The Apple TV, in the big bad world of set-top boxes, is somewhat limited in terms of what it can offer a user, and although the fruit company is continually updating the software and striking deals with various big providers, there's still a strong consensus that in order to get the most out of the little black box, you're best off jailbreaking.
Apple TV may not be the all-singing assault on the television market as envisioned by the late Steve Jobs, but far from treating it like the "hobby" as once described by CEO Tim Cook, the Cupertino company is pressing ahead with updates. Today, Apple TV software 5.3 has been released for the second and third generation iterations of the little black set-top box, and now, users will be able to catch content from HBO and ESPN right from the Apple TV, negating the need for any kind of direct cable subscription. Details after the break!
The talk of Apple releasing its own television set never seems to cease, and according to a report from the famously hit-and-miss Digitimes, the Cupertino may be plotting an Ultra High-Definition, 4K resolution effort. The report has cited unidentified supply chain sources in stating that Apple is planning a TV set boasting a resolution of 3840 x 2160 - a mighty step-up from the current, 1080p HD displays in the majority of households. It will be the company's first connected TV set, and the Digitimes report also goes on to suggest that voice and motion control will be supported.
Apple today has released a new firmware update for Apple TV. The set-top box has seen its software bumped to version 5.2.1, and as well as a bunch of the customary bug fixes, there have also been significant enhancements made to the Hulu Plus interface for 5.2.x firmware users.
Apple may be set to focus on the Apple TV set top box once more, with the news the company is asking engineers to apply for a new role within the team that works on the little slab of loveliness.
The Apple TV has enjoyed a moderate amount of success hitherto, but with Tim Cook famously labeling the device a mere hobby in his day as the Cupertino's COO, it has always been felt a more noteworthy assault on the lucrative market would be forthcoming. Speculation concerning the future of Apple TV has been an almost ongoing debate, but this week, it has become an even hotter topic than usual. Just days ago, Xbox engineer Nat Brown stated his belief that an Apple TV opening itself up to third party apps could be a significant threat to traditional console gaming, and TechCrunch's MG Siegler cites multiple sources suggesting this may be the case later this year.
For the last year or so, many have been wondering when Apple would open up its set-top box, known as the Apple TV, to developers for third-party apps. At the same time, excitement about a major upgrade to the iPhone has already started. An analyst from Jeffries has answers from both of these questions based on “channel checks”.
In the middle of all the current rumors, conjecture and speculation surrounding Apple hardware, it is perhaps the future of the company's so-called hobby project that is managing to capture most of the immediate attention. The little black box has never been one of Apple's highest revenue generating creations, but has been consistently improving on its sales figures, numbers that are only set to continue to rise amid speculation of a new smaller model being introduced and the potential of additional apps being introduced during the year.
If you pay attention to the official murmurings within Apple, then they will still swear that the Apple TV unit is merely a hobby to the company that doesn't detract focus from more important products like the iPhone and iPad. However, unofficially speaking, it seems that Apple are paying a lot more attention to the little black puck set-top box, something that will become more evident when the next software update goes public, thanks to the addition of the Bluetooth support that we have been expecting to see for quite some time.
As a company, Apple is extremely well-known for creating the fantastic OS X powered Mac, the iPhone, iPad and a number of other extremely popular mobile devices. Although those products have been, and will continue to be, extremely successful around the globe, there has been intense speculation over the last twelve months that Apple will breach their comfort zone and extend their portfolio by manufacturing an actual physical television set. Although there hasn't been any concrete evidence or nods of approval from Apple itself, a recent NBC News interview with Tim Cook could be the source of the biggest hint to date.
