iTVIf Apple makes good on rumors of an iPhone 5 that universally controls televisions and the fabled iTV, together with the current Apple TV, Cupertino will very quickly become a key player in the television market.
It will be interesting to see what happens with iTV this year. In many ways, the iTV rumors and speculation are not unlike the long-traveled Apple tablet rumors leading up to the iPad. With the iTV, however, there is much less to go on in terms of what it could mean for television viewers. Will it simply be the full hardware version of what Apple TV already provides, or will the iTV experience be more ingenious than that? No one really has a clue, and the rumor mill is truly in the dark as to when the iTV will debut and what it will really be.
In some ways, it could turn out to be a much bigger surprise to Apple enthusiasts than the iPhone 5, which already has a ton of expectations attached to it.
Speaking of the iPhone 5, it too fits into Apple’s possible power move into the world of television. In fact, it could become the new standard in how one controls their television, DVD player, entertainment systems, and even other remote-controlled systems in their homes.
You may have read some stories last week about a curious Apple patent that would enable a handheld device — ostensibly the iPhone and/or iPad — to commandeer any remote-controlled device in your house. And the technological concept behind it is rather audacious. According to Patently Apple:
“In some embodiments, the remote control may include a camera that is configured to capture an image of controlled devices. The image is then processed to find a state of the device. For example, in some embodiments, the image may be processed to determine shapes and/or characters on a television screen. The shapes and characters may be used to determine that the television is displaying content from a particular source. If you think of it, that translates in-part to reading logos on screen from sources such as ABC, NBC or HBO for instance. Other shapes may relate to Apple-specific functions that patent doesn’t reveal at this time.”
Considering that Apple’s patent would require this “smart” remote control to be equipped with cameras and microphones, the assumption here is that it would not be developed into a separate, proprietary device that would have to be purchased separately. Instead, it would be your iPhone, and the software would utilize its camera and mic to be able to co-opt any remote control out there by matching the shape and brand to a massive database that would reside on iCloud.
For as much as this feature would be handy, the real groundbreaking could come from the iPhone’s ability to “watch” television with you, and somehow offer you choices and functionality based on what the iPhone is seeing. Much like the rumors of the 3D camera patent that could show up on the iPhone 5 that would be able to read and interpret things like depth perception and facial expressions, this television-reading feature would imbue the iPhone 5 with a new level of artificial intelligence that could revolutionize mobile computing.
Ad in this way, I foresee Apple quickly dominating — and changing — the way people watch television.
If rumors prove true about iTV, then we’re already headed toward the marginalization — if not the extinction — of broadcast television. Apple could quickly change the nature of television to become virtually all on-demand; television shows and movies will no longer broadcast at a fixed time, but rather will simply “become available.” All that will be left are sporting events and live news coverage.
But for the remaining segment of the market that will stick to traditional broadcasting, the iPhone 5 could come to dominate that segment as well. If the features of this new “universal remote control” are mind-blowing enough, the iPhone 5 could become a hard-core necessity for television junkies.
Just think: by the end of 2012, apple could have iTV, Apple TV, and the iPhone 5 with this newfangled remote control. that’s a pretty wide-ranging product line for a market segment that they have barely yet to penetrate. It may seem like an audacious move, but don’t put it past Apple.
It will be interesting to see what happens with iTV this year. In many ways, the iTV rumors and speculation are not unlike the long-traveled Apple tablet rumors leading up to the iPad. With the iTV, however, there is much less to go on in terms of what it could mean for television viewers. Will it simply be the full hardware version of what Apple TV already provides, or will the iTV experience be more ingenious than that? No one really has a clue, and the rumor mill is truly in the dark as to when the iTV will debut and what it will really be.
In some ways, it could turn out to be a much bigger surprise to Apple enthusiasts than the iPhone 5, which already has a ton of expectations attached to it.
Speaking of the iPhone 5, it too fits into Apple’s possible power move into the world of television. In fact, it could become the new standard in how one controls their television, DVD player, entertainment systems, and even other remote-controlled systems in their homes.
You may have read some stories last week about a curious Apple patent that would enable a handheld device — ostensibly the iPhone and/or iPad — to commandeer any remote-controlled device in your house. And the technological concept behind it is rather audacious. According to Patently Apple:
“In some embodiments, the remote control may include a camera that is configured to capture an image of controlled devices. The image is then processed to find a state of the device. For example, in some embodiments, the image may be processed to determine shapes and/or characters on a television screen. The shapes and characters may be used to determine that the television is displaying content from a particular source. If you think of it, that translates in-part to reading logos on screen from sources such as ABC, NBC or HBO for instance. Other shapes may relate to Apple-specific functions that patent doesn’t reveal at this time.”
Considering that Apple’s patent would require this “smart” remote control to be equipped with cameras and microphones, the assumption here is that it would not be developed into a separate, proprietary device that would have to be purchased separately. Instead, it would be your iPhone, and the software would utilize its camera and mic to be able to co-opt any remote control out there by matching the shape and brand to a massive database that would reside on iCloud.
For as much as this feature would be handy, the real groundbreaking could come from the iPhone’s ability to “watch” television with you, and somehow offer you choices and functionality based on what the iPhone is seeing. Much like the rumors of the 3D camera patent that could show up on the iPhone 5 that would be able to read and interpret things like depth perception and facial expressions, this television-reading feature would imbue the iPhone 5 with a new level of artificial intelligence that could revolutionize mobile computing.
Ad in this way, I foresee Apple quickly dominating — and changing — the way people watch television.
If rumors prove true about iTV, then we’re already headed toward the marginalization — if not the extinction — of broadcast television. Apple could quickly change the nature of television to become virtually all on-demand; television shows and movies will no longer broadcast at a fixed time, but rather will simply “become available.” All that will be left are sporting events and live news coverage.
But for the remaining segment of the market that will stick to traditional broadcasting, the iPhone 5 could come to dominate that segment as well. If the features of this new “universal remote control” are mind-blowing enough, the iPhone 5 could become a hard-core necessity for television junkies.
Just think: by the end of 2012, apple could have iTV, Apple TV, and the iPhone 5 with this newfangled remote control. that’s a pretty wide-ranging product line for a market segment that they have barely yet to penetrate. It may seem like an audacious move, but don’t put it past Apple.
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