BGR has learned from a trusted source that Apple is planning to demonstrate a brand new version of the Apple TV operating system next week at WWDC. This new OS is said to be much more feature-complete than the current OS that runs on the Apple TV, and is apparently the one that Apple’s upcoming HDTV will run. Yes, that one.

We’ve heard Apple is actively trying to court manufacturers to use a new “control out” API in order for third-party manufacturers to make accessories that are compatible with the new Apple TV OS and the upcoming “iTV.” It’s said that by using the API, it will be possible to control any connected components all from the Apple remote (and the Apple remote iOS app as well, we’re assuming).

This would be a huge change in the home theater landscape, which has until this point relied on a mess of thousands of infrared codes and physical cables in order for devices to be interoperable, or Wi-Fi-controlled apps for each component and piece of hardware.

The control out API is said to work with all aspects of various popular components, even allowing control over things like program guides on a cable operators’ set top boxes and other hardware components.

Our source believes Apple won’t actually show its physical TV at WWDC, but it’s certainly possible. Maybe Tim Cook and Apple are finally almost done “pulling that string.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook opened up All Things Digital’s tenth annual conference on Tuesday evening and while no one expected any product announcements during his time on stage with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, all eyes were on Cook during one of his first public appearances as CEO. Highlights from the interview:

• Cook believes the system that governs standards-essential patents is broken, and he says that Apple’s ongoing patent disputes with rival vendors like Samsung and HTC are a “pain in the ass.” We’re sure Samsung, HTC and other vendors targeted by Apple would agree.
• While the company is considering killing off its social network flop “Ping,” integration with social services like Facebook will play a more important role in iOS moving forward.
• Tim Cook would like to see his company launch products that are made in America.
• Where Apple’s voice-controlled virtual assistant Siri is concerned, Cook made it clear that big things are coming in the next few months. “There’s more that it can do,” Cook said. “We have a lot of people working on this. You’ll be really pleased with the things you’ll see over the coming months. The breadth that you’re talking about… we’ve got some cool ideas about what Siri can do. We have a lot going on on this.”
• Cook wouldn’t comment specifically on the upcoming “iTV” Apple is widely rumored to be readying for launch, but he did say Apple will focus more on the television market moving forward. ”This is an area of intense interest for us,” Cook said while speaking about Apple TV, noting that Apple has sold more than 2.7 million Apple TVs so far in 2012. “We’re going to keep pulling this string and see where it takes us.” Some reports suggest Apple’s HDTV will launch in the fourth quarter this year.
• While he obviously didn’t get into specifics, the CEO mentioned that we can expect exciting new product launches from Apple in the near future. Apple’s annual WWDC convention kicks off next month and the rumor mill suggests we’ll see new MacBooks and iMacs unveiled with Retina Displays.

CBS, Fox and NBC have independently filed lawsuits against Dish Network, claiming its new automatic commercial-deleting service Auto Hop violates copyright laws; Fox even goes as far as to state that Auto Hop is “destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the broadcast television ecosystem.” Auto Hop is a feature launched recently for Dish Network’s Hopper DVR. When enabled, the free add-on allows users to automatically skip over commercials aired during prime time shows on each of the four major television broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Networks took issue with the feature immediately, of course, and now complaints have been filed by three of the four affected networks, BGR sister site Deadline reports. Dish has already filed its own complaint with a New York district court seeking a declaratory judgement that its new service is “in full compliance with copyright law and its re-broadcast agreements.”

Read

According to a new report from Forrester Research, Microsoft is leading both Apple and Google in the TV and home entertainment sector, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. While Apple and Google may control mobile, Microsoft’s Xbox entertainment system tops both Apple TV and Google TV according to the report. With the Xbox, Forrester analyst James McQuivey believes Microsoft is the farthest along when it comes to delivering users content through their television sets. “Using those metrics, Microsoft is in the lead, offering everything that matters: a growing content library, a convenient engagement path for millions of existing Xbox 360 owners, and a growing ecosystem of partners and developers eager to exploit the platform for their own purposes,” McQuivey wrote in the report. Microsoft has continued to add more content apps — such as Comcast Xfinity, Verizon FiOS and HBO Go — to the Xbox, alongside thousands of games. The software giant has shipped more than 66 million Xboxes worldwide, and Forrester estimates that half of all Xboxes in the United States are connected to the Internet.

