Come on Apple, where's that sexy looking networked Plasma TV? I'm waiting...
LG makes a statement with this one.
I have said it before, many many times; Apple are going to make a TV, It's only a matter of time. 2 years from now at the extreme maximum. I'd bet we'll be hearing about this much sooner though. CES 2010 anyone? Christmas 2009? Boom!
I have said it before, many many times; Apple are going to make a TV, It's only a matter of time. 2 years from now at the extreme maximum. I'd bet we'll be hearing about this much sooner though. CES 2010 anyone? Christmas 2009? Boom!
Comments
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I have said it before, many many times; Apple are going to make a TV, It's only a matter of time. ...
Saying it is so does not make it so. A couple of years ago, there was a boomlet of breathless anticipation of a new family of Apple-branded HDTVs. They were only an unfounded rumor. The basic facts have not changed since then. The only thing that has changed is that the economy is much worse. LG's new offering is an attempt to reverse declining sales of flat-panel TVs.
The plasma screen portion of the market is virtually dead. A couple of years ago, plasmas enjoyed a price advantage over LCD panels. No more. They remain heavier, less energy efficient, and sensitive to barometric pressure. Stick a fork in them; they're done.
The fundamental problem with the TV market is that the sets leave very little room for product differentiation because they must meet national standards wherever they are sold. Their operation must be largely transparent to the user base. This market is particularly problematic for Apple because prices continue to drop like a stone. Apple earns a profit on its hardware--iPods, iPhone, laptops, desktops, and [I presume] servers. Low-margin products like the iPod and TV are subsidized by Apple's higher margin computers. For computer manufacturers like Apple, the margins on TV sets tend to be low to negative. There is also little synergy between a TV set and Apple's computer hardware.
There is no business case for an Apple-branded TV set.