Another day, another Apple rumor. The latest report is that the company will finally revamp its oft-forgotten and neglected Apple TV and rename it iTV to fit neatly into Apple's iUniverse of products.
Engadget on Wednesday reported that the new iTV will be announced in the fall, cost just $99, and lose its 160GB hard drive and the ability to support 1080p playback. But it will be outfitted with an A4 chip, Flash memory, and run Apple's iOS4. That makes perfect sense, since then the device would be able to run thousands of apps just like the iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad.
Even though the story has spread like wildfire across the Web, we all know that no one can say for sure what Apple has up its sleeve. But it's still fun to speculate, so here's what we'd like to see if Apple TV actually gets retooled.
1. Content Sharing from iPods, iPhones, iPads: Right now, if you have an Apple TV, you can play back your content from multiple networked computers through iTunes. With iTV, you should also be able to easily access music, photos, or video directly from your iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad, rather than having to go through iTunes on a PC or a Mac.
2. Netflix Streaming: Despite Apple's legendary walled-garden approach to content and Apple TV's tight integration with iTunes, this one is a no-brainer. If iTV is going to run apps, it needs to support Netflix streaming like the iPad, all the major game consoles, and many of today's connected Blu-ray players and HDTVs do. And don't forget Pandora, Slacker, Last.fm, and anything else you can stream on an Apple mobile device.
3. A Better Remote Control: Let's be honest, the tiny, no-frills remote that currently comes bundled with Apple TV isn't going to cut it if iTV will let you access Facebook, Twitter, or thousands of apps that require text-entry. And what about all those games? Apple, even if you sell iTV for $99, you need to include a better remote. And of course, you should be able to control your Apple TV with your iPod touch, iPhone, or iPad.
4. Subscription Pricing: Via iTunes, Apple TV currently offers season-pass pricing on TV shows, but that's the best you'll get if you're looking for an all-you-can-eat content plan. It would be even better to pay a flat monthly fee and stream as much content as you please a la Hulu Plus.
5. A Cable TV Tie-In and DVR Capabilities: Probably 99.9 percent unlikely, but a do-it-all device that eliminates the need for a cable box or a DVR sure would be nice.