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Apple Talking to Google for iTV?
Nycil George, Sep 20, 2006 1627 hrs ISTApple Computer's iTV, a wireless set top box that will help users play videos and movies downloaded from iTunes on to their iPods or Macs, on TV sets...
Apple Computer's recently announced iTV, a wireless set top box that will help users play videos and movies downloaded from iTunes on to their iPods or Macs, on their TV sets, has been in the news for quite some time now.
It is learnt that iTV will look almost like a Mini Mac, with wired and wireless networking, USB 2.0, High Definition Multimedia Interface, component video, plus analog audio and optical audio interfaces. The software interface, through an Apple remote, will offer access to movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, and photos. Once connected, iTV will allow users to select video and audio programming on the TV screen, using the remote control.
Now, latest reports suggest the possibility of Apple discussing business details of iTV with Google. Prominent among these is the likelihood of Google becoming the primary provider of video content for Apple's iTV, slated for an early 2007 release.
Commenting on this, Ross Rubin, analyst, the NPD Group, said, "Google and all its competitors are focused on a three-screen approach right now; whether you're accessing them or their content on a computer screen, or on some kind of a handheld product, or on your high-definition TV."
"Google video content could be integrated with Apple video content - either stuff already on your PC, or stuff available for purchase; or other kinds of Google content could be made available through another sort of channel," Rubin added.
Elaborating further, Rubin said that the collaboration between Apple and Google could take many forms; but that it would most likely be all about getting Google content onto televisions.
Carrying a price tag of around $300 (Rs 13,800), iTV is expected to hit the markets by early 2007.
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