Apple TV to Become Reality By 2012 Christmas

The longstanding rumor that Apple intends to jump into the business of selling televisions could be coming closer to reality thanks to iCloud, which  Apple's recently-announced.Last February,The New York Post  had reported that Apple had invested nearly $4 billion in long-term contracts and LCD-manufacturing facilities overseas in preparation for the launch, according to the Wall Street firm Piper Jaffray.

Apple is reported to be teaming up with a major electronics firm to launch Apple branded televisions..At first the only media iCloud will store is music and pictures, but  industry sources believe Apple may add movies and TV shows purchased or rented in iTunes to the iCloud service, which could be viewed on a TV."

This is not to be confused with the existing Apple TV product, a small, hockey puck-style device the company sells for $99 to let users stream Netflix and other content via their existing TV sets. It is believed that Apple will bring an $1,800 TV set to market near the end of next year, with it replacing the Apple TV set-top box, which Apple currently sells for $99.

The Apple TV is more akin to Google TV, the Android-based Web TV product that blends a Chrome Web browser and search capabilities with consumers' existing TV services.The revolutionary aspect of an Apple TV would be that it could work independently of cable or over-the-air stations and offer viewers TV shows -- for a fee -- from the iTunes library or from apps created by outside suppliers.

The  iCloud infrastructure  is one of the " small steps" Apple is probably taking to make the " Apple TV" a grand success.Apple's iCloud service for media storage makes it simpler to own multiple Apple devices and share content among them.

Apple is developing a television that will succeed its current Apple TV set-top-box, likely in late [calendar year] 2012,” Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray, wrote in a June 23 research note. “As recently as May 11 the US Patent & Trademark Office has published Apple patents relating to television-specific technology,” including one for “advanced TV broadcast menus.

With its focus on consumer products via the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod, an Apple branded iTV looks like a  the perfect  product that will make Apple a  complete Consumer Electronics Corporation.

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