SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Apple won't be releasing a new TV product in 2012 as anticipated, as its talks with media and cable companies stalk, U.S. media reported on Thursday.
Tussle for control over the software that determines the product's screen interface is one of the main obstacles in Apple's recent negotiations with cable companies, Bloomberg said in a report, citing people familiar with the discussions.
Apple and the cable companies have also diverged on whether a new Apple TV set-top box should be sold directly to customers or leased through cable providers.
Apple's television effort so far has been limited to Apple TV, a set-top box that streams movies, shows and other content from the Web. Unlike set-top devices from cable providers, it doesn't deliver live broadcasts or record shows.
Since 2005, Apple's engineers have been working on a more advanced product to allow viewers to quickly find shows and movies, blending both live and recorded material, according to the Bloomberg report.
In some of its most recent negotiations, Apple has focused on cable companies that would give it access to live broadcasting without needing new content agreements.
But people familiar with Apple's television efforts said cable and media companies are concerned that a better-designed Apple product will undermine their business model, and cause cable companies to lose their link to customers.
Apple is competing with technology giants including Google, Microsoft and Amazon to make TVs the digital hub of people's lives, in an industry expected to reach 200 billion U.S. dollars worldwide by 2017.
The ability to hammer out deals with media companies or cable providers will determine who will win the fight for a presence in people's living room, the Bloomberg report noted.
|
