One of the more overlooked aspects of the proposed Comcast-Time Warner cable merger announced last week was how it would impact Apple’s plans for Apple TV. After all, right before the merger was announced, Apple was planning to unveil a major refresh to Apple TV in April and that it was working on a deal with Time Warner Cable to deliver content over its next-generation set-top box. However, now that Time Warner Cable is in the midst of getting bought up by Comcast, where does that leave things for Apple?
SourceA funny thing happened this week. After years of rumors, speculation, and wishing, we got two solid reports that said Apple was really ready to launch a full-on TV product. Both the Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg said Apple was planning to release an Apple TV this year. Bloomberg predicted an April reveal, and the WSJ predicted a June reveal. These reports followed Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac saying a new Apple TV was coming in the first half of the year. All three said Apple was revamping its little hockey puck TV box, not releasing a big screen TV. The Journal and Bloomberg both said Apple was partnering with Time Warner Cable to deliver video content to users. Apple TV would add a nice layer of user interface to Time Warner’s video stream.
