According to an Engadget source - the same one that said the next AppleTV would be a $99 unit with iPhone guts - Apple's next TV device will be renamed iTV. And it will have new apps and features, but it won't play 1080p video.
Apparently, Apple doesn’t think that you want really high-definition, but do want to connect to Facebook through your TV. Alright, reading an eBook on an iPad is cool but I don’t know that I would do it on my television. However, the chipheads over at Apple believe you do an you just don’t know. So they’re building in app capabilities in the next iteration of the Apple TV. Now remember, Apple TV isn’t exactly a TV, it’s just a set-top box, let’s call it an iBox, like a big iPhone but without a display, so you need a TV.
Apple’s A4 chip — which drives the iPad and iPhone 4, and would also be the heart of the iTV — isn’t able to handle 1080p (or 1080i) HD video. If true, that would be surprising, since the iPhone 3G S was shown to play 1080p video (albeit not very well) a year ago. Being stuck with 720p video won’t kill iTV right out of the gate, but it would bring to light some interesting limitations of the A4 chip.
So there you have it, Apple TV will be renamed to iTV, will come in the form of a iPhone 4-esque set-top box, gets apps, loses 1080p playback. Oh, and still no Flash. Sound good enough for you? Well it should, because at $99, this is a steal. I’ll be holding off until I see what Google TV brings us, but iTV should definitely be something to consider.
Is the addiction of apps enough for you to consider iTV? Especially considering it won’t play nice with true 1080p HD content or Flash?
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