Comcast may have just confirmed a longstanding rumor about Apple’s next-gen Apple TV… it’s coming soon. And it may be bigger and better than ever.
Earlier this week, an FCC filing from Comcast and Time Warner regarding their proposed merger references the so-called next-gen Apple TV.
In the filing, Comcast says:
Today, Google competes as a network, video, and technology provider, and 8 out 9 of the next Google Fiber markets the company announced are in Comcast or TWC areas. Apple tablets are viewing platforms for cable services even while Apple offers an online video service, Apple TV, and explores development of an Apple set-top box. Microsoft just announced that it will feature ads on the Xbox One, creating a new video advertising platform. And just last week, Amazon announced its own set-top box while it continues to leverage its unequaled sales platform and family of competitive tablets to promote its burgeoning Prime Instant Video business.
Two years have now passed since Apple last updated the hardware for its Apple TV. A majority of industry analysts believe the refresh is now imminent.
Since last summer, the scuttlebutt around Cupertino, California is that Time Warner Cable is working on an application for the Apple TV set-top box.
Soon, Time Warner may allow cable subscribers to stream both live and on-demand shows without the need to have a dedicated cable box.
This would, for the first time, bring the full familiarity of cable television to a leading streaming service.
