Apple (AAPL) may enable video to be streamed from iPhones or iPads to TV sets, according to Bloomberg, which cited two unnamed sources familiar with the project. The Cupertino, Calif. – based company could carry out this project by licensing its AirPlay software to consumer-electronics makers, that could use it in devices for streaming movies, TV shows and other video content. Apple now only licenses AirPlay for streaming audio. Devices that could be used for video may be available this year, one of the sources said.
An expanded AirPlay, which streams audio and video from an iPhone or iPad to the $99 Apple TV, would let users stream programming wirelessly from an Apple mobile device to a TV that carries the technology. That may spur wider use of Apple’s services and devices in consumers’ living rooms. CEO Steve Jobs, notes Bberg, has had limited success selling Apple TV, a set-top box introduced in 2007, and as recently as September still called the product a “hobby.”
[From Bberg] “Because of the market size they have with their portable devices, they have a naturally large share of the audio market,” said Jasper Vervoort, a director of marketing at Royal Philips Electronics NV. “I don’t know how successful they will be with video. We would definitely have an interest in supporting it.”For Apple, AirPlay is a way to expand into the living room without having to introduce new products, Bberg said.
Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Ironically, just yesterday I wrote a piece theorizing that Apple might pursue an Apple TV Inside strategy with TV set makers:
The Magic Adapter: Apple TV and the Battle for the Living Room
http://oreil.ly/gIShlK
Check it out, if interested.
Best,
Mark