Apple CEO Cook was recently discussing the 2011 sales figures for its Apple TV set-top-box at a Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference. Cook again described the Apple TV device as a hobby but revealed the company sold just under three million units during 2011 according to an article on T3.com.

Cook went on to say that the company “doesn’t do hobbies as a general rule”, and that the set-top-box was the Apple’s way of testing out the TV market. He went on to say that Apple would need something “special” if the company wants to make the TV a “serious category”.

The Apple CEO went on to explain why the company calls the Apple TV a hobby, as it is not thought the Apple TV can achieve the market size of other parts of the company’s business. Cook feels that Apple could discover something that was bigger, and that its move into the sector “could go more main-market”.

Rumors surrounding Apple bringing out a branded TV have been increasing in recent months, which ramped up after the recent release of the Steve Jobs biography. A number of screen sizes have been rumored with the company supposedly going shopping for components for the device recently.

There have also been claims that any such device from Apple could feature the Siri assistant feature currently only found on the iPhone 4S. As with any Apple device if the rumored iTV does exist it is likely to come with a premium price, and it will have to raise the bar if consumers are to spend big amounts on it.

Do you think Apple will need to offer something special with a TV set?

However, Apple may run into one major stumbling block if they end up calling their product iTV. It has been noted before, but there is the little matter of a major broadcasting network in the UK which also goes by the name of ITV.

Reports are suggesting this week that ITV has actually sent a letter to Apple warning them not to use the iTV name for their product, but there is no official information regarding this claim and the CEO of ITV Adam Crozier has quickly come out and distanced his company from the alleged letter.

Will Apple have their way though regardless of if ITV the television company were first to the party? We could actually see a scenario where Apple may go all out and just put in an offer to buy out ITV in order to secure the precious iTV name which would suit their product perfectly – it’s not like the company are short of money these days is it?

Don’t forget that Apple already has a product called ‘Apple TV’ as well, so really if it doesn’t end up being called iTV, what else could it be? iTV is the name that is most likely going to be unveiled later this year, and the reason that we haven’t seen it yet could well be due to behind the scenes negotiations between Apple and ITV.

As for the iTV itself, an additional report is claiming that Canadian carriers Rogers and Bell are already in possession of Apple iTV units and that the device will come equipped with integrated Siri software for voice commands, as well as further navigation capabilities via the use of hand gestures. If the details are accurate and the likes of Rogers and Bell already have the product in their labs, does that mean the same can be said for both Verizon and AT&T as well?

Going back to the ‘i’ dispute though, what are your thoughts on it? Do you think ITV the network are powerless to stop Apple from claiming the name, or should Apple try to rename their product out of respect? One company that is probably paying close attention to this is the BBC, as their iPlayer software may be next for Apple’s taking.

Retailer Best Buy has reportedly been sending out surveys to its customers seeking feedback on potential new products. This is something that many major retailers do on a regular basis, but this time round as The Verge is reporting this latest one was asking about an Apple HDTV.

It was asking customers how they felt about the device based on some proposed promotional material, which included “Apple finally reinvents what a TV can do”. It was also saying that it will come running iOS and will support iCloud, and users will be able to control it with an iPad or iPhone. Users would also have access to the likes of Netflix, Flickr, and YouTube.

According to the Best Buy survey it says the device will feature an iSight camera, which hasn’t been used by Apple for a while now. It will also come ready for Skype, which would be surprising considering Apple’s FaceTime feature. Now interestingly the retailer has the proposed device priced at $1,499 for a 42-inch model, which is quite a lot dearer than rival models from established TV manufacturers.

The survey has been carried out by a Norwegian research company that has been previously known to have Best Buy as a customer. The survey could just be based on the numerous speculation circulating around the internet, but it could be some clever marketing by Apple to gauge how the consumer would take to such a device and how much they would be willing to pay for it.

Would you pay $1,499 for a 42-inch HDTV from Apple?

It is being claimed that Apple has been in touch with at least one major supplier in the Asian region, which is about purchasing components for a TV display. The claims are coming from an analyst for Piper Jaffray, Gene Munster, who claims to have spoken with a “major TV Component supplier”. According to AppleInsider sources from the company claim that Apple were inquiring about the capabilities of the TV components.