Read

Sony and Panasonic are reportedly in talks to develop the technology needed to mass produce next-generation OLED televisions, according to Reuters. The two companies would be playing catch up to their South Korean rivals, Samsung and LG, both of which plan to market 55-inch OLED TVs later this year. “Overseas competitors have gotten a head start in this area and I feel like they’re stepping into this too late,” said Masayuki Otani, chief market analyst at Securities Japan. “There’s no question OLED TVs are going to be the mainstream. The issue is price and size of the displays.” OLED panel technology, which Sony pioneered in 2007, provides users with improved picture quality, deeper color saturation with high contrast, and allows vendors to make TVs as slim as 4 millimeters that consume less power than traditional LCD sets. There is a barrier, however: current OLED TVs are very expensive — Samsung’s upcoming 55-inch OLED TV will cost $9,000 when it launches in South Korea in the coming months.

Read

Dish Network made no friends among the major television broadcasters last week, but it will likely pique the interest of tens of thousands of consumers in the coming weeks as news of its latest feature proliferates. Dubbed “Auto Hop,” Dish began rolling out a new commercial-skipping feature to owners of its multi-room digital video recorder, the Hopper. Currently compatible with recorded shows originally broadcast on ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX, Auto Hop skips commercials automatically when enabled, with no action required by the viewer. Groups of ads are replaced by a single black frame for separation, and then the Hopper will skip directly to the next segment of the program.

“Viewers love to skip commercials,” Dish Network VP of Product Management Vivek Khemka said. “With the Auto Hop capability of the Hopper, watching your favorite shows commercial-free is easier than ever before. It’s a revolutionary development that no other company offers and it’s something that sets Hopper above the competition.”

Of course networks aren’t quite as impressed as viewers. ”I think this is an attack on our eco-system,” NBC chairman Ted Harbert said during a conference call on Monday. “I’m not for it.”

Dish Network’s Hopper multi-room DVR hardware and service costs $10 per month, just $4 more than Dish’s standard DVR, and the company’s new Auto Hop feature is now available at no extra charge.

According to an LG executive, the South Korean firm plans to launch an Internet-enabled Google TV in the United States the week of May 21st, Reuters reported on Monday. The company is looking to gain a larger share of the emerging smart TV market and defend itself against Apple, which is widely expected to unveil an HDTV later this year or early next year. “Production of Google TVs will start from May 17 from our factory in Mexico and U.S. consumers will be able to buy the product from the week of May 21,” said Ro Seogho, LG’s executive vice president of its TV business. The executive said the company will decide whether to expand its Google TV offering to Europe and Asia based on sales performance in the U.S. market.

Read

Apple’s upcoming high-definition television is real, and it will reportedly feature an aluminum construction, Siri, FaceTime video calling and more. An anonymous source speaking with Cult of Mac claims to have seen a prototype of Apple’s upcoming “iTV” in action, and a number of details have been reinforced as a result. “It resembled an Apple monitor, only much larger,” the unnamed source told the site, referring to the aluminum LED Cinema Displays Apple currently sells alongside its Mac computers. Cult of Mac, which has revealed accurate details surrounding unannounced Apple products in the past, also reports that the HDTV will feature Siri, Apple’s sophisticated voice recognition software, and an iSight camera for FaceTime video calling. Many expect Apple to launch its debut television later this year, though a recent report suggests that it may not hit the market until 2014.

Read

​Approximately 27 million U.S. households, more than one in five, have either an Internet-ready TV, game console, standalone Blu-ray player, and/or smart set-top box connected to their home network, according to ABI Research. Gaming consoles are the most popular devices, with a connection rate of over 80%, followed by Internet TVs (27%), standalone Blu-ray players (24%) and smart set-top boxes (13%). The research also indicated that a relatively large number of consumers have not connected some devices to their home network, most notably Internet-ready TVs. ABI predicts that the combined penetration rates of all of the devices will reach 60% by 2017. The firm notes that while not all of these devices will be connected to a network, there is room for growth, however, as only 48.5% of consumers with a home network currently have one of these devices connected to the Internet.

Read

Samsung managed to top its pre-announced earnings when it reported results for the first calendar quarter of 2012 on Friday morning. The company reported a record operating profit of 5.85 trillion Korean won, up 98%, and a consolidated net profit of $5.05 trillion won, up 82% over the same quarter last year. Revenue came in at 45.27 trillion won, beating expectations. TV and semiconductor sales were down in the quarter, but any potential impact was offset by strong sales of high-margin display panels and mobile phones. Samsung’s mobile sales grew 86% over the year-ago quarter to 18.9 trillion won, and the company’s combined operating profit margin climbed 1.7 points to 12.9%. Samsung’s full press release follows below.

Samsung Electronics Announces First Quarter 2012 Earnings Results

(SEOUL–Korea Newswire) April 27, 2012 — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced revenues of 45.27 trillion Korean won on a consolidated basis for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012, a 22-percent increase year-on-year.

