It's Back: The Apple Television Rumor

Apple TV could be a reality, and not the set-top box that is currently named Apple TV. Rumors of Apple entering the television business have been tossed about for years already, and the latest ones point to an iOS-powered HDTV, perhaps as early as late this year.

The source is a former Apple executive, and his information is that Apple will team with a major OEM to create the HDTVs. According to the source Apple want to "blow Netflix and all those other guys away." It will attempt to do so by embedding both the current Apple TV + iTunes inside television sets themselves.

Still, this sounds a lot like Google TV, doesn't it? Apple made a lot of fun of Google TV when it introduced its own Apple TV. Additionally, Google TV hasn't been exactly selling like hotcakes.

Additionally, television sets are traditionally a high volume, low margin business. There is no lack of competitors, and in addition to Google TV, many manufacturers have their own Internet-connected TVs, as well. It wouldn't seem like a good segment for Apple to enter.

Despite this, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has been quite vocal about the "need" for Apple need to enter the television space. In August of 2010, he predicted that the now current Apple TV could be a stepping stone to a $2,000 all-in-one television. Muster predicted such an Apple television set would generate $2.6 billion in revenue in its first year on the market.