Munster feels this is further evidence that Apple are looking into the production of their own branded TV set. These are not the first claims by the analyst about an Apple HDTV with claims of previous meetings taking place last year. The company feels Apple may release a TV by the end of this year, but this could slip as the company has experienced issues securing licenses for content.

There have been some suggestions on how Apple can work round this with the unit simply managing existing content from a unified interface. Or it may utilize services from the likes of Netflix and Hulu, but this would be surprising knowing how Apple likes to offer content on its other platforms. Munster also suggested that Apple could offer subscriptions via an “a-la-cart basis” for packages from various content providers.

Previously it has been claimed that Apple were looking for a device that allowed a feature for users to customize channel lineups. Piper Jaffray estimates that if the device did hit the market this year, Apple could achieve sales of 1.4million out of the proposed 106 million Smart TVs sold this year. Munster pointed out that Apple only enters established markets to basically reinvent them, and wouldn’t enter the TV market without a different “TV content solution”.

Do you think Apple will reinvent the HDTV?

As with any rumors about an Apple product they may not be 100 percent accurate, but do usually at least point us in the right direction with what Apple may be planning. A report is claiming that Apple’s head of design, Jonathan Ive, has a 50-inch unit sitting in his design studio.

It is also claimed that the company is looking to build LCD TVs that start from 42-inches in size and have built-in Wi-Fi functionality. This goes against earlier reports suggesting Apple were going to make smaller sized screens before eventually producing larger units.

In a way it does make sense tough as any Apple product is likely to come at a premium price, and consumers won’t want to pay that for a smaller TV. The rumored Apple TV set is also believed to get a “big buzz” at next week’s CES event, even though Apple themselves will not actually be there.

Previous rumors have suggested that Apple plans to use custom built components inside the device just as it does with the iPhone and iPad. It is thought the release of any such device is being held up by licensing deals with content providers, and could cost Apple a quite a lot to secure.

Only yesterday we had talk that Apple could make a bid to show live Premier League football, and could be just a small part in tempting consumers to purchase any new HDTV from the company.

Should Apple only make larger screen TVs?

If you have been keeping an eye on the most frequent Apple rumors, you’ll know that a TV designed by Apple, dubbed the iTV has been the subject of intense speculation ever since Steve Jobs revealed in his biography that he had ‘cracked it’.

On the other hand, Apple are strongly tipped to release their third generation iPad device in 2012 as well, as the iPad 3 could hit the market in the first half of next year before the company switch their attentions to their sixth-generation iPhone, or the iPhone 5 as it more commonly known.

We’ve heard numerous times that the iPad 3 could be available as early as March, but recent information claims that we will not get a preview of the device at the upcoming CES expo which kicks off on January 10th. An article published by Apple Insider cites information from The Loop that previous information suggesting that the iPad 3, along with the Apple HDTV will be shown in January at CES and Macworld are ‘completely false’.

If the reports are true and Apple are still planning to release a new iPad tablet in March, then one possibility that we could be seeing is another of Apple’s media events which will be used to specifically unveil their new product in typical fashion. Our thoughts on this is that it will be surprising if we ‘dont’ see the next iPad in March, given the sheer scale of rumors last year about a new iPad. Once an Apple product is heavily rumored to the extent of what we have seen for the iPad 3, then it is usually a good indication that it is definitely coming. We saw the same thing with the iPhone 4S, and although it didn’t turn out to be the iPhone 5 that many consumers had expected / hoped, it looks like Apple will finally deliver with a true follow-up in Fall 2012.

Are you looking to buy both the iPad 3 and iTV products from Apple, should they become available this year? We’re looking forward to seeing Apple’s take on the traditional TV and what changes they can introduce to make their product stand out from regular TV sets.

According to an article on AppleInsider the supply chain for any such product will start preparing components during the first quarter of 2012, and could be released during the second or third quarters of next year.

As we have reported before the company is looking at a variety of different screen sizes for the device, and would begin by releasing 32 and 37-inch models. Previous rumors have suggested that Apple would offer the 32-inch entry level product, going all the way up to a maximum of 55-inches.

