The differences in regional broadcast content and the lack of scale internationally also create significant hurdles that do not seem possible to cross at this point."
Other reports have claimed the TV is already in production, with an early 2013 release date.