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?
A 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.