AppleInsider Staff
The latest rumor regarding Apple's much speculated entry into the living room says the company is developing a TV with a screen resolution that meets the 4K UHD standard, otherwise known as Ultra HD, and could debut the television set by the end of 2013.
Citing supply chain sources, DigiTimes reports the device, supposedly to be called the "iTV," will sport a 3,840-by-2,160 pixel display, voice and motion controls and internet connectivity. While the publication's insiders have a spotty record in predicting Apple's hardware releases, its display industry sources are somewhat more reliable.
If true, the iTV would fall under the guidelines of the 4K UHD standard of 2160p, which boasts four times the pixel count of a 1080p HDTV. The most recent Consumer Electronics Show and other expos worldwide have seen TV manufacturers like LG and Samsung showing off the cutting edge tech, though the 4K panels carry prices well out of reach for the average consumer.
According to the sources, Apple and manufacturing partner Foxconn have been discussing the mass production of UHDTVs for "quite some time," but the Cupertino company is said to be looking for a reliable panel supplier. The publication noted that most firms capable of building the high-resolution displays will already be at near full capacity in 2013 to satiate demand from Chinese vendors.
While Apple's own display suppliers are capable of producing panels for a standalone television, they are reportedly focused on making components for the iPhone, iPad and iPad mini. LG Display will likely be able to mass produce the necessary panel sizes by the second half of 2013. This means a 4K iTV could launch by year's end, the sources say, but is more likely to happen in early 2014.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
207 Comments
I've been saying "No! No!" on this rumour for a long time but with 4K prices coming down, Apple already packing over 505 of the pixels into a 15" display for a reasonably priced notebook, and H.265 being readied by the time this is set to launch and offering a 50% reduction in file sizes for the same quality, I think this is a perfect match with the iTS video and a way for Apple to secure a profitable, high-end foothold and strengthen their ecosystem even more.
...And while they're at it, a 4K UHD projector :)
Let's recap DigiTimes "track record" for Apple supply-chain rumors: http://techland.time.com/2012/05/14/digitimes-apple-rumors/ Their occasional correct guesses are probably just that: guesses. Or fictions, either by them or by false "sources." Most of us on this forum could make an educated Apple guess, claim a phony source, and turn out right more often than DigiTimes. DigiTimes' only talent is self-promotion, apparently.
[quote name="nagromme" url="/t/156682/rumor-apple-building-4k-ultra-hd-television-set-for-launch-in-2013-or-early-2014#post_2300828"]Let's recap DigiTimes "track record" for Apple supply-chain rumors: http://techland.time.com/2012/05/14/digitimes-apple-rumors/ Their occasional correct guesses are probably just that: guesses. Or fictions, either by them or by false "sources." Most of us on this forum could make an educated Apple guess, claim a phony source, and turn out right more often than DigiTimes. DigiTimes' only talent is self-promotion, apparently.[/quote] I don't even acknowledge them as a source of news. I see them as a "What if" query generator.
Man...I think your right... Now it all makes sense... A better compression codec fits earlier info about a certain American cable company testing an " unbranded " product with a focus on content delivery realities... Of course Apple would kick off UHD.... I think this is the real deal... the display, the codec, then the content...could equal "revolutionary"....???!