When facing a slow news day, there's always time to turn our attention to the bold claims of an industry analyst.
Today, we're turning to Gene Muster of Piper Jaffray who claims that Apple is planning to do a whole lot more with its TV products. According to Muster, Apple will begin by revamping its Apple TV set-top box. The 2007 device has thus far failed to gather a massive interest among TV viewers, and it remains something of a niche product.
However, despite the fact that many from the industry have attempted and failed to make the TV the focal point of their hardware ecosystem, Muster claims Apple will try again with the launch of a second-gen set-top box armed with a digital tuner and DVR functionality. That'll be joined by a TV subscription service providing unlimited access to on-demand TV shows from Apple's iTunes for a monthly fee.
All that could be happening soon, if this analyst's information is anything to go by, and in 2011 it'll culminate in the launch of an Apple-branded TV set. According to Munster, Apple's own TV will attempt to integrate the functionality of the Apple TV set-top box directly into the display, providing DVR services and direct access to movies, music and TV shows from iTunes. He also suggests that the tele would sync wirelessly with Apple's existing devices - including iPods, iPhones and Macs.
It all sounds a bit far fetched, but if digital distribution is the way forward, Apple might be hoping to get in the driving seat with a one-stop do-it-all TV.
