Apple reportedly talking with Comcast about streaming-TV service

The never-ending rumors surrounding a possible Apple smart TV are likely to ramp up once again in the wake of a report that Apple is in talks with major U.S. cable provider Comcast to create a streaming TV service According to the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, the service would include an Apple set-top box that would allow for special access on Comcast’s backend equipment, thus bypassing typical Internet congestion.

Apple Inc. AAPL +0.79% is in talks with Comcast Corp. CMCSA -1.20% about teaming up for a streaming-television service that would use an Apple set-top box and get special treatment on Comcast’s cables to ensure it bypasses congestion on the Web, people familiar with the matter say. The discussions between the world’s most valuable company and the nation’s largest cable provider are still in early stages and many hurdles remain. But the deal, if sealed, would mark a new level of cooperation and integration between a technology company and a cable provider to modernize TV viewing.