For the quarter, the company’s consolidated operating profit reached an all-time high of 5.85 trillion won representing a 98-percent increase year-on-year. Consolidated net profit for the January-March period was 5.05 trillion won.

Despite a decrease in sales of semiconductor chips and TVs due to seasonal factors, an increase in profitability in display panels and mobile phones pushed up quarterly operating profit margins by 1.7 percentage points to 12.9 percent.

In its earnings guidance disclosed on April 6, Samsung estimated first-quarter consolidated revenues would reach approximately 45 trillion won with consolidated operating profit of approximately 5.8 trillion won.

Samsung’s strong performance in the quarter was driven mainly by the IT & Mobile Communications (IM) segment, which is comprised of four businesses, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, IT Solutions and Digital Imaging. In particular, solid growth in the Mobile Communications business, with brisk sales of flagship GALAXY Note and GALAXY S II devices contributed to the company’s profitability.

The consolidated operating profit for IT & Mobile Communications businesses reached 4.27 trillion won on revenue of 23.22 trillion won. The Display Panel business rebounded in the first quarter with operating gains of 280 billion won, following an uptick in demand for high-margin panels used in tablets, 3D/ LED TVs and premium OLED panels.

“Despite difficult business environments including seasonal low demand for major products such as PCs and TVs amid a global economic slowdown, we achieved record quarterly results based on our differentiated products and technology leadership. We cautiously expect our earnings momentum to continue going forward, as competitiveness in our major businesses is enhanced,” said Robert Yi, Senior Vice President and Head of Investor Relations.

Looking into the second quarter, Samsung expects to improve profitability in the chip business with a recovery in PC DRAM price and by expanding its new product category with mobile application processors based on 32 nanometer-class process technology. Samsung plans to also bolster its competitive edge in mobile phones with the debut of new high-end smartphones, and by reinforcing the full lineup of products and its presence in emerging markets.

Capex 7.8 Trillion Won in Q1

Capital expenditure in the first quarter was 7.8 trillion won, with 5.8 trillion won invested in the Semiconductor Business and 1.3 trillion won in the Display Panel segment.

Earlier this year, Samsung announced plans to spend a total of 25 trillion won in capex for 2012.

Fifteen trillion won will be invested in the Semiconductor Business that consists of Memory and System LSI. For the Display Panel segment, 6.6 trillion won has been allocated for investment.

Organizational Change

Starting from the first quarter, the business segment financial disclosure will reflect the organizational changes, which took place in December, 2011. We will provide sales and earnings of Device Solutions, including Semiconductor and Display Panel businesses; and Digital Media & Communications, including IT & Mobile Communications and Consumer Electronics (CE) divisions.

IT & Mobile Communications includes Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, IT Solutions and Digital Imaging; and CE includes Visual Display and Digital Appliances.

Seasonal Factors Dampen Chip Demand

Samsung’s Semiconductor Business – including Memory and System LSI – posted an operating profit of 760 billion won in the first quarter. Revenue retreated to 7.98 trillion won on-year, a 13-percent decrease compared with the same period last year.

Weaker-than-expected off-peak season demand and a global supply crunch of HDDs coupled with low demand for PC DRAM chips and the oversupply of mobile DRAM impacted profit margins, in which the memory portion saw its revenue slip to 4.89 trillion won. For NAND, spot price remained weak due to sluggish demand compounded by early stage products from geometry migration flowing into the channel market.

Despite adverse market conditions, Samsung’s chip business was buoyed by strong demand for server DRAM and by expanding our value-added product mix such as products based on the 30-nanometer-class and 20-nanometer-class process technologies.Increased orders for Solid State Drives (SSDs) and Embedded Multimedia Cards (eMMC) also helped the chip business to cushion the market squeeze.

Looking ahead, the global HDD supply shortage is expected to be alleviated in the second quarter and demand for specialty DRAM products including mobile and server DRAMs will be strong. However, elevated competition among manufacturers of 30-nanometer-class chips will lead to a price decline.

In the second quarter, Samsung is poised to ramp up supply of high-capacity, power-efficient DRAM for servers based on our green memory solution. As for NAND, we will spur growth by expanding the 20-nanometer-class portion. Sales of CMOS image sensors will remain high in the April-June quarter, as demand for smartphones equipped with high-resolution cameras is expected to be strong.

Display Business Swings to Profit

Operating profit for the Display Panel Business turned around from the previous quarter to register 280 billion won on revenue of 8.54 trillion won in the first quarter.