It has been claimed before that Sharp would be providing Apple with the displays for its branded TVs, and Samsung supplying chips to go inside the device. Apple have long been rumored to be entering the TV market, but recently this has intensified after Steve Jobs biography revealed the former CEO claimed to have ‘cracked’ an Apple style TV interface.

Previously claims by Jefferies analyst Peter Misek suggested that Sharp would kick off production of the displays for a release of the finished product around the middle of next year. This comes after recent studies showed many consumers not really bothered about purchasing a Smart TV in the near future.

It has to be remembered though that any Apple product comes at a premium cost, and will have to be something special to convince consumers to part with their cash. Will you consider any TV product that Apple may release?

The device is thought to be called Apple ‘iTV’ and is apparently destined to hit the market either at the end of next year, or in the early part of 2013. The last time we spoke about the device, we told you that Apple’s mystery television could come in a choice of three sizes, with a 55-inch biggest the biggest option available.

Now though, a lot more meaty information has come courtesy of an article published by the Wall Street Journal, who are reporting that Apple’s TV will come with both voice and movement based input. It’s not the first time that we’ve heard of Siri features making their way into Apple’s TV plans, but it is the first time we have heard anything regarding users having the ability to control their TV using just their hands.

Another interesting factor from the source is that one of the main features of the TV is thought to be built-in iCloud support, which will allow users to download and stream television content, as well as movies all from Apple’s iCloud. Users will then be able to save all of their saved programmes or movies to a personal iCloud space, allowing the main TV interface to be kept to a bare minimum without all the endless pages of content.

There’s more too, as we’re also hearing that Airplay will have a significant role to play on iTV as well. By using Airplay on Apple’s TV, users will apparently be able to start watching a movie or programme, and then instantly continue watching on a mobile device. You can imagine that will will become a huge feature if true, especially if it allows users to access this content away from home.

Considering that this information has come from the WSJ, it is pretty exciting since the publication are often very accurate when it comes to reporting on rumors. Let us know your thoughts on the possibility of changing channels or browsing an Apple TV interface by using your hands only. Would this change everything for you?

According to a new survey only fifteen percent of the UK population is thinking of purchasing a Smart TV in the next year. Macworld are reporting that although Apple products remain popular, a TV could struggle with such low demands for the technology.

It has been well reported that former Apple CEO Steve Jobs had said he had “finally cracked it” with regards to the TV market. But except from dedicated Apple fans many consumers will probably give the device a miss, as data from YouGov has shown that only 1 in 10 people own a Smart TV.

There have been numerous rumors that any device from Apple will feature the Siri voice control feature that debuted on the iPhone 4S. It has also been claimed that any such device from Apple will be the simplest TVs to control. One feature that many consumers may find appealing though is any social TV app.

This could allow owners to view programs simultaneously with friends, and be able to share and comment on the content via Facebook or Twitter. According to the same survey sixty percent of the UK population use Facebook every day, so this feature could prove to be appealing to many.

It has to be remembered though that many may not be planning on getting a Smart TV due to not having the money, or may have only just upgraded to a new HDTV. Do you plan to get a Smart TV in the future?

The last we heard on the Apple TV rumors, is that the device could hit the market as early as within 12 months, but now we have details on Sharp being a potential component supplier for Apple, and the possibility of Apple offering three screen sizes for consumers.

The information has surfaced from Pocket-Lint, who cite sources coming out of Japan as noted by Smartwatch, that two of the sizes available will be a 33-inch Apple TV and a more luxurious 55-incher. Further information reveals that Sharp could be using IGZO screen technology for Apple’s TV sets which is thought to be similar to the current OLED standard.

As for software features, you can expect many of today’s current iOS features to be bundled with the television set, which includes Apple’s new Siri voice technology which we understand will make up a core part of Apple’s strategy for their iTV or whatever the product will end up being called. You can also expect to see a very simple interface according to the visions of Steve Jobs, as he promised Apple’s TV product will ‘have the simplest user interface you could ever imagine’.

Will customers take to a television from Apple though? Considering that every other product so far with the Steve Jobs midas touch has turned to gold, we expect this to be another hit with consumers. Let’s hope that the 12 month release prediction is accurate too, meaning that we can all look forward to seeing these on shelves before the end of 2012.

Would you buy a new TV from Apple if the price is right? Do you welcome the idea of Sharp providing the display screen components?