Apple

[Grieve]

On the TV front, I was checking out the Samsung Smart TV at Best buy. Since I have a 10.1 tablet I was interested in the integration. They have done some good things here. You buy the TV, or the Blueray player that makes your TV a "smart TV".

http://www.samsung.com/us/2012-smart-tv/index.html

What they have done looks very nice, but...that TV is almost $3000. $3200 for the 60". I can't imagine an iTV would be hugely more than that. And if it integrates the Apple app store (rather than the handful of apps that Samsung offers), that would be a huge selling point.

So far I've tried Google TV and a Sony smart blu-ray player. Neither one really did it for me. Fun for a few minutes, but I quickly returned to my easy-to-use Apple TV box and haven't touched the Sony for months (already returned the Google Tv). The quality of the apps is way below the default apps on the Apple TV. And there are only a handful that aren't worthless. With an iTV supporting apps, I think you'd quickly see thousands of apps specifically written for it, and tens of thousands of others made for the iPad/iPhone that would just work.

In fact, if Apple were smart, they'd announce it now (even if it won't be out of 6 or 12 months), to build up a frenzy in the media, made people hold off on buying other TVs, and let developers make a head start on apps.

To me, the one killer feature would be "TV channels (or shows) as apps". If this will let me truly cut the cable, I'm all in. I don't even need an iTV for that, they can just update Apple TV. I don't want to pay $100+ for a cable subscription + HBO just to watch Game of Thrones. But would I pay $10-20 a month for an HBO Go app? Sure.

EDIT: If you read the reviews on Amazon, even the 4* ones, you see all the problems with the TV. This is where I'm sure Apple can do much better. For example (from a 4* review!)

So, why did I return it and not just get a replacement since it was a simple dead pixel defect?

*The sluggish speed of loading the apps and web controls

*The hand movement gesture feature isn't as glamorous as they claim

*The smart remote is buggy, and works intermittently

*The white halo blotches. The brighter spots throughout the screen are noticeable during dark scenes

*Night scenes are not that great, whereas plasma provides stunning night scenes

*I suspect quality control concerns with the TV