Despite traditionally weak seasonality, continued economic stagnation in Europe, and the prolonged supply shortage in the PC industry, the Display Panel Business was able to improve profitability by expanding sales of high-end premium panels such as LED TV and 3D panels, which pushed TV panel sales up in the mid-20 percent range on-year. Increased sales of high-resolution panels for tablet PCs and OLED panels for smartphones also helped boost profit in the quarter.

Looking ahead, although the market for monitor panels will remain stagnant, demand for tablet and notebook panels is expected to increase on seasonal education-related demand while TV panels are expected to lift due to Chinese Labor Day sales and the London Olympics.

Moving forward with the establishment of Samsung Display Corporation, the company will continue to enhance profitability by expanding sales of premium panel products such 3D, large size and LED panels, while smartphone demand is expected to continue to fuel OLED panel sales.

Profits Propped Up by Strong Sales of Smart Devices

The IT & Mobile Communications division – including Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, IT Solutions and Digital Imaging – registered quarterly operating profits of 4.27 trillion won for the first period. Revenue reached 23.22 trillion won, and the mobile unit accounted for 18.90 trillion won, up 86 percent year-on-year.

Growth in shipments of Samsung’s flagship GALAXY Note and GALAXY S II and other premium mobile devices yielded high returns, with significant growth in China, Central and South America, the Middle East and Africa.

Samsung is expected to continue its strong growth momentum in the second quarter, following the announcement of the next GALAXY device in London on May 3.

The Telecommunication Systems business saw growth both in revenue and operating gains due to an increase in LTE (Long Term Evolution) wireless broadband technology equipment. In the case of IT Solutions, a boost in sales of mid-to-high-end products, including PCs and printers improved quarter-on-quarter earnings.

We expect to further solidify our leading position in LTE business in the US market and make further inroads into countries newly adopting the service.

Premium TV Sales Lift Profitability

Samsung’s Consumer Electronics businesses, which encompass Visual Display and Digital Appliances, registered an operating profit of 530 billion won in the quarter, up 550 percent year-on-year, on revenues of 10.67 trillion won.

Although weak seasonality led to a quarter-on-quarter dip in revenue, strong sales of premium TVs in developed markets and LED TVs in emerging markets saw shipments outstrip market growth and drive a sharp increase in profitability. Highlights for the quarter included an increase in sales of more than 50 percent for Samsung’s flagship 7000/8000 TV series on-year, while the Digital Appliances Business improved profitability, both on-year and on-quarter, by increasing its portion of premium product sales.

In the second quarter, market growth for flat panel TVs in the mid-single digits is expected on rising demand in emerging markets and increased sales of LED TVs which are forecast to account for over 60 percent of the TV market in the quarter. In emerging markets, Samsung aims to expand its presence with region-specific LED TV models, while its range of Smart TV models with enhanced features will continue to maintain the company’s leadership in developed markets.

As for digital appliances, demand is expected to rise led by growth in emerging markets. Samsung will aim to improve profitability in the quarter by enhancing R&D efficiencies, expanding sales of premium products and sales in emerging markets, and capitalizing on strong seasonal demand for air conditioners.

U.S. consumers are more interested in Samsung HDTV models than any other brand, according to a recent study from ABI Research. The South Korean manufacturer captured the top spot with 20% of respondents citing interest in a Samsung HDTV, passing Sony, which had previously held a commanding lead with 27% before dropping eight points to 19% in this latest poll. Consumer interest in LG’s HDTVs increased from 6% to 12%, while interest in Vizio jumped from 8% to 11%. “Regardless how long-lasting this shift in consumer interest may be, Sony continues to face a difficult challenge with its TV business, as do many TV manufacturers,” says senior analyst Michael Inouye. “Consumers continue to place screen size, display technology, and above all, price, as the most vital features for future TV purchases – all of which conspire to make differentiation in the TV market increasingly difficult.” The study also found that features like Internet connectivity and 3D have not yet produced the high demand TV manufacturers were counting on. Consumers cited 3D as the least important feature when buying a new television, with 42% of respondents claiming to have no interest in the technology whatsoever. ABI’s press release follows below.

Samsung Tops for HDTV Purchase Intent Among US Consumers

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – April 6, 2012​

Samsung captured the top position in US consumer HDTV purchase intent for the first half of 2012, passing Sony who previously had a commanding lead in the segment. LG and Vizio also had notable increases over earlier surveys that further eroded Sony’s position. Of the 25% of respondents who claimed interest in purchasing a HDTV in the first half of 2012, 20% cited Samsung, followed by 19% for Sony (previously 27%). LG generated the largest increase, jumping from 6% of respondents to 12%, with Vizio claiming 11% (up from 8%).

