Could Apple TV be a Contender?
The Apple revolution is coming.
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This just in from CSNBC: “After months of speculation that Apple (AAPL) will upend the TV business, allowing consumers to ‘cut the cord’ and buy TV channels a la carte, the latest word is that Apple will not threaten cable operators and their media giant partners. (Related Link: Ready for Apple TV?)”
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Apple is currently in dialogue with major cable television providers to adapt the Apple TV device into a a fully-loaded set-top box. Apple would be entering a $40 Billion industry which undoubtedly has potential competitors, Comcast and DirecTV, shuddering at the thought.
Apple Inc. CEO, Tim Cook, stated during the company’s 3rd quarter earnings call, last month, that the Apple TV “will lead [Apple] somewhere,” reports the Wall Street Journal.
Apple’s timing is ideal.
Come September, revenue will be pouring in from iPhone 5 sales and that means more money for research, development and deal-making! If Apple can provide a set-top box that is controlled by voice command (Siri) and has access to all of our favorite channels then I see a new contender fighting their way into the television ring – and that contender is invigorated by the spirit of Steve Jobs and his last Apple prerogative.
This also comes at an inopportune time for Apple’s future competitor, DirecTV. DirecTV and Viacom recently settled contract disputes and the argument left a sour taste in many DirecTV users (including me). Viacom temporarily shut off Comedy Central, Nickelodeon MTV and a slew of other channels to settle a stalemate with DirecTV. My roommates and I were all but ready to ditch DTV for something better but we had few options. Soon we will have a new option and I believe us young tech-lovers will be making the switch.
Grant LaCorte
