I don’t think an Apple “iTV” like the rumormill is predicting is a good idea, and if it happens at all, I don’t think it will be what they are expecting.

In case you’re not familiar, what’s being rumored is a big screen HDTV iPad:

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/117305-apple-itv-detailed-its-like-a-42-inch-ipad

Cool idea and all, but this will not revolutionize your tv experience in a sufficiently Apple-y way. In fact it will do little to affect your tv viewing at all, because what is the dominating inescapable presence during all your current tv experience? Your cable or satellite DVR. People who are possible customers for an iTV have cable or satellite, and as you know everything you do runs through that DVR interface. If apple is going to revolutionize your experience, even as moderately as making the on-screen display look pretty when you change channels, it has to replace the cable/satellite interface, and this means replacing the box. Simply hooking a gorgeous tv to your current set top box just makes the existing poor user experience look better.

I know this because I did get a gorgeous new tv this year. The cable experience was  satisfactory before, but with the great new big picture the cable DVR system was irritatingly arcane and sluggish. This tv is even a web-enabled smart tv with Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and video search built in. But all tv watching (and recording) is still locked into that meager cable box.

I eventually gave up on and ditched cable on favor of free over-the-air HD, but with the cable box went my DVR. I chose to replace it with a TiVo. Best. Decision. Evar. Now my tv experience is governed by TiVo, not Comcast, and TiVo has it right. Plus it does Netflix, Hulu, etc too, so I never have to leave the TiVo interface for the smart tv interface. I get a much more universal interface for more of what I’m doing, and it’s great.

To be able to revolutionize your tv, Apple has to get in between you and your content and govern the entire experience. Since we can’t live without our DVRs, I think Apple has to replace them. The iTV must be a DVR.

You could put this in a tv which would be kinda cool, but here Apple has less room to improve upon what’s out there. Have you seen a flagship current generation 50” LED tv from Samsung or LG? These machines are awesome. Apple cannot improve upon these tvs. Why not? Because Samsung and LG make the screens for iPhones and iPads. They are the masters of display technology, not Apple. Apple is the master of software experience. Therefore, I think Apple will leave HDTV set making to those who do it best, and will make a separate device. This will make the iTV much cheaper, plus then people like me that just got a nice new set will still be in the market for iTV. (If it is a full HDTV, I will not be getting one. I already have my awesome tv and have no intention of upgrading for years.) Let people choose the HDTV style they want (plasma, LCD, LED), form factor they want (30”-70”, slim or projection, wall or floor), and price they want ($300-$5000). With an independent iTV box now ANY tv becomes iTV.

Apple TV (2) is a pretty cool little device. For such a tiny simple device it delivers incredible media. It’s current shortcomings as a HTPC (home theater PC) are simply lack of media format compatibility and merely 720p video. Another big irritation to me is that the Apple TV resides on a separate tv input, like my Blu-Ray player and Wii. This means to access it I have to change the tv to a different input and power on the device. It becomes a dedicated session device, something to which I switch only when I think of it and am in the mood. It is not an integrated part of my routine media consumption.

TiVo is. I find myself easily starting Pandora, Netflix, and browsing Amazon Instant Video, in addition and in tandem with broadcast tv, because they are all conglomerated into a single universal media interface. Watching live tv, a DVR’d show, or streaming Netflix seems all the same with TiVo, so I do all interchangeably. Similarly, because my tv’s own web ability is a distinct interface from the TiVo’s, I do not use it.

One place for EVERYTHING. That is the holy grail of modern media.

Apple can deliver that with a stand alone box, a hybrid of the current Apple TV and the excellent TiVo, plus of course some completely novel Apple-yness.

Even crazier, imaging it incorporated Blu-ray. Then every media experience would be through Apple’s interface: watching tv, watching recorded shows, streaming online music, Netflix/Hulu et al, YouTube, apps, games, web browsing, movie rental/purchase, local media streaming and full HTPC capability, and finally Blu-Ray HD movies. iTV would be THE way you get to, through, and find EVERYTHING you want to do. Apple could become to home media what Google is to the web: THE way get there.

This materialization of iTV would be the game changer. Your and my fancy”smart” tv would become just a dumb but pretty display device for the brilliant Apple universal media interface. ITV could empower, improve, and control every aspect of our media consumption. True 21st century multimedia.

It would be the best thing to happen to my tv.