Oi, Apple, stick to phones, forget about TV - Time Warner CEO
'They make great devices' OOOH BURNNN
Time Warner Cable CEO Jeff Bewkes has subtly mocked Apple's ambitions to conquer the TV biz by describing the iPhone maker as a "great device company".
At the Ignition conference organised by Business Insider, Bewkes was asked whether Apple should make a television set and replied: "I hope they do."
"They bring good interface and navigation skills," he said, suggesting Apple's gear will allow viewers to sort through hundreds of cable channels. Bewkes also pointed out that Apple would face plenty of competition in the TV set market.
Note the use of the term device company to describe Apple: it flies in the face of company co-founder Steve Jobs' ambition to march Apple into the world of television and set up shop as a content emporium, much like it crashed iTunes into the music business.
Instead, Apple wants to license the rights to tout programmes to fanbois through its TV hardware, doing more than just selling a media playback device in the same way iTunes is much more than an MP3 jukebox.
However, TV companies such as Time Warner are playing hard ball: they are not willing to flog their material through a store controlled by Apple. From the sound of Bewkes' comments, it doesn't sound as though his company is prepared to change its mind any time soon. ®
COMMENTS
Re: Just trying to protect their balliwick
"Yet another industry not wanting to move with the times. Gone are the days they can simply control all their media forever. People want to get their content in a convenient and simple way, through devices that they want. Companies like this are stuck in the past."
The funny thing is that when read this I couldn't make out if you were talking about Apple or Time Warner...
Re: If you are not on the ball, you will Perish..
Coming up next on Apple: iSitcom! A bunch of hillllllarious 20 somethings sit around in their iApartment and discuss how great Apple products are.
Apple TV is not really necessary
TV providers have managed the transition from scheduled content delivered to the device far better than music providers - digital TV services have allowed recording, rescheduling, automatic series following and the like for a long time, services like 4OD allow you to get access to earlier stuff very easily (and freely, adverts notwithstanding...) - the Music industry took an age to do similar, and it took iTunes or Spotify - third parties - to really make it mainstream.
The TV industry already occupies the niche that Apple would want to occupy, and already has the capacity to monetise delivery to the device - they have absolutely no need to pay the Cupertino tax, and will just smile sweetly and make cutting jibes when Apple says that the iTV service will be available real soon now...just with very little content.
Re: TV is not music.
Sadly your first sentence labeled you an ignorant dick. The thought that someone could say that "Somebody thought that before" is a reason to call them a fan boy probably highlights your complete lack of foresight.
Could be a much needed kick up the arse...
I had the misfortune recently to use a new "smart" TV (I think it was a Sony). Whoever designed the UI and remote controls for these should be taken outside and shot. In the legs. And left outside in a forest. Tied to an ants nest.
I'm not an Apple fan at all, but I can guarantee that they will at least be able to make a usable device, with a functioning interface, albeit locked down to their services. An Aplle TV would give some impetus to other manufacturers to start building decent systems.