“Regardless how long-lasting this shift in consumer interest may be, Sony continues to face a difficult challenge with its TV business, as do many TV manufacturers,” says senior analyst Michael Inouye. Consumers continue to place screen size, display technology, and above all, price, as the most vital features for future TV purchases – all of which conspire to make differentiation in the TV market increasingly difficult.”

Compounding this issue, new features like Internet connectivity, and 3D in particular, have not yet yielded the spark in demand TV manufacturers were counting on to help generate deeper margins. In fact, 3D remains the least important feature cited by consumers when asked about TV purchase intent and a higher percentage (42% versus 39%) of respondents claimed to have no interest in a 3D-ready TV.

“Samsung has perhaps found the right balance between pricing, features, and form factor as the company continues to outpace the competition in the flat panel TV market,” adds Inouye. “While 3D and Internet connectivity have not generated the boost to the bottom line as some had hoped, the latter at least remains an essential ingredient to best address the changing consumer landscape for CE.”

ABI Research’s Technology Barometer™: Connected Home and Computing surveys, “WAVE 3 US CE Purchase Intent” and “WAVE 3 US 3D TVs and Universal Remote Controls,” provide information on 2000 US consumers, including current ownership and next six month purchase intentions for consumer electronics.

These surveys are part of ABI Research’s Technology Barometer™: Connected Home and Computing Research Service.

More than 1 million cable television subscribers in the United States canceled their service in 2011, opting instead for online films and TV shows available through services like Netflix and Hulu Plus. Nearly 2.65 million cable or satellite TV subscribers have canceled their service since 2008 to rely solely on Web-based services according to estimates from the Convergence Consulting Group. “It’s pretty obvious that there’s actual cord-cutting going on in the U.S.,” Brahm Eiley, president of Convergence Consulting, said in an interview with Bloomberg. The firm warns that the pace of defections may slow this year, however, as content providers tighten online access to shows and increase prices. It is estimated that roughly 930,000 customers will cut the cord in 2012, for a total of 3.58 million subscribers since 2008. The group also estimates that traditional television providers will add 185,000 accounts this year, up from 112,000 in 2011.

Read

Anthony DiClemente, a media analyst for Barclays, said in a recent note to investors that he doesn’t believe Apple will be able to change the cable industry with its rumored “iTV,” AllThingsD reported on Monday. DiClemente thinks Apple could unveil an incredible piece of hardware, possibly one that looks like a “large-scale iPad,” that would tie together the Internet with the company’s existing suite of iOS apps and services. The analyst also speculates that the Cupertino-based company’s device could retail for $1,500 or more and incorporate its Siri voice assistant with a “groundbreaking interface” that is ”so much more than a TV — including gaming, video communication, content delivery, apps, computing and all the capabilities of the current Apple TV.” DiClemente argues that TV programmers have no incentive to stray from their current bundles, however, which could be a big problem for Apple. Cable providers pay upwards of $30 billion each year for these bundles, and the analyst suggests there is too much money on the line for Apple to offer an innovative content model. DiClemente also notes that he doesn’t believe Apple’s HDTV will be release in 2012.

Read

Toshiba is in Germany this week at the company’s Toshiba World 2012 event, where it is showing off some of its latest smartphones and tablets. During the event, the vendor unveiled a new 13.3-inch Android tablet called the AT330, Techfokus reported on Wednesday. Along with a TV tuner and an antenna, the tablet is equipped with a quad-core Tegra 3 processor, a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3-megapixel front facing, an HDMI port, a full SD card slow, a SIM card slot and Android 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich. Unfortunately, the company has not disclosed any details regarding the device’s availability. Techfokus’s hands-on video can be viewed after the break.

[Via The Verge]

Read

Apple CEO Steve Jobs approached CBS approximately one year ago in an attempt to secure a content deal for a streaming television service that was in development at the time. CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves publicly spoke of the negotiations once before during an earnings call late last year, and now he is quoted again after having reportedly discussed the matter on stage during a presentation at the UCLA Entertainment Symposium. ”I told Steve, ‘You know more than me about 99 percent of things but I know more about the television business,’ ” Moonves said according to Hollywood Reporter. Moonves said he denied Jobs access to CBS content for the service out of fear it might disrupt CBS’s existing revenue streams. Apple is reportedly still working on a unique streaming TV service that it intends to launch alongside an Apple-branded HDTV later this year. Some reports suggest the service may treat channels like apps, allowing users to subscribe to individual channels or groups of channels a la carte.

Read